The One Trip to Rule Them All

Old Apr 10th, 2016, 08:59 PM
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The One Trip to Rule Them All

Hello all! My girlfriend and I are graduating college in a few weeks and are planning a trip to Europe for a month, starting on May 1! We are excited as this may be one of the only times we are able to take a trip for an entire month! Plane tickets are purchased and hotels are booked (although flexible), so anyways, I want to share our plan with you in hopes that you can share your insights and opinions on the itinerary! Thanks for reading this far!

ENGLAND (not really)

Sunday, May 1: Red-eye from Orlando, Fl to Manchester, England

PORTUGAL

Monday, May 2: Day in Manchester, then fly to Lisbon
Arrive 8:40 AM in Manchester - 12 hour layover
Leave airport (left luggage Platform 10), Train to Manchester Piccadilly Station
Explore the city some: John Rylands Library, Manchester Town Hall, Walking Tour?
8:55 PM takeoff to Lisbon (2.5 hr flight)
Arrive Lisbon 11:45 PM, taxi to hotel

Tuesday, May 3: Lisbon
Take a tour to get our bearing on the city: Sandeman Free Lisbon Tour (10AM-1PM)
Eat Lunch and maybe try the Sandeman Alfama Tour (2:20PM-5PM, 12€pp), Eat Dinner, Pubs!

Wednesday, May 4: Visit Sintra
Train to Sintra, Enjoy exploring Palacia Nacional de Pena/Sintra, etc.

Thursday, May 5: Belem
Belem (Sandeman Tour, 11AM-1PM, 12€pp). We have had good experiences with Sandeman's in the pat. Can you tell? Explore Lisbon on our own for the rest of the day.

Friday, May 6: To Algarve
Train to Lagos 10AM departure, 1PM change in Tunes, 2PM Arrival ($30 pp)
Check into Hotel for 2 nights and walk to Praia Dona Ana, Camilo Beach, Ponta da Piedade.

Saturday, May 7: More Algarve
Enjoy beaches, do cave tour on boat!

TIME FOR SPAIN!

Sunday, May 8: To Seville
Bus to Seville, leave 6:30 AM, arrive 1 PM (5.5 hr, 18€ pp)
Check into airbnb, Tour and see Bullfight at Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza

Monday, May 9: Explore Seville
Free City Tour (~10-1:30) or Santa Cruz tour, Eat Lunch, Explore the Alcazar, Dinner/Flamenco

Tuesday, May 10: Cordoba Day Trip
Train to Cordoba (AVE) ~9am (45min, 30€ pp RT)
See Mezquita and Cathedral/Roman Bridge, Alcazar, Lunch, Explore Cordoba,
Maybe check out the Hammam because the gf likes baths/spas?
Train back to Seville ~8PM

Wednesday, May 11: Granada/Seville
Morning train to Granada (3hr, $50 pp RT)
Alhambra, Generalife, Mirador, Albayzin
Return to Seville (train 9 PM leaving Granada)

Thursday, May 12: To Barcelona
Sleep in and finish Seville
7:20 PM Takeoff, 9:00 PM landing (1hr 20min)
Check into airbnb. Have dinner.

Friday, May 13: Barcelona
Have breakfast, Free city tour, 10AM-12:30PM, Have lunch
Gaudi Free Walking Tour (4:30-7PM) Have dinner, rest, go out

Saturday, May 14: Barcelona
Finish exploring Barcelona on our own!

NICE?.... NICE!

Sunday, May 15: To Nice
10:45 AM Takeoff, 12:10 PM Landing
Uber to airbnb
Have lunch, explore a little
Nice Cycle Tour - 30€ PP - 3-6PM
Fontaine du Soleil/Place Massena in evening/dinner

Monday, May 16: Monaco and Eze for the day
Bus or train to Monaco and Eze on our own and explore

Tuesday, May 17: Provence Countryside Excursion from Nice
Provence Countryside Small Group Day Trip - ~$100pp
Antibes, Cannes, Grasse, Gourdon Village, St. Paul de Vence
We are thinking of a guided tour to be time-efficient, but may consider doing this via public transportation

Wednesday, May 18: Nice
Relax in Nice, Fresh fruits in Old Town Market, Promenade des Anglais
Castle Hill/Monument aux Morts, Cathedral Russe St Nicolas, Food Tour?

ITALY

Thursday, May 19: To Naples
7:00 AM Takeoff, 8:25 AM Landing, ~1.5 hr, $37 pp
Check in to airbnb, have breakfast, see Sotteranea, see what we can of the city and have some pizza!

