Advice, help and comments on my itinerary please
 

Hi, I have been working on this itinerary for a while and I would love some advise. We have 17 days including travel days for this trip in November. Here is what I have worked out so far. <BR><BR>1 Fly into Paris<BR>2 Paris <BR>3 Paris<BR>4 Paris (possible day trip to Brussels)<BR>5 Paris and night train to Florence<BR>6 Florence<BR>7 Florence<BR>8 Florence - Verona - Venice<BR>9 Venice<BR>10 Venice<BR>11 Salzburg<BR>12 Salzburg<BR>13 Vienna<BR>14 Vienna <BR>15 ?<BR>16 Munich<BR>17 Fly home from Munich<BR><BR>As you can see we have an extra day to work with. Does anyone have any reccommendations that would work with this schedule? I could drop a night in Paris or somewhere else and add a couple of nights in Prague. <BR><BR>I am very interested to hear what you all have to say. I feel like I am missing something here. <BR><BR>

Anyone?

Hello Joycek, Overall, very good. It will work. But, why Salzburg before Vienna. It would seem a better connection from Venice to Vienna and then Salzburg. If you do that, then your extra day is in the "Sound of Music" country---St. Gilgen, Mondsee etc. Pray for good weather in Nov.

Put the extra day in Paris or Venice, is what I'd do. And having said that, if I'm counting correctly you're hitting a possible 8 places in only 17 days~ that's a bit to rushed of a timeline for my own tastes.

Thanks! I didn't think of putting Vienna first. I think originally we were talking of going to Prague but now that we are not it would make sense to go to Vienna first. <BR><BR>I am thinking of adding that day to Venice as I have never been before. <BR><BR>It is a bit rushed but not too rushed and there is so much I want to see. <BR><BR>Does anyone have any little gems that may fit in to the mix. Maybe instead of a night train to Florence there is somewhere in France that may make a good short stop? I am open to suggestions.<BR><BR>Does anyone know what the weather will be like? How about a website? In books November is often skipped over weather wise and the websites I have found only have what the weather is now.<BR><BR>Thanks for your help!

I think you're covering much too much territory in 2 1/2 weeks. Personally I'd stick to one country or adjacent parts of two countries per trip, but I realize that some people don't like to do that. Unless you think it is unlikely that you will be able to go to Europe again for many years, I do think it would be better to make a choice: central europe on this trip, or France and Italy, or Italy and Austria. I'd also suggest seeing spending more days in Florence.

My first question would be which, if any, of these places have you been to before?<BR><BR>My two cents:<BR>The first 5 days look good, but I'd skip the day trip to Brussels if I were you. Frankly there are so many more interesting things to see in/near Paris, in my opinion.<BR><BR>If I were you I'd add definitely another day to Florence and to Venice. This means skipping either Salzburg or Vienna which I realize is awful, but so much better to actually have enough time to experience the places you are seeing so that you have more to remember than just getting to and from.<BR><BR>So I would advise:<BR>Days 1-5 Paris (4 nights) & night train to Florence;<BR>Days 6-9 Florence (3 nights), then on day 9 to Verona and then to Venice for 9-12 (3 nights);<BR>Days 12-15 either Salzburg or Vienna (3 nights);<BR>Days 16-17 Munich.<BR><BR>As you see, this is still giving Munich almost no time, and unless you've been there before I'd think you'd want more time there. If you haven't been there before and you are definitely flying out of there, then I'd skip Salzburg & Vienna altogether and revise as follows:<BR><BR>Days 1-5 Paris (5 days, 4 nights), night train to Florence<BR>Days 6-9 Florence (3 days, 3 nights), Days 9-13 Venice (4 nights, 3 days),<BR>Days 13-17 Munich (4 nights, 3 days).<BR><BR>This is much more relaxing.<BR><BR>

Skip Brussels - if you want to get further out of Paris than Versailles, go to Chartres or Fontainebleau.<BR>But don't skip Vienna or Salzberg! Maybe add a day trip to Berchtesgaden.<BR>Yes, it's a bit rushed, but you have a nice variety and Salzberg plus a mountain trip is a wonderful way to wind down. Have a great trip!

I like all of the cities you have chosen. I hope there is someone special going with you because you have picked some very romantic places.<BR><BR>You have several long trips in place (Paris-Florence, Venice-Salzburg, Vienna-Munich) I hope you like sleeping on the train.<BR><BR>Personally, I would cut back to four cities.

