advice on itinerary
 

This is the itinerary that I've been looking at:
Las Vegas to London Sept 7
Rome to Las Vegas Sept 21
total for open jaw flight each person: $858.17
planning on approx. 3 days in London (maybe adding a day here for jetlag), eurostar from London to Paris, 3 days in Paris, flight from Paris to Venice, 1 day in Venice, train from Venice to Florence, 2 days in Florence, train from Florence to Rome, 2 days in Rome

I just found a flight from LAS to London sept 7 and back from Barcelona on sept 22 for only $690 each person. I would have to add a day to the previous itinerary and add a flight from Rome to Barcelona and a hotel in Barcelona probably for one night and maybe just spend one day in Barcelona.

My question is would that be worth it? My husband is worried that that is too many places and he doesn't want to spend so much time traveling between all the places. This will be the first trip to Europe for either of us. I would like to see as many places as I can because this might be the only time we go. Any advice regarding the itinerary or any other tips would be appreciated!

Hello schmelode. Are you considering the time lost so to speak moving from one location to another? I am exhausted as we are having quite a heat wave so I am being mentally lazy. But for example when you say 3 days in Paris, flight from Paris to Venice, 1 day in Venice, train from Venice to Florence, 2 days in Florence etc., are you planning the train trip from Venice to Florence as part of your "2 days in Florence" for example.

A better description would be listing how many nights you would have in each location.

Just off the top of my head it seems like a lot of locations and to short of a time in each location. And the Barcelona portion of your second thought wouldn't appeal to me but again it is so hot here I feel like my brain is fried, lol.

I will be interested in what other Fodorites post and I will click on your thread again tomorrow. Best regards.

Let'slook at this in "real time"

Las Vegas to London Sept 7 -- <u>Arrive Sept 8</u>
Sept 8 - Half a jetlagged day in London
Sept 9 - London
Sept 10 - London
Sept 11 - London
Sept 12 - Leave London AM for Paris. Sept 12 - Half a day in Paris
Sept 13 Paris
Sept 14 Paris
Sept 15 morning flight to Venice - Half a day in Venice
Sept 16 train to Florence, Half a day in Florence
Sept 17 Florence
Sept 18 train to Rome, Half a day in Rome
Sept 19 Rome
Sept 20 Rome - part taken up w/packing
Sept 21 Fly Home AM

You really have less than a day in Venice, less than 2 days in Florence, and less than 2 full days free in Rome.

Cut something - at least one city. And definitely don't add Barcelona unless you cut two other cities.

Meant to add - different train times could add/subtract a bit of time in a particular city -- but doesn't change that you will be rushing really REALLY fast . . . .

I would cut the Venice portion out of the trip based upon the real-time schedule listed above. Basically you will have just a half day in Venice, which is not really worth it then. If Venice is a must, I'd then skip Florence and add those days to Venice. Thats just too many places with little time to spend in those locations. Not to mention checking in and out of hotels.

I'd slow the trip down by deciding what is more important - Venice or Florence. I wouldn't cut out days in Rome since your flights are out of Rome. Since you need to be there for the flight, you should spend a few days in the city.

BTW - the flights from Paris to Florence (Pisa is cheaper) was $196 (brittish air). The flight from Paris to Venice is $47 on easy jet (plus luggage fees). There is only 1 flight to Venice though - 6pm flight on the 15th.

With that in mind, I'd forgo Florence for this trip.. London, Paris, Venice and Rome.. Sounds like a fantastic 14 day vacation!

There is an overnight ferry from Rome's port (Civitavecchia) to Barcelona.

Can't really see what good an overnight ferry would do. Especially since the Barcelona flight only adds one day to the itinerary. They'd leave Civitavecchia at 10:15 PM on Sept 20, and would not arrive in Barcelona til after 6PM the next day and fly out the morning of the 22nd..

You are already losing a lot of your time to getting from one place to another - and giving very short shrift to all of the places you are visiting. Adding another day - which will be spent getting to Barcelona to stay there a few hours makes no sense at all. If it were me I would eliminate destinations, not add them.

Oh, right. I forgot it doesn't get in as early as the overnight ferry from Genova.

But I get the impression schmelode has to fly out of Barcelona to get that particular fare, so I was trying to give her another option in case she wanted to eliminate some destinations, but couldn't eliminate Barcelona.

Flying from Italy would make more sense.

schmelode,

I agree with your husband that you've got to eliminate destinations, and its an illusion that you will see a lot if you move around a lot.

If you don't need to fly out of Barcelona to get that fare, eliminate Barcelona for sure.

If you do need to fly out of Barcelona, something on your wish list has got to go, and I would even advise you to rethink the wish list.

London, Paris, the Alhambra and Barcelona is an amazing combo of sights. I would rent a car and see some of the Spanish countryside.

wow, that is my idea of a stressful holiday. Still it is nice you get to see a lot of places. I agree with the above posters, I would remove a destination, not add. You will spend a lot of your time in awful European airports.

