SChambless3

*Sorry that it has taken so long to get back on here. These last 8 months have been hectic to say the least. I previously posted on May 2010.
*We have 15 months until the vacation of a lifetime. I really need to start fine tuning this trip.
*In June 2012, my family will set out on a European Adventure. The journey will last approximately 16-17 days. The "family" consists of my daughter (this is her graduation present, she will be 18); my parents (they will be 62 and are frequent vacationers); and myself (I will be 44 at time of the trip).
*We are not sure how to view Europe at this point. Orginally we discussed the following:
(Day 1) Flying from Mobile, AL to London, England (arrive midday on day 2)
(Days 2-5) Tour London (3 nites/3 days) (Day 5-Leave London via Eurostar Train to Paris, France-arrive AM)
(Days 5-9) Tour Paris (4 nites/4 days) (Day 9-Leave Paris via Flight to Barcelona, Spain-arrive AM)
(Day 9) Spend day in Barcelona
(Days 10-16) European Cruise (Ports of call-each 1 day only: Toulon, Nice, Florence, Rome, Naples)
*Our family is very interested in seeing as much of Europe as possible. Landmarks are important to us. We are blessed to have 16-17 days to do this. We want to be tired when we get back home...lol. It is a vacation; however, it is an opportunity to see & experience lots of Europe.
*The following are questions that I have (any feedback/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!):
1) Should we take the 7 day cruise and visit the 5 sites for 1 day each? or should we forego the cruise altogether? The previous posters have suggested spending that extra time on land. Our main reason for taking the cruise was the convenience of having the same room for 7 days (not having to move luggage around so much), concierge laundry services, and to be able to visit so many places.
2) If we don't take the cruise, where are places to visit? We really wanted to enjoy Rome, Nice, Florence, & Naples.
3) Is 3 days enough to see London? Is 4 days enough to see Paris?
4) Leaving London via Eurostar Train to Paris, is the Eurostar Train a good way to travel? It shows the ride from London to Paris at 2.5 hours.
5) What are suggestions for sleeping/hotels? London, Paris, Italy, & Barcelona? We had talked about getting just 1 room for the 4 of us at each place. Posters have suggested 2 rooms because of the bathroom. Are the rooms small? What are some higher end hotels in these locations?
6) What landmarks would be good to see/visit in London, Paris, & Italy?
7) If we kept to the schedule from Days 1 - 9 (London & Paris); then on Day 10, should we fly to Italy (somewhere so that we can still visit Rome, Florence, & Naples) and stay there the remaining 6 days?
*Any suggestions/advice would be so helpful at this point. I realize that we have plenty of time to plan this; but I would like to get things organized, so that I can book flights/cruises as soon as they are available.
THANKS!!!!

kraines

I have something that I really have to do right now, so i do not have much time. I will tell you this, I would not do the cruise. We did the same trip for our daughter's hs graduation and stayed about the same length of time. We went to London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice and Salzburg. We saw so much and loved it. We used the train for travel and spaced our time as follows: 5 days London, 3 Paris (too short); 5 days Rome; 3 days Florence 3 days Venice and 4 nights Salzburg. We had a wonderful time and loved every minute. The lessons that we learned is that we would not do but one country in two weeks! If you do a cruise you will be so rushed in port. Later

Christina

I haven't been to Italy so can't comment on that and a lot of your logistics or cruise questions.

But as for hotels, do not consider trying to get hotel rooms for four grown adults. You can't even do that in the US that well, let alone in Europe where hotel rooms are often smaller. And if you want higher end hotels, why would you try to get a hotel room for four people? If you have plenty of money, get normal hotel rooms for two people. It isn't just a matter of the bathroom, but that would be enough, the room itself will not be very large, you will be stepping on each other. And surely you realize that you and your daughter in a double bed would be a tight squeeze (this is a regular double bed, NOT a king). IF you could even find a hotel with two double beds in one room, which isn't that common. Don't you want to get out of each other's hair at some time, anyway, and have some type of privacy.

Sure, 3-4 days is enough to see a major city. I'm not sure what that means, you can see any place in that time, you just see less of it that you would if you had more time. There isn't any place in the world I wanted to see where I would refuse to go if I had 3-4 days to see it.

I think Eurostar is a great way to go from London to Paris, makes it very easy, so much more convenient than flying as you are right in city center.

If you really want to see London, Paris and Italy, I think your item (7) is a good way to go, four days London and Paris each, then a bit more in Italy.

have a good time

studenttraveller

Regarding question 4: Travelling from London to Paris via the Eurostar is excellent! Very easy and quite fast. Much better than flying from LDN to Paris.

Question 6: Depends on your interests, but in London I highly recommend the Tower of London and the Churchill Museum/Cabinet War Rooms as far as the main tourist sights. Skip the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace- not exciting and a waste of a few hours. London has great markets- Brick Lane, Portobello Road, and Borough. And of course, lots of shopping! It is hard to know what to suggest without really knowing your interests.

