First Trip To Europe
 

We have booked our first trip to Europe this summer. We are so excited. It will be my wife and I with our 14 and 17 year old daughters.

I have booked my flights and airbnb/VRBO's already so our trip outline is set. This message board seems to have quite a bit of helpful people with experience traveling to these areas, so I thought I would share our schedule and see if any of you had good ideas for can't miss stops or places to eat aside from all the top rated tourist attractions (we will definitely make stops at the big attractions).

Any other travel or packing tips would be appreciated also.

Here is our itenerary:

June 10th- fly from Chicago to London (overnight)
June 11-15- London
Train from London to Paris
June 15-19- Paris
Flight from Paris to Rome
June 19-22- Rome
Train from Rome to Naples
June 22-24 Naples
Flight from Naples to Chicago

Thank you in advance for you help.

Welcome to Fodors :)

Just an initial comment -- There is a little less time in each destination than you may think. You repeatedly listed two cities on the same day and it really doesn' work that way.

What you actually have is:
June 10th- fly from Chicago to London (overnight)
June 11-14 - London . . . 3.5 days (and jet lag)
June 15-18 - Paris . . . 3.5 days or a skosh more depending on how early a train you take
June 19-21- Rome . . . 2.5 days
June 22-23 Naples . . . 1.5 days
June 24 fly home

Dashing out and I'll post more later but just wanted you to have a feeling of the pace of your trip.

Yeah, I'm good on the pace of our trip. I fully realize that this isn't how everyone likes to travel. I'm ok with this. Our girls travel well and are excited about each of the stops on our trip.

Thanks again for the help.

To start. Do not count days twice. It gives a false impression of how much time you have in a place. Do not count arrival or departure days as sightseeing days. You may be jet lagged first or second day. Each move will take at least 1/2 day or more. In your case, they are longer distances, Involving getting from hotel to airport or train station, wait at airport, actual travel time, getting to next hotel, etc.

You actually have:
London, 3 days (4 nights)
Paris, 3 days and perhaps a half (4 nights)
Rome, 2 days and an evening (3 nights)
Naples 1 & 1/2 days (2 nights)

You are doing OK until Rome. Even then you can see quite a lot there in a couple of days. Then comes Naples.

Did you want to see only the city of Naples, not any of the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Positano, Amalfi, etc? It seems a shame to go all that way to one of the most beautiful places on earth for basically only one day.

TBH, I would either change departure flight to Rome and cut Naples, or cut Rome and keep Naples and the AC. If you were doing mostly Italy, I would usually say keep Rome because it is amazing and tempting, but you are already doing two major cities, and you have already purchased flights out of Naples

Departure from Naples means you need to be in that vicinity the night before. so I would likely cut Rome altogether or cut it to only one very full day and two nights and add another day and night to the AC (Naples). I think you and your daughters will find the AC to be breath taking. What an incredible way to end a trip to Europe, dinner overlooking the AC from Positano or Amalfi, or Bay of Naples from Sorrento.

Day 1: Depart Chicago (June 10)
Day 2: Arrive London, get settled into hotel, self walking tour (June 11)
Day 3, 4, 5: London (June 12, 13, 14)
Day 6: Travel to Paris by train, late afternoon, evening in Paris (June 15)
Day 7, 8, 9: Paris (June 16, 17, 18)
Day 10: Travel to Rome (June 19
Day 11, 12: Rome (June 20, 21). ?
Day 13: Travel to Naples (June 22). ?
Day 14: Naples (June 23) ?
Day 15: Depart for Home (June 24)

You did come here for advice and say this is your first trip to Europe. I personally would not be all that happy with this pace and especially with kids.

