WLMIV

Hello:

I am taking a three week trip to Europe following the completion of a conference I am attending in June 2013. My itinerary takes me to London, Belgium (to Waterloo for a tour of the battle), Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, and Rome. I will be travelling between late June and mid July.

I have used a travel agent to help me find affordable but centrally located hotels. I am seeking advice from you, the reader, on the sites I can see myself and the tours I should participate in. For each location I am going suggest potential ideas. I am hoping that a knowledgeable and wiling reader can tell me if my suggestions are good ideas or a waste of time. I prefer smaller tours rather than being herded about like cattle on a big bus. All of my travelling from city to city will be by train. In addition, I understand that on some days the museums and tours that I list here are closed on one day such as a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. I am working this factor into my daily planner.

To note, I am a professor of history. I have been to England, the Bay of Biscay Coast, Spain, and Portugal, when I was 10. I did not go to Madrid when I was Spain, but rather went to San Sebastian to Portugal to spend a month in Sintra. When I was 12 I went to Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice) and Austria (Innsbruck and Vienna). I am now in my early 40s and much of that time is slightly vague although I do remember parts of thos vacations quite well. I was in London and Wales for a week in 2011. I consider castles, art, history, battlefields, and countryside/gardens to be most interesting. I speak Spanish at a high level and can converse in basic French. I am also open to any suggestions for restaurants for lunch or dinner, or for places to shop for curios, affordable antiques, and memorabilia including antique Napoleonic militaria or lead soldiers. I would also like to know if the tour passes for each city are worth purchasing.

After my conference in London, I have four free days. I will have spent eight nights in total in London. Any side advice on potential evening activities or late afternoon activities are appreciated. I wanted to see Yes Prime Minister, but it is not playing in late June. I saw that there is a Blackadder Theatre. Do they put on Blackadder plays? I would like to see the Damned, but I do not think that they are playing anywhere along my trip.
On my four free days in London I am planning:
Day 1: Tate Museum and the National Army Museum
Day 2: Tower of London and the National Gallery
Day 3: Tour of Leeds, Canterbury, Dover, and a barge up the Thames to the city center
Day 4: Imperial War Museum - I have been here before. I am not sure how to fill this day. Any suggestions?

London to Brussels to Waterloo
Day 1: London to Waterloo
Day 2: Tour of the battlefields of Quatre Bras, Ligny, and Waterloo to Houghmont

Paris:
Day 1: Leave Waterloo for Brussels to Paris. How long is the trip? If I have time what can I do on this day?
Day 2: Versailles- Giverny Tour - lunch provided
Day 2: Louvre - Dali Museum - Eiffel Tower
Day 3: Loire Valley Tour to 3 Chateaus - lunch provided
Day 4: Musee L' Armee - Musee D' Orsay- Notre Dame
Day 5: I was debating taking a tour to Normandy and the Somme? Are either one worth it? Are they really a bunch of cemeteries? Is this itinerary already overly ambitious? I want to feel France not take some impossible 14 hour tour for not much to see. Form what I read the tour from Paris to the the Normandy beach heads might be that impossible tour.

Madrid:
Day 1: Paris to Madrid. I am guessing this day is a wash. Tapas night tour?
(When I was 12 I stayed at Napoleon's headquarters in the Pyrenees one night. I stayed in some important room. Have I made a mistake by not stopping somewhere like this along the way? To note, in addition to British history I have studied Latin American History in great detail, which means I have studied much Spanish history. Please help me make the most of this time.) I am also interested in Spanish history from the Napoleonic invasion to the Spanish Civil War. I looked into a tour of the Spanish Civil War but the gentleman who offers it will not be in town. I want to make sure I have a circumspect tour on that subject (my philosophy opposes both fascism and communism as they are both statist philosophies).
Day 2: Prado and the Royal Palace
Day 3: Tour to Toledo, El Escorial, y El Valle de los Caidos
Day 4: Reina Sofia Museum and Thyssen-Bornemisza
Day 5: Suggestions? Any Napoleonic, Reconquista, or Spanish Civil War tours?

