jfduque89

Hi!

Hopefully I can get some affirmation that my current plan is good to go.

I, male age26, will be traveling July 11-26 with 3 others; one male, two females ages 45-50. (exact dates are flexible, e.g. 10-25 or 10-26, but ~2weeks total nonetheless). We are coming from NYC area so want to minimize airfare cost to and from Europe (flights appear reasonable into Lisbon and out of Naples).

About us: All speak English and Spanish. We do not mind some physical strain from sightseeing/walking, but do want some R&R at some point. I was thinking this could be had by visiting the beaches in Lisbon 1 day, and perhaps one 1/2 day while in Barcelona. This could also involve 1hour breaks sitting at a cafe people watching .......We love history/traditions/culture/architecture, but not too big on art (read: yes old churches/ruins/old buildings, but no art museums haha). Want to really hit the big tourist attractions, but the same time plan to save money by doing self-guided sightseeing/ free walking tours.
Since there are four of us, and the older women may be more comfortable with some degree of privacy, I have been looking at airbnb private apartments at each location; each location seems to have plenty of options and split among 4 comes out comparable to many hostels; 30-40usd per night per person).

1. I am thinking of flying NYC- Lisbon July 11, arriving on 12, (~390usd) and spending 3-4 nights, July 12-15/16 (the airfare to Lisbon was one of the cheapest I could find, and transportation to other Euro cities seems to be convenient from there).

2. After Lisbon, I was thinking Barcelona. LIS to BCN July 15 (~100usd), spending 4 nights, leaving July 19.

3. After Barcelona, flight to Rome July 19 (~60usd), spending 5 nights, leaving July 24.

4. After Rome, transport to Naples July 24, leaving July 26.

5. Naples back to NYC July 26 (~650usd).

Thoughts? It seems this itinerary gives me good time in 3 major cities in 3 countries while not involving too much transportation cost in between.

Michael

Just last night we had a friend over to whom we recommended this place in Naples: http://www.bebmedea.com/en//index.ph...d=13&Itemid=26 She described her second thoughts while climbing the old stairwell and the surprise that the B&B itself offered once inside its doors. But the sea cannot be seen from the B&B.

jamikins

We stayed at that b&b last year! It was basic but we loved the location. Be prepared for broken down exterior opening into a nice b&b. We had to walk upstairs but I thought they were installing a lift? Anyway, it was good budget accommodation right in the heart if the old town

Naples is certainly gritty, but we felt very safe the whole time we were there.

Pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/pug_gir...7633185001263/

I think you can do your itinerary within your time constraints and have a lovely time. We also enjoyed Lisbon - it is also a bit gritty but very lively!

jfduque89

Yea! It seems like there is plenty of private apartments at each location for reasonable pricing!

Do the number of days at each location seem reasonable? Too fast paced? Too much time?

I was also considering doing 2days Lisbon, 2days Porto, 3days Barcelona, 4days Rome, 2days Naples --> I would not want to spend less than 2 nights at any location because moving 4 people with suitcases can get annoying

BigRuss

Where did you find $390 fare to Europe in July and how are you pricing the flights? You won't get $100 fare to Barcelona or $60 to Rome one way unless you're flying a discount airline, and that will mean extras - possible seat and baggage charges.

CathyM

I wouldn'd do the optioned outlined with several 2-nighters. It isn't taking into account the travel time between places and would be quite rushed IMHO. You're covering alot of geography in a short time.

IMDonehere

Spain, Italy, and Portugal do not have a B & B tradition as they much as they have pensiones, pensioni, and pensões.

Michael

Italy do[es] not have a B & B tradition

I've stayed in B&Bs in Venice (more like a room in a private apartment), Bologna and the aforementioned B&B Medea. Call it whatever you want, but searching for B&Bs in Italy on the web yields results, which is what counts.

jamikins

I would stick to 4 locations, otherwise you end up spending more time in transit than enjoying where you are. Drop Porto this trip!

jfduque89

Yea I agree with Michael.... I seemed to be finding plenty of apartments to rent for a couple days at each location, no problem; all having excellent reviews.

The entire trip is 15 days, but I am only counting on having 12 of those be actually worth anything: losing first and last day, as well as 1/2 day every new city involving a flight. I am fine skipping Porto, and sticking to Lisbon, Barcelona, Rome, and flying back from Naples.

@BigRuss: You are right. The pricing is US dollars and are on discount airlines. We WILL have a suitcase (and probably carry-on) each per person. Does that significantly change the prices? Anyone have a better idea/alternative?

Those cities just seemed to workout nicely and gave us a wide exposure to Europe. But I open to other alternatives.....

xyz99

Check out the discounted airline’s web site, and make sure you know in advance what’s allowed. How many pieces of luggage? Is there an extra charge for each piece of luggage? Is there a weight limit? We flew airlines with 15 kg max weight (1 piece of luggage + purse only allowed), and that might impact your plans.

Even on a discounted airline, an international flight is still an international flight. Consider that airports are usually ½ hr (sometimes more, depending on time of the day, day of the week, traffic, location of your accommodation, etc.) away from the city, and the fact that you need to be 2 hrs earlier at the airport. Add the time to get to your accommodation (if on budget and using public transportation, add extra time), and that kills almost the entire day. 4 nights becomes actually 3 days…Definitely skip Porto.

kja

Only 1 day in Naples? Although it obviously depends on what you want to see and experience, that it seems to me like a lot of travel time for too little time in/around Naples. It might make sense to add that time to one of your other stops and wait to visit Naples until you can spend more time in that area.

jfduque89

@kja its 2 nights in naples, leaving on the 3rd day

The reason I am not just staying in Rome is because the airfare back to NYC is CONSIDERABLY cheaper from Naples, than from Rome.

kja

I trust you've also considered the cost of getting from Rome to Naples....

kja

(Sorry - I hit return before I meant to.)

I once booked into Milan rather than Rome because the flight was MUCH less expensive. Only to find that ALL trains from Milan to Rome that day were fully booked, with the exception of a berth on an overnight train that was more expensive than what I had "saved" by flying into Milan. And it was too late to cancel my reservation for that night in Rome, so I had to eat that cost, too. SO I ended up paying WAY more AND I lost of ton of time. I did my best to take advantage of my time in Milan, but bottom line: I spent way more money than I needed to spend to just to have much less time in my chosen destinations than I had hoped to have. YMMV.

jfduque89

@kja Thanks for all your responses! I have indeed thought about. From my research, train transport between Naples and Rome is anywhere from 11-40euro and there are ~4 different paths, each having many departures every day.

I have never been to Italy so cannot be sure....but hopefully that means I am okay!!