Friday, May 20: Naples Excursion
Day trip to Pompeii/Amalfi Coast ($95pp) - guided bus tour

Saturday, May 21: To Rome
Train - 2hr - $15pp
Check into airbnb
Explore Rome, Free City Tour? (5:30-7:30PM)

Sunday, May 22: Catholic Rome
St. Peter’s, Pantheon, Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Angelo Castle
Should we do Catholic Rome on a Sunday? Will it be too crowded?

Monday, May 23: Ancient Rome
Forum, Campidoglio, Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, Arch, Catacombs, Quirinale Palace
dinner at Piazza Navona


Tuesday, May 24: To Florence
Train - 2.5hr - $20pp
Check into airbnb
Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Uffizi Gallery?, Ponte Vecchio, Santo Spirito, dinner


Wednesday, May 25: Florence Excursion
Tuscany in 1 day Sightseeing Tour ($95pp) - guided bus tour
Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano

Thursday, May 26: Florence
Piazza San Lorenzo, Piazza Santa Croce, Academia, Piazzale Michelangelo, etc.

Friday, May 27: To Venice
Train - 3hr - $25pp - Venezia Santa Lucia stop
Water transport or walk to Hotel San Geremia
St. Mark's Basilica, Doge’s Palace (secret?), Bridge of Sighs, Campanile, Explore

Saturday, May 28: Venice
Murano Glass and Burano Lace Tour from Venice ($40pp)
Finish Venice - Romantic Dinner cruise

PARIS!!! We made it!

Sunday, May 29: To Paris
Takeoff 8:35 am, landing 10:20 am, (~2hr) - $42 pp
Check into airbnb
Lunch, Free Walking Tour(1-4PM)

Monday, May 30: Paris
Holy Chapel, Louvre, Palais Garnier Opera House
Tuileries Gardens, Sacre Coeur Basilica, Place du Tertre, City Sewers, catacombs?
Montmartre Tour? - 6-8PM - €12pp, Line 6 for views of the Eiffel Tower

Tuesday, May 31: Versaille/Paris
Train to Versaille - RER C to Versailles-Rive Gauche
Explore Versaille for the day. Segway? Train back to Paris

Wednesday, June 1: Tours/Paris
Train to Tours TGV (city) - 1 hr
Loire Valley Bus Tour. I heard this would be cheaper than taking the guided bus tour out of Paris. What do you all think?
Train back to Paris.

Thursday, June 2: Flying home via Copenhagen
Takeoff: 11:00 AM, Landing: 12:55 PM (~2 hr)
3 hr layover in Copenhagen
Takeoff: 4:05 PM,Landing: 8 PM
We're home!
wmomeara is offline  
Old Apr 10th, 2016, 10:02 PM
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Congratulations on your upcoming graduation.
It looks like you have done your homework on your trip too,
I'd suggest 2 things: in Spain factor in mealtimes: lunch is generally 2.30pm to 3.30ish, even if you make a reservation you will mostly get your food around 3pm. Dinner is usually 9.00pm onwards. In Barcelona check out area El Born, its very cool, mostly pedestrianised, lots of young artists and foody types, its near the Picasso museum.
Book your tickets for Alhumbra as soon as you can. Its a really busy place and the lines are long.
This applies to a few other places you are looking to visit: Versailles; Uffizi and Accademia, The Vatican and the Colisseum.
Have a great time.
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Old Apr 10th, 2016, 11:06 PM
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wow, I struggle to help, but I think you will like the Algarve.

Why are you going to Denmark exactly?
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 12:02 AM
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Why are you going to Denmark exactly?

Because everybody needs to at one point in their lives pay $50 for two McDonalds value meals.
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 12:43 AM
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You'll be in Cordoba during the famous patio festival (May 2-15). Not only patios, but almost 24/7 food, wine, music, dance, concerts etc. etc. Top of the shelf flamenco artists give free open air concerts almost every night. Perhaps make it an overnight in Cordoba? http://www.andalucia.com/cities/cordoba/patios.htm

Last years program, and very similar from year to year: http://patios.cordoba.es/en/index/co...festival/qid/2

From flamenco concerts during the patio festival the past two years:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUjqVhPoTy0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl1k-bzwbMQ
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 01:40 AM
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Your arrival day May 2nd in Manchester is a UK public holiday, so banks and offices will be closed. However, shops, cafes, restaurants etc will all be open. You'll need to leave the city centre around 6pm to get back to the airport for your check in.

There's a "Discover Manchester" walk run by Blue Badge Guides on the morning of the 2nd, meeting in front of the Central Library just before 11am, so this should fit in with your arrival time:

http://www.manchesterguidedtours.com/events/2016-05/
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 03:14 AM
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A very comprehensive trip, very busy and IMHO over organized.

Some of these days are just not going to work - something will be late or unexpectedly closed, will just take longer than you thought or you will run into bad weather (rain, possibly heavy almost anywhere or very hot weather in Spain - we had temps of 99 in late April).

