Traveling from London-Paris-Germany down to Pisa, Italy
Feb 9th, 2012, 11:14 AM
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Traveling from London-Paris-Germany down to Pisa, Italy
The end of April we are taking a 15 day trip flying into London from Texas (US). Staying a couple of days in London then taking the train to Paris for 3 days. From there we want to go to Heidelburg, Germany and make our way down to Pisa, Italy. We cannot decide if we should drive, take the train, or mix it up. Any suggestions out there???
Feb 9th, 2012, 12:58 PM
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We were thinking maybe take a train from Paris to Reims and rent a car there, drive the rest of the way to Heidelburg. Is this a good idea are take the train all the way to Germany? It will be Spring and I wanted to stop in the small towns along the way. In 2006 we flew into Frankfurt, rented a car and drove south to Freiburg stopping at small towns along the way. From Germany should we continue with the car or take a train through Switzerland to Italy? We definitely will not be driving in Italy. I would appreciate any suggestions!
Feb 9th, 2012, 01:04 PM
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What happens when you get to Pisa..where are you flying home from?
Pisa...is a quck visit, based on all the feedback here.
Note, dropping off car in different country than where you rented will cost you $$$$.
Pisa...is a quck visit, based on all the feedback here.
Note, dropping off car in different country than where you rented will cost you $$$$.
Feb 9th, 2012, 01:11 PM
#4
Driving across borders is fine, so long as you're going to be driving back. otherwise you face high, possibly very high "drop off" fees. so if you are planning to go from Paris to Pisa via Heidelberg, your only real option is the train.
have a look at bahn.de for train timetables and routes.
what do you intend to do when you get to Pisa?
are you flying back to London?
have a look at bahn.de for train timetables and routes.
what do you intend to do when you get to Pisa?
are you flying back to London?
Feb 9th, 2012, 01:24 PM
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If we decided to take the train to Reims and stay the night can we catch the train again the next day to Heidelburg? We are not to familier with the trains. Is it cheaper to buy your tickets way ahead or just wait and buy them when we get there?
Feb 9th, 2012, 01:29 PM
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>If we decided to take the train to Reims and stay the night can we catch the train again the next day to Heidelburg? <
There is no savings on a through ticket.
Get two tickets. Don't worry about your layover.
>Is it cheaper to buy your tickets way ahead....<
Sometimes. Discount fares go on sale either 90 or 60 days in advance. Check the national rail sites. Don't consider buying from RailEurope until you have done so.
Enjoy you whirlwind visit.
There is no savings on a through ticket.
Get two tickets. Don't worry about your layover.
>Is it cheaper to buy your tickets way ahead....<
Sometimes. Discount fares go on sale either 90 or 60 days in advance. Check the national rail sites. Don't consider buying from RailEurope until you have done so.
Enjoy you whirlwind visit.
Feb 9th, 2012, 01:37 PM
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You've got at least one too many destinations for such a short trip.
Renting a car in one country and leaving it in another will cost you mucho bucks.
Why are you flying back to London? This sort of trip practically demands open-jaw flights.
Why wouldn't you be driving in Italy? And just Pisa? Why?
It's usually cheaper to buy tickets in advance, but you need to know how to work the websites of the various country rail systems - SNCF for France, Trenitalia for Italy, BahnDe for Germany.
Renting a car in one country and leaving it in another will cost you mucho bucks.
Why are you flying back to London? This sort of trip practically demands open-jaw flights.
Why wouldn't you be driving in Italy? And just Pisa? Why?
It's usually cheaper to buy tickets in advance, but you need to know how to work the websites of the various country rail systems - SNCF for France, Trenitalia for Italy, BahnDe for Germany.
Feb 9th, 2012, 01:38 PM
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15 days is not very long for 5 destinations in 4 different countries. You'll probably be jet-lagged for your whole time in London. And I don't think Pisa is worth such a detour. Do you already have your tickets for the flight from there to London?
For London to Paris, take the Eurostar train through the Chunnel: www.eurostar.com. These tickets get very much more expensive closer to the time of travel.
You could easily spend a week in London and a week in Paris, maybe do an excursion or two -- like to Reims, which makes a good day trip. From London you could daytrip to Oxford or Bath or Stonehenge. Then your trip would be easier, less rushed, more in depth.
For London to Paris, take the Eurostar train through the Chunnel: www.eurostar.com. These tickets get very much more expensive closer to the time of travel.
You could easily spend a week in London and a week in Paris, maybe do an excursion or two -- like to Reims, which makes a good day trip. From London you could daytrip to Oxford or Bath or Stonehenge. Then your trip would be easier, less rushed, more in depth.
Feb 9th, 2012, 02:13 PM
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We are flying with American Ailrines air miles and they do not fly out of Pisa so we had to connect back thru London. Is there another city we could fly out of in Italy? We had never been to Pisa and we wanted to see Tuscany country. Any other suggestions for Italy? So I guess we will be changing our plans about Pisa since so many people ask "why Pisa?"
I have heard that Italy is not a good place to drive if your not used to it.....
We love Germany so I guess we will just rent a car there and turn it back in before leaving the country.
While in Germany the last time we had no destinations or rooms reserved. Wherever we landed at the end of the day is where we stayed. It worked out well for us then.
I have heard that Italy is not a good place to drive if your not used to it.....
We love Germany so I guess we will just rent a car there and turn it back in before leaving the country.
While in Germany the last time we had no destinations or rooms reserved. Wherever we landed at the end of the day is where we stayed. It worked out well for us then.