Let's just talk about London . . . You will have three usable days for the largest city (by a huge margin) in Western Europe with soooooo many things for families. And likely some or all of you will take a day or two to recover from the jet lag. Just a few of the 'musts': Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, British Museum, the V&A, Science Museum, Natural History Museum, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's, one of the several world famous street markets, the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio, Thames/Greenwich, Windsor Castle, theatre/concerts. There are many more major sites - that is just the short list. Out of those you'd be lucky to fit in six in 3 days

Paris is much smaller with sites somewhat nearer each other -- but it has almost as many must-sees

And your Italy segment is REALLY rushed. Naples -- what is it you want to see/do there?? Pompeii? Capri? The AC? Herculaneum? - Well, pick one

What you have done is what everyone does on a first trip - over schedule and underestimate the time required to change cities. I agree with the others, your itinerary is workable up to Italy. If this trip is already booked, the advice here is not going to be terribly useful, but I do have one packing tip:

After your bags are packed, and you are ready, removed half of the contents and leave them behind. Keep the toothbrush.

To build on Janisj’s points. European cities are so incredibly and nearly overwhelmingly packed with rich history, architecture and culture that it is impossible for anyone to fully comprehend until they are there. Such a fast pace in London and Paris will have to be really well planned for times when things are open and for transportation.

Europe is a lot more than cities. Smaller, walled cities, castles, etc. are exciting, beautiful and have a lot of history. Had you not already booked flights, I would have suggested you limit the trip to England and France, see a bit of England outside of London (Bath or the Cotswolds), and spend more time in France (for Versailles and another area) or visit only Italy, including Venice and Florence. However, you do already have tickets, so it would be good to alter the trip where you can, limiting it to three cities or areas.

Travel between distant places eats up so much time. You see more by grouping things closer together and eliminating so much travel.
Six of your 15 days are travel days, two being the flights from/to the US, one arrival day and the other three at least half days or more. That brings your on the ground time for sightseeing to only 10 & 1/2 days. You could save a half day of travel by flying from Paris directly to Naples, saving Rome for another trip when you have time for Italy.

Quick as your trip will be, it is doable, particularly if you don't plan to see much in the Naples area. Hopefully, you will enjoy this "intro to Europe" trip so much, this will be the beginning of many trips to come.

If you decide to skip Rome, and save it for the next trip, you would be able to have a more relaxed trip. However, if Rome is a must, it can be done but I wouldn't try to plan much for your last days as your energy levels will likely be low. Don't miss the wonderful pizza in Naples!

I would skip Naples and add the time to Rome and depart from Rome. This is your first trip to Europe and you do not know whether this is a good pace for you. We are trying to tell you that it really isn't.

+1
Unless he can change them, he already has tickets out of Naples, so has to be in Naples the night before his flight.

I appreciate the advice and anticipated that the most common advice would be to slow down and visit less cities. We originally planned on seeing London, Paris, and Rome with this trip. Then when I went to buy plane tickets it was much cheaper to fly home from Naples then Rome. So I bought from Naples.

We are big planners and will have this trip planned down to the minute nearly, while still allowing for some flexibility. I really, really enjoy the planning part as it helps me build up anticipation and I learn so much about these places while doing research.

Since this is our first trip, we know there is way too much to see in one visit, but our oldest is 17 and will soon be out of our house. We have taken our girls to almost 40 states so far and over 20 national parks. Visiting Europe breaks down into many different trips. This first one we are looking to see the highlights. I feel like we can see a lot in 3 days in London. Same for Paris. We were going to do Rome in a different trip, but decided to go for it since we felt like 2 days would allow us to see the colosseum and Vatican. Naples was an add on because of the cheaper flight and my sister in law said Pompeii was cool. So our original plan was just to visit there with our day. In looking at it more the AC look incredible, so we may switch or at least try to get over there for a few hours for some pictures and a meal.

I'm sure travel days are going to be complex. I am anticipating that it will take longer than we want, but we will plan for that and give ourselves enough time to get through airports and train stations.

Any packing tips or food spots to recommend would be awesome. Or other advice about getting around or avoiding lines at popular sites. Usefulness of the city passes or not? Or maybe lesser known attractions that you would recommend?

Thanks everyone again. Appreciate the help.

One travel detail often overlooked on a first trip: Closure days. Most sites will have one or two closure days, usually Sunday, and often Monday in addition. Some French museums are closed Tuesdays. We like to schedule our travel days for Sundays for this reason. It would be frustrating to have one of your precious touring days be a closure day.

