Please comment on my trip:<BR><BR> Now here is a tentative trip program:<BR> June 1-<BR>Arrival Zurich - Head straight for Lausanne as we will be having too much lugguage. On the way if we have time them stop in Grueyer(Cheese City). Have dinner at Norman's restaurant. Then go to Geneva and sleep at Claude's.<BR><BR>June 2nd-<BR><BR>Head straight for Milan it's a 6 hrs drive. Sleep the night at Irene's parent's place.<BR><BR>June 3rd-<BR><BR>Head for Venice early morning 2 hrs drive. Stay in Venice 3rd and 4th June.<BR><BR>June 5th-<BR>Head for Florence early morning. Stay in Florence 5th, 6th June.<BR><BR>June 7th-<BR><BR>Head for Rome 2.5 hrs drive. Stay in Rome 7th, 8th and 9th June<BR><BR>June 10 th- <BR><BR>Head back for Swiss. Stay the night in Pisa after 3 hrs drive.<BR><BR>June 11th <BR><BR>Head Back for Geneva either stay on the way or drive 6 hrs.<BR><BR>June 12-13- Stay in Geneva and drive around a bit.<BR><BR>June 14th Drive to Paris.<BR><BR>Stay in Paris 15/16/17/18<BR><BR><BR>June 19th- Drive back to Geneva.<BR><BR>Stay in Geneva 19th/20/21<BR>Drive around in Swiss a bit.<BR><BR>June 22nd drive to Zurich and fly back to Toronto.<BR>

I think that it would be more direct to go from Paris to Zurich via Basel. But I wonder if you are doing too much on the first day, after what I presume will be a relatively sleepless night flight and jet lag.

Any suggestions as I'm driving w/ my wife and my folks plus I don't want to exert too much as my folks will get tired

W/ 4 people driving is best option and the cheapest. I just went to Europe last October and it was too good

Vik<BR><BR>I think you might be underestimating the drive times for your trip. I have driven in Italy quite a bit. I tend to drive with the force. I have to admit I didn't write down the time it took. However, if my memory serves me correct it took more than 2 hrs milan to venice. Florence to Rome is also more than 2.5 hrs I think. Traffic around Florence tends to be slow. Driving in Rome was very difficult. I'd suggest parking in orvieto and taking the train into rome. Driving in Florence was no big deal and parking outside of venice is no problem either. <BR><BR>Hope this helps<BR>Denise<BR>

Your first few days sound exhausting to me after a long air trip. Also, if you are travelling with older people, it will take them longer to recover from the jeg lag. Also, why three trips to Geneva? I'd stay closer to Zurich the first night and go from there to Milan. Make one stop in Geneva after Italy and go back to Zurich a different route after Paris. The distances look short on a map but are long in reality.

Geneva is the base for me as I lived there for 8 years during high school years. So free accomodation/food w/ friends and family.

I can see why Geneva has an appeal but why don't you make that a long stay mid-trip? I think you run the risk of getting very run-down with the long drives on poor sleep the first few days.

What exactly you mean by long stay mid trip? Well for all practical purposes I will be the only driver. This is the 7th time I will be doing Europe by car however 1st time w/ folks!

I meant, stay in the Geneva area for a longer time in the middle of your trip. Or, if you want to get there earlier, do Paris first, then Geneva and reverse the Italian portion but end in Milan before returning to Zurich. Just suggestions, but I've had friends travel with parents who've landed in the hospital. I don't know how fit your parents are.

I just can't afford not in $$ sense but fun sense have folks in hospital. The Swiss trips will have just small day trips of a few hours plus I will be taking them around in day time and rest the entire evening while me and my wife go and party