London, Paris, Rome 10 Days
Jun 23rd, 2019, 04:00 PM
#1
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London, Paris, Rome 10 Days
Hi Everyone,
My husband and I will be traveling with my parents to London, Paris and Rome on August 23rd. This will be our first time to these locations. We fly into London and out of Rome on September 3rd. The plan is to stay in London for 2.5 days, depart on Tuesday morning via train for Paris, fly to Milan on Friday morning, and train to Rome Saturday evening or Sunday morning. Does this sound doable or would you recommend skipping Paris or Milan?
Thanks for any suggestions in advance.
My husband and I will be traveling with my parents to London, Paris and Rome on August 23rd. This will be our first time to these locations. We fly into London and out of Rome on September 3rd. The plan is to stay in London for 2.5 days, depart on Tuesday morning via train for Paris, fly to Milan on Friday morning, and train to Rome Saturday evening or Sunday morning. Does this sound doable or would you recommend skipping Paris or Milan?
Thanks for any suggestions in advance.
Jun 23rd, 2019, 04:46 PM
#2
Your title is misleading - it is actually >>London, Paris, Milan, Rome 10 Days<<
That is extremely ambitious. Out of your 10 days you are spending nearly 2 full days in transit between cities. And with a party of 4 who have not been to any of these places. With flights already booked, you have time for London + Rome period -- and even that is hectic in the middle of summer.
That is extremely ambitious. Out of your 10 days you are spending nearly 2 full days in transit between cities. And with a party of 4 who have not been to any of these places. With flights already booked, you have time for London + Rome period -- and even that is hectic in the middle of summer.
Jun 23rd, 2019, 05:34 PM
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I agree with janisj. Where are you flying from? It can take several days just to feel back to normal when experiencing jet lag. I would limit your trip to London and Rome as they are two wonderful cities with plenty to keep you busy. Rome will likely be very warm and you will want time to relax and cool off. You will want to enjoy this trip, not make a mad dash from here to there. Save Paris and Milan for another trip.
Jun 23rd, 2019, 07:36 PM
#6
>>Since recommending only visiting Rome while in Italy, would you recommend any day trips?<<
To clarify -- I recommended visiting London AND Rome. You can take a day trip from either city -- but you have very little time in each so I'd wait til you are there to decide. You have from the afternoon of the 24th to the evening of 2nd free on the ground = 9.5 days. Then minus most of one day to travel from London to Rome. So IRL you'll have between 4 and 4.5 days in each city. Make a list of the major sites you want to see in London and Rome - if it is more than 6 or 7 sites each, you probably would not have enough time for a day trip out of town.
From London you could consider Hampton Court Palace or Windsor, and from Rome Ostia Antica.
. . . an with the heat likely in Rome you'll probably be moving slower than you think
To clarify -- I recommended visiting London AND Rome. You can take a day trip from either city -- but you have very little time in each so I'd wait til you are there to decide. You have from the afternoon of the 24th to the evening of 2nd free on the ground = 9.5 days. Then minus most of one day to travel from London to Rome. So IRL you'll have between 4 and 4.5 days in each city. Make a list of the major sites you want to see in London and Rome - if it is more than 6 or 7 sites each, you probably would not have enough time for a day trip out of town.
From London you could consider Hampton Court Palace or Windsor, and from Rome Ostia Antica.
. . . an with the heat likely in Rome you'll probably be moving slower than you think
Jun 24th, 2019, 04:13 AM
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Is it do-able? Sure, as long as you can make all those connections and survive the jet lag and exhaustion that traveling like that will cause. Is it reasonable? No. Even London and Rome is a lot to chew off in such a short time, as London is absolutely enormous, and Rome has enough fascinating sites to occupy you easily for a whole week or more.
I wouldn't plan day trips with such a short amount of time in either city, but if you're tempted to take one once you get there, it's easy enough
I wouldn't plan day trips with such a short amount of time in either city, but if you're tempted to take one once you get there, it's easy enough
Jun 24th, 2019, 05:35 AM
#8
Absolutely agree that Rome will be a furnace at that time of year.
How old are your parents?
Also, you are on holiday when everyone else is on holiday so expect to queue up at major attractions.
Expect HUGE crowds at the Vatican and Colosseum. Same for Westminister Abbey, St Paul's, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Borough Market.
