2 weeks trip to France and Italy in the month of April
Jan 9th, 2015, 10:52 PM
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2 weeks trip to France and Italy in the month of April
Hi Folks,
Me and my husband have been planning a 2 weeks long trip to Europe from Bangalore, India in the month of April this year. The plan is to fly to Paris and to leave back from Milan covering places in France and Italy. We didnot want to cramp many countries . It would be sort of a Budget backpack trip, something that I always dreamed of doing together with my husband. After much research we have come up with the following itinerary. It would be great if any of you have any suggestions.
Days 1-3 Paris
Day 4 Lyon
Day 5 Marseilles
Days 6-7 Corsica
Day 8 Pisa
Days 9-11 Venice
Days 12-14 Milan
Is this a good travel itinerary for 2 weeks?
We have been searching for accommodation in all the above cities as we have at least one night stay in all the cities and were thinking of the below places to stay based on some search online in hotels.com, hostelworld.com etc. Its a mix of Hostels and Hotels.
Paris : Arty Paris Hostel
Lyon : Cool and Bed
Marseilles: Vertigo vieux
Corsica: La Razetta
Pisa: Hostel Pisa
Venice: Plus Camping Jolly
Milan: Elegante Buenos Aries
Any Suggestions or advice on places to stay/ visit or general travel advise etc. will be highly appreciated.
Thanks a lot!!
Cheers,
Sudarshana
Me and my husband have been planning a 2 weeks long trip to Europe from Bangalore, India in the month of April this year. The plan is to fly to Paris and to leave back from Milan covering places in France and Italy. We didnot want to cramp many countries . It would be sort of a Budget backpack trip, something that I always dreamed of doing together with my husband. After much research we have come up with the following itinerary. It would be great if any of you have any suggestions.
Days 1-3 Paris
Day 4 Lyon
Day 5 Marseilles
Days 6-7 Corsica
Day 8 Pisa
Days 9-11 Venice
Days 12-14 Milan
Is this a good travel itinerary for 2 weeks?
We have been searching for accommodation in all the above cities as we have at least one night stay in all the cities and were thinking of the below places to stay based on some search online in hotels.com, hostelworld.com etc. Its a mix of Hostels and Hotels.
Paris : Arty Paris Hostel
Lyon : Cool and Bed
Marseilles: Vertigo vieux
Corsica: La Razetta
Pisa: Hostel Pisa
Venice: Plus Camping Jolly
Milan: Elegante Buenos Aries
Any Suggestions or advice on places to stay/ visit or general travel advise etc. will be highly appreciated.
Thanks a lot!!
Cheers,
Sudarshana
Jan 10th, 2015, 12:47 AM
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It looks to me that you will be spending more time traveling than visiting. Perhaps you are making the mistake of over planning, something I know I did in my first trips to Europe.
You might wish to first cut down on the number of places to visit, certainly considering removing Pisa and Marseilles from the list. Because you would have to fly or ferry to Corsica, you are using two full days traveling and will have very little time to enjoy that beautiful island.
If you were to travel from Paris to Lyon on TGV, then fly from Lyon to Venice on budget airline Volotea, I think you would be getting more out of your trip. For that matter, there are many cities in Italy that you might consider substituting for Milan, particularly Florence or Sienna.
You might wish to first cut down on the number of places to visit, certainly considering removing Pisa and Marseilles from the list. Because you would have to fly or ferry to Corsica, you are using two full days traveling and will have very little time to enjoy that beautiful island.
If you were to travel from Paris to Lyon on TGV, then fly from Lyon to Venice on budget airline Volotea, I think you would be getting more out of your trip. For that matter, there are many cities in Italy that you might consider substituting for Milan, particularly Florence or Sienna.
Jan 10th, 2015, 02:47 AM
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Hi Jeff, Thanks a lot for your suggestions.
I think we will have to rethink on the itinerary a bit.
We really wanted to include Corsica in this trip. The idea was to take an overnight ferry from Marseilles to Bastia, and spend only the few hours in Marseilles and spend a couple of days in Corsica. The Nearest port in Italy from Bastia is Livorno which is like half an hour away from Pisa, This would also be a overnight ferry to save time.By now we would have reached the 8th day of our trip. We will have almost 6 more days in hand.
