Can it be done??
 

I lived in europe for five years and am familiar with driving in and around europe. I am taking my soon to be wife on a three week honeymoon to europe. I want her to see as much as humanly possible. If we arrive in London can I drive from london to Brusells, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Venice, Madrid, then on to Paris and back to London all in Three weeks. Is this a receipe for disaster? Would this even be fun? I really want her to see London, Amsterdam, Munich, Venice and Paris. I really just threw in the other cities to break up the drive time. Should I skip the driving and eurorail it? Im open for suggestions. I just know that by car we will get lost in some small european town and have the time of our lives. Im open to any and all opinions. HELP.

Hi Michael,

If someone dragged me around like that on my honeymoon I'd be filing for divorce before the three weeks were up!

Think quality, not quantity. Pick the most romantic places and spend some leisurely time with your wife to be. Driving all over Europe in fifth gear is definitely not romantic. Out of the way country inns, gondola rides, picking wildflowers on a hillside, drinking prosecco for breakfast - these things are romantic.

How about asking your fiancee what she would like to do and see (I notice your posting was all about what you want her to do). If she doesn't know then follow paragraph 2 above.

Good luck!

well there is the small matter of the channel between London and Brussels....

remember the film, "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium"?

not sure if it's a recipe for disaster, but it sure doesn't look like the recipe for a honeymoon. i think you should follow your own advice and "get lost in some small european town".

I agree that you've already answered your own question with the "get lost in a small town" bit...so simply that's an absolute must, then train or fly over to the Continent, rent the car, and then get lost (in some pre-arranged romantic place...I'd advise NOT arriving without hotel reservations...if you can afford to drive all over the place for three weeks you certainly can afford a decent hotel or two somewhere) and then fly home from ONE of the other cities mentioned. So, [ick the two greatest cities from your "list" and find the "romantic" spot for in between.
I agree with the above poster who talked about quality vs. quantity...I'd also add DEPTH rather than superficiality. Good luck.

Ooops, sorry..meant to say, fly to London and stay a few days and then fly to the Continent.

This sounds so crazy, it could be a joke. Either that or the poster has no concept of geography. Five years in Europe and they want to cover all those cities and all that ground in three weeks?

Recommendation: London, Amsterdam and Paris by train.

Getting lost in some small town sounds like the best part of the plan. But unfortunately with your schedule you have no time to get lost. If you get lost, you'll miss seeing one of those cities as you stick your head out the car window as you speed through.

Congratualtions on your upcoming marriage. Personally, I could spend a week in Paris, a week in London, and a week in Venice ( or Rome.) Don't know about Berlin or Munich. A few days in Amsterdam was enough for me. I agree with the poster who said "ask her". Much happiness to you.

Hi, michaelpearce!

To your question: "Can it be done?"

Sure, it can be done. Over 3500 miles in three weeks, sure.

Although - going the over-1100 miles from Venice to Madrid in one day may be a bit of a long drive. :)

As the other posters have mentioned: why would you want to do this? Are you trying to get into the Guiness Book of Records for most miles driven during a honeymoon?

I second the suggestion to find a nice, romantic place. Then get yourself some nice wine, some great cheese, terrific fresh bread. Find some romantic walks and other places where the two of you would want to visit. Then SETTLE DOWN and enjoy each other.

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage!
Jason

Yes, your plan is a recipe for a stressful disaster. Drop this bizare road rally idea ASAP. Torturing each other usually comes later in a marriage.

Get an open jaw ticket. Fly into Venice, train to Munich, train to Paris and train to London before returning home.

Go to your little towns on daytrips. If you want to rent a car do it from Venice to Munich.

If you want some romance, use the train so you can look into each other's eyes, neck, whatever. There's nothing terribly romantic about watching someone else drive.

It's doable, but not advisable IMHO. Actually, a whirlwind road trip in a fast car through the heart of Europe sounds great to me...but you're biting off more than you can chew, and placing undue stress on a honeymoon situation.

You want a nice honeymoon? Fly into Munich, rent a car, go south, and drive around northern Italy and Tuscany/Umbria for a couple weeks and end up in Venice. That's my advice. If you want a specific itinerary, Bob the Nav will be back soon. Ask him.

"Torturing each other usually comes later in a marriage."

thanks for the laugh, Degas.

Dear Michael,

I suggest that >I am taking my soon to be wife on a three week honeymoon to europe. I want her to see as much as humanly possible.< is not a good idea.

Choose three cities and enjoy your honeymoon.

At the risk of "piling on",I would cry if someone had told me a trip like this would be my honeymoon. Torture! I agree with those who suggest that less is more. Pick a country and concentrate on that (e.g.Italy - Rome, Tuscan countryside, Florence and Venice) or a region (e.g. Paris, northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands)or the "big three - London, Paris and Rome. Don't try to see everything humanly possible - that's inhuman!

Michael:

My understanding is that you asked for advice about the practicalities of travel, not the future of your marriage.

Your side trip to Madrid really needs reviewing. But, off the top of my head, I'd say you're looking at roughly 7 hrs Ams-Berlin: 4 Berlin-Munich, 6 or 7 Munich-Venice, 13 Venice-Paris, 5 Paris-Ams to return your car, with a bit more if you really want to go to Brussels.

5.5 days' driving. Strikes me as pretty reasonable really. Ample time for diversions, getting lost, sidetrips inside your route, detours etc. And pretty typical of how most people I know spent their 2/3 week summer holidays in their 30's. I - with Mrs F -have done pretty much your journey at least twice. And we're about to celebrate our 30th. We'd do just that journey tomorrow, but don't have the time any more.

Don't even dream of training it. Apart from taking the train from London to Brussels, and picking the car up there.

Bin the Madrid thing. That apart, it's the best, and most sensible, itinerary I've seen on this board. Just allow enough time in Lyons to eat at Leon de Lyon. Twice

You need to really re-think this entire concept - its a potential horror story and a terrible way to spend a honeymoon.

Way too many cities and too much ground covered. Stick to the big three; London, Paris, and Rome or Venice with daytrips from each. Or maybe a London, Brugges, amsterdam and Paris combination.

Take the train.

Personally I'm not into the kind of trips where one packs so much into such a short time BUT I'm half way between the points of views expressed above on this one:

As Mr Flanner says, with a 3 week timetable, it is possible and it won't (quite) mean spending all the time travelling and none seeing. I'd certainly say that you should book a holiday like this for you and the Mrs-to-be and introduct her to the places you love in Europe.

But not for a honeymoon.

I know this is a generalisation, but in my experience, women tend to be much more involved in planning the minutae of weddings and much more involved emotionally in how every last element will go. It's a stressful, or at the very least, tiring time.

If the honeymoon is to be taken immediately after the wedding, as is traditional, I'd really advise something just a little more restful and relaxing.

I don't mean spend the entire time in one city and that's it. But I would allow an extra day or two in the first destination to recover, rest and relax before moving on to one or two other places.

I'd also second the idea to opt for destinations in one country or area - e.g. 3-4 places in Italy (Venice, Rome, Florence and the Riviera). Works for France too.

Congratulations!

PS Best advice you have received is to ask her - she might be the kind of high energy girl who would love a hectic trip for her honeymoon!! But if you want it to be a surprise, and given that none of us know her, then that's what I think.

Don't listen to all this comments.
Go for it, it will be a very good way of testing her. And if she does not enjoy your honeymoon plan, Divorce and marry your car.
Signed: Enzo Ferrari

Yeah, right.

He "just threw in" Berlin and Madrid "to break up the drive time".