Feb 9th, 2012, 02:20 PM
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<<have heard that Italy is not a good place to drive if your not used to it.....>>
But you're OK with driving in Germany and France and possibly Switzerland? That's silly.
Yes, there are lots of cities in Italy you might be able to fly out of. Check with AA.
As for heading to Pisa so you can see the Tuscan country, it will be hard to do that without a car. And while Pisa does have its charms beyond that goofy tower, it's not exactly a major destination for first-timers to Italy.
But you're OK with driving in Germany and France and possibly Switzerland? That's silly.
Yes, there are lots of cities in Italy you might be able to fly out of. Check with AA.
As for heading to Pisa so you can see the Tuscan country, it will be hard to do that without a car. And while Pisa does have its charms beyond that goofy tower, it's not exactly a major destination for first-timers to Italy.
Feb 10th, 2012, 01:19 AM
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I, for one, am a great fan of Pisa and would return in a heart beat. Love the Hotel Bologna and to meander the side streets to the river--it's a whole different world than the Leaning Tower/Campo dei Miracoli area. It's a slice of Italian life ...but that's just me. Lucca is easy to get to, as is Florence, from Pisa train station.
Driving in Italy is not a problem; it's driving in CITIES in Italy that is a problem...this includes Pisa. Heavy fines for driving in the old town--yes, even by accident or only by a little!
I live very close to Heidelberg and use Ryanair, either through their Frankfurt-Hahn airport or Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airport (I know there is bus service from Heidelberg to Frankfurt-Hahn so you really don't need a car for your German portion unless you prefer to drive. Scenery along the A-61 is along the German wine route and would just as beautiful from bus as from car, only you get to watch the scenery instead of the road) Also, the drive from Paris to Heidelberg is, well frankly, pretty boring by autoroute and will take you 5-6 hours straight drive time.
You can be in Pisa in a few short hours via Ryanair, getting a view of the Alps and the Mediterranean sea from the air during the flight. Hotel Bologna has shuttle service if you arrange ahead of time at no extra charge if I remember correctly. Note: the biggest klinker is their luggage policy - read it.
Not convinced you need a car for any portion of your trip, especially given the time of year. Have you considered doing Reims as a day side trip by adding an extra day to Paris (do a word search here as there are several posts on this particular point)? I take the TGV Paris to Karlsruhe and am back home in just 2 1/2 hours...to Heidelberg would add on just a short amount of time...sure beats six hours of autoroute!
Pretty late to find Prem tickets for the 29 euros, but you might be able to find some still for 39...just depends on the day and what's going on in Paris. Much cheaper than renting a car, you still get to see some scenery, and you arrive at a decent time in Heidelberg ready to sight-see and have fun.
Haven't looked, but pretty sure you can fly back to London from Italy via Ryanair instead of having to return to Germany.
Driving in Italy is not a problem; it's driving in CITIES in Italy that is a problem...this includes Pisa. Heavy fines for driving in the old town--yes, even by accident or only by a little!
I live very close to Heidelberg and use Ryanair, either through their Frankfurt-Hahn airport or Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airport (I know there is bus service from Heidelberg to Frankfurt-Hahn so you really don't need a car for your German portion unless you prefer to drive. Scenery along the A-61 is along the German wine route and would just as beautiful from bus as from car, only you get to watch the scenery instead of the road) Also, the drive from Paris to Heidelberg is, well frankly, pretty boring by autoroute and will take you 5-6 hours straight drive time.
You can be in Pisa in a few short hours via Ryanair, getting a view of the Alps and the Mediterranean sea from the air during the flight. Hotel Bologna has shuttle service if you arrange ahead of time at no extra charge if I remember correctly. Note: the biggest klinker is their luggage policy - read it.
Not convinced you need a car for any portion of your trip, especially given the time of year. Have you considered doing Reims as a day side trip by adding an extra day to Paris (do a word search here as there are several posts on this particular point)? I take the TGV Paris to Karlsruhe and am back home in just 2 1/2 hours...to Heidelberg would add on just a short amount of time...sure beats six hours of autoroute!
Pretty late to find Prem tickets for the 29 euros, but you might be able to find some still for 39...just depends on the day and what's going on in Paris. Much cheaper than renting a car, you still get to see some scenery, and you arrive at a decent time in Heidelberg ready to sight-see and have fun.
Haven't looked, but pretty sure you can fly back to London from Italy via Ryanair instead of having to return to Germany.
Feb 10th, 2012, 01:35 AM
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You can definitely fly back to London from Pisa using BA, Ryanair, and I think Easyjet. If you are going to use one of these budget airlines be sure you understand the terms and conditions (i.e. you miss the flight you are SOL and need to buy a new flight at your cost at today's prices) and also very strict luggage restrictions.
Feb 10th, 2012, 02:00 AM
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Played a little bit on the voyages-sncf.com and europe TGV sites--depending on the dates, Prem's are still available Paris to Heidelberg for around 46 euros/pp and the quickest route via Mannheim takes 4 1/2 hours.
If you decide to take the train, always check out the first class prems, as sometimes on special they aren't much more than the 2nd class counterpart. For a longer trip 1st class is nice but not necessary. Weekends, of course, are pricier.
If you decide to take the train, always check out the first class prems, as sometimes on special they aren't much more than the 2nd class counterpart. For a longer trip 1st class is nice but not necessary. Weekends, of course, are pricier.
Feb 10th, 2012, 03:57 AM
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Wow! Thanks klondiketoo, great information! We are true adventurers and love the off the road places, not much on "tours". We like to experience the true life of each country. We will definitely look into your ideas and advice. I really appeciate you taking the time. 