We can either catch a flight back to India from either Rome or Milan on the 15th day. Considering the above could you suggest places we should be considering in Italy for the last leg of the trip or if there is a better way to cover Corsica coming from Paris/ Lyon..
Cheers,
Sudarshana.
I think we will have to rethink on the itinerary a bit.
We really wanted to include Corsica in this trip. The idea was to take an overnight ferry from Marseilles to Bastia, and spend only the few hours in Marseilles and spend a couple of days in Corsica. The Nearest port in Italy from Bastia is Livorno which is like half an hour away from Pisa, This would also be a overnight ferry to save time.By now we would have reached the 8th day of our trip. We will have almost 6 more days in hand.
We can either catch a flight back to India from either Rome or Milan on the 15th day. Considering the above could you suggest places we should be considering in Italy for the last leg of the trip or if there is a better way to cover Corsica coming from Paris/ Lyon..
Cheers,
Sudarshana.
Jan 10th, 2015, 03:35 AM
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I have never been to Corsica in April but I think it could be very rainy or chilly. Is that OK with you? There is not a lot to do and see in Corsica if the weather is bad. An overnight ferry might be unpleasant.
If you decide you would rather skip Corsica, you could take an overnight train from Paris to Venice or Milan.
A great many people find Marseilles, Pisa and Milan very interesting places to visit. Some people don't. A lot of people don't like Florence or Siena. You should read about these places to learn whether which ones would interest you. People who tell you to substitute this or that are like people who tell you to eat vanilla ice cream for chocolate. They forget that everybody likes different things, not the same things.
If you decide you would rather skip Corsica, you could take an overnight train from Paris to Venice or Milan.
A great many people find Marseilles, Pisa and Milan very interesting places to visit. Some people don't. A lot of people don't like Florence or Siena. You should read about these places to learn whether which ones would interest you. People who tell you to substitute this or that are like people who tell you to eat vanilla ice cream for chocolate. They forget that everybody likes different things, not the same things.
Jan 10th, 2015, 06:43 AM
#5
Congratulations on trying for Corsica, but really don't.
Try this
Days 1-3 Paris
Day 4-6 Lyon
Day 7-9 Florence (day trip to Pisa)
Days 10-12 Venice
Days 13-14 Milan
Yes fewer days, but day 4,7,10 and 13 ruined by travel. Milan has only a few things to do and these could be rushed by in an afternoon, (Duomo and Leonardo)
Try this
Days 1-3 Paris
Day 4-6 Lyon
Day 7-9 Florence (day trip to Pisa)
Days 10-12 Venice
Days 13-14 Milan
Yes fewer days, but day 4,7,10 and 13 ruined by travel. Milan has only a few things to do and these could be rushed by in an afternoon, (Duomo and Leonardo)
Jan 10th, 2015, 07:02 AM
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So are you arriving on Day 1 in Paris? Or the day before? You will probably be jet-lagged the first day or so. So you don't have much time in Paris.
I'd reverse part of Bilbo's suggested itinerary, going from Lyon to Venice, then to Florence and Milan.
I assume you'll be traveling mostly by train since you're only going to cities. Corsica would be more countryside and probably require renting a car. Public transportation there is sparse and seasonal; not much may be running in April.
I'd reverse part of Bilbo's suggested itinerary, going from Lyon to Venice, then to Florence and Milan.
I assume you'll be traveling mostly by train since you're only going to cities. Corsica would be more countryside and probably require renting a car. Public transportation there is sparse and seasonal; not much may be running in April.
Jan 10th, 2015, 11:10 PM
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@ Sandra : Thanks for your advice. I agree in the end everyone has their own likes and dislikes, but considering the inputs from everyone, Corsica might not be a good idea for this trip maybe. I guess we will have to drop it out.
@bilboburgler : Thank you for the itinerary you suggested, it actually makes good sense to do a day trip to Pisa from Florence. But to return to India, We have options from Rome or Milan only(cost /time effective).. In that case I was considering the following route:
Days 1-4 Paris
Days 5-6 Lyon
Days 7-8 Venice
Days 9-11 Florence (A day trip to Pisa)
Days 12-14 Rome
Day 15 back to India
@Mimar: We will be reaching Paris in the evening of Day 1. The time difference is around 4 hours for us. Hence the jet lag wont be that much, i guess. it might be trifle more when we return back to India.
