orimallei

Hi all,

I'm coming to Europe in September from Australia, for 5 weeks. I've got my basic plan and think it's going to work ok, there's just a little section I'm not too sure about.
I'm wanting to see a mix of old history city/towns, and really outdoorsy beautiful scenery, and quaint towns... I'm not going to be partying, and it's just going to be me travelling, mostly by train, except in Slovenia when I plan to hire a car.
So far my plan goes:
Land in Krakow, see Krakow, Auchwitz, and the Tatra mountains before heading to Warsaw for a couple of days then getting a train to the Czech republic.
I'll do Prague for a couple of days, go to Tabor, Cesky Krumlov and Telc, see Kutna Hora and then take a train to Ljubljana.
I'll spend a couple of days in LJ, get my car and go see the caves, and visit Lipica, drive up to Bovec, do some stuff there, drive to Bled & Bohinj, spend a couple of days there, head back to LJ to get a train to Venice.
Arrive in Venice in the morning, explore there and get a plane to Paris (originally was only going to Venice as it was a cheap way for me to get to Paris.). From Paris, seeing Strasbourg, the Somme, and the Lore valley..
Now what I'm not sure about is that I looked at the time I had left (to spend in Paris), and it's about 8 days. That seems a lot more time that I originally intended... so there's a couple of options.. I could stick with that, and just take my time with France and spend a couple of days less in Paris, and those couple of days elsewhere..
Or I could fly from Venice into London, spend a day or two in London (I know it's not much time) then get the train to France...
OR
I could head to France, go down to Bordeaux (I have a friend who lives there) and maybe look at getting a train to Barcelona.
There's something about Spain that intrigues me, and I don't know what it is. I keep coming back to wanting to go there but I"m not sure why, or how I can fit it in.

I'm happy to spend 4 days in Paris, so that gives me at least 3 days to play around with somewhere else (taking into account travel times, etc, though I'd be planning to travel overnight...)

I just keep coming in circles. Every time I think I've got a plan worked out, I get interested in somewhere else, or wonder if I could do something different...

What are your opinions??
Should I leave London and Barcelona to my next trip?

cathies

If you are going to catch the train to Venice then why don't you spend a few days there - it's gorgeous.

I haven't been to a lot of the cities you mention, but it does sound like a lot of time packing up and moving hotels etc. I know from my own experience and those of other posters that you will lose 1/2 day minimum each time you move cities.

Particularly if you are going to fly (eg Venice - London), you will have to be at the airport well before the flight, then get yourself through customs/immigration etc and then into London, find your hotel etc, etc. At least with the trains, the train stations are in the middle of the cities (mostly) and you just go to the station, jump on the train and off you go.

I'm also Aussie and I know it's tempting to cram in as much as possible as it's a long way to go and air fares are expensive, but I think this sounds too rushed. Yes, definitely leave London and Barcelona for another trip.

I've spent approx 3 weeks in Paris now and still haven't seen everything there is to see. 3 days isn't much, neither is 7-8 days. Alternatively, spend a bit more time in the Loire - slow it all down and relax. The other thing to remember is that travelling gets tiring after a while - sometimes it's good to have a slow day where you can just wander around a place and enjoy a coffee somewhere without thinking of everything you still have to try to see.

orimallei

I guess doing it as a backpacker with minimum stuff, just dumping my bags in Left luggage etc, I'm not planning for moving cities to be too much of a hassle.

I've heard Venice is /very/ expensive, and looking at the stuff to do, there doesn't seem to be a huge amount, my Dad's been there and he said it feels very touristy and a little let-go, hence my hesitation to spend too long there.

Maybe I should spend a night there, and spend the 7 days in Paris.
My accommodation in Paris should be free, so I'm not going to be spending heaps of money there at least.

Thanks for your opinion though! I'm glad you understand about wanting to cram everything in, it's such a long way to go and in Europe, everything's so close, it's like; but Spain's just over the border and Oh! the UK is just over the chanel, compared to: "Hmm... if I want to go anywhere overseas it'll take me at least 5 hours flying to get there..."

cathies

How lucky to have free accommodation in Paris - I would never leave!!

If you go to Venice for one day or part thereof, I think you will agree with your father. If you at least stay overnight you will have a chance to see it a little more closely. For instance St Marks square during the day can be crowded, hot and really not nice, however in the evening it is lovely and completely different. Transport in Venice is expensive compared to other cities, we bought a 24 hour vaporetto pass and rode up and down the Grand Canal as much as we could, we also caught it to Burano which is a really lovely island. After the 24 hours was up we walked everywhere and explored little back streets etc. We ate really cheaply in Venice - but we don't look for 3 course meals etc.

Anyway, of course its up to you, and even a few hours is better than nothing!

lanejohann

ohhh go see venice
it may not be around for much longer with the water problems ( hope theyre doing something about it)

read up on some history of how it was built on the swamplands - it's an awesome feat

SAnParis2

There is no where in the world like Venice...& slow down, you might actually see something on your trip. You could spend the whole of 5 weeks in Paris & never see it all, btw.

jetsetj

View a glimpse of heaven. See Venice. You can thank me later.

adrienne

Venice is so beautiful that I can't imagine only spending one day there. I agree with cathies; there's something about spending only 1 day in a city that leaves you without a connection to that city. Venice offers small alleyways, beautiful architecture, exquisite churches, fabulous frescoes in museums, browsing in the small shops, buying little glass souvenirs from the markets, and watching people enjoying a gondola ride. But you need to get away from the main tourist areas of San Marco and Rialto to experience the wonder of Venice.

I would recommend spending at least 2 days there and the rest of the time in Paris. Forget London and Barcelona for this trip.

StCirq

I would either go to Venice and spend several days there, or not go at all. It's one of the most magical places on earth, and it's absolutely wrong that there's not a lot to do - unless of course you just drop in for a day, in which case you're imposing your own self-limits.

The Loire, by comparison, is a bore.

I'd forget Spain and London for this trip. There's a LOT more to see in France than you are planning, and you don't have to cross a border or a channel.

orimallei

Yeah I'm going to leave London and Barcelona for this trip and just stick with my original plan, maybe spend an extra day in Venice.

Thanks for your help, everyone!

Peter_S_Aus

We spent nine weeks in Venice over Christmas. I wrote something of a diary about our time - it might give you a different slant to Venice - click on my name and you'll find it. Sure, there are tourists in Venice. There are also boat-builders, students, book binders, antique restorers, people selling fish. It's a country town - same population as Wagga Wagga - that sees a lot of visitors.

SAnParis2

Ah, the folly of youth.

orimallei

SAnParis2: Sorry?

lindy27

That is a really busy schedule. Most will recommend that you spend a minimum of 1 country per week and also 3-4 days in larger cities and 2-3 days in smaller cities. That means 5 countries. I am leaving in a few weeks for a 4 week trip and am going to 3 countries! If budget is an issue everytime you move it costs you more money.

I count 21 cities/locations you plan on visiting in around 35 days...