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10 days to Europe, want to visit Venice, Rome, Paris, Geneva and London

10 days to Europe, want to visit Venice, Rome, Paris, Geneva and London

Old May 4th, 2014, 05:43 AM
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10 days to Europe, want to visit Venice, Rome, Paris, Geneva and London

Hi Everyone

I'm new with this site, just registered after getting info from Google. Need help with our trip to Europe. We will arrive at Venice on Aug 17, flying back from London on Aug 28. Planning to visit Rome for 2D, Geneva 2D, Paris 2D, London 4D if possible, quick transit in Florence. We're a family of four with two kids of 15y and 5y. Please help us with planning:

1. Should we take train from place to place or partly by air ?
2. We can change our itinerary as we didn't book the hotels yet .
3. Best sites for hotel bookings.

All your suggestions are really appreciated...
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Old May 4th, 2014, 06:07 AM
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Suchda,
I hope you have not already paid for your tickets for 4 people based on this plan!

With just 10 days, pick two cities. London and Paris would be the most logical of those you mention, as they are the closest together. There is more than enough to see in both cities for 5 days each. If you wanted a little break from major cities, you could cut each by a day and spend 2 days in a small village, the Loire Valley visiting chateaux, etc. Or, you could do a day trip out from Paris or London.

When planning an itinerary, you really must allow for the time to travel between destinations regardless of the type of transportation you choose. The basic allowance is 1/2 day to change locations - if they are nearby.

You also need to read some guidebooks and decide what your priorities are. What do you want to see in each destination? How much time will it take? What are open days/hours?

Then you can start to get an idea of how much time you really need in each location.

Your plan as it is, is unfortunately completely unrealistic. Slow down a bit and enjoy your vacation. Remember, the move your move, the more it costs - and you end up actually seeing very little!

Buon viaggio!
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Old May 4th, 2014, 06:08 AM
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PS - you could also do Rome and Venice with a day in Florence.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 06:12 AM
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If you stop to think a little bit, three of your ten days would be spent on getting from one place to another, so you'd really have only one day in Geneva and Paris. I don't think it's worth traveling such long distances for such a short time, and it would be a very difficult schedule with a small child. In ten days, I would suggest that you visit two places at most. You could squeeze in a third place if it's a quick and easy trip from one of the other two. Rome and Paris would be a possibility, or Paris and London, or Rome and London. By the way, why did you choose Geneva? I don't think there's much there to interest a tourist.

It would be virtually impossible to do all of this by train in such a short time.

Check the train schedules on www.bahn.de . Look for budget flights on www.skyscanner.net . Remember that your travel days involve a lot more than just the train trip or the flight. You've got to pack your bags, check out of your hotel, get to the airport or train station, get to your next hotel, check in, and unpack. It really consumes almost your entire day.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 06:12 AM
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Remember that 2 nights in a place only gives you one day of time there. As it is you will have a half day in Venice when you will be jet lagged? (not sure where you are coming from) You will get about 1.5 days in Rome after making the trip from Venice, etc. etc. With only 10 days I would have suggested that you stay in Italy, however it looks like your flights are set. At the very least I'd drop Geneva. As much as it pains me to say this, I'd drop Paris too and fly between Rome and London.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 06:20 AM
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I understand wanting a taste of all those places, but yikes! You could just do justice to two cities in that time. Your children, if they only knew the hustle and hassles they'd avoid, would thank you.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 06:23 AM
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You have too much on your plate and far too little time -- especially w/ a 5 yo tagging along. Sorry but this is crazy. It appears that the only things set in stone are your flights in to Venic e and home from London.

If so, do (at very most) Venice/Rome/London - and even that will be VERY rushed. (or it could be Venice/Paris/London)

You would want to fly the longer routes . . . Rome>London or Venice>Paris, and take trains for the short trips . . . Venice>Rome or Paris>London.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 06:46 AM
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No, you can't visit four countries in 10 days if you want to see anything other than transport.

You could visit Venice (minimum two hotel nights which only gives you one sightseeing day), three is better), fly to Paris (really need 4-5 days here, but you don't have it), train to London (also need 4-5 days).

Other option - Venice a few days, train to Rome, fly to London (as janisj suggested), but even that would be extremely rushed and more of a drive-by than actually seeing sites.

I think I would stay 4-5 days Venice (do a day trip or two to Padua or other nearby towns) and fly to London for the remainder.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 06:54 AM
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I know you want to see a lot but with such a crammed itinerary, you'll only see airports and train stations. You will end your trip feeling exhausted and frustrated.