You are also not acquainted with these cities and it will take you a lot of time to get your bearings straight.
Do you know how to take the tube? Buy a ticket from a machine or buy an Oyster Card? How are you getting around Rome?
Thin🎲
How old are your parents?
Also, you are on holiday when everyone else is on holiday so expect to queue up at major attractions.
Expect HUGE crowds at the Vatican and Colosseum. Same for Westminister Abbey, St Paul's, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Borough Market.
You are also not acquainted with these cities and it will take you a lot of time to get your bearings straight.
Do you know how to take the tube? Buy a ticket from a machine or buy an Oyster Card? How are you getting around Rome?
Thin🎲
Jun 24th, 2019, 09:06 AM
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Not sure how willing you are to do some things that will cost you money but save time...in Rome, consider booking a Colisseum tour and/or Vatican Library tour, in advance. We did this and it saved the time of standing in line for tickets and also provided a wonderful experience. It's not for everyone and if your budget is tight, it may not be possible. I hate to be in line and when on vacation, I feel like my time is ticking away. We took tours with Walks of Italy and they were well worth the cost (and allowed us not to stand in line for tickets). There are many companies that you could go with but we were quite happy with the tours we took with Walks of Italy.
I agree you could spend all your time in Rome. If you really want to leave Rome, consider Tivoli. You can visit both Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este there. At the time of year you plan to go, if you are there over a weekend, you may be able to visit Villa d'Este in the evening. Not only is it much cooler but all the fountains lit up at night is magic.
See the link to my trip report for more detail, if interested.
The Accidental Tourists-the Adamsons hit Rome (and Rome hits back)!
Borghese Gallery - beautiful and you will need a reservation but that works for you when visiting at a busy time (assuming you can still get a reservation).
We were just in London...we did not book tours but were there in April and the city isn't as crowded with tourists. The Chihuly glass exhibits should still be in place at Kew Gardens and it is beautiful and an easy Tube ride to get there (and lots of room to spread out). Another option that may not be as crowded as other sites would be The Painted Hall in Greenwich. Pair it with the Royal Observatory and maybe some other sites in Greenwich, fo a really nice day with fewer crowds that you might see at Westminster Abbey. I totally agree with Hampton Court Palace as a suggestion!
There and Back Again: A London Tale
I agree with the others that you don't want to cram in 4 cities. If London and Rome are non-negotiable, stay with those 2 cities and you will better enjoy your trip and see more! Enjoy your trip!
I agree you could spend all your time in Rome. If you really want to leave Rome, consider Tivoli. You can visit both Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este there. At the time of year you plan to go, if you are there over a weekend, you may be able to visit Villa d'Este in the evening. Not only is it much cooler but all the fountains lit up at night is magic.
See the link to my trip report for more detail, if interested.
The Accidental Tourists-the Adamsons hit Rome (and Rome hits back)!
Borghese Gallery - beautiful and you will need a reservation but that works for you when visiting at a busy time (assuming you can still get a reservation).
We were just in London...we did not book tours but were there in April and the city isn't as crowded with tourists. The Chihuly glass exhibits should still be in place at Kew Gardens and it is beautiful and an easy Tube ride to get there (and lots of room to spread out). Another option that may not be as crowded as other sites would be The Painted Hall in Greenwich. Pair it with the Royal Observatory and maybe some other sites in Greenwich, fo a really nice day with fewer crowds that you might see at Westminster Abbey. I totally agree with Hampton Court Palace as a suggestion!
There and Back Again: A London Tale
I agree with the others that you don't want to cram in 4 cities. If London and Rome are non-negotiable, stay with those 2 cities and you will better enjoy your trip and see more! Enjoy your trip!
Jun 24th, 2019, 09:30 AM
#10
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I also suggest staying with London and Rome, you’ll have more than enough to see and do in these two cities.
In London you could visit Greenwich, though it’s not really very far outside London. Take the boat one way and the DLR the other way, makes for an interesting day.
