First Time in EUR
 

Hi, I recently booked a RT flight to Madrid, getting there in October. I'll be in Europe 16 nights and being the first time there, I want it to visit some of the main cities. My plan is the following:

1.Get to Madrid, either stay there 3 nights, or flight the same day I get there to another city and end being in Madrid the last 4 nights (with a day trip to Toledo).
2. Spend 3 nights in Barcelona
3. Spend 3 nights in Paris
4. Spend 3 night in London
5. Spend 3 nights in Amsterdam

I'm not much into spending the day in a museum, I prefer walking and sightseen and sitting to grab some vibe of the city. My plan is to travel by air through the cities, but I'm open to suggestions.
Thanks!

You'd better depart right after you landed in Madrid, to avoid going into the city and check in hotels twice.

Between London and Paris the best transportation is Eurostar train that goes through the tunnel. Fast, convenient and take you right into the heart of the city, instead of faraway airports. Similarly with London-Amsterdam.

You won't have full 3 days to each city. After deducing intercity transportation time, you'll have at best 2.5 days/each, or even only 2 days. That's a little bit too short for great cities like Barcelona, London or Paris; and certainly not enough to "grab the vibe". If I were you I'd probably cut out one destination.

You have picked 5 cities and apparently arbitrarily assigned 3 nights to each one. All cites are not created equal -- For instance London is by far the largest city in Western Europe and has many more sites than say Amsterdam. Why did you pick these 5 destinations -- are there specific things you want to see and do in each one -- or are they mainly just to say you've been there. <u>Three nights only nets you 2 full days in a place.</u>

IMO you have at least one too many cities. It isn't that Madrid or Amsterdam aren't 'worth' 3 nights, of course they are, But London and Paris are definitely 'worth' more than a couple of days each.

Madrid, London, and Paris (or Barcelona or Amsterdam) would certainly fill your 16 days/nights.

Those 5 cities are the ones I'll combine within one trip to Europe. I least thats what I thought. I can leave London out and go there for a week in another time. Where should I put those 3 nights then?

Re-arrange you itinerary and do Amsterdam-Paris by train - just 3.5 hours -city center to city center -quicker than flying and you'll see some of the Europe in between - flying always you only see airports andtarmacs and a handful of tourist mecca cities.

And Paris to London by train (www.eurostar.com)

Book early for deep discounts-anyway for lots on trains (you may want to re-arrange your itinerary again to allow for some trains -an experience in itself with many now going up to nearly 200 mph).

For lots on trains check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Fly open jaw into Madrid - take train to Barcelona -just about 3 hours and fly to Amsterdam - Paris - London -fly out of London (or if no London then Paris or Amsterdam).

And yes figure much of a day between stops even if by air. Like janisj says 2 full days in those cities ain't much.

I may drop Amsterdam and do Madrid-Barcelona-Paris-London.

As mentioned above, do not fly in and out of the same city. If you aren't familiar with how to do it, it is called "multi city' by most airlines [not open jaw, which is a term used here a lot]. It is usually not much, if any, more expensive. It is NOT the same as 2 one way tickets, which IS costly.

It is usually not much, if any, more expensive.>

can even be cheaper in some cases!

Im traveling from Puerto Rico, so alteady book the round trip to Madrid. 8hrs Nonstop Flight, thats why my itinerary had those 5 cities. Italy I hope to do it separately someday... but is to expensive to travel to one city alone and get back from another one, plus is a difference of 20+hrs doing stop on the same day.

"expensive to travel to one city alone and get back from another one,"


too late now, and I am not sure about flight to/from PR [time wise and connections] but this is not the case. You are likely referring to 2 one way tickets, not what was suggested - a multi city fare.

>>I can leave London out and go there for a week in another time.<<

That is a great Idea.

Madrid/Paris/Barcelona/Amsterdam would be much more doable in your short time.

If it was my trip (which it isn't :) ) I'd want to be in Madrid at the end because of the flight home. I'd allocate 16 nights something like this: Immediately fly from MAD to Amsterdam and stay 4 nights (because the first day night will be pretty much lost to travel/jet lag). Then train to Paris and stay 5 nights. Train or flight to Barcelona - 4 nights, train to Madrid - 3 nights.

<I can leave London out and go there for a week in another time. Where should I put those 3 nights then?>

Into the other cities on the list so you aren't trying to move around so fast.

Traveling to 6 cities all in different countries in 16 days is a bit pricey and spend half your time in the airport. Plus if your going to Spain you have to see the Alhambra and Southern Spain. I'd do Madrid for 3 nights, Granada for 1 or 2, Barcelona for 3 or 4 nights(loved Barcelona) and the take the train to Paris and spend 4 nights there and come back to Madrid for the night before your flight.

I loved Granada best out of all Spanish cities and it's smaller and less hectic than the other big cities.

I second Janis and suze. Lots of stuff in the cities you selected. Stay one more day in each.

I think janisj' itinerary is good except I would take a day away from Barcelona to Madrid as there are many more possible interesting day trips such as Toledo, Sergovia etc

though I'm British, I agree about dropping London for this trip. It is huge and can be very tiring, not to mention the time it takes to get to grips with the transport system; just 2 days there could leave you more confused than when you started.

I like JJ's plan; trains are much more fun than flying and can save you time as there are usually far more departures in a day than there are with planes, where you have to work to their schedules not yours.

Depending on flight times and when you'd arrive in Barcelona, I agree that I might take a night from Barcelona and give it to Madrid.

Once you've decided on your itinerary, book not just your flights but also your trains - you can get big discounts if you book far enough in advance. Seat61.com is a great resource to give you info about how to deal with european trains.

Have a good trip and good luck!

Thanks Guys! I'll drop London, and stay 1 more night in each city.

Yes and when going to London you want more than a few days! Less indeed can be more.