sourbh_b

I'm planning a trip to Europe this October, with arrival in Rome on Sat Oct 9th, 2010 at 1330hrs and a departure from Paris on Sun Oct 24th, 2010 at 0900hrs.

For the last leg of the trip, I plan to see if I can take a flight from Geneva to Paris for the 21st of Oct so I get about 2.5-3 days in Paris as well.

What I was thinking was:

Day 1 - Oct 9th - Rome
Day 2 - Oct 10th - Rome
Day 3 - Oct 11th - Rome
Day 4 - Oct 12th - Evening 6pm train to Le Spezia
Day 5 - Oct 13th - Cinque Terre
Day 6 - Oct 14th - Mid day train to Pisa
Day 6 - Oct 14th - Late Evening Train to Florence
Day 7 - Oct 15th - Florence
Day 8 - Oct 16th - Evening Train to Venice around 6pm
Day 9 - Oct 17th - Venice
Day 10 - Oct 18th - Evening leave Venice into Tirano/Switzerland
Day 11 - Oct 19th
Day 12 - Oct 20th
Day 13 - Oct 21st Flight from Geneva
Day 14 - Day 17 - Oct 22nd - 24th Paris

Questions:

Is this itinerary doable?
Is is good or should there be changes?
Is this a lot?
What can and should be dropped?
What I really want to see is Rome, Paris, Cinque Terre (heard so much), Venice and then travel by train throught the Swiss Alps etc. but then you can't do everything, so what can I do. For the Swiss portion, I was thinking of going to St. Moritz/Chur, then across the country to Geneva...or just go upto Zurich and then straight to Paris by train.

Please guide me as I've never been here...fyi, me & my wife travelling in our early 30's....the kids are going to be back home in Canada with the grand parents.

Thanks, Sourbh

franco

It's doable, but it's an itinerary at two different paces: the Cinque Terre, Pisa and Switzerland legs are more like "slow travel" (not meaning to refer to that website, which I don't absolutely like - but the term is brilliant!), Rome, Florence, Venice and Paris are not, i.e. feeling unpleasantly rushed IMO. Since you don't list Florence under "what I really want to see", I suggest skipping at least that day and adding it to one of the other three cities - each of them deserves it (and would actually need it), so it's up to your interests and preferences where to spend it (or whether to take out one more city so to have a more reasonable amount of time in the remaining two).

PalenQ

Without commenting on whether it is doable or not - and of course it is doable and i have done a similar itinerary - i will comment on trains - In Italy buy regular tickets as you go along and in France too - well in France for the Geneva to Paris ducate go to www.voyages-sncf.com and try to score a PREM (deep discounted) ticket online - they are limited in number and often are sold out when they come on 90 days (i think) in advance - but can save a lot over just showing up in Geneva and buying ticket.
But in Switzerland the 4-consecutive-day Swiss Pass will be a great deal for you as you are going all across the country and will it seems be using the trains or lake boats for four days - stopping off in between the Bernina Pass/St Moritz area in say the Jungfrau Region - to me the absolute highlight of Switzerland. Anyway that pass would cover all transports for 4 days - trains - including those over the Bernina Pass route - buses - lake boats -try to do one on Lake Geneva when you arrive there the day before your flight - and even city trams, buses, etc. If you have 2 or more traveling together look at the Swiss Saver Pass for 4 straight days - the pass even gives free entry to over 400 Swiss Museums during the 4 days - say there is one in Geneva you want to visit, etc.
For loads on Swiss trains (and passes and other options) i always spotlight these info-laden sites - www.swisstravelsystem.com - which has links to special scenic trains like the Bernina Express and Glacier Express (which you could take from St Moritz to Brig/Zermatt if you want en route to Geneva) and the sbb.ch or Swiss Federal Railways to check regular prices in Swiss Francs (CHF) vs the pass; www.budgeteuropetravel.com - they have a great section on Swiss trains, etc.; www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com

Swiss trains are fantastic! They go everywhere all the time. They are easy to use - most conductors speak good English, etc.

PalenQ

For the Geneva-Paris TGV PREM type fares you can also try the idTGV.com site - though i am not sure they run TGV trains over this line as they do others in France - another option to check out

PalenQ

Day 4 - Oct 12th - Evening 6pm train to Le Spezia
Day 5 - Oct 13th - Cinque Terre
Day 6 - Oct 14th - Mid day train to Pisa
Day 6 - Oct 14th - Late Evening Train to Florence

Well i would not stop in La Spezia, which is just a few minutes by regional train from any of the Cinque Terre towns - so just IMO go onto a Cinque Terre base.

And as for Pisa i would not make a one-night stand there either - either do it as a day trip from the Cinque Terre or from Florence IMO - less overnight bases the better IMO - lots of time wasted packing up, up packing - finding way to a new hotel, etc.

Jean

I don't understand "Day 10 - Oct 18th - Evening leave Venice into Tirano/Switzerland.... I was thinking of going to St. Moritz/Chur."

I'd look at the route options from Venice to St. Moritz. They're all very long, involve multiple changes and one involves a bus. I don't think you can even reach Tirano the same day if you depart Venice in the evening, and you have to connect in Milan before heading north and east again to Tirano. If you leave Venice in the evening (sunset at about 6:30 pm), you'll be traveling (whatever route you take) through some beautiful areas in total darkness. Some years there is snow in St. Moritz the third week of October.

For all of these reasons, I'd choose between Venice and St. Moritz but not both. FWIW, Florence to Tirano involves only one change and many fewer hours.

PalenQ

Jean makes great point - impossible to leave Venice probably after early afternoon and reach Tirano, Italy before night - you could stay in Tirano and then next day when sun shines again hop on the Bernina Pass railway to St Moritz and continue on elsewhere - St Moritz has never thrilled me - so i would head onto a place like Lucerne for the night and next day perhaps - lovely boat rides on this fjord-like lake (Swiss Pass is valid on the lake boats as well)

sourbh_b

I'd like to find out how to travel within Italy; is it as I go, get tickets at the train stations, maybe the day before etc. or a pass? What about Switzerland? And finally if I were to skip Geneva, where else from Switzerland can I get a train or flight to Paris, something in the central region so I don't have to go all the way to Geneva?

Thanks

Jean

I'll leave the train pass questions for PalenQ.

You can check Italian and Swiss train schedules here:

http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/homepage_en.html

http://www.sbb.ch/en/

There are many daily flights to Paris from both Zurich and Geneva and a couple of flights most days from Bern.

PalenQ

I'd like to find out how to travel within Italy; is it as I go, get tickets at the train stations, maybe the day before etc. or a pass?>

Since a pass would seemingly save you money i would buy the pass - not sold in Italy

Go to www.trenitalia.com and see what the fares are for your Italian trips in Euros and compare to the pass price - but to take any fast train in Italy even with a pass you have to pay a $10 reservation fee - even with those added in for you itinerary i think a pass would save money.

Direct trains to Paris leave from Zurich, Bern, Lausanne, Basel as well as Geneva.