Taking 17 yo granddaughter to Italy and Paris-need ideas
 

We could use some additional suggestions. My husband and I (70) are taking our 17 year-old granddaughter and her parents to Italy and Paris for a total of 21 days. We have lived in France, but that was 40 years ago. So far, this is the plan: Rome 3 nights, Siena 2 nights, Florence 2 nights, Cinque Terre 3 nights, Venice 3 nights and Paris 4-5 nights. That leaves a couple of nights. Photography is a big interest for her and myself. We know we can't see things in depth this way, but it should give her an overall exposure. My questions are: 1) Best way to plan another 2-3 days? 2) We will most likely use AirBnB--any favorites in those locations? Location is primary for us. 3) Any experiences she should absolutely have? 3) best transportation between locations. (Husband is not opposed to driving in Italy and France--he has before, but we want to go the most efficient and effective way.) Unfortunately this will be in July, 2019--the only time they can be free.We land in Rome and depart from Paris.

It should be a great trip! Your title said granddaughter, but then you added that her parents were going, so that changes the dynamics. First of all, I would use your extra days to add one to each of three places. For me I would add to Siena, Florence and probably Paris. I would take the train while in Italy (you might have to take a bus from Rome to Siena) and then fly from Venice to Paris.

Next I would get your granddaughter involved now in thinking about things she really wants to see and do. Get her a guidebook for Italy and Paris and ask her to choose at least one to three things in each place that she'd really like to see. It will get her more excited and involved in the trip.

How about a cooking class or two? Both La Cuisine Paris and Cookin' With Class offer English language classes and you could take her for a market tour, shopping for what's fresh today, then preparing and enjoying a wonderful meal. Or maybe she'd rather take a macaroon class. Also, consider a food tour; maybe a cheese class with Paris by mouth (I recommend booking a class with Jennifer Greco. She's a cheese genius.

My granddaughter enjoyed shopping in the Marais and Montmartre.

Have fun planning together!

I'd maybe skip Cinque Terre in July - one of biggest mob scenes anywhere and 3 days with a group that may not all want to hike much - the highlight of 5Terre - the towns themselves are tiny and again mobbed - maybe put those three days in somewhere else - Provence could be a good stop between Italy and Paris - Nice or Avignon areas - the latter however nice to have a car with - maybe one of your kids would drive - not a hassle really but again both places super crowded.

Or Switzerland for several days where cars are not needed and go to an area of Alpine splendor like the Interlaken area- where trains and gondolas go everywhere - ensconce yourselves in a cool mountain village like Wengen - then Paris is a reasonable trip by train.

anyway for lots on trains - booking well in advance can yield nice discounts - Acquista il biglietto con le nostre offerte - Trenitalia or www.italotreno.com for Italy - www.oui.sncf for those involving France. www.seat61.com has great info on booking own train tickets in advance online - general info trains and where to go with them: www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.

I was going to say to drop Cinque Terre, also, don't see the attraction or value when you are going to so many places for such a short time, you need to omit something.

Last thing on earth I wanted when I was 17 was to go to some cooking class. Maybe second to last to actually cooking. That sounds like some fantasy of an older person.

I think you're shortchanging the big venues- Rome, Siena, Venice, and Florence and Paris. I'd use the "extra" days to pad those places.

I wouldn't go near Le Cinque Terre in July.

Don't do Airbnb in Paris unless you are absolutely certain of a legal rental - most are not.

At 17, your grand-daughter is plenty old enough to pick up a guidebook or two and figure out what she wants to do and see in all those places. Let her "own" the trip and you'll all be happier. I think at 17 I'd have wanted to die if my parents dragged me to a "cheese course."

"Location is primary for us" means little to nothing. Do you have any firm ideas about exactly where you want to stay in all these places? What are your criteria for accommodation? It doesn't make any sense for people to suggest places without some concrete information from you, like a price range (in euros), type of facilities and amenities, etc.

There's no answer to "best transportation" except to point out that if you rent a car in Italy and drop it off in France you'll pay a king's ransom. Trains and cheap flights in Europe abound, and for those of us who live here, that's how we normally get around.Until you have a settled itinerary, there's no point in getting specific.

>>> Photography is a big interest for her and myself.
>>> this will be in July
That is the lavender season in Provence.

Well, yes, but most likely early July.

Oh meant to mention when talking about trains that Siena from Florence is best by bus not train.