So I would advise you to have options and to allow a little relaxing time in your itinerary (an hour or two in late afternoon to just sit in a cafe or pub and have a drink and watch the world go by).

Also you have a LOT of tour (we don't usually do these - and generally only sign up for very specific tours with academics the day or so in advance. We just prefer to leave things much looser so it;s more a vacation and less a Bataan death march. Consider if you really must go to some of these places - paris sewers? really? And no Notre Dame? No cafe sitting near the Boul Miche to just see some interesting street life? Not attending a film festival in Paris?

Just don't be wedded to this list once you get there - let the city come to you.

I know you are young and hve lots of energy - but - do give yourselves some time to just relax.
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 03:26 AM
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It's a very good, thoughtful plan, on paper. The reality on the ground will be quite different, but as long as you go knowing that and willing to make on-the-spot alterations, it should be find.

Some days are indeed just impossible. For example, on May 30, I'd be surprised if you managed to do more than two of the nine things you have planned. You do have to have time to eat, get lost, and just relax, you know.

Let us know how it turns out!
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 04:10 AM
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I'd prefer to stay in Paris all 3-1/2 days rather than take two side trips to see castles. You'll still only scratch the surface of Paris.
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 04:25 AM
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If you go into this with the realization and acceptance that you won't be able to see everything you want to see then I think your itinerary is completely doable and should be a good time.
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 05:08 AM
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A "romantic dinner cruise" in Venice sounds a bit off to me. I've can't ever recall seeing a restaurant boat moving along the Grand Canal (maybe I missed it), but the other canals would be too small. Which suggests to me that a "dinner cruise" might be taking you to the bigger and noisier waterways at the periphery, actually away from the most romantic aspect of Venice at night -- which is to be among the silent streets where there is no motor traffic at all, only the gondolas floating by, or the sound of footsteps, or the distant sounds of the orchestra in piazza San Marco. There are lovely intimate restaurants hidden among the canals, and you might consider spending the money that the elevated price of a tourist dinner cruise would be and instead spending it on superior food and wine within the calle of Venice itself. Just not sure what you are referring to, but the romance of Venice on the water is to my mind not a dinner cruise.
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 05:23 AM
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So so it doesn't go unnoticed, I like the thread title.
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 05:24 AM
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*Just so...

#$&@* lack of edit feature...
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 05:48 AM
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For my taste, you're trying to do too much and check too many boxes, as well as take too many tours. But you've done your homework well, so this is much better than many that we see. I do think there will be quite a days when you will prefer to just stay in bed late and wander around, which is one of the best uses for your time in Europe. So I'd be cautious on prebooking and prepaying for tours.

A couple of specific suggestions:

May 28: Why spend money taking a tour Murano and Burano? You can (and probably will) buy vaporetto passes, so just take the vaporetto and walk around, looking in the various shops and workshops. And in lieu of a "romantic dinner cruise" go on to Torcello and eat at Locanda Cipriani with the money you've saved. Then take the vaporetto back to Venice and wander around--all of Venice is romantic at nite after the tourist buses depart. Or just return to Venice and find a romantic restaurant.

June 1: If you must leave Paris, then take the train to Amboise rather than to ugly Tours so you can see two of the best chateaux: Amboise and Chenonceau. Even if you just stay in Amboise, you can see that chateau then walk to Leonardo's Chateau de Clos-Luce and save a bundle of money.

Anyway, congratulations on your graduation and bon voyage!
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 05:51 AM
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The one place you haven't got a walking tour where I think it would be highly useful to have one (whereas I am less sure about the others) is Napoli. I would put that over seeing underground Naples -- all the show of Naples is happening in the streets, out in the open. The alleyways of Naples are easy to get turned around in, and unless you know that some of the old churches -- which can look almost abandoned from the outside -- have extraordinary things inside, you walk right by them without realizing you'd be amazed if you went in. Even a half-day or less guided walking tour could give you a lot of exposure to the best of the city's historic sights.

I would look for a walking tour that promised to take you inside the Cappella Sansevero and the cloisters of Santa Chiara, and if you don't find one like that, then go to these places on your own.

If you have time at the end of the day you can take the underground tour (it doesn't need daylight), but if you are interested in Pompei, you might not want to miss the artifacts from Pompei housed in the archeological museum in the center of Naples.

And finally, while I wish you an educational trip, I will express my disgust that you feel it necessary to go to a bullfight and support it as part of being a clueless tourist. Sorry the bull will pay with his life to teach you otherwise.
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 06:02 AM
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Congratulations on the graduation, and the planning, but wow, I'm exhausted reading this, and I do long trips myself. You really could use some down time, not just because you're going to get tired, but because some of these places are better seen chilling out in a pavement cafe, or strolling the backstreets, than on a tour of the "must sees".

