kmsrafols

Hello,

I'm planning a trip to Europe with my daughter starting July 31, 2015 for 20 days. We will be starting in London (she is studying abroad and will have already done London) . I am meeting her there after her classes are done. This is where we would like to go.

Amsterdam
Paris
Nice/Monaco
Venice
Florence /Pisa
Rome

I understand that is a lot but she just wants to see key places.

Amsterdam (Anne franks house, etc.)
Paris - Eiffel Tower, arch de triomphe, louvre etc.
Nice/Monaco - walk the beaches, casino, palace etc.
Venice - canals, st. Marks square, gondola ride etc.
Florence - Pointe Vecchio, piazza le Michelangelo,
Pisa - leaning tower of Pisa
Rome - the obvious

We will be taking trains and also flying on easy jet. Nothing Has been purchased so these are just things that we are considering. We do understand there is a lot of walking to do but then again she is young. I'm not but I have done this trip already.

Any advice on itinerary would be greatly appreciated and how many days would be enough for each destination taking into consideration what she wants to do.
Thank you.

kybourbon

Do you have to return to London?

Pisa can be easily visited from Florence (1 hour by train - about 10€) so there is no need to overnight there.

KTtravel

I usually think of a trip in terms of nights. If you have 20 I would assume you'll want to spend the first night in London. Your trip could look something like:

London - 1 night
Amsterdam - 3 nights
Paris - 4 nights
Nice/Monaco - 2 nights
Venice - 2 nights
Florence - 3 nights (include a day trip to Pisa during this stay)
Rome - 4 nights

Of course, more nights everywhere would be nice. You have one more night to play with and add to whichever place you'd like more time. Personally, I would also skip Nice/Monaco this trip and add that time to one of your other stops.

kja

Even though it is possible to fit all of these places into a single 20 night trip, doing so would mean spending a LOT of your time on the ground relocating, at the cost of time you would actually have to see things that you might enjoy. I, personally, would not enjoy a trip as fast-paced as any that could involve all these places (although I commend KTtravel for suggestion an option).

I recommend that you pencil your transportation options on a calendar, add some time on either side (for getting to/from the train/bus station or whatever, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.), and then make note of opening/closing times of the things you most want to see. Then see how things fit together. You might end up deciding to cut a destination or two....

BTW, I know a lot of people who planned their first trip or two (or three), saying, oh, but I'll return -- this is just a sampler. But when they find how much there is to see in the world, and how much time / energy / money it takes to get around, they end up skipping the places they initially skimmed. So I hear a LOT of people saying they wish they had taken time to explore a few places more fully on their first visit or too, even if it meant visiting fewer places.

Hope that helps!

sandralist

If your daughter could meet you at your first stop it might save you a little more time.

I would actually flip the trip around and fly from Amsterdam to Venice and then train to Florence Rome fly to Nice head to Paris by train and fly home from there.

Presuming you could meet in Amsterdam:

Amsterdam 2 nights
Venice 3 nights
Florence 3 nights
Rome 3 nights
Nice 3 nights
Paris 4 nights

I don't think Nice is very interesting but your daughter and you might want a break at that point.

One thing I suggest you discuss with your daughter is whether she wants to do a lot of sightseeing in the heat and crowds. She may not care. But the biggest downside to me of moving this fast in August is that the pressure to see "the highlights only" is intense and you end up spending every minute sightseeing in the hottest part of the day in the biggest crowds. People can end up hating a place they would have liked if they had a bit of time to wander away from the lines and find the charm of some back streets.

One of you will also need to be very organized about making advance reservations to the attractions that have long lines.

Gretchen

Don't bother with Nice/Monaco (especially) and add those days to Paris.
I'd fly to Rome and work back up. You may find you could cut down Amsterdam also.

bilboburgler

Rome, the obvious??? Since Mrs Bilbo took us on a two day fountain based tour I struggle to get the obvious.

Nice/Monaco for why? It hardly stacks up against even Pisa which is pleasant enough town but with a couple of old buildings in a field stuck on one side, let alone the other cities.

I cannot imagine visiting Venice for one day so for me

Amsterdam - 2 days
Paris - 4 days
Venice - 3 day
Florence - 3 days including Pisa
Rome - 4 days

but for planning purposes I'd actually look at nights, not days

adrienne

The fountains of Rome sounds like a fabulous trip!

To me the obvious in Rome is walking around Trastevere, seeing as many churches as possible, Borghese Gallery.

bilbo's itinerary looks good but he only accounts for 16 days, not 20. I also would skip Nice/Monaco in favor of more time in other locations.

I count days so I can plan sightseeing. I'm sleeping at night so there is nothing to plan.

If you fly to London you'll waste a day unless you immediately get on a plane to your first destination and don't go into the city.

Day 1 – London
Day 2-4 – Amsterdam
Day 5-9 – Paris
Day 10-12 – Venice
Day 13-15 Florence
Day 16-20 Rome

RonZ

Express in nights. Factor in relocation time, see how much is left for enjoyment.

