katiedid2014

Hello All! I am looking for any information/advice on a trip we are planning in August. I am including our itinerary we have as of now. Will begin booking in Feb and looking for help conserving expenses while being frugal on. Plan to purchase all expenses prior to trip. Flight looks like $3330 is the best I can find. Flying to Rome on a Friday. Land on Sat morn.
Sat: Vatican/St. Peters/climb dome/Trevi Fountain. will buy Vatican museum ticket with a tour time $90.00 (for 2)Stay 2 nights in Rome (suggestions of where!!!) Should I buy a metro pass?
Sunday: Church at St Pere’s (we’re catholic) Pantheon/Coloseum/Old Forum. WHAT PASS WILL GET US IN the last 2 for lowest cost?) Could we possibly see the Pope? Do we have more time to see anything else?
Mon: Travel to Venice in the morning. Gondola ride/Glass blowing demonstration/ visit St Mark area. 1 night stay (SUGGESTIONS) Do I need a museum pass here?
Tues: Day in Venice/watch sunrise:] see market/ What about going to the beach? Evening: Overnight train (Thello) to Paris. Will have wine and pack picnic
Wed: Arrive around 9:30 in Paris. Notre Dame (go up tower) St Chapelle/Eiffel Tower/Arch De Triumph (to top) Eiffel Tower in evening. Need hotel for 2 nights in Paris Will get Paris pass & metro pass?
Thurs: Day in Paris/ Louvre/Orangeria/Moulin rouge Seine river cruise (?) We do not plan to stay long in the Louvre- I have been and my daughter is not into it but I’m making her see highlights. Monet is my FAVE- thus the Orangeria.
Fri: Early train to London. Red bus tour/pic in red phone booth/find Harry Potter train location/Big Ben/London Bridge. Train to Oxford? Stay at Oxford dorm apartment.
Sat: Visit Oxford (Suggestions of what not to miss) evening back to London.
Sun: Church at Westminster Abby in morning. Buckingham palace/Changing Guards.
Mon: Flight home I’ve roughly calculated this to cost around $5000. (No souvenirs in this)
Is this doable? Suggestions? This is a mother (41)/daughter (21 yo) trip. We are traveling light

jamikins

I think you are trying to do too much. With the time you have I would pick two locations. Otherwise you Wil spend as much time in transit as you do seeing these great cities which is a waste of time and money!

PalenQ

Evening: Overnight train (Thello) to Paris. Will have wine and pack picnic>

the future of this train is in doubt after the recent scrubbing of the Florence/Rome to Paris Thello overnight train - due to lack of patronage and allegedly poor service - it should be running but if scrubbed have alternative plans - like flying as it takes all day during the day.

for lots of information on overnight trains and Eurostar trains I always spotlight these IMO fantastic sites - www.seat61.com (check here for updates on the continued running of Thello Venice to Paris trains - and www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Early booking can result in discounted fares though I think those are mainly for multi-shared compartments - couchettes and not so much for private rooms though not sure - check www.thello.com.

Early birds also get the proverbial worm on Eurostar by booking way early for the limited in number discounted tickets - just show up and pay literally $100 or more each! www.eurostar.com - print your own tickets and be sure to show up at least 30 minutes earlier than the train - could have been changed to longer recenty - to be guaranteed admission as security checks and customs must be cleared before boarding. Check first class fares as well as sometimes due to the Byzantine fare structure first class may not be that much more at times than Standard Class and IME first class on this train has much greater differences in comfort levels than most trains in Europe - seats are more cramped - especially for tall or large folks - Standard Class is not a cattle car but first class much better and you also get a complimentary full meal with IME unlimited Champagne or wine, etc the whole way - that itself is worth probably $20-30!

Of course you probably know gthat the italian Railways official site - www.trenitalia.com offers discounted fares too if you book early enough - those tickets, like discounted Thello and Eurostar tickets, are non-changeable non-refundable I believe so be sure of your dates.

annhig

As soon as i saw this, my heart sank, as I just knew that you would be trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot. your plan has you visiting 4 of the world's greatest cities in the space of 10 days AND Oxford - that alone might ring warning bells that you are being over-ambitious. You have made no allowance for jetlag, tiredness, or the time needed to get around places, though I do note that you have factored in some travel time, which is good, but you have not realised the amount of time that you lose when you move, which is at least half a day. So out of 10 days, you will lose at least 2 - ie 20% of your trip.

