bluzx

Looking for suggestions for a 6 day stopover on our way to do a cruise from Barcelona. Our airline - Air Canada - allows a free stopover. Thinking of Zurich, rent a car and make our way to Venice then back and then fly to Barcelona. First time in Europe. Time of year - late October.

hpeabody

I also had a free stopover on my way to Rome this past summer. I chose Zurich. I had only 2 full days, though and did 2 day trips inside Switzerland. I went to Interlaken and Jungfraujoch 1 day and Luzern/Lucerne and Mt Pilatus the other day. The remaining time I spent enjoying Zurich, It's lovely.

PS, Venice is great if you do get the chance. Venice was the last city on my cruise and I loved it.

Jean

Obviously, the possibilities are nearly endless. I like your Zurich-Venice-Zurich idea, but I worry a little about driving in the mountains at that time of year. Perhaps someone here has had some experience on this route in the fall, or perhaps you are familiar with bad-weather driving? The weather could be perfect... or not.

Another consideration is having to park your car while in Venice. Lodging in Venice is already very expensive. Add the parking and car rental fees on the idle car, and you've created a very expensive cost-per-day basis before any dining/shopping/sightseeing costs.

Apres_Londee

What cities can you fly into? If Paris is option, I would think about staying there for the 6 days.

SusanSDG

"first time in Europe"-I'd choose Paris or London, a large city that has lots of museums if the weather's bad, and reliable public transport. The idea of driving in Europe after a transatlantic flight with language barriers does not sound like vacation to me!

suze

Paris or Amsterdam

W9London

Just as a sanity check, are you aware that the driving distance between zurich and Venice is over 500km each way? You can drive along Zug/Como/Bergamo/Verona, so it can be scenic, though I think it is a lot of driving.

I recommend sticking to one country--say stay within Italy, do Rome/Venice, or Paris.

blackduff

How about spending a few days in Madrid and then head towards Barcelona a bit earlier. This is a lovely city and missing this for your cruise would be a shame. My idea would be three days in Madrid and three more days in Barcelona.

Blackduff

bluzx

Thanks for the comments. The reason I was thinking of Zurich/Venice was because of the scenery. I am used to driving long distances so 500km is not too bad. As long as October is not bad weather time.

Our cruise stops in Rome/Florence/Nice/Naples

knickerbocker

If you could, I'd recommend Florence over Venice. More alternatives, more to see and less touristy.

cmt

Does the stopover have to be somewhere between Canada and Barcelona, or can it be a destination further away than Barcelona. If the latter, then:

Istanbul

Cowboy1968

If your heart is set for Venice, then do it. 500 kilometers is hardly a huge distance - not even from an European perspective.

But Jean made very good points in saying that a car is (obviously) not much good in Venice, and weather is not predictible for late October (is it ever?), so Venice could be everything from sunny 25C to rainy 15C.

I would not consider most of the motorways in Northern Italy (you will probably drive via Milano/Bergamo, Verona) to be extremely scenic.

First night upon arrival, I would spent in Zürich to get rid of jetlag. You can take the train from the airport to the city, and pick up your rental car next day. Not a town that will stress you too much.