Draft of first trip of itinerary. Please help
 

Hello everyone,
Here is my first rough draft of my first trip to Europe. Please, I don't need to hear any negative comments about how rush my trip is and the number of days I am spending in each city. I just need your input on what I have down for sightseeing so far and recommendations. Also, advice on cheap eats will be nice! :-)

Thank you everyone, I truly appreciate your help

AMESTERDAM
June 28-
Amsterdam arrive at 9:35 am (I'm coming from Stockholm)

Staying in Jordaan

Anne Frank Museum € 9.50 c/u. 5pm entrance

Red line district- visit at night

June 29 –

Heineken Experience

Cruise canal

Museumplein

Rent a bike if possible

June 30-

Dam Square- Royal Palace

Prinsengracht

Leiden Square

Vondelpark

July 1--

Dappenmarkt

Leave to Central Station leave at 2pm (train to Paris 3:30 hours)

PARIS

July 1
Paris arrive at 5:30pm

Staying in 6th arr. near Luxembourg garden

Seinne river cruise –last one at 10:30pm

Latin quarter if not too late

July 2

Notre Dame cathedral early morning

Arc de Triomphe

Eiffel tower-tickets in advance for evening


July 3
Louvre museum

visit parks and gardens such as Tuileries and Luxembourg

stroll around the Marais district


July 4

Stroll around and lunch

Leave for Orly aiport, flight is at 645pm

VENICE

July 5
Arrive at San Marco airport at 8:20pm

Take boat to island

July 6

San Marco sq and Basilica

Gondola ride

stroll around


July 6

Leave to Rome in train in the morning

ROME

July 6-Mon
Arrive in Termini station (~1:10pm)

Staying near Pantheon

Panteon-free no tickets

Colessum at night tour at 8:20 pm

July 7

Coliseo/Roman Forum/ Palatine Hill

Lunch along Tiber River

Campo di Fiori-market square

Piazza del Popolo


July 8
Vatican museum, St Peters and Sistine Chapel

Scavi Tour at 2:15pm---(reserved)

Night walk Trevi Fountain

Night walk Spanish steps


July 9

Trastevere

Santa Maria Trastevere

Piazza del Campidoglio


July 10

Leave to airport. Flight is early 9:55am


BARCELONA

July 10
Arrive at Barcelona at 11:40

Staying in Gothic Quarter

Plaça de Catalunya

dinner in Las Ramblas area

July 11

Sagrada Familia

Camp Nou Stadium.

Ciutadella Park

July 12

Montserrat Monastery- Tickets bought in advance

Guell Park

Magic Fountain at night

July 13
Flight back to US :-(

Good luck! I didn't know July 6th was like Groundhog Day, the movie.

A few notes for Barcelona
How are you planning to travel around the city? Sagrada Familia, Camp Nou and Ciutadella Park are not really near each other at all. You might want to visit the park on your first day, while in the gothic quarter.

Also, restaurants on las rambles are over priced tourist restaurants, wouldn't be my first choice for dinner. There are many nicer choices in El Born and the gothic quarter.

Not being negative, but July 4,5,6 can't be correct.

Regarding Rome, are you sure the guided night tour of the Colosseo is worth the cost to you? It is very beautiful to see the outside at night, when it is lit up, but that is free. Some people say it is "less crowded" at night, but the Colosseum was built to hold thousdands and thousands of people, and it does not fill up even in July.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...ome_Lazio.html

Right now the Trevi fountain is being restored and only parts of it are visible, and it may not be lit up as normal at night. You probably will end up seeing it anyway, and it may be fully restored by July, but you might want to ask before making a special trip.

Apart from the day at the Vatican your schedule for Rome is fairly light. You can easily fill the time wandering without a plan, but if you like art, you could also go to the Galleria Borghese, but that needs a reservation.

July 9 looks a bit dull
July 7 the morning has too much in it
Barcelona, not really making much of your trip, I think you need more research, though I like the idea of visiting the football ground
http://www.viator.com/tours/Barcelon...TFgaAuzQ8P8HAQ

You arrive at Marco Polo airport Venice at 8.20pm? The next Alilaguna to San Marco leaves at 9.15 and it's a 15 minute walk from the terminal to the dock. If you miss that one (which you may if you have stored luggage and have to retrieve it) you have to wait another hour.