As you say you are planners, you will already know that many desirable sites now require advance reservations/tickets for timed entry. Try for a ticket too late and you will be out of luck.

One thing you cannot plan for is the weather. If the only day you can see, for instance, Pompeii is a rainstorm washout, you have no alternate day. This is another background reason why we discourage brief touchdown visits to any locale.

You may want to consider these nitty gritty details in your planning.

Welcome jeffbowen9449. Fellow fodorites, although I agree with everyone's comments, jeffbowen's

"I have booked my flights and airbnb/VRBO's already so our trip outline is set."

tells you what he and his family need. I googled 'only 2 days in Paris' and a bunch of sites came up with great ideas. Before we became travel veterans, my hub and I took the hop-on, hop-off buses. I would consider guided tours for the busiest sites: your tickets will bought and you won't wait in line. And/or get tickets and passes in advance online...there should be separate lines for ticket holders at the major sites.

Please share your experiences and add to everyone's knowledge!

Speaking of weather, Rome and Naples will likely be hot and the popular tourist sites will be crowded, so do keep that in mind when you're planning your touring.

You will have one full day in Naples. The city itself is wonderful and has some important cultural sites, including the National Archeological museum. It's a fun city, with a great energy and my husband and I have really enjoyed our 2 visits there. I don't know whether that would suffice for your family, but there is plenty to see in that one+ day.

If you do want to explore outside the city, I would focus that on the one activity that most interests you, keeping in mind that the popular destinations will likely be very crowded. Pompeii is a huge site and will likely be especially hot so if you go there, I'd go as early as possible and to make the most of the experience, hire a guide. Herculaneum is an alternative site, and a place we really loved as it was far less crowded and easier to manage and is easily visited from Naples, too. No, it's not the Pompeii of our imagination, but it's a fantastic smaller city that is incredibly intact.

Another option, and probably a more romantic way to deal with the day is to take a ferry. As an example, Naples ferries sail to Capri, which many people do as a day trip; it's a popular destination, though also very crowded. So I give this as an option though the recommendation comes with many caveats, given the time of year. But traveling with 2 teens will certainly influence your choice for the day, I'm sure.
Here's the link to the Naples ferry schedule (the summer schedule hasn't been posted yet, however):
https://www.naplesbayferry.com/en/index

"We are big planners and will have this trip planned down to the minute nearly . . ."

Big - like really BIG - mistake. One simply cannot plan down to the minute, or even the hour. But since your mind seems to be set rock hard I do wish you luck and a nice trip.

If you do choose Pompeii, take plenty of water, sun screen and sun hats. The stone makes it seem hotter and there is little to no shade. That being said, I have been there several times, once in late July and enjoyed it very much even then. Hire a guide at the entrance. There are some cafes near the entrance. Have a Lemonada (frozen lemonade kind of treat) when you finish.

HOHO busses in London and Paris are horrible. People think it gives you an orientation, but it doesn’t. You just see the exterior of some buildings. It is like looking in the window of a restaurant, but not being allowed food. It is much better to pick things you actually want to see and see them.
In London, if you are inside the bus, you see other cars and busses. If you are on top, you breathe fumes. Often you are stopped in traffic between stops, so you waste time sitting there.
In Paris, you really do not see much at all from inside the bus.
The center of Rome is small enough that you can see a lot on a good walk.

Some things we love in London: Tower of London, Shows in the evening, The Globe theater, a canal boat trip, some of the markets, a concert in one of the churches, The Victoria & Albert museum, Westminster, British Museum, St Paul’s, Hampton Court, etc., etc.

Your daughters might find this trip outstanding for a first taste of Europe, but their parents might drop from exhaustion. When I was 17, I made a solo trip to just about EVERYWHERE in Europe (from Norway to Portugal and Finland to Italy -- and of course everywhere in between because it was all by train).

