nspotz

I think I have finally put together a tentative itinerary for our Europe trip this summer. Originally we had an unlimited amount of time, but something came up last minute and our dates are no longer flexible. The earliest we can leave is May 26th and we have to come back to the states on June 17th. You can view my thought process and the suggestions i recieved (thank you to all!) on these two threads:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ingle-trip.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...s-398506-2.cfm

Our priorities are to see a little bit of Greece (Athens, Santorini), Amalfi Coast, Paris and some of the countryside in France. Keep in mind we have already visited northern Italy and Rome, so one full day in Rome will be sufficient for us. My husband has visited France but I have never been. Neither of us have ever been to Greece. My questions are:
1. Do you think this itinerary is feasible, as far as the route we are taking and how much time we are alotting in each place.
2. Has anyone done the day trip from Athens to Delphi? Did you enjoy it or does it make for too long of a day?
3. I've heard that going directly to the islands and leaving Athens for last is the best way to do it. Thoughts?
4. What is the best way to get to the Amalfi Coast from Naples? We are interested in staying in Positano but open to suggestions for a great base in the area.
5. Where should we stay in France once we leave Paris? We are interested in visiting a vineyard, renting bikes and relaxing. Province sounds appealing to me but i am having trouble making up my mind on this.

Lastly, feel free to tell me that I am crazy and that this is too much moving around. From my previous experience on Fodors it seems that my husband and I like to travel at a quicker pace than alot of the commenters here, but I don't want to have too many long travel days.

May 26th: Fly Atlanta-Athens
May 27th: Arrive in Athens, Flight to Santorini
May 28th: Santorini, Stay in Oia
May 29th: Santorini
May 30th: Santorini
May 31st: Santorini
June 1st : Flight or ferry to Athens
June 2nd: Day trip to Delphi or explore Athens
June 3rd: Fly ATH-Naples, train or bus to Amalfi Coast
June 4th: Amalfi Coast
June 5th: Amalfi Coast
June 6th: Amalfi Coast
June 7th: Train to Rome
June 8th: Rome, Cooking Class
June 9th: Fly Rome-Paris
June 10th: Paris
June 11th: Paris
June 12th: Paris
June 13th: France
July 14th: France
July 15th: France
July 16th: France
July 17th: Fly home from Paris.

nspotz

Also, one more thing: Would you rent a car in the french countryside or rely on public transportation?

PalenQ

I have stayed in Delphi and it is awesome - worth whatever hours on a bus you have to spend - organized excursions are the quickest but if you can try to stay in the small modern village near the ancient ruins as only after the tourist daytime hoardes have departed do the ancient stones take on, to me at least, a rather mystical scene - that for someone who has absolutely no mystical feelings.

But anyone do it IMO and cut a day out of Santorini, which I have also been to and it is far too small for my tastes for several days even though it is possible to day trip to other island from there.

nspotz

PalenaQ, where would you add the extra day? The reason why I have 4 days there is I want to be able to relax a little bit and spend time doing nothing since we will be traveling for so long after that. Plus, we will be coming straight from work that week and would love to be able to unwind a little bit. I don't mind adding the relaxing day somewhere else if you have any suggestions!

annhig

as you are flying home from Paris, nsprotz, would it be better to pick up your car immediately you arrive in Paris, see the countryside, then return the car and see Paris?

alternatively, depending on where you were thinking of going in france - you could also think about flying from Rome to a regional french airport, tour that area, then get the train to Paris and end your trip there. I'm thinking Nice for Provence/the Rivieria, Toulouse for the south west or the dordogne, Rennes/ St. Brieuc for Brittany/Normandie etc.

I think that i would add your extra day to france - either to the countryside or to Paris.

Weadles

I politely disagree with PalenQ. The long flight- Atlanta-Athens-Santorini- will leave you zombielike if you're anything like us for at least a day or two. So by the time you recover, you really wont have so much time to explore and Santorini. I'd leave that part of the itinerary intact.

I would recommend flying to Athens from Santorini. I did not enjoy the long ferry ride there on our first visit, and it eats up so much of your time.

Unless you know something I don't, it's impossible to fly from Athens to Naples. You have to go through Rome. We usually take a private transfer from FCO to Positano because we often travel with at least a few other people. It is pricey- about E350- and takes about 3 hours. You can also take the Eurostar to Naples from Rome, then arrange a private transfer from there to Positano. Not sure on the pricing anymore for those options.

Not sure why you really want to spend so much time and $$ on one night in Rome. I like to cook, too, but that class better be something really special!!! Otherwise, it's just one more stop on a pretty busy itinerary, and I would cut it out, and fly straight ( if you can) from Naples to Paris. ( I think Alitalia may fly this route and/or Air France. We did it long ago, but not sure it's still in service.)

We really liked the area around Bordeaux/St. Emilion, and it's an easy TGV train ride from Paris. But of course there are SO many areas of France that are worth staying in at least a few days! We also are obsessed with the area around Nice. It's a great combination of resort/city, and the surrounding towns will take your breath away, and are all easy to get to on the train or bus.

