Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - From Barcelona to Rome

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)

- Europe (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/)

- - From Barcelona to Rome (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/from-barcelona-to-rome-91733/)

From Barcelona to Rome

We are planning our first trip to Europe in June. We've booked a flight to Barcelona and one departing from Rome. We have 15 days. We're open to suggestions on where to go (and why you suggest that!). Trains and rental cars of course. Every time we read about some of the places in Spain, France, and Italy, we know we need more than two weeks. But that's the plan.

I guess you will have to make a difficult election but this is my advice: Barcelona: 2 days Gerona: have a look ( Old Town ), Dali museum in Figueras Aix en Provence: have a look Cote d´azur anywhere 3 days ( Small towns, Grand Canyon du Verdon, Cannes, Menton, St Tropes, Esterel coast, Antibes ) Portofino: Have a look Pisa: Have a look at the monuments Florence: 3 days Siena-San Gimignano: 1 days Rome: 4 days. Have a good trip

This is what we did a couple on months ago, driving out of Barcelona: 1. Drove up to Avignon, spent some time at the Palais des Papes and walking around the town (very nice and classy place). Spent the night in Aix-en-Provence (Hotel Formule 1, dirt cheap, very comfortable if you don't mind walking out to the john) 2. Spent half a day in Aix-en-Provence on market day, incredible place! Drove in the afternoon to Torino. Slept there. 3. Half a day in Torino, not really worth it. Drove to Milan at noon. Spent afternoon there, really cool place! Drove to Parma, slept there. 4. Spent the morning in Parma, very nice. Drove to Bologna, visited in the afternoon. Very nice place as well.Drove at night to Firenze. 5. Spent the day in Firenze (what can I say about it that hasn't been said before?) Took a daytrip to Lucca-Pisa. 6. Drove to Siena, spent the day there. 7. Off to Rome, stopping in Assisi on the way. Hope this helps... Have an excellent trip!

First of all, thank you for responding to our inquiry. Call us crazy, but Venice was always on the itinerary. Sooo, what's the best way to work Venice into what sounds like a great itinerary that you have laid out? What would you NOT visit in order to fit Venice in? Thanks again. J&J

I think you would need to: a) Zoom through France (stop just to sleep), or b) Skip Florence, or c) Get to Rome only to catch your flight... Considering that it is your first time there, I think that your best option may be to skip Venice... That way you'll get a glimpse of Catalonia (not necessarily of Spain) in Barcelona, you get to see the south of France (which is breathtaking), and you get to see a lot of Italy...OK, maybe not Venice, but it is just too far away to include in 15 days...

Thanks for the newest suggestions, Jean. Here's what we're thinking about (this week! The plans are forever changing.) Barcelona-2 days. South of France-3 days. Maybe fly to Venice (?) for 2 days. Train to Florence, rent a car for Tuscany region-4 days. Rome-3 days. Does it make you tired just to think about it?

Here's a totally different approach: fly virgin-express.com from Spain to Italy. Plan your first x days in and around Barcelona, then fly to Rome, where you will want to spend x-y days, probably without a car. Now see the rest of the detinations in italy, by any number of plans, before returning to Rome. Regrettably, Virgin Express no longer flies non-stop to Rome, but even with the conection in Brussels, you will eat up a half day or less, and there are still fares as low as 18500 ESP ($95 USD, at this writing) - - and so far, VE does not have ACTUAL schedules and fares up for summer 2001. I am as big a fan of France as anyone, and under different circumstances, I would have advised that anyone's first trip to Europe ought to include France. but since you have already planned (locked in?) your travel to and from europe, this may be the best way to maximize the places you want to see with a minimum of time and money spent moving around. Best wishes, Rex

John & Joan: I have found that trying to see a little of many places may not be as rewarding as trying so see fewer places in greater detail. To be honest, with 15 days I would rather see Barcelona in 5 days, take a plane to Florence/Venice, 5 days in Florence/Venice, take a train to Rome and spend the rest of my trip there. As Rex mentioned, in ideal conditions France is a must, but considering the limited time you have maybe you'd want to 'waste' as little time as possible moving around. Considering your current plan, I'd guess that 2 days in Barcelona may be too little (particularly considering that you'll be arriving on one of those days, and jet lag counts). 3 days in southern France will leave you time to take a glimpse of 2, maybe 3 cities. I guess that the choice may be on whether you want to see Barcelona or the south of France. Logistically, I think that the most convenient itinerary may be: 1. Arrive in Barcelona, stay there for 4 days. 2. Fly to Venice early in the morning of day 5, stay the night IN Venice (not on the mainland). Leave for Florence by train late in the afternoon of day 6. 3. Sleep in Florence for 4 nights and take day trips to Pisa one afternoon and Siena one day. Maybe you could even include San Gimigiano on your way back from Siena if you started early enough. On day 10 leave for Rome by train and stay there until the end of your stay. I guess that would be the most efficient way to go about it. Maybe you'll miss France; and then you'll have yet another reason to visit Europe again.