I would say that the main thing to imagine is that this is not a once-in-a-lifetime trip as some of these trips used to be. Relax a bit and do part of it now and plan for a second trip in a year or two. (I do understand that you probably fear that this is your last chance for a family trip with your daughters, but they will line of for a second trip if the first one is great, even if they have to leave their boyfriends behind for a couple of weeks -- and even if a bit of financial participation is required.)

One interesting/fascinating distraction early in a day, even as you're just walking from place to place, can wipe out a lot of the careful planning for the following hours. And there will be countless distractions everywhere you go on this trip These destinations are not like anywhere you've visited with your family, and I doubt you want to be constantly hounding everyone to "keep moving." Your family has experience traveling together, but it's just a fact that a group moves only as fast as the slowest person.

And I feel like a nagging parent when I mention that you need to plan a little time during a 2-week trip to deal with laundry. (Don't try to take enough clothes to eliminate doing laundry!) You can do a little in your hotel bathroom, but allow time to dry before you have to pack up and move. You can pay to have it done at a laundromat, but you need to spend a little time dropping off and picking up during business hours. Most hotels can handle it for you, but you'll pay more which might be worth it in a tight itinerary.

HoHo buses can be bad as Sassafrass writes above. We never tried them in London as we were on a guided tour. In Paris, one time it gave us a visual and the top sites and we returned later by bus or subway to explore what we liked best so it was fine. Another time, we got off at Notre Dame, and things were so crowded, the next HoHo bus was full so we wasted 40 minutes waiting for the next one to arrive.

Since no one has really touched your question about recommending "food spots" I'll take a shot.

Europe isn't like America where there are chain restaurants you have to visit. Rome is a huge city and there's literally thousands of really good food spots. Part of the travelling experience is walking around and trying different restaurants.

If you want chain establishment, Autogrill in Rome is a chain gas station with food that lots of Americans enjoy, but I know a lot of Italians think it's crap.

If you can narrow down the neighbourhood you're going to be in, what types of cuisines or ambience you enjoy, we can help you with restaurants. But just asking what are must visit food spots in London is a tough question to answer.

In my experience, not planning restaurants in Europe and exploring different neighbourhoods than landing on a local establishment is more fulfilling.

Good thoughts from CherylDewson. In Italy, for lunch, we just watch for places as we walk around.
Dinner is different. People reserve for dinner. Wait staff and chefs prepare for a given number, even at small restaurants. They may look empty, but have all tables booked ahead. While they may take walk-ins, sometimes they can’t, and if they do, you will not always get the same service. Even calling just a few minutes ahead, or if you see a place you like, stopping in and making a reservation for a half hour to an hour later is OK. Then when you return for dinner, you will be greeted warmly, have a good table and get good service. It is the custom and polite thing to do in Italy.

I will restrict my comments to London as it is a long time since I have been to Paris and I have never been to Naples or Rome.

Three full days in London will allow you time to see quite a lot if you plan your time well. I would also ensure that with that amount of time, you restrict yourself to London. In one post above I see mention of attractions like Harry Potter World, Windsor Castle , Hampton Court.. all great palces but none are actually in London and although within striking distance, they would each use up too much time to make them viable in three days. Stick to the main sights within central London. There is more than enough to keep you busy in town the whole time. Our museums and galleries are world class but can take a lot of time. Be very selective on what you and your family want to see and take note of where the museums and galleries are located so as to fit them into a logical route.

Fortunately our public transport system is excellent (assuming it’s is still in business next week!!!) so getting around town is quick and easy as long as yo7 familiarise yourself in advance. The underground is preferred by many but buses are easy and will allow you to see more, especially from the top deck.

Happy to suggest places to eat etc. but it would be useful to know your tastes and budget and locations.

Happy planning!

Packing tips

Get everyone to layout on their bed what they want to bring.

Halve it

The original poster says it's his first trip to europe

He just might not be aware that HOHO means hop on, hop off bus, meant for tourists, with a fixed/all day fare enabling multiple re-boardings during a day.

