Help First Trip to Europe!
 

Hi Everyone,

I have worked out roughly what I would like to do on my first trip to Europe and about how long I want in each spot ( Am open for Changes ). I have now revised this 5 times so I thought I would come to the experts :)
So here it is:
London - 2 Nights
Paris - 3 Nights
Barcelona - 3 Nights
Nice - 3 Nights
Milan - 1 Night
Verona - 1 Night
Venice - 2 Nights
Florance - 3 Nights
Rome - 4 Nights
Amalfi Coast - 5 Nights
Rome - 1 Night.

Questions
*Can we do a Day trip to Assisi? If Yes Where from Rome or Florance
*Should I cut my Night in Verona and do that as a day Trip?

Hope you guys can help! Thanks in advance

Well, it would be really helpful to know what interests you, because from the itinerary you propose it's very hard to say, BUT, my thoughts are (without knowing how you are getting from point A to point B): too many nights on the Amalfi Coast and not enough in Venice and Verona. The Amalfi Coast is cool, but not that cool. And you've only allowed one night for Rome. It's not my favorite place on earth, but I think it deserves more than a night.

St Cirq missed the 4 nights in Rome before the Amalfi coast. Simple oversight.

Assisi from Rome.

My greatest concern is as to how you are going to get from Paris to Barcelona to Nice. I would substitute Avignon instead, and enjoy Provence in stead of Catalunya.

Last of all, are you sure you want to do all this in one trip? If you were my sister-in-law, for example, who has never been to Europe - - I would say whittle half of this away, reduce from 28 days to 14-18, and get started on the fund for trip number two, to follow as soon as realistic for you. You will learn so much in this firt trip that will result in your planning the second one in new and fdiferent ways than you can imagine.

Best wishes,

Rex

If anything, I'd take out Milan - unless you're planning to do some shopping there - but i found it to be more of a business center. I'd either add Cannes or another night in London.

Sorry Guys I should of said Flying from London to Paris on one of those cheap airlines then taking the Train for the rest of the way..

Without knowing your tour objectives and why you want to go to some of these places, we are operating with limited knowledge.

So at the risk of tramping on your pet objectives, here is my reading on it.
I think 2 days for London and 3 days for Paris is too little by several days.

I think you need to have hear to heart with youself and your travel mates if any and decide just what it is you want to do over there in Europe.

Let me ask you one question:
Have you calculated how much time you will be spending on trains?

Paris to Barcelona is a long jump. the best travel time is almost 11 hours with 4 changes of trains.
Fewer changes means a longer trip, like 13 hours.

And 10 hours to travel to Nice from Barcelona. So in travel you really lose two sight seeing days right there.

I would take out Barcelona unless you have a compelling reason to go there, and, after cutting down the time at the Amalfi Coast, add the time to London and Paris.

London and Paris both offer a lot, particularly Paris, if you add in day trips to places like Fontainebleau+Vaux le Vicomte, Versailles, Giverny, Chartres, and some others.

After going back to Paris for 12 nights total I still have a few uncrossed off slots on my dance card. And I never did make a return visit to the Louvre.
And I really did not pay my proper respects to the little Emperor in the 7 boxes, I think it is.

Of course, again, if you have a compelling reason for the Amalfi, then by all means don't change.

I spend up to two weeks just in Switzerland because I WANT to be there.
But, I have been there before and I am doing what my wife and I like to do: visit the Alps.

Before you go it might help to learn the European names for places. One "friend" of mine was hunting for Florence and he drove up and down the highway looking for it because he did not know what the duece Firenza was!
Glad he was not looking for Leghorn.

Theoretically your itinerary is doable. But afterwards you may remember it as the trek through hell. Well, maybe not hell exactly but not too far off.

Besides what the others have said -- on average, every one of your travel days will use up 1/4 to 1/2 a day between travel, finding your hotel and unpacking. And some of your days will be totally taken up w/ travel. So when you are somewhere only 1 night you will actually only have a few hours (if that much) to see anything.

London is HUGE and you will really only have one full day there plus whatever you can manage to do on your jetlagged arrval day. Unless you can add a minimum of 2 or 3 more days to London you might just skip it entirely. It pains me to say that but for two days London is barely worth it. Head straight to Paris and add the extra days you had scheduled for London.

Barcelona really takes up a LOT of to/from travel time, sp I would drop it unless you absolutely "must" go there.

Personally I don't like the 1 night Milan, 1 night Verons bit - but it is up to you whethere 1-night stops are worthwhile.

sorry about the typos -- that is "Verona" and "worthwhile"

Okay now Im getting stressed out!! Well we are now thinking to do Barcelona/Spain on another trip and add those days to another destination we were going to. What do you all think about adding in some time in Verona/Venice and maybe taking a night off Amalfi and adding it into London?! Thanks again.

In my opinion you are going to far too many cities. Try to enjoy each morsel of life not the whole loaf at once. You will be spending as much time moving from one place to another as you will trying enjoy where you are. If you want to go to multiple cities in one trip I would cut it to three or four of these major cities: London, Paris, Venice, Florence, Rome, Bacelona. There is so much to do in each it is amazing. You can take day trips to nearby places if necessary. If you are interested in museums and historical sites you will never run out.

I would do the following:
4 nights london
4 nights Paris
3 nights Nice
2 nights Verona
3 nights Venice
3 nights Florence
4 nights Rome
4 nights Amalfi coast
1 night Rome

Hi Rose,

No need to stress out. Have a glass of wine. You are making progress.

Leaving out Barcelona, I suggest

4-5 nights London, 5 nights Paris, no need for Milan, Do Verona as a day trip and add 1-2 nights to Venice, drop one night from the AC and add it to Florence.

As mentioned earlier, since this is your very first trip to Europe, do you really want to do 4 weeks? Living outof a suitcase for a month can be wearying.

Have you considered doing Italy for 2 weeks this time and then London and Paris for 2 weeks next year?

Agree about using the correct names for places. We met some people in a highway gas station who were convinced they were lost beause they couldn't find a sign for "Vienna". And don't even start on Munich.

I once met some folks who had been to Italy and missed Firenze, but they did see Florence for a day.

Well lucky for me I have an upper hand coming from an Italian background which is why I would like to spend the chunk of thr trip in Italy. Love the idea of seeing the big cities as well as getting lost in the small towns. Wanted to do Barcelona for my partner who comes from a South American/Spanish Background. Does any one think its a good idea to take an Overnight train from Paris to Barcelona and Fly to nice?? If so what airline?
Also I should of mentioned flights are booked so Arrive in London and Depart from Rome a month later!!

If I take Naples out am I still able to go to Pompeii on a Day trip from Rome or AC??

Thanks :)

I have been looking at transportation between Paris and Barcelona for a trip I am planning. I discovered it is much cheaper to fly than train. Easyjet has flights from Orly field to Barcelona for my dates in June for 34.49 euro one way. Pompeii is an easy day trip when you are in the Amalfi coast area and possible but more difficult and time consuming from Rome.

If you could get from Paris to Barcelona cheaply I would be tempted to go to Barcelona. It is a fun city.You would need at least 3 nights to make it worthwhile. On your current plan you really aren't seeing many small towns.