My mother and I are planning a 2 week trip following my semester in Paris. We want to see as much as possible without making the trip too hectic and overwhelming. I have been looking at overnight trains as an option to get around. Here are some of my ideas:

- Paris (4 days) to Zurich (3 days) to Rome (4 days)

- Paris (4 days) to Vienna (3 days) to Rome (4 days)

Any suggestions?

It's hard to say without knowing which places you are just dying to see. Zurich wouldn't be it for me (or Vienna), but might be for you. Why do you want to go by overnight train?

Okay, first, I don't believe there is any overnight train from Paris to Zurich, it only takes about 4 hrs. Taking the train from Paris to Vienna would take forever (12-24 hrs, most likely), no point to it. There is an overnight train from Vienna to Rome, though. There isn't an overnight from Zurich to Rome, either, you have to transfer once or twice.

I'd fly, I love Easyjet and they fly from Paris Orly to Venice, for example, or Prague (or Rome, actually). I love PRague. I think they also fly from Prague to Rome. So if I had to do 3 far-apart cities, I'd choose Paris, Prague and Rome.

If you want to do one leg by train, you could go to London by train and get an easy flight to Rome, I'm sure.

It sounds like you really want to see Rome, just guessing. There are plenty of other places you could go in-between.

It depends where you've been and where you want to go, of course. So hard to say.

I have been looking at overnight trains as an option to get around.>

1 st option no overnight train possible

2nd one Vienna to Rome does have one and I have taken it several times - a nice night train as night trains go. No direct Paris to Vienna night train but can do Paris - Munich then take a RailJet Austria train to Vienna or can do a day Paris to Zurich TGV then take a Zurich to Vienna overnight train.

For lots of great info on night trains and European trains in general - www.seat61.com (good info on discounted fares available on many trains involving France, Germany and Italy); www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. I use www.bahn.de/en - the German Railways official site for schedules - the easiest to use I've seen and usually infallible.

If the choice is between Zurich and Vienna, I would choose Vienna. Just fabulous museums, etc.

I like your approach, of not trying to squeeze too many locations in. I would choose Vienna over Zurich, and those three cities make sense: you get a taste of French, German speaking, and Italian cultures. Although, depending on your tastes and what you want to see, you might change it to London-Paris-Rome. But London deserves 4 days too, so I don't know...

I also a a fan of overnight trains. And remember to build in an extra day or two at the start to accomodate jetlag.