Hello!
I am looking for suggestions for specific places that you would consider must sees in Europe. I have narrowed it somewhat down to Greece and Italy, but I would love locations in each of these, along with sites not to miss. And please, if there is somewhere else in Europe you think is spectacular-list it!
This will be a bucket list trip of around two weeks-time constraints won't allow much more. Mobility is not an issue. We enjoy historical attractions, and sightseeing.
No piece of advice is too small. Thank you!

I think this is a first. You want to take someone else's bucket list trip?

My own particular bucket list for Italy would take more than 2 weeks, and I've already spent a few months in the country over several trips.

So, I think this really is something you have to figure out/decide for yourself, and a lot depends on what time of year you'd be going. Some people could spend 2 weeks just in Venice, but I'm lukewarm about the city. I could spend the rest of my life in/around Florence which many people think they can "see" in one day. I love Umbria; others love Tuscany. I am awed by the Dolomites, but many on this forum have never seen them and would leave them off a list of recommendations.

No. I definitely do not want to take someone else's Bucket List trip.
What I hope to do is gather the best information from the people who know these countries the best. Some people may have an opportunity to visit different places numerous times with the intention of someday revisiting ones they really enjoyed. Others may have years to research the places they've read about and decide through that method where to narrow their travel plans to...
And still others, like us, are trying to plan a European trip, to see as much as possible, in a short time, knowing there will only be this one single trip. Ideally, so that both the person whose dream it has always been to see Europe, and the person accompanying them, may have these memories and experiences to hold them through difficult days ahead.
Thus, I come here. To the experts. The people who have seen the sights, eaten the food and enjoyed the beautiful views. That is why I ask for your suggestions. Because we don't have time to do years or even several months of research.

I would encourage you to (a) consult good guidebooks, and for this stage of your planning, I would encourage you to look in particular at those with high quality photographs and (b) read trip reports and planning threads on this forum. People have already taken a great deal of time and energy to share the information you seek; respect their efforts by paying attention to what they have said rather than asking for a repetition for your specific edification. Then come back when you have some specific questions.

Good luck!

>>What I hope to do is gather the best information from the people who know these countries the best.<<

Unfortnately there is no way anyone can answer such broad questions

>>This will be a bucket list trip of around two weeks<<. You bucket list is by definition -- places you have always dreamed of visiting. So where have you always wanted to travel? Is there a National Geographic article you read as a child that has always stayed with you? Or maybe a Rick Steves travel program that you said "Wow, I really want to go there!". Or a historical figure that interests you? Or an Artist? Or a religious figure? Or ????

Head to a book shop and pick up a guidebook or two -- preferably one with a lot of photos like DK Eyewitness or similar.

>>No piece of advice is too small. <<. Way too early to start with the small details until you have at least a basic itinerary in mind.

>> to see as much as possible, in a short time,<< That is sort of a bad philosophy - trying to rush around seeing a LOTin a few days -- you end up not seeing very much and wearing yourselves out. Much better to figure out one or two destination that you really REALLY want to visit. Once you narrow things down a bit we are here to help you.

was posting the same time as kja . . .

One thing. When you are a brand new Fodorite there is a limit to how often you can post . . . so I think you won't be able to post again until tomorrow. Soooooo, take advantage of this break, and get a couple of guide books and read up and come back tomorrow with a little more focus.

I've been to both countries and just Italy alone, 2 weeks isn't enough to see it all. I am guessing you would just want the main sights. You could do the Rome, Florence and Venice trip that so many people do. I was on a tour to Sorrento where I met a young just married couple who were doing it all in Italy as this, the wife said, would be the only trip before they had kids. I turned to my sister and said, how lucky we are to return if we want and not rush. It was my 5th trip to Italy and I'm going back this November. So you could do a week just in Italy but be aware going to each of the 3 will be a lot of traveling. The couple I mention did it all from Rome so day trips to Florence and Venice (overnight I think) an overnight in Sorrento with a trip to Capri in just a week's time. As for Greece, I was there for a week based in Athens and did a tour to Hydra, Paros and Aegina with a tour to Delphi. It was a lot of traveling but I don't think we could have fit in more and there were other islands I would have liked to have seen. I don't know if this helps you any but there is a lot to see and just so little time to see it all.