I live in Rome. Regarding 1.5 days in Naples it all depends on what you want to do. I go there often on day trips for menswear shopping (bespoke tailors) but clearly that's not your goal nor do you have enough time to get a suit made. There are great museums, especially the National Archeological Museum (where you will see many of the treasures found in Pompeii). Fun walking areas especially in the so-called Spanish Quarter along the Spaccanapoli (don't miss the side street with all the handmade wooden nativity figures) and of course pizza although I prefer thin-crust Roman style which does not exist in Naples. Pompeii would eat up most of a day and is well worth it, but then you can return to Naples for dinner and strolling. I would avoid Capri which has been ruined by tourism and will take a whole day, just to walk with the mobs past the usual luxury-brand designer shops that exist everywhere. You don't have enough time for the Amalfi Coast which is also packed with tourists in summer. Do you have an expensive watch? Leave it at the hotel. In the safe. Even in the daytime. The thieves in Naples can smell them a block away. Naples is beautiful but "earthy." Pay attention to your surroundings and belongings, and you will be fine. (I'm from NYC, trust me it's not the same.)

While we're on the subject of crime, in both Rome and Naples when dining outside along a street, do not ever leave a handbag or backpack dangling from a chair that is alongside the road; move it to the inner chair (often the waiters will remind you). This is not urban myth. I have seen these scooter thieves in action, as recently as two months ago in an upscale non-tourist neighborhood in Rome. Be careful on crowded buses especially the 64 in Rome which connects Termini to the Vatican and is thus popular with tourists and pickpockets. Not to scare you, just stay aware. Most theft in Italy is opportunistic and non-violent; if they see you are paying attention they will look for a more clueless victim. I'm sure you will have a great time, enjoy the country.

" . . . although within striking distance, they would each use up too much time to make them viable in three days" . . . that was my point, there is waaaay too much of interest for families in London to try it in three days.

And with the issues of tube works closures, traffic, crowds, etc -- even seeing a 'lot' in very central London isn't easy. The normal rule of thumb is two major sites a day with maybe a smaller or minor place nearby squeezed in. Taking into account travel times, opening times (typically 10 AM to 5 or 6 PM). and a meal, two biggies is all one can hope to fit in. Anything else is gravy. So something like Tower of London from opening through lunch time and then on to another major site in the mid afternoon. Or British Museum -- could take two hours or could take all day depending on one's interests but let's use three hrs. 10-1 then lunch, then transit, then another site in the mid afternoon. And so on. So three days = 6 or 7 major sites. Simple logistics makes anything more than that a mad run and no fun for anyone.

IF one is absolutely limited to 3 days another option is not trying to 'do' London. Don't have a daily laundry list to check off - you could have maybe ONE major site a day that every one agrees is a must. The Tower, maybe the British Museum, maybe Hampton Court Palace or the V&A -- whatever the family wants to see. The rest of the time enjoy the parks, or watch the buskers in Covent Garden, or take a Thames cruise. or go to Borough Market - or hit another major site if it is close by. Enjoy being in London.

You probably already plan to do this, but I would have your kids do some of the research and pick out a site in each place which they really want to see.

https://www.thisispaddington.com/art...-little-venice

In addition to a play at the Globe, this was by far one of the most fun things we have done in London. We took it from Little Venice to the big outdoor market in Camden Locks. Some of the houseboats are really pretty. It was seeing a tiny slice of life on a canal. It was such a contrast, going from the intimate, quiet peace of the canal to the noisy, busy market. We have been on many rivers and boats. The canal was the most lovely and memorable.

We actually did a similar trip for our firt trip to Europe with our 2 teen daughters. Like you, we'd traveled all of the US and wanted to see as much of Europe as we could.
Like many mentioned, you're packing in a lot. We did the same, but still enjoyed it, and have been back to Europe 4 more times and did differently each time.
You're basically doing the "Grand Tour" that millions of Americans have done!

The advantage of apartment rental is space (you'll need it!). You do lose the assistance of a hotel concierge, which is quite helpful on your 1st visit. You'll probably do fewer of your own meals than you think, because there's so many great dining options.