Good luck, and have a wonderful time! We'll be in Greece and Italy at the same time...!

bobthenavigator

Well, my 2 cents is that Delphi is too far for my taste and be sure to leave time in Athens for the fabulous archelogical museum. You will love Oia---great choice.

I would have car in rural France, but I would train to the area first and get the car there. Nice trip !

HappyTrvlr

You haven't given Athens any time. It deserves time for the Acropolis and museums. Delphi is beautiful and deserves a day and perhaps an overnight. I am with PalenQ regarding Santorini. We were there four nights and it was much too long for us. We enjoyed other islands much more.

Heimdall

I agree that going straight to Santorini is a good idea, and four days there would be very nice. I don't think you need to put your relaxing days at the beginning of the trip, though, especially at the expense of seeing the sights of Athens. With your time constraints I would recommend two days on Santorini, then back to Athens, with possibly an overnight trip to Delphi as PalenQ sugggests.

You plan to fly from Rome, spend three days in Paris, then four more in "France" before returning to Paris for your flight home. I am happy to be corrected, but northern France, apart from Paris, is not the most interesting part of the country. It would make more sense to me if you flew to a city in southern France (maybe Nice or Lyon), then made your way north and saved Paris for last.

Weadles

A last thought: If you keep Rome on your itinerary, you can fly from FCO to Nice, and spend a few days there. Then fly on to Paris from Nice. You won't need a car in Nice since there's excellent public transportation, and many of the towns you'd like to see are within a very short distance.

nspotz

Thanks for the suggestion, Annhig, I will look into that. Since I've never been to France, i thought it might be good to start in Paris but it will definately maximize our time by doing Paris last.
I think I will take one day from Santorini and add it to France. Having 5 days in France outside of Paris where would you suggest going?

nspotz

I think I was typing my last reply while everyone else was....
Weadles, I thought I saw a flight from Athens to Naples directly but I could be mistaken. I am just trying to avoid going to Rome twice, but maybe we could fly Athens-Rome, spend a day there then travel to Positano and fly from Naples to France. I was considering the stop in Rome because of the convenience of flying out of Rome to Paris plus I really loved Rome and would absolutely love to see it again. The cooking class looks really great but not worth the stop for the class alone.

I am no expert on the Greek islands but Santorini looks so beautiful and looking through my guidebook none of the others really caught my eye, especially considering our time crunch.

Heimdall, I am not considering northern france, just the southern part. I like your idea of saving Paris for last. With 5 days in France (apart from the days in Paris) do you think we would have time to explore Province and the areas surrounding Nice?

We don't mind renting a car in France, just want to do whatever will save us the most money but allow us the convenience to explore.

nspotz

How complicated is it to get from Rome or Naples to Positano without hiring a private driver (don't think that's in our budget!)

clausar

Only Santorini caught your eye and none of the other islands?
It will be a pity to be so near to great islands such as Paros or Naxos and not see them....

Heimdall

Yes, I think you could see a lot in Provence in a few days. I've stayed in Nice a few times, mostly for the Monaco Grand Prix, and have enjoyed driving around the region. I also like the area around Avignon and Nimes, and the drive past Pont du Gard and north through the Gorges d'Ardèche.

These days I travel mostly to Greece, and this is my favorite holiday destination. It pains me to say this, but with the little time you have allocated for Greece, perhaps you should skip it entirely and spend that extra time in France. Santorini is a beautiful island, but I don't think it is practical to go to Greece just to see it.

nspotz

Clausar, yes! Tell me why I should visit the other ones! With such a limited amount of time I figured I only have time to see one island. I mainly interested in beautiful scenery. The fact that Santorini is more touristy really doesn't bother me.

Michael

You'll need car for rural France. For a base from which you can check different rates, use kemwel.com. Basic rate means that the CDW can be carried on your credit card, but that may be limited to certain countries of origin (the U.S. and ???). If you rent in a provincial town, be aware that while you can avoid the RR station or airport pick-up fee by renting in town, it usually means that there is a fee for a one-way rental, and that fee is higher than the station pick-up fee. Chances are that the the RR station and airport car rental agency will be Europcar (Kemwel is only a broker) while the town agency might be Herz or Avis.

nspotz

Heimdall, Greece is a must for us. We really don't want to cut it out. Do you think this is too rigorous of an itinerary?

Heimdall

Well, you have to balance your itinerary, and that means give and take. I've been to Santorini a couple of times, and it is absolutely stunning. But Athens is also a beautiful city, with much to see, so don't sell it short. I go to Greece once or twice a year, and used to go straight from the airport to islands, then back to the airport for my flight home. Recently I have discovered just how nice Athens is when you get away from the tourist areas, and now it is part of every trip to Greece for me.

clausar

I could mention many wonderful neighbouring islands, while Santorini is a touristy but unique island, visiting an island like Naxos, will let you discover the true face of Greece.
Seems like you have allocated too little time for Greece, and according to your schedule, you won't be able to see even Athens properly....