You would be so much better off to limit to 2 cities and really explore them. You can always take a day trip from them to venture out. Just to give you an idea, we spent 9 days in Rome and took day trips to Orvieto, Tivoli and a half day to Ostia Antica and still didn't see everything in Rome! After 5 trips to Paris, we are still finding new things and there are a number of great day trips from Paris we have yet to find time for. It takes a few days to get acclimated to a new city and while being lost usually leads to new discoveries, you don't want to spend your trip frantic and frazzled.

You will already be a bit challenged by vacationing in August. It will be hot and there will be crowds and that will slow you down at tourist sites. Take the advice you are getting to scale back on the number of different cities.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 07:59 AM
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the only way to do that itinerary would be by train and or train and plane - I'd drop Geneva and just take the overnight train from Italy to Paris - yet even then you have very little time in say Rome - it will take much of a day to relocated frome Venice to Rome - let along see Florence en route.

Anyway for a good fix on European trains check out these IMO fine sources: www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

For Paris to London trains check www.eurostar.com for deep discounts - booking really early can save you a ton but those tickets are non-changeable non-refundable so be sure of your dates and times.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 08:52 AM
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August 17, arrive Venice, get to hotel, etc. jet lagged afternoon, walk around.
August 18, Venice
August 19, Venice
August 20, Depart Venice, get to airport, Fly to Paris, get into city, check into hotel, takes at least half the day or more. Walk around, perhaps one sight.
August 21, Paris
August 22, Paris
August 23, Paris
August 24, check our of hotel, get to train, train to London, get to hotel, at least half the day, see perhaps one sight, walk around
August 25, London
August 26, London
August 27, London
August 28, fly home

This would make a decent trip. You could substitute Rome for Paris by train from Venice and fly from Rome to London.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 09:11 AM
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I completely agree with others advice: Venice, Rome, London or Venice, Paris, London or Venice and London. If you haven't booked the airfare yet then Paris and London would be my top choice.

We have traveled to all these places (except Geneva) with our kids - there is so much to see and do in each location they will not get bored with a slower place. Our kids always enjoyed getting to know a place and feeling like they could help us get around. I suggest you read up on other's trip reports (particularly those who traveled with kids) and get a feel for what you can see/do in each city. Here are some links to mine to get you started:

http://www.fromhometoroam.com/catego...eflorence2005/
http://www.fromhometoroam.com/2012/06/rome/
http://www.fromhometoroam.com/catego.../london-paris/
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Old May 4th, 2014, 09:37 AM
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The trip you have planned is the equivalent of Boston, New York, Chicago, New Orleans and Los Angeles in 10 days - as you can see this makes no sense at all. You will be spending almost half your time - and a lot of money - just getting from one place to another.

Agree with everyone else that you need to pick TWO places. That will give you the time to see at least a little in each place.

If you have already bought air tickets I would spend 3.5 days in Venice and then fly to London for the rest of the time (Venice to London by train would take at least 16 hours with multiple changes - so not at all sensible).

Also you need to know that family rooms (with 2 double beds for 4 people) are much rarer than in the US (most hotel rooms are small with one double bed for 2 people) so you should be looking for hotels NOW unless you have unlimited budgets.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 09:58 AM
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I wonder what the OP googled?
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Old May 4th, 2014, 10:04 AM
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He googled a guided tour itinerary from hell. ;o(
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Old May 4th, 2014, 10:28 AM
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At least they giggled before posting. Unlike some posters.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 10:29 AM
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Oh my. I meant googled.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 11:40 AM
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Dear All

Thank you so much for your replier. By reading all your posts, I learned a lot. as a result, I've made some changes which are as follows:

1. Trip for two weeks ( 14 days ).
2. Flying to Venice - 2N there.
3. By train to Rome - 3N
4. Flying to Paris - 3N
5. Eurostar train to London for 5N, flying back from there to US. Dropped Geneva....
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Old May 4th, 2014, 11:52 AM
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Frankly, I believe you are still really shortchanging Venice, Rome and Paris. You are allowing one day for Venice and two days each for Rome and Paris. Very, very rushed for these places that have more to see and do than just about any other cities on earth. If (and I absolutely would not) you must do all four, I would take two nights from London and add one each to Rome and Paris; at the very least, add one to Paris.
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Old May 4th, 2014, 11:52 AM
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Much better. You will get a taste of the different venues and know where you would like to go back and visit more thoroughly. Have a lovely time. Europe is so exciting.
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