JcurtisBlair

My husband and I are thinking of doing about 18 days in Europe we are 29 years old, going in March 2014. I would like to spend the most time in Italy. We are thinking maybe fly into Paris, spend a few days, few days in amsterdam then down to Italy. Does anyone have any suggestions for the best way to work this or if we should add/remove anything? and best way to do Italy in that amount of time?
Thanks!

raincitygirl

Hi JcurtisBlair, a trip to Europe is always exciting!
Well, first off, make sure you book your ticket multi destination so you fly into Paris and out of an Italian city so you don't have to waste time and money backtracking.
You can take the train from Paris to Amsterdam and then fly to Italy.

Do you have 18 actual days or are some of those your travel days? If you have 18 full days and spend 3 in Paris, 3 in Amsterdam, now you are down to 12 in Italy. Italy is a big country so do you have any ideas of places you would prefer to see? What are your interests?

Why don't you post some of the things you'd like to see/do and we can help you further. I love Paris and spent 9 days there the first time, and 6 days in Rome the first time so if it was my trip I'd vote for choosing two destinations max in Italy after Paris and Amsterdam, but it is all a matter of personal preference.

michelhuebeli

A good way would be to fly to Amsterdam, take the train to Paris, take the night train to Milan or beyond (see www.seat61.com for details), and fly from whichever Italian airport will suit your Italy itinerary - it doesn't have to be Milan or Rome, it could be Pisa or Venice or others.

There is no "best way to do Italy" - it depends on your interests, and you have to realize that in March the beaches are not ready, mountain passes are still closed, and the days are still short - daylight saving doesn't start until March 31. That means cities with some nightlife are preferable to countryside or mountain locations, unless you wish to rent a cottage and be "home" most evenings.

nytraveler

You say you are going in March - this is still late winter and while Italy is likely to be fairly mild it can still be quite cold in Paris and Amsterdam.

Not sure your plan makes sense - better start in Amsterdam, take the train to Paris, then fly to Italy for a quick look around a couple of cities

Do recognize that you can;t see everything in such a limited time - you will need at least 3 days amserdam, 5 in Paris and then divide the rest among the key places you want to see in Italy.

JcurtisBlair

thank you very much for all the input. Does make more sense to start in Amsterdam. We would definitely want to see venice, other than that we would like to do a few wineries, enjoy really good food and just explore. We have 18 days including travel... would it make more sense to add in a city or 2 closer to Italy and do Amsterdam/Paris another time?

raincitygirl

So 18 days including travel gives you 16 days to actually see things and you will probably be jet lagged for the first couple of days.
There are lots of interesting cities in Italy, not sure what you mean about a city or 2 closer to Italy. You could certainly find a lot to keep you busy and interested in Italy for 16 days.

Venice is lovely, there really is no city like it and it is a great place to just wander. Are you interested in art or history, museums and such or just really wanting to wander and eat and soak up the atmosphere? If that is the case you probably could split your time between Paris and Venice with a couple of days in Amsterdam. Bearing in mind what others have said above about the time of year and the likelihood that Amsterdam and Paris will still be cold and possibly rainy.
Maybe, as nytraveler says, do 3 days Amsterdam, 5 days Paris, and 8 days Venice with some day trips from Venice. Keep in mind though that each time you change cities you lose some time out of your holiday.

Southam

Since the weather will be unpredictable, you could consider starting in the south and moving north in the hopes that Amsterdam (or wherever) will be a couple of weeks warmer by the time you get there.