I agree entirely with jamikins that you need to cut back severely and limit yourselves to a max of 3 places, or even better to 2. That will be more satisfying AND cheaper, though I don't necessarily agree that buying passes/entrance tickets in advance will save you a lot.

I am confused by the budgets you quote - $3300 for flights - is that for both of you? it still seems to be quite a lot for 2 multi-city flights into Rome and out of London, but I don't know where you are coming from. You then give $5000 as your overall budget - which subtracting the flights gives you a mere $1700 for the entire cost of your trip, including accommodation, which you are highly unlikely to find for less than $100 per day.

$70 per day for everything else including all this travel between places? I doubt very much if it can be done.

Sadly. I think you need to go back to the drawing board.

azzure

I am normally lenient with folks who try to do too much -- a couple of years ago I went to Rome (3 nights), Florence (2 nights), Venice (3 nights) and Paris (4 nights)...total of twelve nights. We did not feel TOO rushed, but I had been to all of these places before and had a basic knowledge of each. In your case, if you are truly limited to 9 nights, I would likely forget about London -- it deserves another trip.

janisj

I won't belabor the subject - you've already heard it. But this really isn't practical. And <u>especially</u> if you want to stay on a budget - more travel = more $$/€€/££

Please clarify what you meant by $3300 for airfare - is that for both of you and where are you flying from?

And does the $5000 include the $3300?

Sassafrass

First advice: cut London. Add a day each to Rome, Venice & Paris. If it were me, I would cut even more, cut Paris and include a day in Florence with a day trip to one of the Tuscan hill towns.

Vatican museums and climbing to the top of St Peters on the same day you land does not seem a good plan, IMHO. Also, if your daughter is not into art museums, the vatican museums might not be the best choice. What about the Borghese instead? Much shorter to visit and even "non art" people like it. It is beautiful.

With your very limited time in London, there is so much to see and do, why Oxford? Rather than rushing out to see an Ok place, you could get theater or concert tickets for a lovely evening together or take in a play at the Globe.

In Venice, are you not going to go inside St Marks or the Doges' Palace? There are so many fantastic churches, and museums, plus the Ghetto, etc. unless, you absolutely never get to go to a beach, you have so little time in Venice, it seems a waste.

Your trip might be less costly, and even more enjoyable, if you limited yourself to a couple of bases and did day trips to some of the fantastic places nearby. Have you been to Versailles? You daughter might enjoy that. The Louvre isn't for everybody. What about the Orsay? That might fit both of your interests and the building is stunning.

annhig

Regarding costs, if you did two places you could stay in apartments which could cut your costs quite a lot. you can eat breakfast in, make sandwiches and your own afternoon tea and coffee, even cook your own dinners. And they usually work out cheaper than a hotel.

also it can take a day or two for one to locate the best/cheapest bar/cafe/supermarket etc. if you are always moving around, you never find these places and can end up paying more than necessary for your drinks and snacks.

dulciusexasperis

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Thanks for the laugh katiedid, great troll.

For those who want to know, the Harry Potter train leaves from track 9 3/4 in King's Cross Station. You will find the track sign for it there as well as a luggage cart half way into the wall.

annhig

i thought that you had no sense of humour, dulci.

in any event, I don't think that Katiedid is a troll - did you read her post on the thread she has commented on?

janisj

dulciesex - Haven't you noticed some of your posts being deleted? Nasty posts aren't really allowed on Fodors.

Katiedid - ignore him . . . .

dulciusexasperis

Annhig, it is katiedid that has the sense of humour. I didn't say I can't recognize it or can't laugh at it when someone tells a joke. There are 2 sides to a sense of humour.

If katiedid isn't a troll then she must have ADHD I guess. I can't imagine any other explanation for such an itinerary. It goes well beyond the typical, 'If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium'.

Janisj, you're truly boring. Can't you at least try to be somewhat more imaginative and original? Isn't your comment 'nasty' and isn't stalking also against the terms of use? Should I run and cry to a moderator?

azzure

<Should I run and cry to a moderator?>

I just did.