Artsfan2

I would also suggest going with number 7 - flying to Italy for the last 6 days. Rome and Florence are both wonderful - something to see every time you turn around and it's easy to travel between the cities by train. I would skip Naples - Pompeii is very interesting but you don't really have the time.

In London I really like the British Museum.

Artsfan2

I would also suggest going with number 7 - flying to Italy for the last 6 days. Rome and Florence are both wonderful - something to see every time you turn around and it's easy to travel between the cities by train. I would skip Naples - Pompeii is very interesting but you don't really have the time.

In London I really like the British Museum.

Delaine

I like the idea of number 7, spending the last 6 days in Italy. You could visit Rome and Florence or Rome and Venice, taking the train between and flying out of whichever city you visited last.

ellenem

To summarize, I think this is what most people here have suggested:

Day 1 - Depart Mobile, AL
Day 2 - arrive London, England; tour London
Day 3 - tour London
Day 4 - tour London
Day 5 - Eurostar train to Paris; tour Paris
Day 6 - tour Paris
Day 7 - tour Paris
Day 8 - tour Paris
Day 9 - fly to Florence; tour Florence
Day 10 - tour Florence
Day 11 - tour Florence
Day 12 - train to Rome; tour Rome
Day 13 - tour Rome
Day 14 - tour Rome
Day 15 - tour Rome - perhaps take a daytrip by train to Naples
Day 16 - tour Rome
Day 17 - fly to Mobile, AL

KTtravel

I like ellenem's plan but would try to add one more day onto London. You'll be very tired and jet lagged when you arrive there and Day 2 will be quite a blur.

Lexma90

I'll add to the chorus of "no cruise." I would also suggest that you spend your last 6 days/nights in Italy. You can't stay in one place in Italy and see Rome, Naples and Florence. As posters have already suggested, spend some time in Florence, and some time in Rome. Only visit Naples if you REALLY want to visit Pompeii.

If this is your daughter's graduation present, has she provided any input on what she wants to do? Or, if she doesn't have any input to provide, what has she enjoyed on vacations in the past? If she likes visiting big cities, doing big-city activities, and art and history, then what you're considering sounds great. If she's more active, and prefer outdoorsy activities, then maybe cut back on the number of cities, and spend some time in the countryside near one of your city destinations.

Enjoy - your trip will be wonderful!

SChambless3

Wow...thanks for all of the replies!
~Christina...we don't have alot of money at all. I am trying to save around $20,000 for my daughter & myself. My parents are doing the same. I was just assuming that if we went to a "higher end hotel" that the accomodations would be larger. We were thinking that we could get perhaps a "suite" cheaper than the cost of 2 rooms. I wouldn't mind staying in any hotel out there, as long as they have running water & NO BUGS...lol. We have never been to Europe so we have no idea what kind of hotels are available. Yes we will want some privacy at the end of each day. I didn't think about that...thanks! My parents probably won't enjoy my snoring.
~ellenem....love the itenerary! thanks! Not sure where to go in Italy. Florence, Rome, Venice? Which ones? How long at each place?
~KTtravel...might have to add an extra day in London then. Take a day away from Italy. We originally started this vacation at 7 days...it has now grown to 17...lol!
~Lexma90...yes this is my daughter's graduation present. Having her grandparents join us was their gift to her. She has most all of the input. She told me that she wanted to go to Europe for 7 days....London, Paris, Italy. She was so excited at the thought of being there for 17 days! She has told me that she don't really care how long we stay at each place nor what we do there...other than the fact that she wants to go shopping. She is not an outdoor type. She loves art & architecture.
*Both my daughter (Magan) & my parents have asked me to handle the logistics of this trip. They want me to do all of the research, and then discuss my findings with them in order to decide what, where, when, etc. Magan is interested in seeing shops, people, food, art, architecture. My parents are interested in the shops, food, architecture. I am interested in just being in Europe & the architecture (landmarks).
*Magan & I will have approx $20K to spend on the trip (travel, hotel, food, excursions, shopping). My parents will have the same. Is this enough money for 17 days of Europe?
*In London, Paris, & Italy...what are some the names of hotels?
*Again...thank you so much for all of the help! Keep it coming!

jpie

In my experience, your budget should be just fine depending on whether you want to do private tours, etc., although I realize everybody has their own ideas of comfort and on how they want to spend their money. My husband and I budget around $9K for a month in France or Italy including a car. However, we also have some family places to stay so our hotel costs are a bit less. We try to average around 100-150 euros per night in big cities like Paris for a room for 2 people in a 2 star hotel. I would double that for a more upscale 3 star place in Paris. I don't think in Paris at least you will do any better for a true suite (i.e. 2 really separate bedrooms)for anything much under 300 Euros so you are better off with just getting 2 rooms I suspect. Also, I think you will find that London hotels are higher than Paris in general. And don't be surprised to find that rooms are generally smaller than US equivalents. Our European relatives are always amazed by the size of US hotel rooms by comparison.

