Need Advice on Italy / France / Amsterdam Itinerary
 

Hello - I will be attending a wedding in Florence in September and would like to make an extended vacation out of the trip. This will also be a 35th b-day celebration for myself and 2 friends (we're all single females); so I'm trying to plan a trip that has a little culture/history, relaxation, and good night life. I'd appreciate it if you could take a look at the itinerary that I currently have in mind and provide some feedback.

Day 1-5: Florence (wedding takes place here)

Day 6-8: Venice

Day 9-12: Cote d'Azur

Day 13-15: Undecided, would like to travel by train to Amsterdam, stopping in Burgundy and Paris along the way...any suggestions?

Day 15-17: Amsterdam

Day 18: Fly back home

Let me know if you have any hotel recommendations and any "must do" activities for the cities above. Also what is the best way to travel between these cities, I am planning on taking the train - is this okay?

Thanks for your help!

Hi Tourist,

I really think you are trying to cover too much ground in the time you have. Start by checking the train schedules to see how long it takes between your destinations, then add time to get to the station, check out/in of hotels, etc. See how much time you will actually have to BE in your destinations and decide if it's what you want.

I would limit it to Florence, Venice, and Cote d'Azur this time around.

Better yet, just stick with Italy and make the most of your time instead of spending long hours on train rides.

Buon viaggio!

It does seem like a lot on one trip.

However if you did want to do two countries, there are some cheap European airlines that would be much quicker than a train clear to Paris or Amsterdam, which you probably picked for the nightlife angle. I am absolutely no expert on it, hopefully someone else would post.

Then for your tickets to Europe and back, you may want to buy what's called an "open-jaw" ticket, for example you would fly to Rome and then back from Paris (or from Amsterdam).

Again, others here can give you details or try the search engine.

Whoa...I agree that is a lot, but it can be done via overnight trains. I was a solo traveller and the one think I found out from other travellers I met on the way: You can do any amount of cities if your motivated and are willing to travel overnight.

As for intra-Europe airlines, someone from this board turned me onto whichbudget.com....fantastic website to find the best air-fares. As for trains, Rail Connection/Rail Europe (I used to work for the parent company) would be the best plan and cheapest if you decide to do rail. Your wait time is nothing to get on the trains and you pay modest (like 10 euro) fees to certain cities (for example Paris to Brussels) on top of what you paid for the ticket.

Personally, I would skip Paris this time around. It is a very large, walking city. You will be beat (and maybe slightly hungover) from the trip in general. I would head straight to Bruges (Belgium) for a one day refresher and then continue up to Amsterdam.

As for Amsterdam, it is a wonderfully cultured city, above and beyond the coffeehouses. They boast the most nationalities of any city in Europe. If you would like info on the nightlife and things to do, feel free to email me at [email protected]. I have a very good friend who grew up in Amsterdam (lives just outside the city now)and is a mid-30's single female. I am sure b/w her and I, you will have a wonderful nightlife experience.

Most of all...enjoy the trip and take one day at a time.

I agree with the views expressed above. I would either limit my travel to Florence, Venice and the Cote d'Azur or to Florence, Venice and Paris.

Hi,

I am grew up close to amsterdam, and now live about an hour out of it, but I am guessing you picked Amsterdam for the nightlive scene. Rightfully so. There is excellent clubbing there, and also in Rotterdam, about an hour away.
If clubbing is all you are looking for, look into ibiza. That's by far the clubbing capital of europe.
One more reccomendation: Berlin. I personally haven't been, but have a few friends who were very enthousiastic about the nightlife there.

As for must-do's in Amsterdam, there's a lot to see. I would reccomend a canal tour in one of those flat-boats (you'll know what I mean when you see em) and a tour (or at least walk through it) of the red-light district. Don't worry about feeling awkward, there are organized family tours through it and a small group of 30-ish women will not stand out at all. Then try to see the 'museum-plein' which is a square with some famous museums on it. Van Gogh museum and the stedelijk museum being the two biggest.
Have fun!