London
Check out the 2FOR1 site (and print 2 sets of vouchers for anything you might want to visit before you leave). Must be tied to having a National Rail Pass (which you'll use anyway). We saved hundreds by using them.
Hit the Tower of London right when it opens (smaller crowd and much easier to see the crown jewels, plus the Beefeaters are friendlier at th beginning of their shift).
I loved the Churchill War Rooms while my wife/girls did high tea nearby.
Show up in the theatre district right before curtain & get unclaimed tickets (or desperate scalpers).
Expect to get rained on (mini-umbrellas)

-save an afternoon midtrip for doing laundry to cut down on your baggage (everyone overpacks the first time.

Rome
RomeCabs, or another car service from the airport right to your lodging (with 4 & luggage, its worth it)
Earliest tour possible for the Vatican (worth paying extra) or the crowd will be stiffling. Climb to the top of St Peter's Dome (& stop at the coffee/wine shop on the roof on the way back down).
Most of Rome is walkable if you're fit. Hail a cab if you get tired.
Hoard the 50c/1/2 euro coins for pay toilets.
We like the Trevi Fountain at night the best. Stroll over after dinner.
Pickpockets in the touristy area (not scary, but be aware of bumps/misdirections while hands reach from elsewhere).
Your teen girls will be targets for Italian boys, who are more prone to touch them than in the US. A stern "no" is necessary.
If you sit to dine, expect it to take much longer than in the US (which can be nice), but if pressed for time, you'll need to ask for the check.
For gelato/coffee, you'll pay more if you sit. Get it to go!

Your trip is city-heavy. If you're not from a big city, you'll be fatigued by the end.

Naples
Your kids will prefer going to Pompeii vs staying in the city.
Ride the Circumvesuviana (local train) right to the Pompeii Ruins. Take a guided tour. Visit the Archeologic Museum in Naples after to see what used to be in Pompeii.
Naples is smaller, but "rougher" as you walk the streets.

So, a couple of things. You haven't mentioned what you really love to do (or your girls love to do). I agree with the previous poster about having them do some research and pick one place in each spot. Secondly, there is a post in here about crime. This a critical point. Your ladies should be wearing cross body bags that fit snugly against their sides/front. My rule of thumb? I never let anyone come within 10 feet of me. If you go to the Trevi fountain, go super early. Google a video of pickpockets at the Trevi, and don't let anyone near you. Naples...don't walk close to the road, as cycle thieves can grab a purse handle and take off. I also never, ever carry all my cards/cash with me. There are safes in your rooms for a reason. Carry E80 in cash in a couple of pockets and one card in your wallet when you are out. Leave all else in the safe. Lastly - almost every large site in London, Italy and France (including the Vatican) will have a "skip the line" tour OR a way you can buy "skip the line" tickets. These are essential. I was in London for the first time in 20 years and thought "Oh I want to go to Westminster Abbey." Didn't think to buy a ticket. The line looked like it might be a 6 hour line. I am sure this will be a trip you guys will never forget. Enjoy

Well...keeping 10 feet away from others in central Rome or Naples is not really practical, especially in summer, even early. And as a resident I would say also not necessary as long as you practice what the military calls "situational awareness." I live in the center of Rome. Every day I see tourists with their faces buried in maps or phones, bags draped carelessly over shoulders, paying no attention to their surroundings. I get it, there's a lot to see and it's charming, but a little common sense goes a long way. I don't want to make Italy sound like a seething hotbed of crime--it's not. But it's a poor country by Western standards, especially in the south, and it got poorer with Covid. Unemployment in Naples among young men is something like 30 percent. I'm usually on my bicycle but when I walk I never stick my phone in my back pocket. I walk around often with a few hundred euros in my front trouser pocket which would be difficult to pick, but almost everywhere in Italy now takes, and indeed prefers, credit and debit cards. So you don't need a lot of cash.

Pay toilets in Rome now generally cost 1 euro, if you can find one. Much better: spend the same amount for a coffee in a bar, then use their toilet for free.

