1st time Europe - Italy & France 6 weeks June - July 2015
 

Hello !! My husband and I are travelling from Australia 20th Jun and Departing 3rd Aug 2015. Would love your input and suggestions. Travelling around France Car Rental - Trains ???

What I have so far...

Sun 21-Jun Rome Arrive 2005
Mon 22-Jun Rome
Tue 23-Jun Rome
Wed 24-Jun Rome
Thu 25-Jun Florence
Fri 26-Jun Florence
Sat 27-Jun Florence - Pisa Day trip
Sun 28-Jun Florence
Mon 29-Jun Cinque Terre
Tue 30-Jun Cinque Terre
Wed 1-Jul Cinque Terre
Thu 2-Jul Bologna
Fri 3-Jul Bologna - Day trip Parma
Sat 4-Jul Bologna - Day trip to Ravenna
Sun 5-Jul Bologna
Mon 6-Jul Salerno (Flight Bologna to Naples)
Tue 7-Jul Salerno - Isle of Capri /Sorrento
Wed 8-Jul Salerno - Pompeii Day trip
Thu 9-Jul Barcelona VY6501 Economy 14:00 Naples to Barcelone
Fri 10-Jul Barcelona
Sat 11-Jul Barcelona
Sun 12-Jul Barcelona to Carcassonne (Train)
Mon 13-Jul Carcassonne
Tue 14-Jul Carcassonne - Fireworks Bastille Day
Wed 15-Jul Sarlat
Thu 16-Jul Sarlat
Fri 17-Jul Sarlat
Sat 18-Jul Bordeaux
Sun 19-Jul Bordeaux
Mon 20-Jul Bordeaux
Tue 21-Jul Loire Valley
Wed 22-Jul Loire Valley
Thu 23-Jul Loire Valley
Fri 24-Jul Bayeux
Sat 25-Jul Bayeux
Sun 26-Jul Paris
Mon 27-Jul Paris
Tue 28-Jul Paris
Wed 29-Jul Paris
Thu 30-Jul Paris - Palace Versailles Cycle tour
Fri 31-Jul Belgium
Sat 1-Aug Belgium
Sun 2-Aug Belgium
Mon 3-Au Train to CDG / Dep @ 13h15

Very ambitious.

Is there a particular reason you're using Salerno as a base for the Amalfi coast area? It's not particularly convenient. Sorrento would be better as a base for Capri and Pompeii.

Makes little sense to me.
See the AC as your first or 2nd destintaion and do not stay in Salerno. Why Belgium at the end? End in Paris.

If you do plan on using the French buy-back lease plan you need to plan your trip to optimize that. It could save you a bundle but you need to figure out the best logistics. Given that car, I would drive to Barcelona with a stop along the Cote d' Azur.

Have you booked flights already? I would rearrange some of this if flights aren't booked.

I agree about Salerno. It's really not that convenient for the things you want to visit.

I would take a train from Bologna to Naples. It's 3.25 hours with no changes. I think trains are a lot less hassle than flying. You can pack a lunch with wine or beer (or soft drinks) and relax. You arrive in the center of the city rather than at the outskirts.

Since you're visiting Capri, Sorrento, and Pompeii, it's more logical to stay in Sorrento. Pompeii is a half hour on the local train. Capri is about 45 minutes on the boat.

Once you get to Naples, go to the lower level of the train station (Napoli Centrale), buy a ticket on the commuter train. It's an hour to Sorrento.

Swap Belgium and Paris so you have less moving around and a shorter trip to the airport on departure day. You need 3 hours at CDG.

Why CT and Bologna and no Venice on your first trip to Italy?

You certainly don't want to stay in Salerno--stay in Sorrento instead--easy train to Pompeii, boats to Capri, etc. from there.

Are these nites? They look like it. I'd take a nite from Bayeux and add it to the Loire Valley. And probably one from the CT as well.

Are you all wine lovers? If not, why Bordeaux and if so, why no Burgundy?

I'd like to have a car from at least Barcelona on.

Barcelona to Carcassonne is a very easy and quite pretty drive. However, you might not even want a car in Carcassonne around Bastille Day. Book your hotel today for Carcassonne.

You've outlined a nice trip, and I think with some tweaking it could be really fantastic. For starters, I think you'll want more time in Rome. Other than Paris, it's the largest city you are visiting. There is so much to see and do there, plus you will be very tired after your long half-way-around the world flight. You will need extra time there just to recover from jet lag, as well as to experience the full splendor of Rome.

Secondly, bear in mind that every time you change locations, you'll lose about half a day to logistics (checking out of hotel, getting to and from train station or airport, etc). I think if you remove a couple of destinations from your list, and sprinkle those days though the rest of your itinerary, you'll find you really get to experience the places you do visit, rather than just pass through.

And finally, if your return flight will leave from Paris, you definitely want to sleep in Paris the night before. As stated above, save all of your Paris time for the end of your trip to avoid doubling back. Planning is half the fun of a trip like this. Enjoy!

Strongly agree:

Put all Paris at the end
Switch Salerno for Sorrento
I would reduce or bag CT (tiny towns and hiking - like AC better and would add a day there)

You need to allow time to get from one place to another - the way this is laid out I'm not sure when that happens - will take at least 1/2 days each time

I agree with most of the other comments.

I would skip the Cinque Terre altogether (for this trip) OR do it as a day trip from Florence. Take 1 CT day and add to Florence for the day trip, take another CT day and add it Rome (you are shortchanging Rome), and take the 3rd CT day and add it to Amalfi Coast. If you decide to can the CT completely add two days to the Amalfi Coast. Stay in Sorrento instead of Salerno. Definitely train from Bologna to Naples instead of flying.

I would keep the train from Barcelona to Carcassone so you don't have to rent a car in one country and drop off in another. But then I'd rent a car for the rest of the trip.

Go to Belgium before Paris so Paris is at the end if that's where you are flying out of. Where do you plan to stay in Belgium.

Sounds like a fun trip.

I don't think the Cinque Terre is a good day trip, especially not from Florence. During the day the towns will be sinking under the weight of day trippers (at the end of June). I wouldn't go there even in low season unless I could spend a few nights and get out on the less-beaten hiking paths.

I wouldn't spend 3 nights in Carcassonne. You could see it in an afternoon. Enjoy it in the quieter evening and then head to the Dordogne the next morning. I would add the days to the Dordogne or Lot.

I've never been to Bordeaux, but when researching our 2012 trip to France on this forum many Fodors experts, such as St. Cirq, don't recommend it. You might try looking up some of her posts.