I am not as seasoned a traveler as many on this forum are and have only one European trip under my belt. We chose to go on a Mediterranean Cruise with the help of a travel agent. She helped with our flights and cruise. She also suggested that on the back end we spend 3 days in Rome, then take a train to Florence for 2 days and then 3 days in Paris flying out of Paris. Our trip was 3 weeks. I would have liked to have spent more time in Rome and Paris, but I loved our trip. Our cruise was 12 nights and we stopped in the Greek Islands of Oympia, Nafplio, Mykonos, Athens and Santorini. We also stopped in Ephesus Turkey and Naples Italy. The cruise was a way of seeing a lot in a short amount of time. Rome, Florence and Paris, icing on the cake. I agree with everyone about getting travel books. I got Rick Steve's Mediterranean Cruise Ports, Rick Steve's Pocket Rome and Pocket Paris and his French, Italian phrase books and referred to them throughout our trip. If you don't want to buy them, you can check them out at the library. I hope this helps.

So....you basically want us to list every city and town in Europe?

Another thought: IME, one gets from a trip what one puts into it. No one is suggesting that you should spend years or even several months researching your trip, but as janisj noted, surely you have SOME ideas about what you would like to visit? With that core of ideas, and some good guidebooks, it shouldn’t take you months to plan a trip. And one warning: The hardest part of your trip may be planning what to skip – most of us are tempted by FAR more than we can possibly see on any trip of any length.

So:
· Develop the shortest list you can of what you most want to see – if possible! And take that “if possible” wording quite seriously, as you are just coming up with a starting point for your trip. The more you can do to prioritize your wish list, the better off you’ll be

· Think about what it means to “see as much as possible.” For some people, that means moving around a LOT, even spending more time in transit than actually on the ground seeing things. For others (myself included), that means choosing a few places that I really want to see and skipping a lot of places that I’m sure I would enjoy so that I can get a more in-depth experience of my priorities.

· And along these lines, note that whenever you change locations, you need to plan not only your actual transportation time (which you can estimate with rome2rio.com), but also time on either side for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting lost/oriented, etc. Many people recommend planning on a ½ day for each move.

When you are ready to come back to us:

· Be sure to tell us when you are going (time of year matters! – and the reasons are covered in most decent guidebooks) and the length of your planned trip.

· Describe your specific interests with as much clarity as you can – Art? Shopping? Ruins? Places where you can eat squid?

· If you propose an itinerary, describe it in terms of nights, not days (because 3 nights really mean 2 days, and experienced travelers will understand your plans better that way).

In the meantime,

· do NOT purchase flights until you have a plan, and when you do, consider flying open jaw (into one city and out of another, to avoid the time and costs of backtracking);

· do NOT book any lodging unless it is cancellable; and

· do NOT base your plans on advertised tour group itineraries, as tours generally move MUCH faster than independent travelers can (partly because of prior arrangements, and also because some of the things you “see” on a tour are actually things you see from a bus or with only a 15-minute photo op).

JMO!

Well, I have to add Paris to the list.

You would benefit from watch this clip: , time 12:30 to 12:57.
>>> suggestions for specific places that you would consider must sees
You have already boxed in your vision. Places, but not experiences, insights, learning, realizations, relationships, inspirations, tastes, visions, etc?

On my first trip, I have followed other's suggestions. It was a big mistake. I don't do that anymore. Unless I can articulate why I want to go there, I would not go.
What linger in my mind long after the trips are over are the relationships, not places.

Personally I don't think you're even at the guidebook stage.

You need to start by defining what you want out of this trip. Defining yourself. Thinking about things like budget. Any other limitations.

Are you a backpacker on a shoestring budget hoping to catch every exciting experience? Or are you more of an art lover hoping to spend your days absorbing gallery after gallery? Or do you just want to soak up the sun on the beach? Or?

The more you can explain what you hope to see and do the easier it will be to narrow down things. But first you need to explain it to yourself.

At that point you can look for guidebooks that fit the style of travel you're hoping for.

"We enjoy historical attractions, and sightseeing."

In Europe this means very little. There are newer cities with a thousand years of history. Seeing the sights means what? The sights I enjoy might rightly bore you to death.

Looks like it is a trip to make beautiful memories, for what its worth, my top 3 are Santorini, Paris and Venice, we have just returned from Venice after a difficult year and that was our first choice for a hopefully not last trip. Good Luck with the planning and have a lovely trip

In five days I will embark on my 31st trip to Europe (since 2000) so I guess you could say I love Europe! You've already narrowed it down to Italy/Greece. In only two weeks I think you'd have a better trip if you picked one country but lots of people do one week trips so it's not totally unreasonable to do a week in each.


