My husband and I will be taking our parents to Europe. They are first time travelers and are in all their 60's.
We have 10 days Easter week of 2007. This will be a budget level, Rick Steves type trip. I was thinking Paris, Rome and Venice. I would like to hear what others think would make a good first trip. Should we mix town and city? stay in one country? If you had 10 days to introduce someone to Europe what would you do?

They are all New Yorkers, accustomed to big cities, crowds, fast pace. I would like for them to travel to at least one destinaton via train.

If you do want to include some countryside then I would probably stick with one country as 10 days is not very long when you include travel time. That might mean taking out Paris and doing Venice, Tuscany area and Rome. It would be a shame to miss Paris though so if you are okay with sticking with cities your choices sound fine. Paris and Venice are two of my favorite cities.
There is an overnight train from Paris to Venice if you don't want to fly or take a full day in travel.
One thing to consider is that I believe Easter week is very busy in Europe (particulary Rome) and you may not find the bargain rates of normal off season and you should be booking now.

good luck

Debbie

The European rail system offers really terrific packages for travel between many cities in something like 11 countries, and there are packages which combine rail passes and days with car rental. The more people you have, the more money you save. I think that would be your best bet for an intro. to Europe and staying in budget. Search under "Eurorail."

On http://trenitalia.com, you're looking at €520 for 4 2nd class tickets Paris-Venice (with no change of trains) for a 4 bed couchette, or €1020 for 1st class with 2 beds/compartment. The 2nd class rate seems very reasonable for the distance covered.
Happy planning!

We were almost in our 60's when we did our first trip to Italy/Europe in 2003. I can't add to the discussion of Paris since we've never been, but being half Italian, Italy was my natural first choice when given the opportunity to travel. Of course we visited the family village in the countyrside but our main cities were Venice and Rome with a side trip to the Amalfi Coast. It was simply magical. Growing up in DC and now living in Atlanta, it was so foreign to anything we had ever experienced. We went back in 2005 and are planning to return in 2007. (By the way, we did do a train trip from Milan to Venice but that was only a few hours at best.)

If it was me I think I would consider London/Paris for first timers. Easter week may be a little slow in Italy.

You need to address why would your parents be interested in Europe at all?

To see Buckingham Palace? To see fjords? or the Matterhorn? or gamble in Monte Carlo?

This is the conversation you need to have with them.

Otherwise...

<< This will be a budget level, Rick Steves type trip >>

... you can have a perfectly fine budget trip, all within Portugal.

Best wishes,

Rex

Hi MW,

I usually suggest London and Paris for first-time visitors with 2 weeks or less.

With only 10 days, I suggest 2 cities:

1. Fly into Venice, take www.myair.com to Paris Orly, fly home from Paris.

2. Fly into Venice - 3 days, train to Florence - 3 days, train to Rome - 4 days.

Enjoy your visit.

Try to stay in each hotel at least two nights. Otherwise it seems too quick. Paris will be cold. You could take the train from Paris to Venice.

If they are all from new York, then why spend time In London or Paris. I would have though they would not want to be another Big City, but as one post said earlier more info is needed on why Europe and what do they want to do. There is so much variety in Europe wothout really knowing what they like to do or what you want them to get out of the trip it is not easy to suggest anything. You maybe trying to do too much in one go for 10 days. It might be worth doing a city break for a few days and then a week in a more relaxing place like Portugal or something like that.

Thank you, I was surprised to get so many replies.

London is not an option, They can easily do London on a future trip.

They have left all of the planning up to me, they have no specific preferences. I think the big sites, churches, cities should be done first, then branch out in future trips that is why I picked Rome, Paris etc.

I think Italy will make the most sense, with Paris as an alternate if I have problems booking Easter week in Italy.

Any additional thoughts or input is greatly appreciated.

I agree with Ira except for the Paris part. If they can do London on a future trip then stay in the Italy area on this trip and do it in more depth. Take a train ride in Italy and see Naples, Sorrento, and Pompei. Stay where the chances of nice weather are better for the time of year. If you luck out weather-wise, book a trip to Innsbruck, Austria or southern Germany if time permits. Save Paris for another trip with London, Holland, or Belgium.