I think you need more time in Rome. You’ll be jetlagged, and it’s harder to get around than Paris. I’d switch the day allotments—3 in Paris, 5 in Rome.

otherwise, it depends on a lot of her interests. If she was one of my sisters or cousins, I’d try to do offbeat culture/stunning art, heavily diluted with food and shopping.

agree with Christina on the cooking class. I love that now. Would have killed my grandmother with my eyes at 17. Even macarons—no thanks. Cheese/wine tasting—NO. A tour of pastry shops—now that’s a firm maybe.

there’s a carnival museum in Paris that she might love( forains) . Cappuchin crypt in Rome. Cat sanctuary in a set of Roman ruins(i found that on accident, but it turns out to be hugely popular on social media.) Look up the cities on atlas obscure for ideas.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-...o-places-row-3

https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/rome-italy

https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/florence

do large museums sparingly. Maybe give the Louvre a miss in favor of d’orsay. The Florence science museum that houses Galileo’s finger (above link) turned out to be a highlight of my trip. Seriously awesome look into 17th/18th century life. I also enjoy Medical museums because it’s all so bizarre.

Florence has a fun food hall.think street food rather than old style restaurants, but definitely book a few restaurants you know they’ll love. That’s something you should have her research. Culture through food. (Although some culture can be skipped. I don’t recommend lampredotto;)

I agree Louvre as a whole could be rather boring for anyone, including me and many 17-yr-olds but to just glimpse the Mona Lisa is a must - even though there are large crowds there IME - you can do just that area. But yes Orsay is much more interesting with modern art to me and perhaps younger folk. Best to have them do a little studying on the art to be seen. Maybe get a Paris Museum Pass if going to several museums in a few days - included is Versailles - gives you priority entrance and you can come and go and like Louvre just pop in for the highlights or to dwell on it - seeing also at any rate the famous statues from antiquity. Buy that pass at any participating museum. also lets you skip ticket lines at many including Louvre and Versailles and Orsay with priority entrances. and many normally overlooked museums could be neat - nice thing about pass can pop in any museum and if not interested no extra cost - the modern art museum in Pompidou Center for example could be nice - going to rooftop for views is free and nice.

Paris Museum Pass | Official Website

Thank you Belinda for your thoughtful and helpful suggestions! I think she would like choosing some things to see and do. And I'll check the food tour in Paris. And yes, we will fly from Venice to Paris.

Thanks Palen, I have my heart set on Cinque Terre--as a photographer and everyone of us likes to hike. But I get that is is packed. Provence is a nice ideas and at this point, all ideas are being considered. And mucho thanks for the train links.

I'll write more when our itinerary is complete. Hope to do that soon. We hope to keep apartment costs under 250 euros a night and we would need a place with 2-3 bedrooms for five people. We have had great luck with AirBnB in Budapest, Krakow, Prague, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende......

Oh awesome!!! That would be fabulous to photograph the lavender.

Thanks! Good to know.

Great creative ideas! Thanks marvelous mouse. We were thinking Paris not only for sights and experiences, but also for street photography and her idea of shopping! Our daughter and son were born in France, so we have that French interest!!

Thanks for the overview and recommendations! My husband could not let her leave Paris without seeing the Louvre and the Orsay! We plan to spend a day seeing Versailles.Love your ideas.

I've done a day trip to Cinque Terre from Florence and visited 4 of the seaside villages - all by train so that could be an option yet you may find photos full of tourists - Provence is mobbed too but you can get out of the crowds. Consider renting a Gite, country house, in a smaller town and driving - again your kids may like to do that and then can get away from crowds and savor small-town French village life. Sans car base in Avignon or Arles and do day trips by public transit - if Nice again no need for car as buses and trains go everywhere you'd want.

In Venice be sure to hit the fairly deserted back alleys for neat photo opps - the mobs tend to stick to a few areas.

Yup come up with tentative itinerary and folks can better comment.

for more on Gites: https://www.gites-de-france.com - usually at that time probably have to book for week at least. but with car again so many neat places to visit in a compact area - Avignon/Arles area.

My questions are: 1) Best way to plan another 2-3 days?

Put them into the places you already have listed. You don't need to add more destinations for the length of your total trip.

that makes sense, although personally I think Rome and Venice are way more fun for street photography. I do adore Paris though. So much amazing art nouveau, and I could just shop there for a month straight and not be bored.

I agree with the previous poster—tack those extra days into your existing places. Maybe so you have one more full day in Rome, and a day for a day trip in paris, since you want to see Versailles. Consider taking her to one smaller village too. Lots of amazing French villages pop up on the Instagram travel accounts I follow. In some ways the small towns are even more fascinating, because you feel like you have stepped into the pages of a storybook. If I could distill The joy of France or Italy down into one idea or emotion—it’s that feel you’re in the “real” fantasy land.

I don’t know if it exists in Paris, or Rome, but I’ve taken a walking tour in London of the street art culture, and that’s another fun photo op. Spent most of my time there just wandering from square to square.