If I fly back from Barcelona the fare is $690, but if I fly back from Rome the fare is $858-so yes, to get the cheaper fare I need to fly back from Barcelona.

here's a more accurate "real time" if I add Barcelona:
leave Sep 7
arrive Sep 8 at 7:40 am, so 1 full jet-lagged day in London
Sep 9 London
Sep 10 London
Sep 11 half day in London-eurostar (possible time 4:25-7:47pm) spend night of 11-12 in Paris
Sep 12 Paris
Sep 13 Paris
Sep 14 Paris
Sep 15 flight from Paris to Venice (possible time 7:50-9:30am) mostly full day in Venice, spend night in Venice
Sep 16 train from Venice to Florence (possible time 8:27-10:30 am) mostly full day in Florence
Sep 17 Florence
Sep 18 train from Florence to Rome (possible time 6:30-9:05am) mostly full day in Rome
Sep 19 Rome
Sep 20 flight from Rome to Barcelona (possible time 9:40-11:25am or spend a little more time in Rome and take the 4:30-6:15pm flight)
Sep 21 Barcelona full day and night (I only take like 5 minutes to pack)
Sep 22 flight leaves back to Vegas at 10am

So...if I don't do Barcelona, and fly back from Rome, I have roughly a day and a half or 2 days to add to other places, or I would fly back from Rome on the morning of the 21st instead of the 22nd. However, the Barcelona route, as I said, saves $336 off our airfare. Out of all the destinations, Barcelona would probably be last as far as it being a "must-see", but I would still like to go there if feasible and I like that it saves money on the flights. I do realize that it's adding flight costs (from Rome to Barcelona) and an extra night of hotel costs, so it's not saving as much money, but it still saves some and would be another place I could see.

What is most important to you? Enjoying your vacation and getting to know a city and the culture? Or checking as much places you wan to "see" of your "list"?

schmelode,

Check out the price of two airfares to Barcelona, plus the cost of getting to and from the airports, and that $336 really begins to whittle away. Plus remember this: When you move around as fast as you are contemplating moving, you inevitably end up spending more money on the ground: you spring for taxis, overpriced meals by the sights, tours -- just so you can accomplish a superfast sightseeing agenda.

I would eliminate Barcelona, and unless the whole point of this trip is to see Florence, eliminate Florence. You will see more Renaissance art in Rome than you will in Florence.

Give another night to Paris and another night to Venice.

leave Sep 7
arrive Sep 8 at 7:40 am, London
Sep 9 London
Sep 10 London
Sep 11 half day in London- night eurostar to Paris
Sep 12 Paris
Sep 13 Paris
Sep 14 Paris
Sep 15 Paris
Sep 16 morning flight from Paris to Venice
Sep 17 Venice
Sep 18 train from Venice to Rome
Sep 19 Rome
Sep 20 Rome
Sep 21 Rome
Sep 22 fly home

If you in the middle of your trip you AND your husband feelyou aren't moving too fast, you could stop in Florence on your way to Rome from Venice, stow your bags in the train station, and tour Florence. Get to Rome in the evening.

But if you are having a wonderful time in Venice, stay through lunch and skip Florence. If the day before you are ready to leave, you are both crying you didn't get to see Florence, it's a 90 minute train trip from Rome, so you can scoot back and squeeze it in.

I agree with Zeppole - Eliminate Florence and add the time to Venice and Rome. Sure its a savings of $336, but the cost to get over to Barcelona, train or flight, another hotel etc will equal things out.

Chazzarelli, janisj, zeppole et al are steering you towards a very workable itinerary now. "London, Paris, Venice and Rome" even has a nice ring to it, sort of like the "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my" from "The Wizard of Oz".

Factor not mentioned by limiting your itinerary: Your husband might be speaking to you by the end. ;)

I would eliminate London. Way too much traveling for me, exhausting and stressful.

Agree with Egbert. As much as I like London, it seems awkward to cram it in to this itinerary. Paris, Venice and Rome seem more doable/enjoyable given the time frame.

Using AlessandroZoe's analogy, start chanting to yourself: "Paris, Venice & Rome. . . Paris, Venice & Rome." It does have a nice ring to it. Simple, romantic, relaxing = perfect.

But they are flying into London so eliminating it doesn't really help the hassle situation very much

schmelode: Sorry -- but you are still mis-calculating how long things take.

"<i><blue>arrive Sep 8 at 7:40 am, so 1 full jet-lagged day in London</i></blue>" You won't get to your hotel until probably 11AM or later. By the time you check in and get situated -- 1/2 a day in London.

"<i><blue>Sep 15 flight from Paris to Venice (possible time 7:50-9:30am) mostly full day in Venice, spend night in Venice</i></blue>" Once again you won't get checked into your hotel until about noon -- 1/2 a day in Venice.

"<i><blue>I only take like 5 minutes to pack</i></blue>" If you can pack in 5mins for a flight to the States including your VAT purchases and all the other things you have to organize -- more power to you.