nytraveler

IMHO if you want to see much of anything an actually get a flavor for any of these places you either need to add time (this is a 3 week trip at a reasonable pace) or delete something from it.

You can of course move as quickly as you want - and the month you travel will matter (June has much longer days than Sept) but to me this is too much travel versus time at the places you want to be.

kybourbon

You don't have to backtrack to Rome to catch the Thello night train to Paris. Not sure why you would think that at all. What rail site are you using to look at trains?

You can catch the Thello at Florence or Milan instead of going back to Rome.

https://www.thello.com/?iLangID=3

I would start in Rome (I prefer to get the longest distance out of the way on the flights over).

Since you really have no interest in Madrid, have your friends meet you in Barcelona at the end of the trip.

Sassafrass

You are getting great advice and some decent options for itineraries. France, Italy and Spain are not good logistically for a two week trip. It is still a lot of time spent on travel rather than being there, but if every connection works perfectly, consider travelnut's plan.

However, just Paris and Italy would be a lot better: Paris, Venice, CT, Florence, Rome.

Paris, Barcelona and Madrid (with day trips from each) would also be fine.

One strong opinion. Going to Madrid and not making time for a quick trip to Toledo (or Segovia) is an absolute shame, especially if you are going to take photos.

BigAleinstein

I hope your camera has an ISO setting of 6400 so you can take shots at high speed as you whiz by on your tour.

Take a look at what other people shoot and don't shoot that, unless it is for your personal memories. You are hitting well traveled tourist spots, and there is absolutely no problem with that, but these places have been shot literally millions of times. So it will force you to shot it differently.

Have a great time and savor wherever you chose rather than jogging past it.

lauren_s_kahn

I am perhaps on my 25th-30th trip to Europe and my first real time in Spain (I had lunch in Figures once on the French frontier). You cannot "do" Europe in even a lifetime.

Pick 3 cities and concentrate on just those--or, even better, just pick 2. Running around from place to place just results in exhaustion and not much fun.

PalenQ

xxx

pctraveler

I appreciate your question, but you need to heed the advice of those folks who suggested a more conservative itinerary. I have been to Europe many times, and have been to all of these countries/cities, and would suggest, as Lauren_a_Kahn above, does, that you limit yourself to 3 (or preferably, 2) cities at the most. I also am a somewhat serious amateur photographer, and that indeed is my main motivation to go to Europe, and we spent ten days in February of this year in only two cities -- Perugia & Florence. Go with less -- less cities, and you will enjoy your time much more. Last year we spent a little less than three weeks in Venice, Bologna, Florence and Rome. You just need to pace yourself, and the whole experience will be much more meaningful and enjoyable. Besides, few people go to Europe only once. Once you are there, you catch yourself saying, "Next time, next time!"

Briileigh

Thank you all for your valuable information.
The suggested itineraries were immensely helpful in re-planning the trip.
And Adrienne - thank you for the train! Very helpful.


I wish we could spend more time in each city, or limit our trip to only two or three days (I know from my travels in the U.S / Central America / Caribbean that it's nearly impossible to see and experience even a quarter of a city in three days), but I'm unable to convince my travel partner to do so.
I plan to take a week to focus on one city / country after she leaves, the hope being I can truly immerse myself in that culture.

adrienne

Enjoy your trip! Traveling with someone is a compromise but if you plan carefully before you leave you'll have time to see something of each city in a few days. Try to take some time on your own in each city to explore the places that most interest you. It's difficult to spend time getting the photos you want if your travel companion is standing around waiting for you to finish.

PalenQ

I found one so it exists. From La Spezia to Paris via Milan. Book on the Italian web site but you can view the schedule on the German site which is very easy to manipulate.>

www.thello.com is the official site of the overnight Thello trains between Paris and Italy - Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome and points in between. These trains are not run by Trenitalia but by a company called Thello - independent of both the French and Italian railways I believe.

The train leaves Milan around midnight so you can take any train to Milan - though are fairly flat fare IC or regional trains so no need to buy in advance - just buy once in Italy or even on the day of departure IME.

PalenQ

Actually since going to Florence form the CT is about as quick and expensive as going to Milan then consider going to Florence - spending the day there - put your bags in a station locker and then catch that overnight train directly from Florence at a much earlier hour and not having to wait around at midnight in Milan boarding - fares should be about the same to Paris albeit from Florence or Milan I suspect.

seeksocean

A year and a half later....how did this trip work out?

PalenQ

they've never been seen or heard from again!

lauren_s_kahn

That does happen. They either didn't go or simply wanted to use the site to gather information. Not everyone does a trip report--and frankly reading 100 trip reports about "My Week in Paris/London/Whatever" isn't very interesting. I do read some of the independent trips that go to odd places--which is what I do.

I have a home exchange in Spain in Salou (near Tarragona) for 2 1/2 weeks in August. I'll be flying to Paris to visit a friend for a week, then doing the exchange, and finally spending a few days in Barcelona. That will take up a month. Just 3 places.