A website I've found invaluable for weather is, not surprizingly, www. weather.com.<BR><BR>Go to "Travel - Vacation planner", and there you can type in the name of the city and it will give you all the info it has, month by month, including av. highs & lows & average rainfall.<BR><BR>Here is the link for Salzburg:<BR><BR>http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/vacationplanner/climatology/monthly/AUXX0018<BR><BR>I haven't been to all of your destinations, so can't really help with your overall itinerary, but it looks good. Of the cities on your list, I've only been in Paris and Venice, and think that they each deserve the time that you've given them. <BR><BR>What a wonderful time you'll have seeing these great cities! I'm SO jealous!

I appreciate everyone's opinions. I have been to all of these cities before except for Venice. I wasn't in Paris near enough the first time so I wanted to give it more time on this trip. Venice is a must, I can't believe I didn't fit it in the first time. I LOVE Salzburg and definately want to revisit it. Then there is Florence. I can't pass that up either. I am flexible on Vienna and Munich is just the city we are flying out of although I do plan to do a side trip to Dachau. <BR><BR>So there is my dilema. I know that the train from Paris to Florence is 13 hours which is why I was wondering if there was a good stop in the middle. Maybe a flight? I also can't shake the feeling like I should see something different. Does anyone else get this way? How to fight the feeling?<BR><BR>I am afraid that I may not get to Europe for a whle after this. It's time to buy a house, maybe have a kid and all that. <BR><BR>Thanks Andrea for the website. It's great!<BR><BR>Does anyone know of websites with cheap air? I tried Buzz but they seem to only fly into or out of London.

Another weather site is wunderground.com, as they have weather history as well as current conditions for all of those cities. <BR>If you have been before, then skip Vienna (that's hard for me to say because it is a favorite of mine) and Salzburg (I know that you love it), spend less time in Paris and Florence and go to Budapest and/or Prague.

Great itinerary, but a comment on Dachau. If you are planning to visit such a historical sight I do believe it's worth the time to do it properly and go to Auschwitz. I've been to both and I can say that Auschwitz was much more meaningful than the over clogged Dachau (I was there in April!). This would probably mean reserving it for a trip to Eastern Europe. You could then also see Prague as you mentioned was on an earlier version of you itinerary.

I didn't know you'd been to all these places before except for Venice -- that changes my advice. I'd say it looks great except that you're only spending 2 days in Venice! Since you haven't been there before I'd definitely add a day there.

Joycek: I think the trip looks good.IMO. But since your going to the Salzburg, Vienna area rent a car an see Mauthausen instead of Dachau. The camp is mostly preserved and unlike Dachau had working gas chambers. It is about a hour out of Salzburg. A beauty ride through the country. Although at that time of the year the weather might present a problem.

Thanks Mike! That is an idea. I know the mountains will have snow in early November but the roads? Anyone traveled in Salzburg at this time? I think we will be there the 13th, 14th of November. I know that no one can predict the weather but I would like to compare it with actual experience. <BR><BR>Any ideas for an airline that will fly Paris to Venice/Munich/Milan - cheap?

ttt

Thanks again everyone.<BR><BR>Here is the schedule we have come up with - hopefuly this is it.<BR><BR>Day 1 Flight to Paris <BR>Day 2 Paris<BR>Day 3 Paris<BR>Day 4 Paris<BR>Day 5 Lyon<BR>Day 6 Florence<BR>Day 7 Florence<BR>Day 8 Florence<BR>Day 9 Florence<BR>Day 10 Verona - Venice<BR>Day 11 Venice<BR>Day 12 Vencie <BR>Day 13 Salzburg<BR>Day 14 Salzburg <BR>Day 15 Salzburg - we may rent a car and drive into Germany<BR>Day 16 Munich<BR>Day 17 flight home<BR><BR>Wow, I can see how it's changed a lot. Any comments? I'm not sure about the rental car. It depends on weather (snow on the roads etc.) Has anyone driven in this area in November?<BR><BR>Woudl love to fly from Paris to Milan or Florence but i can not find a cheap fare. Anyone have any suggestions for that?<BR><BR>Thanks everyone again.<BR><BR>Joyce<BR>

Paris, Paris, Paris. My favorite European city--so far