My wife and I are in our mid 40's and will be visiting Europe this summer for 21 days. We would like to see everything from Great Britain to Italy and Spain. I'm sure this is not possible so.. please give us a brief itinerary of the best places to see. I don't mind trains and driving and do not need to stay in any one place for more than 2 days. Thanks!!

<BR>Well, you'll get lots of different opinions on here but my first thought is that's alot of geography to cover in "only" three weeks, and trust me, there will be places you'll WANT to stay more than two days even if you think you don't "need" to. If you want to visit Britain (including Ireland etc.) and you still want another area, then consider France or Holland or Belgium. Or if Italy is the main goal, then consider Switzerland as an added country. Or perhaps Portugal/Spain/France. First do some searches on here and see if you can narrow your interests down more.

Sandy, <BR> <BR>The phrase "everything from Great Britain to Italy and Spain" will invite a lot of commentary - - some will remind you (some politely, some not so politely) that between GB and these two countries are all of France, Monaco, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Andorra and portions of Holland, Germany and Austria. <BR> <BR>But I'll assume that maybe what you really mean is that you want to plan a three country trip: GB, Italy and Spain. That is a perfectly good (slightly long-ish) first trip to Europe. (So is any 2 of these three plus any other third, anywhere) <BR> <BR>And thanks to RyanAir, Buzz, Virgin Express, Go and other low cost airlines, they are all three very cheap to connect by air. <BR> <BR>I would recommend 2-4 days of London and/or other England at the front end, then 8-9 days of country "B" (Italy or Spain - - which interests you more?), then 3-4 days of country "C". You could choose to fly home from there, or return to GB (for example, Scotland, for the sake of something different) as a final segment before coming home. <BR> <BR>Like Cheryl, I would advise against ten different two-day stops (or even more shorter ones) connected like pearls on a string. If you really do have 21 days, stay 5-6 days in one place and "day-trip" from there - - you'll be so glad to eliminate unpacking and repacking for a brief respite somewhere in the middle of the trip. <BR> <BR>For more help or information, I invite you to write me directly. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex

Hi Sandy, <BR>I understand just how you feel, wanting to see as much as possible. I suggest that you start in London with maybe five days there which will allow you maybe one day trip out to Winsor or Bath. Then you could get the Eurostar to Paris. Buy a Eurail Pass before you leave home (Eurail does not allow you to travel from UK to France). From Paris you can move arround Europe at the pace you feel happy with. We have done this and found it to be a great way to see Europe because if you don't like a place you can just move along to the next town. We have never found a problem getting hotels as we go. We found it best to book into hotels in the bigger cities for a couple of days and then use the train to just wonder from place to place every day, that way you won't be dragging your bags around every day, and don't forget...PACK LIGHT! <BR>Have a great trip

Sandy, you have been given good advice. If you go with the attitude that you will return you won't feel pressured to do it all this time. A lot of posters to this forum are over sixty and are going strong. You have a lot of years to explore Europe.

The thing is (and something we learned the first trip to France many years ago) that it takes time, and effort to get from place to place. The first day is used up usually in travel, and finding a place to stay, the second day you can look about the local area, and day you plan to leave is used in getting out of the hotel by check out, changing money, finding meals, and getting to the next place. The only thing I remember about my first trip to France were the days that I insisted we stop spinning and stay in one place, San Tropez. My advice is to pick one of those countries and plan a leisurely tour. My favorite trip (and we have travelled extensively for many years) is the north of Spain. It is like being on another planet, a time warp, where they still plow with a bend stick and an ox, but that may not be for everyone. England is very much like here, and they do speak our language (sort of) so maybe that would be a good first. If you go, get out of London, as that is NOT England, and head for the north country. Hope you have a wonderful time.

Where you go all depends on what you like. Although most go to England and Scotland when they go to Britain, we loved Wales and wished we'd spent more time there (as we like it rather quiet and I love puttering about old castles). Also, most travelers and guidebooks seem to love Salzburg, while we thought it was too crowded and upscale for our tastes (I guess we're jsut kind of dull). <BR> <BR> In other words, whatever you do, don't let other opinions and guidebooks tell you exactly what to do--tailor your trip to what you both like.

If this posts twice, I'm gonna scream: <BR> <BR>I love whirlwind tours; lots of experiences compressed into short time periods; a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and memories. A great way to see lots of stuff to give you ideas for return visits. <BR>Downside (from someone who knows): mental and physical exhaustion; memories get mixed up ("the hotel with the funny toilet; was that the same one that had the really good hot chocolate?"); you can't buy as many souvenirs because you can't haul them every few days up and down interminable train station steps; you have to wrench yourself away from places where you'd like to spend more time. <BR> <BR>If you decide you can withstand all that, get the Thomas Cook Rail guide (not cheap, but worth it for the detailed train info) or use the web. Try http://mercurio.iet.unip.it/home.html <BR>to access every country's railway schedules. <BR> <BR>Get a really good map of Europe (Michelin or the like) and start plotting. Europe is a lot bigger than it looks - it takes 8 hours or so to go from Paris to Nice, and almost two days from Madrid to Rome via train, as examples. Take sleeper cars for the long haul trains and the boring bits (there is actually dull scenery in Europe) and take daylight trips for the pretty parts or short trips. Take no more luggage than you can handle by yourself (love goes just so far and does NOT include carrying the other one's suitcase). <BR> <BR>If you decide that uprooting yourself every two days is more than you can handle (or want to handle), don't feel bad. Europe is to be enjoyed, and that will depend on each person's preference - some like hectic tours, others like hunkering down in one area and touring that area in depth. Decide which will make you happy, and not drive you nuts. <BR>

Sandy, I will take you at your word about moving on every 2 days. Lots of people will disagree, but I went to 8 cities in 18 days and loved it. Some places we stayed one night and some places we stayed three, just depended on our mood and the town. We travelled without reservations, except for London. I have read on this forum that hotels in Italy can be difficult to come by, especially in the summer, so be careful and do your research in advance. I travelled in July '97 hitting Paris, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Berlin, Rhine River, Amsterdam and London and had no trouble with hotels (although we didn't spend the night in Paris). I would also add that we had been to Paris and London before, so they weren't primary targets. <BR> <BR>I don't know how applicable my advice is since I was concentrating on different countries than you will be, but there I two things I would like to recommend for a whirlwind trip. <BR> <BR>First, trains are a relaxing, fun way to cover distances. You don't have to worry about getting lost (although you do have to make sure you get on the right train!), reading maps, learning highway signs and traffic rules, and the dreaded big city traffic and parking. Training overnight is a great way to conserve your sightseeing time and is an experience in itself. Personally, I couldn't have handled the whirlwind trip and driving on top of it. I think I would prefer a leisurely driving trip! <BR> <BR>Second, don't expect too much from yourselves. It is exhausting (and exciting and exhilarating) to travel like this. Be prepared to hit a wall and need a break. By about the 13th day my husband was saying "No more, please let's just go to London and relax!" We stopped where we were (Bonn), had a nice dinner, went to an American movie, didn't go to any museums, got a good night sleep, and the next morning woke up rejuvenated and headed to Amsterdam. Just be prepared for a breakdown. Build in some extra time, so that when you do start freaking out at the thought of changing yet more money into some strange currency, you can crash somewhere and recharge the batteries. Pick the towns that you think you can reasonably see, but plan some extras, just in case you have the time and the energy. That way you won't be too disappointed if you don't make it, and you'll be thrilled if you do! <BR> <BR>One last thing - when people say to pack light, they really mean it. We survived 18 days with one carry-on size bag each. If you do use trains, this is the only way to go.