5 days :: Paris or Italy
 

I'm charting a 20-day vacation for July. Current plans include: 4 days in Munich, 3 days in Venice, and perhaps 6 days in Switzerland - as for the remaining 7 days: I was considering 5 days in Paris (including Versailles and a day trip to Brussels & Brugge) and 2 days in Strasbourg/Baden-Baden. Whew!

Would I be better served by spending those 7 days seeing othr areas of Italy? Florence comes to mind, and perhaps Genoa. I'm particularly concerned about the effects of the World Cup schedule ...

Thanks.

my husband and i have traveled to europe many timesover the past 12 years. one thing we have come to regret are the times we tried to see too much in a short period of time. you may see the highlights of these cities but you will not feel like you know the area or especially the people. we have been to paris 5 or 6 times and we are going back this jan. each time we have picked a section of paris e.g . the marais, the left bank and have done walking tours from guide books. Brugge was one of our favorite places and you should definitely plan on an overnite there. i like your plan but just don't rush it. hope you don't mind the advice. have fun

Previous response is right on target. You must do your homework and research and decide for yourself based on your own personal preferences and priorities!

I also agree that it sounds like a lot in a short time. But apart from Venice, your geography seems to be focused more on northern destinations. I would chose Paris over Florence (although Florence is magnificent) because of its location, extreme beauty, and the civilized ease of traveling to other destinations from there. For example, Brugges and Strasbourg are much easier to reach from Paris than Florence. Strasbourg, by the way, is also a wonderful city and often overlooked by American tourists in my experience.

I'd go with Rome and Paris...these are both cities that shouldn't be missed. Good luck!

Yup, that is a very ambitious itinerary - but my recommendation would be to go for it! As for Italy or Paris, the cuisine in each is absolutely spectacular, so you may want to decide based on your preference for Italian or French food. Plenty to see and do in either place - or you could do both! After all that, surely you will want to return anyway....

After traveling as a tourist to Europe several times and now living in Vienna, from my personal experience, I would spend less time in Venice and Munich (both in my opinion fairly lackluster cities) and add in both Florence and Paris which are probably my two favorite cities in Europe. Also, Brugge is wonderful and shouldn't be missed!

Jay: I think your plans are manageable and you'll see a great number of special cities. Just a few suggestions: I think Munich can be reduced - unless you're planning a day trip (e.g., Romantic Road). Also, to visit Bruges and Brussels in one day trip is a bit ambitious (if I understood your post correctly). Possibly you may want to stay overnight in that area. Also, what parts of Switzerland aer you planning to see. (I'd skip Zurich, but do consider: Bern, Interlaken and nearby mtns., Zermatt, and Geneva). Lastly, I'd devote any add'l days (4?) to Italy (Florence and nearby hilltowns or Rome) while spending 2-3 days in Paris max.

Given your general itinerary, would recommend flying to Venice and spending four days there (one day to rest up). Italy in July is too hot and humid for more time there or anywhere further south (be sure you get an air-conditioned room in Venice). Assuming that you're renting a car, then drive up to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Stay there for three days and take a day trip to Munich. From there drive the side roads thru Liechtenstein to Switzerland and spend six days driving around that country (I personally would recommend making Interlaken your base). From there, I would recommend skipping Strasbourg/Baden-Baden and driving directly to Paris. Spend four days there and then drive to and turn in the car in Brussels. Brussels is a great place to spend your last few days and you can day trip from there to Bruge on a bus tour. Fly back out of Brussels.