There are tons of hotel suggestions for all the places you are going, so if you just do some searches and ask questions about ones you are considering you will get lots of input on specific questions as to areas and the hotels themselves.

KTtravel

Many of us travel in different ways, but I would recommend hotels with two separate rooms. It is very rare to find rooms for four adults in Europe and you'll most likely appreciate two bathrooms and a little space to yourselves. Just like in the US, Europe has a range of hotels from flea bag to ultra chic. When you travel to the US, what type of accommodation do you look for and what is your usual price range? If you will be in Europe in July or August, I would recommend air conditioning. Also, you may want to be sure your hotel has an elevator (some of the older hotels might not.)

There are great threads on here about hotels in all of these places. You can do a search and come up with lots of recommendations. Folks here can also help once you've given us a bit more of an idea of what type of hotel you might like.

Oh, dear. You mentioned Venice. I love Venice and would be tempted to try to fit it in although you really do have plenty of places already and it is not close to Florence and Rome.

Have your parents traveled to Europe? Is this likely to be their only trip? Since you'll have to prioritize places to see, I would be sure to include them early in the planning process as they may decide they HAVE to see Venice or Paris or ...

Images2

For $20,000 we can spend 3 months in Europe. Look at Bed and Breakfasts and book 2 rooms.

nytraveler

Please do NOT do the cruise. I know it sounds convenient - but in fact you waste a lot of time (sometimes hours) getting from the poer to the city it serves - have a few hours to tour and then turn around and go back to the ship. And there is nothing european about a trip.

Also - less is more. In 17 days we usually do 2 major cities - one at each end of the trip - and then drive in between - seeing a variety of smaller cities, towns, mountains, lakes etc. (But then we never thin of a "trip of a lifetime" but always assume we will be back soon. And we want to really experience each place - not just see the top 2 sights and never get a real feel for the city, the culture or the people.

As for hotels - we need to know your budget. European capitals are expensive - like New York - and for an upscale hotel you are typically talking $500 and up -esp for a room for 4 people. (Naturally you can stay in pleasant places for less, but rooms do tend to be much smaller than in the US and hotels are often in older buildings converted from other purposes - not built as a hotel. When traveleing with our daughters we got them a separate room - there was no way I was going to share a bath with 2 teen/tweens - and being joned to anybody at the hip for so many days will make anyone cranky. Definitely plan on splitting up at times so each can see/do what they want most. )

Images2

Here is a Sample of B&B's:


Florence:
http://www.florencebandb.com/en/room.php

Venice;
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...ce_Veneto.html
Rio Terà San Leonardo, Cannaregio 1353/c - C. A. P. 30121
tel&fax : + 39 041.718826
mobil.: +39 338.8688935
email: [email protected] [email protected]

Paris Alcove & Agapes
http://www.bed-and-breakfast-in-paris.com/Dicillin.php?
We've rented from this agency numerous times with wonderful results.

London: Regency Hotel B&B 19 Nottingham Place http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/rege...ability_target

B&B all over France can be found at http://www.ancien.gites-de-france.co...uk/rural_gites Seeing the WWII sites in Normandy is awesome.

KTtravel

I usually spend a lot less than $500/night -- more like $100 - $200/night for mid-range hotels but it all depends on what type of hotel you are searching for.

Lexma90

If you and your daughter (and your parents?) like art and architecture types of places, then you would enjoy Florence. It has one of the best museums of western art in the world (the Uffizi), plus several others that are also very good (the Pitti Palace, though it's very disorganized, has a number of Raphaels, Caravaggio (I think) and my favorite less-known artist, the female, Artemisia Gentileschi).

We usually spend about $200 night for a hotel room for two people, more in London because it is expensive. You can definitely find good places for less. For us, having a hotel in a location that's close to many sights and sites is important, so we're willing to pay more for that convenience. Hotels in Europe have a rating system, that's no dependent on quality so much as having certain amenities. We like 3 star hotels, because the bathrooms are usually clean and fairly nice. Other 3-star requirements, I think, are having an elevator (actually not important to us), an on-site breakfast service, person at the desk 24 hours.

KTtravel

Lexma90, it sounds like we like the same type of places. You are right, last time we were in London, I think we did pay more than $200.

Artsfan2

We also usually stay in 3* hotels with a central location a priority. A few years ago we travelled in Italy with our university aged daughter and it was difficult to find triple rooms so we usually booked 2 rooms. (Rooms are usually too small to fit in a folding bed.) One single room that she stayed in was so small that the toilet folded into the wall when not in use!