Most things of tourist interest in Rome are close together and walkable but not everything. It's a long way from the Colosseum to Piazza Navona, and further to the Vatican. Plus you'll be walking within museums and sites. Taxis are economical for 4 people, which would cost 6 euros anyway on the bus, but not all taxis can fit 4 and with Covid they won't let anyone sit in front.

Just take a regular white taxi from the airport (one of the minivan types), you don't need a car service. It's a flat rate of 45 euros anywhere within the city walls.

True, but with a car service, there will be someone waiting with your name on a sign (right now, just outside the terminal), help with your bags, a cleaner vehicle, and no long queue in the taxi line at the airport. For 50-55 euros, not a bad deal.

If your staying near Termini station, the Leonardo Express train is the way to go (but will need to lug your own bags).

Four people on the train will cost 56 euros. Take a taxi for less, or for the same as the train tickets, a reserved car service if you prefer.

Mini-group ticket for 4 is 40 euros, but we only choose this option if staying right by Termini, or catching a train to Florence/Naples.
No faster way to Termini & great if its close to rush hour, or there's traffic congestion, but rolling bags down the uneven streets sucks if you're not by the train station!

Paris: two musts that I have to do every time I am there are: L'Orangerie museum and Sainte-Chapelle. These may not appear on everyone's top 10 list but there are on mine. There is so much to see and do there that you will have to pick and choose. The Eiffel Tower can be visited on night and is particularly lovely then as its lights sparkle for 5 minutes every hour on the hour. Its also nice to leave something to do at night when most other places are closed.

This is a pretty good thread because even though I have lived in Paris for more than 40 years, I am finding good advice that I can use, particularly for Italy (even though I have been there many times but not yet to Naples, even though I've seen Pompeii).

The group train ticket is a good point, but with four people I would still spend another five euros and take a taxi. Especially if they're not staying near Termini. (I hope not.) I take the train back and forth FCO-Termini by myself all the time, but four people with luggage I would not.

There is some really good info being passed along here thanks everyone so much.

I know we have way too much planned, but we will no doubt trim off some stops to accommodate time adjustments needed.

We are looking forward to the city experiences in the 3 different countries. We live around Louisville, KY so not a big city, but we loved NYC when we visited in 2019 and visited Los Angeles last October, so we have some experiences there. I am sure these European cities will be very different from those, but also similar. We are not planning on driving anywhere, only using public transportation or taxi's. So any more advice on getting around would be awesome.

Here is some additional info for our "Taste of Europe" trip:

London- We arrive at 8am and plan to keep moving so we get on local time quicker. Any advice on how to handle the time change upon arrival? Flying into Heathrow. Our Airbnb is right next to The Oval. Planning to group our 3 days by parts of town as best we can. Looking at Sunday looks like a few places are closed, so we are trying to plan around some of that, but it looks like we should be able to get all the big attractions in. Any chance we get, we plan to pay for the skip the line at attractions. We will buy tickets in advance for popular attractions so that we hopefully don't get stuck somewhere for hours in a line. Any other city of London specific things to watch out for other than just typical big city stuff? We are taking the Eurostar to Paris. How long should we plan on getting there early. Our train is at 9:22am. Website says 90 minutes.

Paris- Coming into Paris at Gare du Nord. Our Airbnb is close to Moulin Rouge. We booked this apartment specifically because it had a washer/dryer so that about 5-6 days in we could wash our clothes. I appreciate the packing advice to pack less. That is good advice. Again trying to bundle attractions by areas as much as possible in Paris. My family love Disney so we are debating on visiting Disney Paris 1 day. If for no other reason to do something different for a day besides touring. We know it is overpriced and all that, but my girls love that over here and would probably pick that as their 1 thing over there to do. My wife followed (roughly) a 3 day itenerary she found online for paris. We will walk a decent amount but looks like we can hit all the big attractions. Again, using the skip the line option as much as possible. We are debating on the museum pass or any of the city pass options also. We fly out of Orly to Rome. Any advice on best/cheapest/fastest ways to get there from Moulin Rouge area would be appreciated. Also, we are flying on a Sunday, so that helps as someone mentioned earlier as more things are closed on sundays.