Barcelona:
Day 1: Madrid - Barcelona
Day 2: Museo Picasso and walk the historic quarter
Day 3: Suggestions? Should I skip this day in Barcelona and add it to Madrid or Paris? I do not need to go to the beach on this trip.

Rome:
Day 1: Barcelona -Madrid all day (I probably will take a sleeper car if they are not too expensive). This day is a wash.
Day 2: Bike tour of the Appain Way? This is only offered on a Sunday. Is there a better way to see the Roman countryside or get out of the city to Etruscan villages?
Day 3: Spanish Steps - Fountain of Trevi - other suggestions. There is probably a half day left here. Any art to see?
Day 4: Half Day History Tour of Rome Coliseum - Forum. Can I get to Hadrian's castle this day? What else can I do to walk in the steps of Roman history or Art this day?
Day: 5: Tour of the Vatican - a 10 person jump in the line tour and walk around the plaza after the tour. This is not a full day so any other ideas for this day would be great.

Day 6: Leave for USA. Have I erred in this itinerary? Is it too rigid? Should I have gone to Portugal and Gibraltar instead? I am sure I will not want to leave. Any teaching jobs???

WLMIV

Two errors:

I did not go to Madrid when I was IN Spain, but rather went to San Sebastian on my way to Portugal to spend a month in Sintra.

I am now in my early 40s and much of that time is slightly vague although I do remember parts of THOSE vacations quite well.

Sorry

kayd

Your schedule looks so booked with tours that you'd have very little time just to soak up those wonderful cities--stroll along the Seine, sip a caffe at Piazza Navona, relax with tapas at Plaza Mayor. Instead of heading out of the cities, why not enjoy the many many attractions (formal, official, casual, serendipitous) in them?

StCirq

I agree with kayd. Just reading this is making my head spin.

kayd

In answer to your question Day 3 in Rome "Any art to see?" YES! In churches on every block, in public piazzas, museums large and small, ancient medieval, renaissance and contemporary. Too much for a lifetime.

BigRuss

<<I am now in my early 40s and much of that time is slightly vague although I do remember parts of THOSE vacations quite well.>>

YEP. A totally professorial sentence because it can be read to mean that your 40s are slightly vague.

That said, the Paris/France portion is a complete mess. You have two Day 2 itineraries. The second sucks - Louvre to Dali Museum to Eiffel Tower will send you all over the city. Your tour itineraries will compress a lot into very little time (e.g., the Loire Valley day tour or the proposed Normandy tour). No, Normandy is not just a bunch of cemeteries.

Madrid: The three art museums are close to each other so you can do those the same day and the Palacio Real another day (other side of the city). Reconquista and Napoleonic sites are not really concentrated in Madrid (more of the former in Andalusia). My suggestion for Day 5 is go to Barcelona.

Madrid-Barcelona is not a day, it's a 3hr train ride.

<<Day 1: Barcelona -[Rome] all day (I probably will take a sleeper car if they are not too expensive). This day is a wash.>>

This is stupid. Take a flight. The train is 17+ hours and you need to change somewhere (usually Barcelona - Turin/Milan, latter to Rome). Price difference should be negligible.

<<Should I have gone to Portugal and Gibraltar instead?>>

Good gosh, no. Gibraltar is full of crusty Gibraltans who live in their little British enclave and fuss about the Spanish, and monkeys that steal from tourists, and not much else. Portugal did little for me (except for the buzz I got at a port tasting and my less than pleasant reaction to Portugal's WWII memorial). If you don't want to go to Rome, tour around Spain in either a loop to Andalusia (Cordoba, Seville) that gets you back to Madrid (and thence to Barcelona) or a spur that goes to the Basque country and then onto Barcelona.

jent103

You are obviously very interested in military history, so if you want to visit Normandy, I don't think a day tour from Paris would be enough for you. I did this last year and it is a very long day, but the actual tour (ours was of the landing beaches, Pointe du Hoc, Lounges-sur-Mer and the American cemetery) was only four hours or so. The rest of the day was eaten up by travel to and from Paris, waiting for the tour guide, etc. We left Gare Sainte-Lazare around 8:30am, I think, and didn't get back until around 11pm.

