Is Greece, Italy and France feasible for 10-12 days, including travel?
Jul 30th, 2008, 03:22 PM
#41
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Not to hijack this post, but I wonder if our reactions to overnight train travel, or anything out of our comfort level has anything to do with our age. 30 years ago, I thought nothing of sleeping on the floor of the station, or upright in a 2nd class seat. It's not going to happen now - arthritic knees preclude getting up and down from the floor, and bursitis in my hips requires a softer bed. So, I will happily sleep on a train, but on a comfortable berth, after a dinner with a glass or two.
Jul 30th, 2008, 06:36 PM
#44
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Because:
1. You are jetlagged.
2. Once you count the better part of two days (and one night) to get there, and one full day to return, you really don't have much time at all.
3. Traveling between two major cities in different countries within Europe takes the better part of either a day or night, regardless of how you're getting there -- packing and getting to the airport or train station alone is a substantial block of time.
4. You have to allow time for getting lost (likely), or flight delays (very likely), strikes (practically guaranteed), or things not going as planned (illness, flight cancellations, terrible weather, whatever...).
5. These places are not as close together or as similar or as small (easily seen) as they might seem. Imagine if you said e.g. that you were going to see New York City, Washington DC, and Chicago in 7 days. Doable? Yes it's possible that you could fly in and out of those cities -- but you could not experience them very well, or in a very relaxing way. You wouldn't have any extra time. And part of the glory of these places is that they beg for time to be savored, sitting in a sidewalk cafe and people-watching.
Paris deserves a minimum of 3 nights 4 days, but 4 nights/5 days (or more) would be better. So I would split the time between Paris and one other city of your choosing. For me, that other city would be Rome. Even then, IMO it is rushed. But this is the kind of thing that I only figured out after doing the classic "If it's Tuesday I must be in Rome" backpacking trip when I was in my twenties. And yes, I had a great time. But I learned to have a better time once I realized how much nicer it is to see something besides the inside of train stations waiting in line. Either way, an experience I would not trade.
Have an amazing time, best wishes.
1. You are jetlagged.
2. Once you count the better part of two days (and one night) to get there, and one full day to return, you really don't have much time at all.
3. Traveling between two major cities in different countries within Europe takes the better part of either a day or night, regardless of how you're getting there -- packing and getting to the airport or train station alone is a substantial block of time.
4. You have to allow time for getting lost (likely), or flight delays (very likely), strikes (practically guaranteed), or things not going as planned (illness, flight cancellations, terrible weather, whatever...).
5. These places are not as close together or as similar or as small (easily seen) as they might seem. Imagine if you said e.g. that you were going to see New York City, Washington DC, and Chicago in 7 days. Doable? Yes it's possible that you could fly in and out of those cities -- but you could not experience them very well, or in a very relaxing way. You wouldn't have any extra time. And part of the glory of these places is that they beg for time to be savored, sitting in a sidewalk cafe and people-watching.
Paris deserves a minimum of 3 nights 4 days, but 4 nights/5 days (or more) would be better. So I would split the time between Paris and one other city of your choosing. For me, that other city would be Rome. Even then, IMO it is rushed. But this is the kind of thing that I only figured out after doing the classic "If it's Tuesday I must be in Rome" backpacking trip when I was in my twenties. And yes, I had a great time. But I learned to have a better time once I realized how much nicer it is to see something besides the inside of train stations waiting in line. Either way, an experience I would not trade.
Have an amazing time, best wishes.
Jul 30th, 2008, 06:40 PM
#45
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Also forgot to mention: I have been to Paris in November, and it was rainy and grey and dark most of the time. Not a great time to be there. Still better than not being in Paris mind you. But it gets dark early (even earlier than in Chicago). If it's November for sure, then the farther south in Europe, the better.