Drop Nice. Too much travel time to get there and then to Venice.

Christina

I would not skip Nice to add so many days to Paris if she wants to experience different things. First, it's on the way if you go by train. If you are flying, then I might agree that it's easier to fly from Paris to Venice than go by train down to Nice and then over to Italy. I would skip Monaco, though. You don't need that many days in Paris, that is a lot . I know people are batty about Paris on this board but there isn't any reason it is so superior to other cities to spend 5 days there and miss other things you want to see. People who want to taste cities can do so in 3-4 days, even major capital cities. I wouldn't spend that many days in Rome, either (as suggested above).

Nice is very different from Paris and it is beautiful along the sea, none of your other cities will have that kind of flavor or views or ambience. I would drop Monaco, though.

dwdvagamundo

Concur with Christina--adrienne has too many days in Paris and Rome for a first trip, and if your daughter wants to see the south of France, then go. Nice and Monaco were disappointments for me, but others might like them better than I did. Arles, Avignon, Marseilles, on the other hand were outstanding.

Add the extra days to Florence and see Pisa as a day trip from Florence and perhaps do another day trip in Tuscany.

Sue_xx_yy

Assuming you have 20 nights, exclusive of your overnight flight to London
London - 1 night
Fly to Venice - 3 nights/4
Venice to Rome: 4 hours by Eurostar train - 3 nights/7
Florence: 2 nights/9
Cinque Terre - (to break up train to Nice; do Pisa en route by checking bags in a Pisa station locker and taking a cab to the tower)- 2/11
Nice (beach day) - 2 nights/13 (this is a long day on the train from CT to Nice, about 5 hours, so I hope she really wants that beach)
Paris - 4 nights/17 (5.5 hours by TGV train)
Amsterdam - (3 hours by THALYS train) - 3 nights/20

paulapan

You mentioned flying with Easy Jet..they fly into Gatwick, which is a long trek into London by public transport..I suggest going to Amsterdam first, and then get the Inter City trains around the rest of Europe..Find on B-Europe.com. Remember too the baggage costs on Easy Jet..In my opinion, I would drop Nice too

PalenQ

For a good fix on European trains and planning a rail trip check out these IMO superb sites: www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free online European Planning & Rail Guide for suggested itineraries, rail maps and travel times, etc. seat61.com has lots of good info on discounted train tickets that are the cheapest way to go if you know exactly what trains you will be taking and won't want to change after issue as most have severe restrictions of changes or refunds.

You probably are not taking enough trains to look at any railpass.

PalenQ

Nice/Monaco - walk the beaches, casino, palace etc>

A cool cool walk goes from the Cap d'Ail train station - a stop on the seaside train line from Nice to Monaco to Italy - a few flat miles on paved footpaths to Monte Carlo/Monaco - this is a most gorgeous stroll - all along the deep azure-hued sea - with none of the obnoxious over development IMO that scars much of the coast between Cannes and Menton -

here is the signature natural beauty of the Cote d'Azur - cypress trees clinging to huge boulders that are tumbling toward the sea - a clear sea - nothing but nature - rare for this area - the path comes out at the Yacht Club in Monaco - take the train back from Monaco to Nice.

nytraveler

I love Nice and think it is well worth 4 or 5 days - including seeing other towns on the coast and museums/charming villages in the hills. Monaco is a hoot - but big $ and mainly for shopping for uber expensive designer wear and gambling.

BUT - you have a limited amount of time and will be going at the hottest and most crowded time of year.

I would focus on fewer places, giving you more time to see places in details and not forcing you to rush around so much in all that heat to pack in the major sights.

If it were me I would meet your daughter in Rome head north to Florence and Venice by train and then fly to Paris. Way more than enough to see and do in the time you have.

chris45ny

Would your daughter be able to go over to Amsterdam while she's studying abroad? My niece studied abroad in London and took short trips to Amsterdam and Paris. If she can then you could omit Amsterdam unless you want to see Anne Frank's house or something else there??

Then you would have the 20 days for Paris, Nice resort/beach area south of France, Venice, Florence with day trip to Pisa, and Rome. Are you both flying home from Rome?

Thinking in terms of having full days-5 days in Paris, 3 days south of France, 3 days Venice, 4 days Florence which includes Pisa, 5 days Rome. Plenty of time in each place IMO to cover what you've listed. Of course some time will be eaten up by travel from place to place. You could meet in Paris, fly? to south of France, fly? to Venice, fast train to Florence, fast train to Rome. Or you could reverse the itinerary starting in Rome and ending in Paris.

What ever you decide I'm sure you and your daughter will create many lovely memories of this mother-daughter trip! Have a great time!

PalenQ

http://brennakmurphy.wordpress.com/2...co-and-menton/

the lovely Cap d'Ail to Monaco and Monaco to Menton coastal walks!