I often choose where to go by looking at photos. Here is my photo gallery (from those 30 trips) - it's broken down by country so you can just look at Italy and Greece. See if one place 'grabs' you over others. Zenfolio | isabel's_images


Lots of people are looking for 'unique' or 'off the beaten path' itineraries, but if this is your 'only' trip I would stick to one of the popular ones - there's a good reason some itineraries are more popular than others.


For Greece I would do Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Athens and Napflion. That fits nicely in 2 weeks.


For Italy I would do Venice, Florence, Rome and Sorrento. That also would work in 2 weeks.


If you want to do one week each you'd really have to do half of each of those itineraries. While the desire to see 'as much as possible' is understandable you really need to balance the ratio of 'moving around' vs 'being somewhere'.


Yes those are super popular routes - and like I said, there's a reason for that. They will be crowded but there's a good tourist infrastructure in place making it easier for a novice traveler.

<<Thus, I come here. To the experts. The people who have seen the sights, eaten the food and enjoyed the beautiful views. That is why I ask for your suggestions. Because we don't have time to do years or even several months of research.>>

<<And please, if there is somewhere else in Europe you think is spectacular-list it!>>

OK, I'll try to play the game the way you seem to want to play it:

Italy: Panicale, Gaeta, Isola Ponza, Terracina, Stresa, Buzziana, Passignano sul Trasimeno, Città della Pieve, Pienza, Isola dei Pescatori....

France (you said "somewhere else in Europe"): Tamniès, St-Geniès, St-Lèon-sur-Vézère, Plazac, Amélie-les-Bains, Collioure, St-Jean-de-Luz, Vannes, Conques, Figeac, Trémolat, Audrix...

...all the result of months and years even of research, all places I have seen the sights, eaten the food, and enjoyed the beautiful views...just what you asked for. Does it help? Of course it doesn't, but it answers your questions. Now maybe you can rethink your questions and your approach.

We have also been to Europe many times. Sometimes we take a family member, who may not return. One such trip was a whirlwind one, and I provide the link to our blog to show you an extreme but extremely enjoyable trip we were able to take in one month: https://16countriesin30days.wordpress.com I always say that type of travel is not for everyone, but travel comes in many forms. We tossed our guide books with our VHS tapes years ago because the internet is full of fascinating free travel info that you will never find in a thousand guide books. What to see and do in one or two days in a particular area, for example. Also, look at suggestions from positive posters here such as Isabel, whose suggestions are always good ones.

If you are a cruise person, that is one way to see a lot in a short period, but 6-8 hours in a port is not enough for most people. We did find that as the easiest way to see a lot of Greece (Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes, Athens, etc.) since much of Greece is islands that otherwise require lots of boats and/or planes.

Italy remains our favorite and is always at least part of every trip we take. And, you can't go wrong almost anywhere in Italy. Our only disappointment so far has been Milan. And we have been, in some cases multiple times, to Sicily, Amalfi, Puglia, Trieste, Italian Riviera, the northern lakes, Tuscany, Umbria, San Marino (separate country within Italy), as well as all the larger places. This fall we will add Corsica (France) and Sardinia (Italy). Once you have been to Italy, though, it will be difficult not to return.

I think we can all calm down -- the "Bucketeer" appears to be buffeted enough for her not-well-considered request for a Total Info-Dump --you will notice she has not responded. She may have decided to either (1) take the above experienced advice, and do some personal research & decision-making or (2) try another Travel Forum, for a second attempt at luring others into doing all the basic research she needs.

I'm not a cruise person but will say a cruise will most certainly take you to lots of places. You won't have to lug your luggage all over or figure out logistics to places once you are on the boat. It's a hotel on water and you will see so much in 2 weeks. My friend is doing a viking cruise leaving from Venice and going to Greece, Turkey and Croatia. She last year did France, Spain and Italy so both sides of Italy if you will. That is another option as well.

travelerjan: >>you will notice she has not responded. <<.

Most likely because she cannot . . . When people are newly registered on fodors they can only post twice every 24 hours until they amass (I think) 5 posts. It is one of the ways they've cut down on all the spam we used to get.

If she is still with us, she can post again later today . . .