Baldworth

Hi mwatson, with what you have described and with the time you will have I would fly into Venice and stay 4 nights and then train to Rome and stay 6 nights and fly home from Rome. That is if you have a total of 10 nights in Italy. If less I would stay in Venice 3 nights and Rome 5 nights etc.

I would save Paris for another trip..perhaps when they visit London they could also visit Paris.

I am a little different so you have to judge personalties here but I would go crazy with 6 nights in Rome. If you are up for renting a car then a few nights in Tusany might be an option or maybe Florence. I wouldn't give up the Paris idea as it is such a wonderful city and again, you can do the overnight train and be there very with no lost time.
My intinerary would be 4 nights Paris, 3 in Venice and 3 in Rome. Ideally if you could add on one more day it would be nice to do 4 in Rome because one day will be mostly travel from Venice to Rome.

<< They have left all of the planning up to me, they have no specific preferences. I think the big sites, churches, cities should be done first, then branch out in future trips that is why I picked Rome, Paris etc. >>

I still disagree.

What are the "big sites"? Most visited? Tallest? Most "important"? to whom?

Here's what tripadvisor.com lists as the "top ten"

1. Tower of London, London, England, United Kingdom
2. Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel), Paris, Ile-de-France, France
3. British Airways London Eye, London, England, United Kingdom
4. Musee du Louvre, Paris, Ile-de-France, France
5. Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallee, Ile-de-France, France
6. Colosseum (Colosseo), Rome, Lazio, Italy
7. Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Zealand, Denmark
8. Anne Frank House (Anne Frankhuis), Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
9. Musee d'Orsay, Paris, Ile-de-France, France
10. Church of the Sacred Family (Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

I'm guessing that you will reject well over half of this list.

I recommend that you go to the public library and rent 3-6 Rick Steves' tapes and watch one each sunday afternoon for the next month.

And bias your picks to where you WANT to go. Have you traveled to Europe more than 2 or 3 times? If you can't sell them, with at least some modest passion, on why it's worthwhile to go to X or Y or Z...

...well, then really, why _should_ they go to a place that wasn't their idea to start with?

"easter week slow in Italy" - not in Rome it isn't. I swear the world, his wife, her girlfriend, her cousins and all their brothers and sisters were there this year, and all of them in St. Peter's square in Easter Monday.
I loved Rome, but only go in the 2 weeks before and after Easter if you really like people!

Rex,

Yes, we are experienced travelers . I have watched more Rick Steves than I care to admit. We have been to so many great places over the years, we want to share them all with our parents but it is not possible. We don't have to convince them or sell them on anything they have truly left the destination up to us. They are just thankful for the opportunity and trust us to show them a good time (hopefully). So I get to pick but they do have Veto power.

My first trip to Europe was quite extensive but did include Paris, Venice, and Rome. The "Big sites" - The Louvre, The Vatican, Eiffel tower, Grand Canal, the entire city of Rome is one big site. I personally thought these places would be a good introduction and I would especially like for my mom to see them.

I did not post my question because I didn't know where to travel I posted because I wanted to have the opinions/thoughts of other travelers. I have gotten some really good feedback and will start working on a more precise itinerary soon.

With the situation you describe I'd do just Paris and Venice. Fly into one and out of the other. Taking the overnight train in private cabins in between. Stay 5 days each.

My reply sounded too cheeky... and by the way, I meant watch some Rick Steves' tapes <i><u>with them</u></i> - - and select tapes on places that <u> you</u> want to go next.

I have taken my parents. my wife's parents, and a half dozen of the inlaws aunts and uncles - - all as first timers, and in general, I went where I wanted to go (with a tiny bit of guidance from them), and made 90% of the itinerary new to me.

But your first sentiment in your original posting may be where your heart lies.

And it's safe to say that one cannot go to Paris, Rome and Venice &quot;too many times&quot;.

&lt; 5. Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallee, Ile-de-France, France &gt;

Em, it isn't even the best theme park in France, let alone one of the top ten sights in Europe.

And where's the British Museum?