A few things stood out:

Don't go to Belem with a tour. Take the tram (look into a transport pass for Lisbon, it has lots of quirky transport) and sight see on your own. The tour won't tell you anything you can't read in a guidebook, and the monastery is much better seen on your own, with plenty of time. Then have a coffee on the terrace of the Cultural Center. (Click on my name for my Lisbon TR, or read the two Lisbon threads near the top of this board.)

Why aren't you stopping the night in Granada on the way to Barcelona? You will miss the night tour of the Alhambra, which is the best way to see it.

Does that Gaudi tour go into any of the Gaudi buildings? Seems unlikely if it's free, since they are expensive. Consider skipping the tours and buying advance tickets for some of the sights so you can see the inside. (See the recent posts at https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com/ for why. I haven't posted Sagrada Familia yet, but the inside is a must.)

I love Nice (Have a TR for that, too). Consider the hike round Cap Ferrat. Also, besides the grounds of the Villa Ephrussi there's the quirky Villa Kerylos (www.villa-kerylos.com/en/kerylos ).

I wouldn't bother with the Loire tour, I'd spend the time in Paris.

Couple of things to remember: "pack light" (no, lighter), and "you will return" (so you don't have to see it all on this trip).

Have a great trip, and do come back and tell us about it.
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 06:23 AM
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echoing sandra's comments, why not plan to go to France where the bull gets to live, rather than get stabbed for the pleasure of the rubes
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 06:24 AM
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@misskdonkey - Thanks! I will book these often sold-out places ASAP, and definitely factor in those Spanish mealtimes. Totally forgot they do everything later in Spain it seems (even party, doubt we Americans can hang).

@bilboburgler - Copenhagen is just where we have a 3 hour stopover. Not enough time t do anything so probably just shouldn't have included it. Interesting how a burgler such as yourself stumbled upon my One Ring ahem Itinerary thread...

@kimhe - I will check out that festival and consider an overnight in Corodba, thanks! Looks amazing.

@Ribucund - thanks for the heads up! We will definitely check out that tour. Hopefully we can sleep on the plane (with some ZZZQuil) and be rested for some walking that day.

@STCirq - OK, then we will stay flexible to spend more time in Paris by not booking any Loire Valley tour too early. Definitely all the planning has not been so that we know our schedule exactly, but just to know what we want to see well enough to remain flexible. Thanks!

@cilburke - Nice, this is the kind of stuff we like to know. Never been to Paris, so when the magic of the city takes us (I'm sure it will) we will be flexible to stay on June 1st in Paris as well.

@dwdvagamundo - Thanks! We won't book anything ahead of time that we don't have to then so we can remain flexible. We will take your advice and do Murano and Burano ourselves via vaporetto. We heard good things about the glass factory from friends. On June 1 I personally think we will just stay in Paris after reading everyone's comments. So definitely we will be flexible! Just heard good things about the "Loire Valley Tour" is all.

@sandralist - Good idea, we will try and find a good walking tour that can bring us there. Underground is right near our airbnb, so night tour sounds perfect! As for the bullfight, I watched a video and had no idea how cruel it is to the bull. It's something I won't be sad at all if we miss. I'm not into animal cruelty, but it also seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity I guess. Thanks again

@sparkchaser - Thanks xD!!! It really is our trip of a lifetime so I appreciate everyone's awesome feedback!

@everyone - We will stay flexible and depending on how we feel and the weather things will definitely have to change. I know we are planned to do a lot of walking tours and bus tours, but these aren't booked and are open to change. Seeing as we will be (recently graduated) college students at the time though, we like the sort of educational (yet touristy) aspect of these things. More chances to interact with some new people, perhaps. Thanks everyone!
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 06:35 AM
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@thursdaysd - Thanks! Will definitely write up a trip report for this beast of a trip. We don't have time enough for everything, that's for sure.
We'll stay in Paris on the final day and add some downtime there.
We can skip the Belem tour and have some downtime to ourselves that day.
We could overnight in Granada but we have a plane booked from Seville that leaves the next day at 7:20PM. We could easily head back to Seville in time. Just means we have to carry out luggage back and forth. May have to come back for the night tour next time.
Probably no Gaudi admission in Barcelona. Will check and see if that's something we would be interested in checking out!
We will check that out in Nice, seems like a beautiful hike.

@everyone - We are definitely packing light. Only one carry on each, and mine is a CabinMax backpack. Also have my camera bag so hopefully lots of pictures to put with the words when I get back!
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Old Apr 11th, 2016, 06:57 AM
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Add a budget line for laundry. I don't think you'll have time to DIY, so you'll need to pay for services a few times.

Buy trip insurance in case one (or more) of your flights doesn't go as planned and the itinerary begins to collapse.
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