Rome Venice Barcelona Paris in 15 days
Sep 5th, 2010, 06:28 PM
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Rome Venice Barcelona Paris in 15 days
We will be hopping from Rome (4 nights) to Venice (2 nights) to Barcelona (3 nights) and Paris (5nights) from April 17 to May 1, 2011. My husband and I will be traveling with 3 children ages 13, 10 and 7. Do we take the train or take a flight? Or in some places do we drive? It will be our first trip in to Europe.
We need quintuple rooms for our stay (it saves money). We were able to book in Rome but we can't seem to find hotels/ bed and breakfast places with quintuple rooms in Venice nor Barcelona nor Paris. We are a little wary of private apartments that ask for wire transfer reservations. Any recommendations are most appreciated!
We need quintuple rooms for our stay (it saves money). We were able to book in Rome but we can't seem to find hotels/ bed and breakfast places with quintuple rooms in Venice nor Barcelona nor Paris. We are a little wary of private apartments that ask for wire transfer reservations. Any recommendations are most appreciated!
Sep 5th, 2010, 08:22 PM
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I agree that you need to eliminate one city, and in my book that should be Barcelona. It is far out of the way of the others, you would have to fly from Venice and that's no slam dunk.
If I were you I would fly into Venice first, walk off the jetlag along the canals (much easier to get rid of jetlag in Venice than in noisy and hectic Rome), enjoy Venice, then take the train to Rome, but build in a few hours for walking around Florence.
You'll be glad to stretch your legs, and just the walk to the Duomo and around that area is awesome, and maybe down to the bridge, then it will be time for lunch before you walk back to the station and tackle the last leg to Rome.
For ex., lvg Venezia S.Lucia (the station down by the canals) at 8:27 gets you to Florence at 10:30, then taking the 15:10 train gets you to Rome by 16:45.
Because seat reservations are mandatory, you'd have to book those two legs individually and stick to the timetable once you have your tickets.
Then from Rome fly to Paris (trains take 12 hours).
Or - for an adventure - take the night train, lvg Rome at 20:00, arr. Milan 23:15, you have 20 minutes to find the night train, lvg from Milan at 23:35 and getting into Paris-Bercy at 08:19. You can book sleeper compartments, or couchettes (bunks - you lie down with 3 or 5 others, it's roughing it but at least your back will thank you...). If that's what you decide on, book well in advance!
Now if you consider that the first day (for many people the first two days) are not worth much because of the jetlag, and if you subtract those plus the travel days as outlined from the total, you can re-apportion what's left and make the most of it.,
If I were you I would fly into Venice first, walk off the jetlag along the canals (much easier to get rid of jetlag in Venice than in noisy and hectic Rome), enjoy Venice, then take the train to Rome, but build in a few hours for walking around Florence.
You'll be glad to stretch your legs, and just the walk to the Duomo and around that area is awesome, and maybe down to the bridge, then it will be time for lunch before you walk back to the station and tackle the last leg to Rome.
For ex., lvg Venezia S.Lucia (the station down by the canals) at 8:27 gets you to Florence at 10:30, then taking the 15:10 train gets you to Rome by 16:45.
Because seat reservations are mandatory, you'd have to book those two legs individually and stick to the timetable once you have your tickets.
Then from Rome fly to Paris (trains take 12 hours).
Or - for an adventure - take the night train, lvg Rome at 20:00, arr. Milan 23:15, you have 20 minutes to find the night train, lvg from Milan at 23:35 and getting into Paris-Bercy at 08:19. You can book sleeper compartments, or couchettes (bunks - you lie down with 3 or 5 others, it's roughing it but at least your back will thank you...). If that's what you decide on, book well in advance!
Now if you consider that the first day (for many people the first two days) are not worth much because of the jetlag, and if you subtract those plus the travel days as outlined from the total, you can re-apportion what's left and make the most of it.,
Sep 6th, 2010, 05:00 AM
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No need to be wary of apartments - rather, that's the best way to accomodate 5 persons IMO (and apartments are my preferred holiday accomodations, anyway - infinitely more comfortable than hotels). It's obvious that they have to require payment in advance - while a hotel may have 20 units, or 200, an apartment has (is) just one unit, and if guests don't show up, the owner is short of 100 percent of his income, not of 5, or 0.5; plus there is no reception, so no walk-in customers. To sum it up, requiring full payment in advance is the seal of quality for serious apartment rentals. Of course, occasional scams may occur, but that's precisely true for hotels, as well (never heard those - true - horror stories about "new" resort hotels that turned out to be inexistent when travelers showed up?).
Sep 6th, 2010, 06:27 AM
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You really have 13 days if you discount arrival and departure days, which isn't close to enough time for four cities so widely flung. I think you have to eliminate Barcelona, and even then your time is short.
I agree with Dalai Lama's plan of flying into Venice and getting rid of the jetlag there. I would not ever consider taking a night train with three children, though.
I think you are going to have to rent apartments. I'm very surprised you even found a quintuple room, as they are practically nonexistent in Europe. And there's hardly a more secure way of sending funds than through a wire transfer. Renting apartments is likely to save you a good deal of money, plus it gives you some communal downtime space at the end of a day of sightseeing. If you b
I agree with Dalai Lama's plan of flying into Venice and getting rid of the jetlag there. I would not ever consider taking a night train with three children, though.
I think you are going to have to rent apartments. I'm very surprised you even found a quintuple room, as they are practically nonexistent in Europe. And there's hardly a more secure way of sending funds than through a wire transfer. Renting apartments is likely to save you a good deal of money, plus it gives you some communal downtime space at the end of a day of sightseeing. If you b
Sep 6th, 2010, 11:28 AM
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A lot of apartment owners and agencies use PayPal now, too -- which is super convenient and safe for both parties. They'll correspond with you ahead of time via e-mail and you can ask any questions you like to get a better idea about a place.
Sep 6th, 2010, 11:39 AM
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I like apartments, but my experience is that you pay a premium (and find less availability) when you stay less than a week. You might consider taking two adjacent rooms in a hotel, which would give you the benefit of two bathrooms, a rarity in apartments.
I might consider dropping Rome, which really warrants at least a week itself. Without Rome, you would have an opportunity to sample three countries. I think you are wise to spend at least two days in Venice; it is a very different place at night after the tour boat crowds leave, so one day is not enough. I might consider flying from Venice to Barcelona to save time, but I would take the long train ride from Barcelona to Paris if I could figure a way to be passing through the scenic areas during the day. A train is the most comfortable way to travel because there is plenty of space to get up and walk around, scenery outside the windows, and you can bring your own picnic basket of what you want for meals. Train stations seem to have better food and even groceries than airports.
I might consider dropping Rome, which really warrants at least a week itself. Without Rome, you would have an opportunity to sample three countries. I think you are wise to spend at least two days in Venice; it is a very different place at night after the tour boat crowds leave, so one day is not enough. I might consider flying from Venice to Barcelona to save time, but I would take the long train ride from Barcelona to Paris if I could figure a way to be passing through the scenic areas during the day. A train is the most comfortable way to travel because there is plenty of space to get up and walk around, scenery outside the windows, and you can bring your own picnic basket of what you want for meals. Train stations seem to have better food and even groceries than airports.