You can avail of the 2for1 offer, this gets you half price entrance at many London attractions. You can print the coupons in advance and redeem them when you’re buying your tickets. The key is to have a rail ticket or Travel Card for the Tube bought at a British Rail station, not the Tube station. Easy enough to do as there are several train stations in town. Note that the Oyster card doesn’t qualify for this scheme.
https://www.londontoolkit.com/whatto...ard_2for1.html
In Rome you can pre-book timed entrance tickets to the Colosseum, Vatican and other museums. The Vatican has late evening entrance on Fridays in summer, crowds are said to be less and you have a better overall experience. These tickets can also be booked on the official Vatican website, you can also rent an audio guide.
Night Openings: Open tour of the Museums and Sistine Chapel - Vatican Museums
In London you could visit Greenwich, though it’s not really very far outside London. Take the boat one way and the DLR the other way, makes for an interesting day.
You can avail of the 2for1 offer, this gets you half price entrance at many London attractions. You can print the coupons in advance and redeem them when you’re buying your tickets. The key is to have a rail ticket or Travel Card for the Tube bought at a British Rail station, not the Tube station. Easy enough to do as there are several train stations in town. Note that the Oyster card doesn’t qualify for this scheme.
https://www.londontoolkit.com/whatto...ard_2for1.html
In Rome you can pre-book timed entrance tickets to the Colosseum, Vatican and other museums. The Vatican has late evening entrance on Fridays in summer, crowds are said to be less and you have a better overall experience. These tickets can also be booked on the official Vatican website, you can also rent an audio guide.
Night Openings: Open tour of the Museums and Sistine Chapel - Vatican Museums
Jun 24th, 2019, 10:27 AM
#12
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Alyss: On our first (and so far, only) trip to Rome, we spent 5 nights. There are so many things to see and just walking will reveal amazing buildings, sculptures, churches, ruins, etc. We were there in May, and it was already warm. Pick out a couple of things to do each day and make sure you schedule in rest! We took a couple of Context Tours, one for the Vatican (able to see the Sistine Chapel before the hoards) and one for the Coliseum, Palatine Hill, and the Forum. Without those, we would have missed a lot, trying to make sense of what is there.
London, I could spend a lifetime there...
Listen to Janis's advice above. She has never steered me wrong.
London, I could spend a lifetime there...
Listen to Janis's advice above. She has never steered me wrong.
Jun 24th, 2019, 10:48 AM
#13
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Skip Milan and it's still ambitious - book trains early for nice discounts - www.seat61.com has loads on that - general info BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.
With just 10 days I'd do London and Paris with maybe a day trip one day from each.
With just 10 days I'd do London and Paris with maybe a day trip one day from each.
Jun 24th, 2019, 11:40 AM
#14
>>With just 10 days I'd do London and Paris with maybe a day trip one day from each.<<
Pal read the OP: They are flying in to London and home from Rome . . . so how would London+Paris and trains help?
Pal read the OP: They are flying in to London and home from Rome . . . so how would London+Paris and trains help?
Jun 25th, 2019, 06:19 AM
#15
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Thank you all for the responses. We are now tweaking are trip a bit. Thanks for the links as well.
My parents are 67 & 70 yrs old and very young, active for their ages and travelers. We are flying from Newark, NJ
JanisSJ- I appreciate your feedback on London and Rome. I have looked into staying in Greenwich in London and near the Vatican in Rome.
My parents are 67 & 70 yrs old and very young, active for their ages and travelers. We are flying from Newark, NJ
JanisSJ- I appreciate your feedback on London and Rome. I have looked into staying in Greenwich in London and near the Vatican in Rome.
Jun 25th, 2019, 06:52 AM
#17
>>I have looked into staying in Greenwich in London and near the Vatican in Rome.<<
Greenwich would be a lovely place to live . . . However it would not be a great place to stay on such a short visit to London. You should be looking at much more central neighborhoods.
Greenwich would be a lovely place to live . . . However it would not be a great place to stay on such a short visit to London. You should be looking at much more central neighborhoods.
Jun 25th, 2019, 06:59 AM
#20
Not a day trip, but if you want to escape Rome's heat for a few hours, you could head to Frascati by train in the late afternoon, stroll around and have dinner. Frascati can be nearly 10 degrees cooler than Rome and has a nice, small historical center. The train journey is short (30 minutes) and cheap. The last return train on weekdays is 10:30 and on Saturday it's 9:30. The last return on Sunday is a bit too early (8:30) to have dinner.