For your London evenings, some of the museums are open late certain nights (the National Portrait Gallery and the V&A are my two favorites). Evening is also my favorite time to just walk around the city.

In general, I completely agree with the others. You've obviously done your homework, which is great, but rather than asking "what else can I do this day?", perhaps just see what strikes your fancy when you get there.

dwdvagamundo

I'll let janisj weigh in on UK part, although I note that Leeds is a long distance indeed from Canterbury (and from London for that matter) and that the Imperial War Museum is closed until July 2013.

As to Rome: On day 2, I'd take a public bus out to Hadrian's Palace and Tivoli Gardens.

Day 3--Pantheon is not far from Trevi and Spanish Steps and easily walked on foot. You could also see the Ara Pacis built by Augustus on this day and walk up to the Piazza del Popolo. There are around three churches in this Piazza with great art. There is an Etruscan Museum (Villa Giulia) that is certainly worth a visit, given your interests, as it is Italy's National Etruscan Museum and has most of the Etruscan treasures. It's somewhat north of the Piazza del Popolo.
You don't need a tour of any kind to see all of this.

One day, you could take the metro, a bus, or walk to the Milvian Bridge to see where Constantine defeated Maxentius.


On day 4, I'd climb up to the Capitoline and see the Capitoline Museum, and then go across the street to Trajan's Forum.


Tour the Vatican Museums on a Monday, as most everything else is closed on Mondays.

As to art and history, there is so much in Rome it is difficult to tell you where to start. Get a "Blue Guide" and just take a walk anywhere in the historic center with the book in hand. You'll run out of time before you run out of things to see.

TexasAggie

Seconding the National Etruscan Museum at Villa Giulia. We finally visited this past May (6th trip to Rome) and it is fantastic. The Borghese galleries are fairly close (they require a reservation), but you could easily see both in a day. I can't imagine a trip to Rome without a visit to the Villa Borghese.

TexasAggie

Ps. Villa Adriana at Tivoli is fantastic, but it is a huge huge site. It is a full day type activity in my book, especially given the time to get from central Rome to Tivoli.

thursdaysd

Yes, it's too rigid and with too many pre-booked tours, and likely too much TA input. Have you picked up any guidebooks so you can do your own sightseeing?

For train schedules see: http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml - the night train from Barcelona to Italy isn't running right now, but you can take a ferry - see http://www.directferries.co.uk/grimaldi_ferries.htm

Unlike BigRuss I preferred Portugal to Spain - click on my name for my Lisbon TR.

Surprised not to see the Churchill War Rooms on your London list.

Sassafrass

Madrid - I would not do a tour to Toledo and El Escorial in one day because there is so much in Toledo, I wouldn't want to rush it.

Barcelona - do you not wish to see any of Gaudi's work - Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell, Casa Mila? Gaudi's work is one of the big reasons many people go to Barcelona. Needs a full day to see it.

Rome - second the suggestion of Borghese Galleries - fabulous, one of my personal favorite museums anywhere.

Don't know if this would interest you at all, but look up Stephen Drake Jones in Marid. He is a historian who takes people on "walks" around Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, etc. He is intelligent and knowledgeable in all things Spain: history, food, music, etc. Just be prepared. IMHO, he is a bit crazy (in a good and interesting way, to me) and wine might be a big part of an evening. Still, DH and I adore him - have been on several "walks" and had dinner with him a couple of times, and DH wouldn't even consider going to Madrid without spending time with him.

Sassafrass

Oh, no need for tour to Toledo. Just take the train from Madrid, a guide book and do it yourself.

