another 'help with itinerary' thread, sorry....
 

Hello all Fodor's people :). As my topic says, I need help! My 15yo daughter and myself are leaving Australia 25th Oct for the Swiss Alps (have 4 days planned there), then into Italy and France, to fly out of Paris on 26th Nov. We would love some input! We just can't decide. Our rough draft takes us from Lugano to Venice to Rome to Amalfi coast to Cinque Terre. Its from there that we are having trouble deciding. Both of us would love to see Barcelona, but its a long way for just a couple of days? We are wondering what places in the Chamonix area are like at that time of year...would there be budget accomm to choose from and what are the chances of skiing? Is it as expensive in that area as I have been reading? Would that be a better option than heading over to Spain?

Also, Corsica looks nice, and not too far from the coast...any recommendations for visiting there at that time of year?

Thanks for ANY input :)
Cas

Hi C,

I wouldn't do both the AC and the CT on the same trip.

Switzerland is expensive. Where will you be staying?

Are Florence and Naples on your list?

How many nights are planned for Italy? France?

((I))

Hi Ira, thanks for the reply.

Thanks for your input. We are staying in Lauterbrunnen, not too expensive at all, $70CHF per night. Swiss Passes are cheap here at the moment i.e. 1st class pass at 2nd class prices and my daughter travels free with me :), so we are happy with that part of our trip plan :).

Why not AC and CT on the same trip? Is it because they may be similar? If choosing one or the other, which would you recommend?

Florence isn't on our itinerary (but we're open to suggestions), and Naples would probably be somewhere to visit on our way to Amalfi...Vesuvius, Pompeii etc.

We have no specific no. of nights in any place except 3 nights already booked in Lauterbrunnen 25th-28th Oct,and would love 4 nights in Paris from 22nd-26th Nov. before our homeward flight. Everywhere else in between is up to us.

Any knowledge on the Dolomites area in early November would be appreciated, as with the Chamonix area in mid November.

:)

Amalfi Coast is a long way down the boot of Italy, and it's late in the year for beach and coast expectations. The Cinque Terre are closer to your other targets, and while not the same, offer similar cliff views and seaside villages and hikes from one to the next and returning by local train etc.

But - it's late in the season and many establishments close for the season, mother nature takes away the flowers and such, and the days are short after daylight saving ends at the end of October. If it's sunny it can still look cheerful, if it rains, it's drab and chilly and windy, like Sydney can be on a bad August day...

So I think going that far, to both AC and CT, for two similar locations that are not at their seasonal best is questionnable.

It's too early to reliably expect real winter weather in Chamonix, nobody can tell when snow wil fall and how much - usually later but???

But I can recommend Chamonix nevertheless - it is cheaper than equivalent locations in Switzerland, and there are fabulous excursions to be had, all the way over the top to the Italian side.

There is also a very cute regional mountain-train going from Chamonix-Mont-Blanc station into Switzerland, to Martigny near the Lake Geneva and Montreux and all that. It stops in Le Châtelard-Frontière (at the border) where you change trains. Scenic, rustic, a nice trip.

Timetablees at www.sbb.ch (click on EN at the top for Enlish).

But I can recommend Chamonix nevertheless - it is cheaper than equivalent locations in Switzerland, and there are fabulous excursions to be had, all the way over the top to the Italian side.>

yes yes - i agree - to me Chamonix rivals any Alpine hot spot in Switzerland and at for Switzerland prices, a bargain basement. Glacier, thrilling mountain trains and what to me is the world's most thrilling aerial cableway ride - to Pte Heilbronner in Italy, as the tiny cars dangle over the awesome Mer de Glace - or Sea of Ice - awesome baby! But not for nervous Nellies.

A nice scenic train ride from Martigny, Switzerland goes up and over an Alpine pass to Chamonix - one of Europe's most scenic railways IMO - and Swiss Pass is valid all the way to Chamonix, even on the French part. Then you have excellent train connections to France or Geneva, for perhaps a cheap flight to Spain!

At that time of year (though I haven't traveled in Europe in November), you might want to generally consider focusing on city activities. In cities, if the weather is not so good, there are plenty of indoor activities. (Museums, restaurants, shopping). It sounds, though, like you and your daughter enjoy outdoor activities more, based on the places and sights that you mentioned. So give some thought to what you'll do if the weather is not so good.

I would agree about the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast.

To help narrow down your possibilities, get a map that includes France, Italy and Switzerland, and note the locations of the places you have in mind. Also take a calendar of the days you'll be in Europe. Start by blocking off the days you have planned (Paris, Lauterbrunnen). Then the other days will look a bit easier to figure out.

Barcelona, you could fit in, if you want, but you may want to delete some other places from your plans. You already have a lot of moving around. We went to Barcelona several years ago, with our 12yo son, and we all loved the city. The architecture is fabulous (if you're interested in architecture), as well as the art (primarily modern, Picasso, Miro, Dali). The people-watching and culture is fun, and we really liked the food. But if you're not so interested in art and architecture, then Barcelona might be less interesting to you.

Thanks everyone, some very interesting info here!