Need advice
 

My husband and I are taking our 3 teenage daughters to London, Paris, Florence and Copenhagen on a 16 day trip. Probably one too many cities but the trip is planned...so...my questions are 1. Is it better to have 4 nights in Paris and 2 in Florence or an even split of 3 nights at both and 2. what is the easiest/cheapest way to get from Paris to Florence? Any insight is appreciated. Also, while I have you, how reasonable is it to get to both Liverpool and Cardiff if staying in London for 4 nights?

Thanks!

You recognize that you have too many cities, but still want to add Liverpool and Cardiff as day trips? NOOOO!

2 nights in Florence would be at most 1.5 days on the ground after considering transportation time to and from.

I understand you may be trying to see as much as possible, but please be reasonable.

I would spend at least 5 days each in London and Paris and 3 days in Florence and Copenhagen. I would skip Copenhagen but it is your trip. It is not even slightly reasonable to get to either Cardiff or Liverpool with all the other racing around you will be doing. Remember that, given the far-flung nature of your itinerary stops, you will be spending the better part of three days moving around.

If you haven't already purchased your airline tickets, fly into London and home from Copenhagen to save backtracking.

"Is it better to have 4 nights in Paris and 2 in Florence or an even split of 3 nights at both"

It may be better for you to have 6 nights in Paris and none in Florence. We have no idea if your interests align with either city. We can't assume what would be best for you. What do you hope to do while visiting these places? What are your interests? We can provide better guidance if we know what you hope to do and see.

A good, quick way to connect between Paris and Florence is to fly a discount airline from Paris to Pisa, which is an hour away by train or bus from Florence. EasyJet flies between Paris Orly and Pisa for about 50 euro. Watch out for high excess baggage fees.

Paris is definitely worth way more time than Florence.

And trying to add Liverpool and Cardiff to your very few days in London is close to madness.

Also agree to get open jaws tickets if you still have that option - to save a day spent getting back to London.

Remember there are FIVE of you - with different interests - so getting anywhere is going to be more time consuming. I hope you have involved your daughters in deciding on sights - and that you plan on not being joined at the hip for the whole time.

You should fly from Paris to Florence- you don;t have time to do anything slower.

Thank you-we have made a few modifications to our plans--still too much planned but we are up for the adventure:)

Unless you have huge family associations with Liverpool and Cardiff, it would be like someone coming to NY and wanting to go to Toledo and Pittsburgh. Both are places with fine attractions (Toledo Art Museum is wonderful) but not quite at the same level as London, which ought to get every minute you can give to it. I am on my fourth trip to Italy this fall and am only now spending a fair bit of time in Florence.

Instead of being up for the adventure, maybe you ought to re-evaluate your choices -- which everybody is telling you were mistaken. Are you committed to all these places? Non-cancellable reservations?

It's really tempting when planning a trip to add more and more destinations. But less is really more, especially when herding teenagers.

Hi R,

>Is it better to have 4 nights in Paris and 2 in Florence
Definitely.

>what is the easiest/cheapest way to get from Paris to Florence?
see www.whichbudget.com

> how reasonable is it to get to both Liverpool and Cardiff if staying in London for 4 nights?<

Hey, why limit it to just 2 daytrips? Why not Edinburgh as well?

((I))