Hi folks,

Can anybody provide suggestions as to the best itinerary for my European tour? 8-10 days in late July.

I am deliberating between ~5 days in Paris (including a trip to Loire Valley castles) and a few more in London (my second trip to that city), or spending all 8 days in Italy. Another plausible suggestion is Italy and Austria.

Other than a trip to London as a young boy, I've never been to Europe, so this is a first time.

All feedback will be appreciated.

Munch

8-10 days is not very long. I would not do more than one country -- and you can't even do the whole country in 8-10 days (unless it's a very small country!). If you want to see Paris, just plan on Paris and the environs (including the Loire). If you want to do Italy, choose maybe two cities, Rome and Venice, Rome and Florence, or possibly with 10 days, all three. I personally think these are your two best choices -- but in reality only you can decide based on your particular interests.

topping for Munch

Without knowing your interests it's really hard to say.

In late July I would do Paris rather than Italy just on the basis of cooler temps. But it depends entirely on how you plan on spending your time.

Thanks for topping, Kristinelaine.

Nytraveler: I am all about art galleries, lush green cities, beautiful cathedrals and cozy streets.

Anybody else?

P.S. No interest in shopping.

I have a totally new strategy when I travel to Europe now which seems to work great. Since I always want to go more places than time will allow, I tag on two days at the beginning or end of my trip in another city. As long as you fly into and out of the same city you can add another city to your flight.

For instance, last year went spent ten days in Italy and then two days in Paris on the way home. This year I will spend a week in Paris and then two days in London.

We call these our "taste trips". We get an overview of the city and enjoy a nice meal and then plan our next trip to that city if we liked it. It works great for us!

I really agree with staying in one country for that length of time--you will have enjoyed the experience so much more. Paris and a side trip would be my choice. France is the bargain destination of western Europe still.

"I am all about art galleries, lush green cities, beautiful cathedrals and cozy streets."

Not sure how much that narrows it down but here's ONE take on that:

art galleries: The Louvre

lush green cities: Paris

beautiful cathedrals: Notre Dame/Chartres

cozy streets: Ile St. Louis

Oh..and let's liven this up a bit...since you said "Europe" you can probably forget about London given some of the isolationsists from the Cotswolds....

LOL..get ready for the explosion...

Paris is the most visited city on the planet. There is a very good reason for this : the quantity and diversity of the attractions is mind numbing. Coming for five days and spending some of it visiting the Loire would be like ordering a sundae, knowing you can't eat the ice cream... the whipped cream and nuts are great, but seeing the rest there melting away is just too frustrating to bear!!!

Thanks for the responses, folks. That is very helpful.

Here is another lateral idea: 6 days in Paris and 2-3 days in Amsterdam (I reckon this is just about enough for the Dutch capital). Doable?

Yes, I think it's very doable. Both cities are great and I feel they make a good combination. From Paris you could take the train to Amsterdam, and be there in less than 4 hours.