My husband and I are going to Paris and then Italy next May. We will be going for 12 to 14 days. We know we want Paris . Ideas on some where in Italy for half of it. Thanks

I recommend getting a guidebook and deciding which place in Italy appeals most to you. You haven't given any information as to your interests, where you've traveled before, etc.

Italy is a large country with many wonderful locations. Most people visiting for the first time enjoy Venice, Rome and Florence but their are many other wonderful places. If you are planning a week in Italy, you can easily spend it all in Rome or you could choose Rome and Florence as they are pretty close together. Trying to do all three would be, in my opinion, too rushed.

Do you want to take a plane or a train from Paris to Italy? Even if it doesn't matter to you, there are only a few straightforward non-stops from Paris to Italian cities, and not all of them fly every day of the week. Also, if you intend to fly back to your home country from Italy, you might want to take a look at what would be the simplest & most affordable Italian airports to fly out of.

If you prefer to take a train, read the website Man in Seat 61 to see what your options are.

May is not a good time to visit the Italian Alps, and the Italian Riviera can be unpredictably rainy, and the sea too cold for swimming. Otherwise, your only constraint is how simple a journey you want in terms of transportation mechanics.

Paris 4 days? Do a day trip perhaps like to Normandy D-Day beaches, Reims for Champagne tours and cathedral; Chartres for cathedral, etc.

Take overnight train Paris to Venice (www.thello.com) - save time even over flying - daylight travel time and cost of hotel -

Venice 3 nights

Florence 3 nights

Rome 5 nights

tweek with day trips into say Tuscany from Florence or even Pompeii from Rome.

Trains are great - www.trenitalia.com and www.italotreno.com for fares and schedules and booking your own online discounted tickets- much cheaper than walk-up and everything is set you just have to board the train - www.seat61.com has superb advice on booking your own discounted tickets; for general info and where to go by train also www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

There are many airlines that fly nonstop from Paris to various Italian cities, I don't know what massimop means. At least the major cities. Air France flies nonstop to Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice. Vueling flies from ORY to all but Venice and Easyjet flies nonstop to all but Florence. There are even a few others (, Ryanair probably does all but inconvenient airports, Transavia to VCE).

Easyjet does not usually fly every day of the week on every route, sure, and probably others, but that's not unusual there are plenty of flights between Paris and Italy.

I don't consider Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan "all the major cities" of Italy. I'm not going to repeat what I wrote. If Christina actually wants to look up schedules instead of posting from imagination, might be of more actual help to the OP. For a short trip to Italy, entering and exiting at a convenient airport that gets you where you want with the least amount of additional travel is worth considering.

I don't consider Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan "all the major cities" of Italy.>

From a first-time tourist's standpoint that's about it. Quit quibbling about minutiae and pay attention to what OP asks.

I have been to France my husband has not. We have never been to Italy. We where deciding between Rome and Florence or are up for anything. We are active and walking is not an issue. It is for our 35th Anniversary. My husband does not want to do to many cities. We like exploring We like history and a few museums. It will be our first in Europe alone (no children). I appreciate the input, THANKS

I am hardly quibbling. Naples is a major city of Italy and a major tourist destination as a gateway to the Amalfi even for first time visitors. So is Pisa is Pisa by the way. Furthermore, if the travelers decide on Florence they should check to see what their flight options are leaving to get back home. They might want to reverse their trip. Most of all, it is really offensive to be told that all of the posters here need to treat "first time visitors" to Italy like robots who want to go to the tourist cities -- especially since they've now come back to indicate at least one of them isn't keen on visiting cities!

Please do no tell others to shut up when they are trying to help a first time visitor to Italy have a easy trip transportation wise that gets them he experience of Italy they would most enjoy, based on their personal wishes.

anneshan,

If your husband does not want to do many cities, and if you are not keen on museums, and you are already going to Paris, I am not sure why you would pick Florence. Are you thinking you'd prefer to leave there quickly and rent a car and go elsewhere in Tuscany, to small towns and the scenic countryside?

Rome too is a big city that mainly feels like a big city, and it is time consuming to tour if you have the mindset that you "ought" to see the most famous parts.

Your trip is quite some time away and. as a resident of Italy, I'm going to suggest to you that you not fall victim to --- how do I put this? -- guilt-tripping that a lot of people impose on the trips of 1st time vistoris to Italy that they "ought" to see the most talked about tourist cities of Italy because that's what everybody else does.

It's not only not true -- millions of people come to Italy for the first time and head for the wine country or islands or lakes and never set foot in Rome or Venice or Florence or Milan -- it's also the case that the heart and soul of Italy, as well as spectacular artworks and monuments of history can be found all over Italy.

Florence happens to be my favorite city in Europe, and I also thrill to the sights of Rome. So I am not going to try to talk you out of going there if you want to. But if you've been talking about adding Italy to your anniversary celebrations because you always thought it would be wonderful to sleep in a castle in a vinyard, or look out over the bluest sea you've ever seen at down on an Italian island, those can be just as memorable and give you the flavor & soul of Italy as much as the glorious man made things -- plus hanging out with Italians is a real treat, the best experience of all.

I love museums just don,t want to just see only them. We want to experience everything we can. We still have children in school so money is an issue but we cannot wait

We like history and a few museums. It will be our first in Europe alone (no children).>

Venice, Florence and Rome are great for that - though each has one or two famous 'must see' museums the joy of those cities are relics from their long storied histories - the Colosseum and Pantheon and St Peter's in Rome - the birth of Rennaissance relics in Florence like the Duomo, and Venice well Venice looks much the same now as when it was one of the world's most powerful cities.

Well anyway I would not decide between Florence and Rome (no contest anyway Rome for sure) I would do the big 3 - Rome, Florence and Venice. And if wanting something different day trip from either to smaller town less touristed gems or even to Naples from Rome (about 1.5 hours by train) or Pompeii, etc.

Paris and Rome are two of my favourites and Id always advise anyone to go to Rome. In some ways they would be perfect...almost overwhelmingly old and new and grand and full of history and culture and food and beauty. But if Paris is a definite, id be tempted to go for something a bit different and visit Ravenna, Bologna or Siena and maybe some time at the coast or in the countryside

Take overnight train Paris to Venice (www.thello.com) =

https://www.google.com/search?q=thel...w=1745&bih=863