I would like to know if this is a good plan, and if we will have a decent amount of time to look around the cities we will be visiting.
I understand that we might not have enough time to do justice to the places we visit, but having said this I also would like to cover as much as possible in this trip considering that a trip to Europe will be pretty expensive for us to able to do it again in near future.
Thank you!!
Cheers,
Sudarshana
@bilboburgler : Thank you for the itinerary you suggested, it actually makes good sense to do a day trip to Pisa from Florence. But to return to India, We have options from Rome or Milan only(cost /time effective).. In that case I was considering the following route:
Days 1-4 Paris
Days 5-6 Lyon
Days 7-8 Venice
Days 9-11 Florence (A day trip to Pisa)
Days 12-14 Rome
Day 15 back to India
@Mimar: We will be reaching Paris in the evening of Day 1. The time difference is around 4 hours for us. Hence the jet lag wont be that much, i guess. it might be trifle more when we return back to India.
I would like to know if this is a good plan, and if we will have a decent amount of time to look around the cities we will be visiting.
I understand that we might not have enough time to do justice to the places we visit, but having said this I also would like to cover as much as possible in this trip considering that a trip to Europe will be pretty expensive for us to able to do it again in near future.
Thank you!!
Cheers,
Sudarshana
Jan 12th, 2015, 04:09 AM
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"I would like to know if this is a good plan, and if we will have a decent amount of time to look around the cities we will be visiting."
Have you accounted for travel times between your locations, checked train or flight schedules? Remember to include the time it takes to check out of the hotel, travel to train station/airport, allow for airport security, navigate station/airport upon arrival, travel to new hotel, and check in. This will add at least two hours, probably much more to any travel estimate. Many here would suggest estimating travel time of at least half a day to change cities, especially for a first-time visitor to a place who is unfamiliar with the places.
I like to write my itinerary day by day, noting travel days so I can see clearly how often I will be on the move. This may look perfect to you—or show some areas for adjustment.
Day 1: arrive Paris late in day
Day 2 Paris
Day 3 Paris
Day 4 Paris
Days 5 travel to Lyon
Days 6 Lyon
Days 7 travel to Venice
Days 8 Venice
Days 9 travel to Florence
Days 10 Florence (A day trip to Pisa)
Days 11 Florence
Days 12 travel to Rome
Days 13 Rome
Days 14 Rome
Day 15 travel to India
Also check the actual day of the week you will be in specific cities and the opening times of the sights you are most interested in visiting. It would be a shame to have your full day in Venice be the one day that your favorite sight is closed. Your latest itinerary will give you time to get a taste of a place, but without knowing your particular interests, it is difficult to say if you have enough time to do what you want to do.
Have you accounted for travel times between your locations, checked train or flight schedules? Remember to include the time it takes to check out of the hotel, travel to train station/airport, allow for airport security, navigate station/airport upon arrival, travel to new hotel, and check in. This will add at least two hours, probably much more to any travel estimate. Many here would suggest estimating travel time of at least half a day to change cities, especially for a first-time visitor to a place who is unfamiliar with the places.
I like to write my itinerary day by day, noting travel days so I can see clearly how often I will be on the move. This may look perfect to you—or show some areas for adjustment.
Day 1: arrive Paris late in day
Day 2 Paris
Day 3 Paris
Day 4 Paris
Days 5 travel to Lyon
Days 6 Lyon
Days 7 travel to Venice
Days 8 Venice
Days 9 travel to Florence
Days 10 Florence (A day trip to Pisa)
Days 11 Florence
Days 12 travel to Rome
Days 13 Rome
Days 14 Rome
Day 15 travel to India
Also check the actual day of the week you will be in specific cities and the opening times of the sights you are most interested in visiting. It would be a shame to have your full day in Venice be the one day that your favorite sight is closed. Your latest itinerary will give you time to get a taste of a place, but without knowing your particular interests, it is difficult to say if you have enough time to do what you want to do.