Barcelona, no need for tours, but you might enjoy one of Sagrada Familia. Don't remember if you have to book it ahead or not. You can take buses in Barcelona, but taxis are cheap and quick. We did that when we didn't have much time.

The Borghese, you absolutely must book ahead.

justineparis

Stop using a travel agent, stop now. She/he is getting you interested in taking tours because she/he likely earns commission from them.

I will only speak to the Paris portion of your trip , while I have been to London( 4 times) and Barcelona( just once) I am not experienced enough on them to offer much advice.

First, choose ONE daytrip out of city, I have done the Chateau one and it wasn't bad at all.. I booked and paid directly to company(Cityrama). Its a long day , but it was fun, I had however previously spend several days in the Loire some some of our stops were repeat visits for me, so the shorter visits didn't bother me.

Versailles do it on your own.. I cringe to think what you are paying. The train is 7 euros return, the admission tickets are 18-25 based on what day of week you go. So, trip cost will max out 32 euros.. how much is tour for a three hour visit? ( which is a rush and you won't have much if any time to enjoy seeing the huge grounds, and the Petit and Grand Trianons , and Marie Antionettes Hameau.

Invalids Army Museum is MARVELOUS, you will love it, its not crowded ( you will find Orsay and Louvre stressful, I love Louvre, been there about a dozen times now, but there are a lot of people all around you all the time pretty much, so it gets tiring). The Army Museum is one of Paris's secret gems I think.

Since you are on a tight time schedule, suggest you prebook your Eiffel Tower tickets, you can do so online on the official website, the price is same as walk up, but you will choose a time slot and you must arrive then, exactly, to be able to bypass the lines.. which in summer can seriously be hours long. Cost to top, 14 euros . There is also a tour offered on the official website, called Behind the Scenes and it is very well reviewed, so you may be interested in that, and would be able to skip long lines. Problem is they only sell so many tickets for each time slot, so you must book as soon as you can, the tickets are released either 90-120 days out and are snapped up.

bilboburgler

Very interesting tour if a little too rigid. Good advice below. My only thought would be to look into the Penisular war in more detail. I don't know these guys but maybe an area for research.
http://www.bhsportugal.org/tours/principt.htm
as a general thought I like Portugal and you might find it interesting to visit Lisbon and see that the Arsenal still has a 1600 trireme in storage.

My view is that the " Spanish Steps - Fountain of Trevi - other suggestions. " is a complete waste of time and you could fit the Parthenon in somewhere and possibly have cocktail in the bar on top of the Type Writer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altare_della_Patria would be a better use of your time but mixed in with other days.

jamikins

I will only comment on the London portion. I like that you have selected 2 sites to see a day - that gives you time to enjoy each one and lunch etc.

I assume you mean Leeds Castle (Leeds city is farther North). You might consider forgoing the tour with so much going on in one day. Most of your time will be spent on a tour bus and very little actually seeing anything. I would recommend if you wanted to do a day trip www.walks.com as they have days out that are very well paced.

One thing to note is the Imperial War Museum is closed until July 2013 for refurbishment - you may want to replace it with the Churchill War Rooms: http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms

Gretchen

Get some guide books and be a little more thoughtful and independent. You are a smart person, I assume. If we on this board can do it, you can. Look stuff up, then ask about the transportation to it.
Pare some stuff down and ENJOY the trip rather than just "seeing" it.

Gretchen

I will add I like the DK Eyewitness Guides because of their graphics in depicting what to see in smaller areas of sites--as someone pointed out, your trip plan in Paris has you ALL over the map. And not to much real advantage.

worldinbetween

Given your interest in history, I've heard like minded people enjoy the Churchill War Rooms in London (of course, while my husband did that, i took the winnie the pooh walking tour).

You did great research... WOW!

StCirq

I disagree about the "great research." This itinerary reeks of Travel Agent Commissions, not independent thought. I'd love to know what hotels the TA has suggested.