Letting others plan my trip??Can I relinquish control??
 

OK, 8 days and in December. Dolomites, Ravenna, Bologna, Switzerland to Chamonix. I'm thinking small towns, a little "fun" history, fantastic drives and some skiing and lifts. Might possibly reverse the itin. I HAVE to concretely plan this trip for plane tickets. I am going to do something I have never done......YES, other people will plan my trip. Make me proud.

Sorry, I don't want to play... sounds like you need a travel agent.

You already know that supposedly when you relinquish control you also avoid guilt when the "results" are less than optimal...good luck!

OK I'm confused... What other people will plan your trip? Your traveling companions? Us here at Fodors? A travel agent? Why do you need a concrete plan in order to purchase plane tickets (you need only a start and end city)?

I am choosing from a few different itineraries. This one came as a suggestion from a coworker who is from France. Unfortunately, it is someone I hardly ever see. The plane tickets decide which itinerary. The other two, spain and eastern europe I had researched and planned, yet still not totally comitted. This one from my coworker would not be the one I would have planned myself, which makes it all the more interesting. I've read alot of the posts on the dolomites, as I have been to Garda before, but only during the summer. I'm interested in routes and ideas from Chamonix and Switz to Val Gardena. I think I'm planned out and a little overwhelmed at this point. Just looking for some specifics and help.

Hi jen,

>Just looking for some specifics and help.<

You will have to ask specific questions.

I guess I took my dumb pills today. I read the original post last night and couldn't figure out what jenmcguiness is asking from us. This morning, even with the additional post, it makes no more sense.
Are you telling us those are the cities you want to visit and now you are asking others to tell you how to travel between them and where to stay?

By "make me proud" does that mean you're on an unlimited budget and want top priced hotels and travel in luxury? How can anyone suggest anything without more specifics of what you are looking for. Are you alone or are there 16 of you?

And I can't figure out what you mean by the "plane tickets will determine the itinerary". How do you buy the plane tickets without knowing which itinerary you're going to take? Or are you saying whichever set of plane tickets are the cheapest then that's where you're going? If so, then get your plane tickets first and then ask for help. What's the point of doing all this planning if it isn't where you're going? Or is it that you don't see the value in wasting YOUR time planning somewhere you're not going, so you want us to waste OUR time instead planning a trip for somewhere you aren't going?

I suggest you stick with one of the trips you've already researched and planned, and start making your flight, hotel and transportation arrangements. December is only a few weeks away.

That will leave you plenty of time to research a ski trip to Switzerland, get a basic itinerary together, and then come back and ask questions.

Folks here like to help but goodness, it's asking a lot for strangers to assemble an entire trip for you, for free.

I'm with Ira and Patrick on this one, even with the second post I still can't figure out what is the question. Choose from 3 itineraries (do we know what they are)? Why does a plane ticket determine which one? Obviously I'm of no help here, but usually I can at least understand the point of a post!

Is this some form of the old game show "I've got a secret? What in the world are you talking about?

I didn't mean to upset anyone. I admire and treasure everyone's knowledge here on the post. I was just hoping for a few interesting cities or routes to pass through with the idea of this trip. It is just my husband and I traveling. I simply need to decide on an area geographically before I purchase plane tickets, and as another said, December is getting close. I did not mean to impose upon anyone's time or talent, simply to share some experiences.

I am usually the one who plans everything for close and extended family trips and I usually do so in small detail (don't always stick to it though) I think I feel like I don't want to miss anything and I always want to see the places that few if any others know about. This is what is great about this board, I was looking for the fun part, not to make anyone work.

Nobody's upset. We just don't get what you are asking... Do you want folks to propose an 8-day itinerary that might include some of the mentioned locations?
Or just throw out places they liked in the same vicinities? You're not saying you want to visit ALL of those places in 8 days, right? Do you want to cart ski equipment around if you're only planning to ski in one town, for a day or two? Or do you want a ski vacation?

We can go all over the place with this... it would help if you'd give a rough outline of what you'd like to do.
1. Fly into Zurich, train or drive thru Dolomites into Italy to Bologna, out Rome?
2. Fly into Switzerland, visit one or two ski resorts and a couple small Swiss villages?

Do you have a budget in mind? Is it easy to drive in Switzerland in December, or are the roads snowed or iced over?

Start this thing up with some kind of structure, then maybe folks will fill in the blanks...

This is starting to smell like a troll. But let's not rush to judgement - it might be an airhead.

Maybe jenmcguiness has been sipping way too much Guiness?

This girl is <b>high maintenance</b>...
her other posts, since 9/23:

Spain trip:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34530661

Germany/Austria/Switzerland trip:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34530642

Three <i>other</i> itineraries:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34530638

Oh don't worry, you have not &quot;upset&quot; anyone. Some of us are determined posters, and as Travelnut tried so nicely to explain... we're still looking for a question to answer!