What's going on with July 6th? Two places at once? You say Venice but you leave for Rome that same day? Please explain.

Your one day in Venice is woefully short and a gondola ride costs around 80 euro so hope you've budgeted that. San Marco always has long lines and you can't enter with a backpack or large bag of any description so you have to store it to the left of the basilica (as you face it). Don't attempt to get away with entering with a bag - you'll just be sent away.


Your Rome itinerary isn't the best of plans. You're seeing the Colosseum twice - what for? And 'lunch along the Tiber River'? Rome is not Paris. The Tiber looks like a large stormwater drain. It has enormous concrete embankments to prevent flooding. It is not scenic.

You also don't need an expensive re-seller like Viator to see Camp Nou. Book tickets direct from the stadium, print them out and skip the lines. Use the Barcelona HoHo blue line bus and it will drop you right at Camp Nou. Admission is 23 euro. The tour is self-guided and is totally worth it even if you know nothing about football (soccer).

https://tickets-fcb.fcbarcelona.com

yes, sorry, I just picked a link, viator is an expensive way of doing it.

Having a hard time reading the format of the schedule and I also see the problem others note with July 5 and 6. Here's my interpretation of the same schedule, with those July dates adjusted:

June 28 - Amsterdam arrive at 9:35 am (from Stockholm); Staying in Jordaan; Anne Frank Museum € 9.50 c/u. 5pm entrance; Red line district- visit at night

June 29 – Amsterdam: Heineken Experience; Cruise canal; Museumplein; Rent a bike if possible

June 30 - Amsterdam: Dam Square- Royal Palace; Prinsengracht; Leiden Square; Vondelpark

July 1 - Amsterdam: Dappenmarkt; Leave to Central Station leave at 2pm - train to Paris 3:30 hours; arrive Paris at 5:30pm; Staying in 6th arr. near Luxembourg garden; Seine river cruise – last one at 10:30pm; Latin quarter if not too late

July 2 - Paris: Notre Dame cathedral early morning; Arc de Triomphe; Eiffel tower-tickets in advance for evening

July 3 - Paris: Louvre museum; visit parks and gardens such as Tuilleries and Luxembourg; stroll around the Marais district

July 4 - Paris: Stroll around and lunch; Leave for Orly aiport, flight to Venice Marco Polo Airport at 645pm; Arrive Venice at 8:20pm; Take boat to island

July 5 – Venice: San Marco sq and Basilica; Gondola ride; stroll around

July 6 - Venice: Leave to Rome in train in the morning; Arrive in Roma Termini station (~1:10pm); Staying near Pantheon; Pantheon; Colosseum night tour at 8:20 pm

July 7 - Rome: Coliseo/Roman Forum/ Palatine Hill; Lunch along Tiber River; Campo di Fiori-market square; Piazza del Popolo

July 8 - Rome: Vatican museum, St Peters and Sistine Chapel; Scavi Tour at 2:15pm---(reserved); Night walk Trevi Fountain; Night walk Spanish steps

July 9 - Rome: Trastevere, Santa Maria Trastevere; Piazza del Campidoglio

July 10 - Rome: Leave to airport. Flight is early 9:55am; Arrive at Barcelona at 11:40a; Staying in Gothic Quarter; Plaça de Catalunya; dinner in Las Ramblas area

July 11 - Barcelona: Sagrada Familia; Camp Nou Stadium; Ciutadella Park

July 12 - Barcelona: Montserrat Monastery- Tickets bought in advance; Guell Park; Magic Fountain at night

July 13 - Barcelona: Flight back to US

I would put the Piazza del Campidoglio on July 7 with your explorations of the Forum since they are right next to one another. Then explore the Campo di Fiori market on July 9 before heading across the river to Trastevere. I agree that the Tiber River is not really a scenic location. If you want that kind of experience, it migh be nice to choose a lively(or quiet depending on your taste) piazza for a special xperience.