Passion

We are planning for a 7-8 days tour from 26 Dec 2014 to 3 Jan 2015 to Europe. We hope to visit the must see places during this tour. We are from Asia, pls advise what country to start first and what should be the best sequence to save time. What is the best way to get to each of this places. Appreciate your advise.

Thank you

Gretchen

YOu are dreaming. Just sign up for a tour from your country. There is no other way--and particularly from Asia with the distance.

nytraveler

I'm sorry but - this has to be a joke!

You are coming for a total of 7 days and you want to see 5 (FIVE!) countries. It is certainly possible to get to 5 countries. But it would be about 75% of time spend in transit versus 25% doing/seeing something - if that.

Dec 26 is a holiday in some countries and Dec 31 eve and Jan 1 are holidays everywhere. Many things will not be open. It is winter. The days are very short (light at 8 am and dark at 4 pm). It is cold and rainy (or snowy) and dreary. Many sights are open limited hours in off season.

IMHO all I would do is pick one CITY - not COUNTRY - and try to see something of it. If you push it you could do 2 cities - perhaps London and Paris - only 3 hours apart by train - but that is giving you little time to see 2 major world capitals.

If you really want to plan an itinerary I suggest you look at bahn.de - which has the train schedules for all of europe and will give you and idea of how little time you would have in each place.

As for us creating an itinerary for you - we need to know your interests (architecture, history, fine dining, archery, clog dancing, or ????).

But without some guidance from you it would be a futile effort.

Sassafrass

If weather is good for that time of year and nothing is cancelled due to snow, etc., can this even be done logistically? Do not know what "your" must see sights are in each place, but you won't have time for more than one. So, let's see.

Day 1 - arrive on morning flight to London, get luggage, taxi into London, settled by noon. No naps, there is no time. Walk around a bit, look at one or two sights before it is dark and things close. No time for a museum or touring anything. Eat dinner and to bed. Take very warm jackets.
Day 2 - up very early. Head to airport (allow an hour) go through security, etc. (another hour) arrive in Dublin by mid-morning, 1/2 hour shuttle to hotel. Walk around and see perhaps one sight before dark. Dinner and a pub evening for some music if you are still vertical. Assume cold, gray and rainy. Dress warm and for wet weather.
Day 3 - up early, get to airport and wait. Fly to someplace in Spain (Barcelona or the Southern Coast). Be in hotel perhaps by noon. HOHO bus in Barcelona or see the Segrada Familia; too dark probably to walk the Ramblas and winter, not so much open. Dinner, bed.
Day 4 - early flight to Venice. Go to train station. Stash luggage at train station. Walk around Venice. Nothing to do after dark. Take the night train to Paris.
Day 5 - get to hotel in Paris and ask them to hold luggage until your room is ready. Hire a guide for a tour of what you want to see in Paris.

I can't believe it. Done, doable, with days to spare. Go for it!

IMDonehere

I think you should add Prague and Cairo.

Passion

Your responses had made me realized the missing pieces if we just do a 'touch & go' tour and force the 7 days to cover 5 countries. We will definitely review our plans to see if winter time is worth the trip to Europe or shall we choose autumn. Shorter day light can be very depressing, thanks for highlighting. We like history, achitecture and understand the living of the locals. Which month is best for touring to maximise daylights and minimise early closure of places of visits.

If we want to keep to 8 days including travel days, do London & Paris sounds doable? Can you suggest the must see places for the limited time that we have? What about driving in London & Paris? Any comments on renting car & we move around by car?

Appreciate your feedback & comments.

Sassafrass

London and Paris for eight days, OK. Start in London, 3 days, 1/2 day to take the train to Paris, 4 & 1/2 days in Paris. Summer is hot but if you are used to hot and humid, it is fine. Late Spring, early fall is great. If you are to be only, or even mostly, in cities, absolutely no car - totally not needed and a real problem in cities. Now, you have an easy and lovely trip with time to observe and enjoy local culture, sit at a cafe to talk about your adventure and you will actually remember what you see and do rather than a blur of airports.

Congratulations for thinking and listening to advice and being able to change. Some people just can't do that. You are smart.

StCirq

Seriously? What Indian travel agent recommended this nightmare? There are many of them that do because they just haven't a clue. You have time for ONE country, MAYBE London and Paris with 8 full days (NOT counting the day you arrive and the day you depart). No car. Days are longest in late summer, so July and August are good.

spaarne

<i>Passion on Jun 29, 14 at 11:18pm
Can you suggest the must see places for the limited time that we have? What about driving in London & Paris?</i>

What about it? Crazy.

With 8 days do Paris OR London, only. Get a Michelin Green Guide for the city you choose.

IMDonehere

Paris and London with the connection by train as someone mentioned above is a reasonable compromise. And whatever you do fly into one city and out the other, so you do not waste time traveling back and forth.

And yes Michelin Greens are the best for sights.

janisj

>>Paris and London with the connection by train as someone mentioned above is a reasonable compromise. <<

Not really. One full day/night will be spent traveling TO Europe, one full day+ will be spent traveling home, half a day+ will be needed to recover from the jet lag, and and half a day would be spent moving from London to Paris. So if you really only have 8 days total including travel, stick to ONE city. If you have say 10 days total, then 2 cities does make sense.

Passion

Thank you for sharing. Will start serious planning now & do some reading as recommended ie. Michelin Greens. No, not indian travel agencies at all.

bvlenci

On the planet earth, days are longest on the 21st of June (northern hemisphere) or the 21st of December (southern hemisphere). May and June are good months in most of northern Europe, as they are not usually very rainy. June is likely to be warmer, but with no great chance of very hot weather.

nytraveler

Best time to visit London and Paris is May or June. Nicer weather, long days and sights are more often open into the evenings.

You do NOT want a car in these cities - they are worse than worthless in either city - since there is no place to park them. To really see the cities you need to walk, explore neighborhoods (if too much walking then grab the tube/metro or hop in a cab to get back to the hotel for a rest, shower and change before dinner). You can get a bunch of cabs for what a car rental and parking/garages would cost - and not waste time driving around trying to find a place to put it near major sites. (As a New Yorker I can tell you that a car in a city like this is both fatal and futile.)

dwdvagamundo

London and Paris is a good compromise, and you will get to see a little bit of each city. No car. Go in June or September.

If it were my trip, I'd do five nites in London, take the train to Paris and three nites in Paris, as (IMHO) two full days in Paris is enough for a first trip.

Look on this site (in and outside this Forum) for what to see.
Better, though to get a couple of good city guidebooks.

Passion

Great! I am more confident now with the plans as many of you are sharing almost similar suggestions on the number of days to spend in London vs Paris. Sharing the best timing of visit is very helpful too. Thank you to all