Itinerary Check
 

Hello all-

I would like an itinerary check. It is fairly flexible.

Travel Day to Rome from US arrive 0935 a.m.
Day 1: Rome
Day 2: Rome
Day 3: Rome
Day 4: Rome- Day trip to Pompei via train
Day 5: a.m. Train to Florence arrive by 0800/Pisa in afternoon-Reasoning, this date will most likely end up being May 1st, it's open and it's a "have-to-see-it-once".
Day 6: Florence
Day 7: Florence
Day 8: Arrive Cinque Terre in a.m. (Florence-La Spezia-Vernassa)
Day: 9: Cinque Terre
Day 10: Cinque Terre
Day 11: Travel day to Venice via train (approx:5.5hrs)
Day 12: Venice
Day 13: Venice
Day 14: Venice
Day 15: Travel Day: Flying into Paris in a.m. (quick travel and inexpensive flight)
Day 16: Paris- Day trip to Versailles -Tours for the apartments are only on weekends, this day will most likely fall on a Sunday.
Day 17: Paris
Day 18: Paris
Day 19: Paris
Day 20: Paris
Day 21: Paris
Day 22: a.m. Chunnel to London
Day 23: London
Day 24: London
Day 25: London
Day 26: London-Day trip to Salisbury and Stonehenge
Day 27: London
Day 28: London- Day trip to Bath
Day 29: London
Travel Day back to U.S.

Should I add an additional day to Rome by removing one day from Cinque Terre? Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you for your input and time!

Your trip is well thought out and you have left enough time for most places. Subtracting a day from CT to add to Rome is up to you and depends on your interests. CT is mostly suited for hiking and outdoor activities. You don't have much in your itinerary other than cities so a couple of days in CT might be a nice change.

Florence is my favorite city in Italy and you haven't left much time there but everyone will have a different favorite.

If it is possible to visit Versailles on a day other than your first in Paris, consider moving that day trip to a later day. Also consider a day trip to Giverny while in Paris.
You are traveling at a nice time of year.

Looks pretty sound to me...I assume this is a sort on "getting-to-know-Europe" first-timers trip?

As you mentioned, I would make one less day in CT and add one to Rome...you simply cannot see enough of Rome and May is a good time of year there (and less reliable for the resorts of CT).

Personally, I would make the day trips from London optional once you get there, the city has SO much to offer and getting in and out (by train?) is so exhausting that I might consider Bath, Salisbury/Stonehenge as something for another trip.

I hope you have a wonderful trip and make it the first of many, many more!

Thank you for the responses. Yes, this is a "getting-to-know-Europe" first time trip. Good point about the day trips from London, I will rethink those and decide once I am there.

Do I have time from Paris to visit the D'day sights?

It might be more time- efficient if you went from Rome to Venice by train, then to Florence by train, then to le Cinque Terre by train, and flew to Paris from Pisa or Genoa airport. You could see Pisa en route to le Cinque Terre from Florence or see it on your flight day out. Although you are correct to say that the train time distance between Venice and le Cinque Terre is 5.5 hours, you aren't accounting for how long it is going to take for you to climb up and down hills and over bridges with your luggage to get to and from train stations. Bascially, you are killing a whole day in transit.

How you divide up your time between Rome and le Cinque Terre depends on how keen you are on art & history vs. beautiful nature. If touring museums and churches and ruins doesn't really float your boat, don't feel obliged to see other people's "must see" sights. On the other hand, you really have to be in the mood to relax to want to spend 3 nights in le Cinque Terre.

Be aware that May often has lots of rain in the region of Le Cinque Terre. If seeing it isn't a huge priority for you, then you might not want to commit to being there and choose another destination.

I agree - it looks like a nice trip. Upon arrival in a new city I like to take the 1st day as a wander/explore/get my bearings and eat some gelato day, so you could also do Pisa as a morning day trip from Florence on the 2nd or 3rd day.

The earlier in the day you get there the smaller the crowds.

Vespacurves- Thank you for the suggestion. I will look into it on the trenitalia website and decide. It makes sense, since Pisa is a stopping point from Florence to Cinque Terre. I like it, why didn't I think of that :) Much appreciated.

Good trip plan. And good suggestions from vespacurves.

In your itinerary you arrive in Florence early, too early to check into your hotel. You'll want to leave your bags at the hotel or at the train station baggage storage before continuing on to Pisa. Alternatively, they have baggage storage at Pisa's main train station, but I would imagine it is more popular and so you'd have to wait longer in line. As vespacurves says, you could do a stopover in Pisa on the way to the CT.

Also on your day 4 you have a daytrip to Pompeii, then an early train to Florence the next morning. The daytrip to Pompeii is a long one; you might want to move it to earlier in your Rome stay in order to have a day in Rome as kind of a rest before an early morning and another busy day on trains.

As for daytrips from London, you can wait and see how you feel. And what the weather is like. It would be nice to see something of the beautiful English countryside in the spring. Look at www.walks.com for their explorer days outside London as a way of doing daytrips.

@Mirmar-Thank you for the suggestions. Luggage is such a hassle :) Good reason to pack light! I immediately moved the Pompeii day trip, after reading your reply-makes so much sense!

Thank you for the help everyone. I like being able to be more efficient, especially with a busy trip!

Just don't say "Chunnel" in Europe. For some reason, the Euros on this board go apesnot over the name and insist on "Channel Tunnel" or just calling the trip by the shorthand for the train service provider, "Eurostar."

What is your departure point at Cinque Terre? Wondering if that train trip couldn't be <5.5 hours.

Note that May 1st is a holiday in Italy (MayDay or some similar Communist-influenced nonsense and Italy still has a robust Communist influence in its daily politics) so you may need to determine what is open and closed then.

@BigRuss-Thanks for the tip, I will call it "Eurostar"! I had no idea, I have just heard it called "chunnel" so many times elsewhere.

I am going to reroute Italy, based on the suggestions above, much more manageable travel times. Rome-Venice-Florence-Pisa- Cinque Terre-Fly out of Pisa to Paris (if it all works out, I haven't researched flights yet)

I know May 1 is a holiday, that is why I was going to Pisa on that day, but with the re-routing, I will have to look at my detailed itinerary again, thank you for the reminder!

Vivi004 -
Great trip!

If you added a day to Rome from CT, and then waited until you were in Florence to make your reservations for CT you could switch up your schedule if the weather wasn't promising. If it was raining you could skip CT and spend more time in Florence or go to Bologna or both.

I was in CT in late May and it was HOT and sunny so it's hard to know in advance.

I'd also add another day to Paris, taking one away from London but that's just me.

I think Chunnel was used when it was a sort of child's dream back in the sixties. Once the technology required became a bit more understood and the genuine pride built up both in France and the UK it needed a more grown up name and of course the blending together of names is really what one does with non-entities and pop stars.

I guess the Millau Bridge could be called Millpont but no one does.