mcpheekr

Hey everyone, I'm hoping to get some advice! I am going on a trip to the UK and Europe in November. Most of the trip is planned apart from 4 days and 5 nights. I would be crazy not to take this opportunity and spend it somewhere great! I will be in Paris on the 21st and will need to be in London for the 26th. This is already set in stone and can't be changed!

I am already going to: Scotland, England, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria and Italy! Any recommendations would be amazing! Thanks in advance

AussieHubbyWife

Will you have been in Paris for a few days prior to 21st, or is that the day you arrive? Reason I ask is that if you haven't already spent some time in Paris then I think 5 nights is a great length of time to spend in Paris, so I wouldn't be looking to add anywhere else..

mcpheekr

I would of already been in Paris for a week or so and am also staying in Lyon! Thanks for your reply!

nytraveler

It would really help to understand the rest of the itinerary. Depending on how long you have and how many places you are going I might reco adding extra days to places you will already be. Or perhaps another town in one of the countries.

You mention a month and then 9 countries - which means you would e moving very fast in some areas. How much time have you left for London? Are you going to other areas of England, Ireland or Wales?

If the dates in Paris and London are fixed it really doesn't make a lot of sense to add another completely different country in another direction - like Spain.

mcpheekr

Sorry I didn't make it to clear, I will be heading over in November but will be leaving in December. It's around a 7 week trip, spending time in a few different cities in some of the 9 countries. For example Scotland, I will be staying in Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow. In England, London and Coventry. In France, Paris, Lyon and the French Riviera. In Italy, Rome, Florence and Venice. For the rest it is one city. I am not a very good 'explainer'. I will be returning to London to meet with family friends before I start to travel again. England is the first country I will be staying in. I'm not ruling anything out as of yet, thank you for your reply and I hope this helps a little more!

Tulips

That's 11 stops in 7 weeks - I would add those remaining days to those, spending more time in Italy; Milan, for example. Or add another few days in the UK; York, Bath.

janisj

7 weeks - 9 countries - several cities in each country -- I don't see how you could possibly have five 'extra' nights . . .

Maybe if you post you actual itinerary we can get a grip on what you are doing.

HappyTrvlr

How many says have you alloted to the Netherlands? Switzerland? Instead of adding another location, perhaps you should add those days to existing cities or countries on ypur itinerary.

suze

You don't have any "extra days". Take the unaccounted for 4 days / 5 nights and put them in the places you are already planning to visit. You don't need to add more stops to this itinerary.

Whathello

Calarasi in Romenia or Charleroi in Belgium.
No tourists there, only locals, a real feel of how people live.
I can even recommend a hotel in Cal where you'll find more whores than clients and where the heater either is turned full or is not working (in winter) or is flooded.

PalenQ

Well how about Spain -not on your list?

Fly down there and fly over to London.

You could take an overnight train Paris to Toulouse and then a day train to Barcelona and v.v. if not interested in flying or if you have a railpass you will already be using - and if going to half of those places by train definitely check that out!

For lots of info on trains and overnight trains and places to go by train check www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - check out the latter's online European Planning & Rail Guide for lots of rail destinations from Paris by train.

November can be really funky weather wise in northern Europe- I'd head south - how about Nice and the French Riviera-again night trains there and back available from Paris- weather won't be swimming weather but a heck of a lot better than northern Europe probably.

StCirq

I don't think the French Riviera is a heckuva lot better than Northern Europe at that time of year. The French Riviera is mostly a bunch of resorts, many of which close down that time of year, leaving the image that most have of that area completely bleak. Northern Europe, by comparison, is used to cold, rainy weather at that time of year and has adapted so that there is plenty to do and see, even in cold/bad weather.

Whathello

Spot on St Cirq.
I remember going to St Trop during winter time - belgian holidays not french.
The roads/streets were eviscerated, and there were 3 (THREE) restaurants open. We were nearly alone.

mcpheekr

Thanks PalenQ I hadn't thought of Spain! I will definitely be using the train lines for most of the trip and hadn't thought of getting a train card/pass either.

The trip was all booked etc a couple weeks ago quite spontaneously. I knew I wanted to go and see as much as possible within the time I have as this will be my first trip to the UK or Europe, it is only a taster and I will definitely be returning. I know I can't see everything.

My itinerary as I haven't received it from my travel agent yet to confirm is loosely as follows:
London, England 4 nights
Coventry 2 nights
Edinburgh, Scotland 2 nights
Inverness 1 night mainly to see a family friend and lochness
Glasgow 3 nights
Paris 4 nights
The time I have free
Head to London to meet with family friend can't change!
Transit through Belgium some sight seeing on the way to Amsterdam 3
The rest is 3 nights in each apart from 2 in the French Rivera and Innsbruck Austria

So that's a loose itinerary which I hope clarifies why or how I have 'extra' free days!

janisj

OK -- you definitely don't have any spare nights -- add that time to the UK before heading to Paris.

(Why Coventry? To visit a friend? Otherwise it is not a 2-night destination)

>>Edinburgh, Scotland 2 nights<<

After you spend half a day getting there, 2 nights will barely net you 1.5 days. So add at least one of the 'extra' nights here.

Then Inverness -- you again will want to add a night because the train takes nearly 4 hours so you won't have much free time to visit w/ your friend and explore Loch Ness (there are much better things to see in the area than Loch Ness)

So -- add 2 or 3 nights to Edinburgh, 1 night to Inverness, etc . . .

PalenQ

I will definitely be using the train lines for most of the trip and hadn't thought of getting a train card/pass either.>

If agent has not booked trains tell her/him to look at passes - you will pay full fare thru a travel agent usually but if you book your own say UK tickets you could get fromwww.nationalrail.co.uk deep discounted tickets or even at full fare a BritRail Pass may be better than regular tickets and you can hop any train anytime.