Rome- We fly into FCO. A few earlier mentioned different options to get into town from there. Our VRBO in Rome is literally right next to the Pantheon, so not real close to the Termini. Would a cab/hired car/or train be best/cheapest/fastest? Our 2 days in Rome we are going to try to do Colosseum/Forum one day and Vatican the next (or switched order). There are other things we will no doubt see there as well. A friend mentioned a cooking class, so we will likely learn how to cook up some delicious pasta somewhere local and eat it up. Looks like fun.

Naples- We will take a morning train to Naples. Our VRBO is close to the Piazza Cavour station. Truthfully, I am less interested in staying in Naples to tour and visit. It sounds like there is some good pizza we need to try and some pretty good picture spots with the harbour and Mt Vesuvius in the back ground. But mainly we want to visit Pompeii. Thus the apartment across from the train station that goes directly there. Plus, we visit quite a few national parks in the US, so hiking up Mt Vesuvius sounds intriguing to me (but on day 13 not sure if we will have the strength left at that point). Now upon more research, the Amalfi coast looks incredible, so I'm not sure if we will be able to, but I'd love to get over there if not for more than to sit down for a meal and take in the views. Since this is a "taste of Europe" trip, Italy itself is likely its own return trip where we could stay for a few days and enjoy more. For a day and a half, we will be very limited in what we can squeeze in.

We will no doubt be exhausted from this trip, but I've asked our girls if there are things they want to do and they have made suggestions. When you have teenagers they say things like, can we visit this subway line in London. it's on a tik tok video i've seen. and we are like: SURE!! Plus we have to research things like: most instagramable spots at each city. That didn't used to be part of our trip planning. But as we've talked to them about it I've asked, is there any of this that you are really not excited about and they say no. Everything sounds exciting. So that helps. They love the cities. They love the food. They love the languages. The culture. The history. All the new experiences.

Thanks for reading all this. Keep the advice coming. I'll take all I can get! It just helps me get more and more excited. (even the stuff about the pickpockets). We will at least be as prepared as we can be.

"We arrive at 8am and plan to keep moving so we get on local time quicker. Any advice on how to handle the time change upon arrival?"

With an 8AM arrival plan on arriving at your airbnb around noon -- a little earlier if you are lucky. LHR has become as bad or worse than CDG for massive immigration queues and loooooong waits for luggage especially at T-5 (not enough ground staff). Do you know what time you can get into your accommodations -- some are pretty strict about providing entry 3PM+ while others are looser. If there is a renter the night before its almost certain you won't get in til later. What works to ease jet lag for your family . . . everyone is different and different members of your family may react differently. Some people swear by taking a nap and cleaning up, whilst others get moving and stay out doors in parks etc for the fresh air. What no one recommends is any heavy duty sightseeing or anything indoors (like museums or galleries or) because they can be hot/stuffy and the worst thing for jet lag. Best to delay any indoors stuff til at least next day. Only you will know how you are affected . . . til you are.

"Our Airbnb is right next to The Oval."

Not a terribly convenient location south of the river - will add significantly to a lot of your transit times.

"it looks like we should be able to get all the big attractions in"

Not a chance in hell heck. You will be able to a few of the major sites but nowhere near 'all'.

"Any chance we get, we plan to pay for the skip the line at attractions. We will buy tickets in advance for popular attractions so that we hopefully don't get stuck somewhere for hours in a line"

Not sure where you expect huge queues. There will be long lines at the Tower of London but there are ways to avoid them (like arriving just before opening time). There can be queues at Westminster Abbey and St Paul's but not long ones. Most museums and galleries are free and the only queues are for a security scan and there is no way to avoid those. It isn't the queues that will eat up time -- its the getting from place to place. Many sites even though they are free require pre-booked timed tickets because of covid requirements. But those may be eliminated now that rules are changing in England.

"Website says 90 minutes"

. . . 90 minutes