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Husband and I were initially thinking of taking two separate trips to Europe at some point, one to London/Paris/French Riviera for about 2 weeks, the other to Rome/Amalfi Coast for about 10 days. We are now thinking of possibly combining the two trips into one 3 week trip. We are in the very early stages of thinking about the best way to do these trips, either combined or separately, and would appreciate any thoughts. As background info, we live in the U.S., we have traveled to Europe before, and generally speaking we like to see the sites, people watch, relax, eat…
If we were to keep the trips separate, it would probably be something like this:
London 4 nights
Paris 4-5 nights
French Riviera 4 nights
Back to London for 1 night before flying home
Rome 4-5 nights
Sorrento 2 nights
Positano 2 nights
Back to Rome for 1 night before flying home
If we were to combine the two trips, it would probably be something like this:
London 4 nights
Paris 4-5 nights
French Riviera 3 nights
Rome 4-5 nights
Sorrento/Positano 3-4 nights
Back to London for 1 night before flying home
For transportation, we would probably take the train from London to Paris, fly from Paris to Nice, fly from Nice to Rome, train or bus from Rome to Naples, fly from Naples to London. But again we are open to suggestions. We would also consider open jaw if it works best.
As for time of year, we would probably go in early Sept, although late May/early June could be a possibility – any thoughts on this? The perk of combining the trips is we get to do it all next year, whereas if we leave them as two trips we are looking at two different years. The downside is we obviously have to cut out a few days overall.
For transportation, we would probably take the train from London to Paris, fly from Paris to Nice, fly from Nice to Rome, train or bus from Rome to Naples, fly from Naples to London. But again we are open to suggestions. We would also consider open jaw if it works best.
That's a lot of trekking around: 5 of the 20/21 days during your trip will involve being on a train or airplane (and getting to/from stations) for significant distances and time periods (though the Rome--Naples train ride shouldn't take too much time).
I don't know if you've considered spending three weeks exploring a more limited range of terrain: maybe a few days in London with a day trip thrown in; then a few days in Paris with a day trip to Rheims or Rouen or Chartres; and then a few days in Provence/Riviera. You could even take the train to all of these areas, so you could get to your lodgings quickly from the train depots and use your time to explore places--I'm not sure taking the plane will save all that much time.
Overall, combining everything into one three-week trip might be more efficient than dividing it up into two separate trips; you'll at least save some money by getting two US-Europe RT tickets instead of four. I would definitely try to arrange for an "open jaw" trip, if possible. No matter which way you decide to go, it looks like a fun trip.
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As for time of year, we would probably go in early Sept, although late May/early June could be a possibility – any thoughts on this? The perk of combining the trips is we get to do it all next year, whereas if we leave them as two trips we are looking at two different years. The downside is we obviously have to cut out a few days overall.
Either seems fine, though maybe September has fewer traveling crowds to deal with.
It took me 5 one week trips to London with very tight schedules to see almost everything. So far I have given Paris and Rome two weeks each and still haven't seen half the stuff on my list for either place. Do you have lists of places and things you want to see or just get the feeling of each place?
Any thoughts on what the two separate trips look like? Number of nights in each place, should we skip something, etc?
Mostly we want to see a few sites and get the feel of each place. We don't ever expect that we would see an entire city/area in these shorter travels. We figure at some point in later life, once we have seen more of this world, we will travel back to our favorite places and spend more time in them.
I suggest visiting Naples, Amalfi and Sicily. Too beautiful and too close to your destinations to pass up.
In case you haven't yet, obviously visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum too.
Any thoughts on what the two separate trips look like? Number of nights in each place, should we skip something, etc?
Mostly we want to see a few sites and get the feel of each place. We don't ever expect that we would see an entire city/area in these shorter travels. We figure at some point in later life, once we have seen more of this world, we will travel back to our favorite places and spend more time in them.
An advantage to two separate trips is that you do get a vacation for two consecutive years. Part of the fun of travel is anticipation.
The (10-day) Rome/Positano/Sorrento trip looks focused and well-balanced to me.
For the (14-day) London/France trip I'd still recommend focusing a little more so you can spend less time in airports/stations and more time in places you want to see. For example, maybe spend a few days in Normandy while going from London to Paris, instead of stretching the trip out to the Riviera.
The London-Paris-Riviera thing isn't impossible, though. If you decide to go with that, the 4-5-4 division you have is good. I would still recommend taking the train and doing an "open jaw" (arrive in London, leave from Marseilles or Nice) if possible. (If you take the train, you can see some countryside and enjoy some cheese, bread, and wine you take on board with you. More relaxing than a plane.)
These are all great, gorgeous places, so no matter what you do, it'll be the "right" decision.
I suggest visiting Naples, Amalfi and Sicily. Too beautiful and too close to your destinations to pass up.
In case you haven't yet, obviously visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum too.
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by quijote
An advantage to two separate trips is that you do get a vacation for two consecutive years. Part of the fun of travel is anticipation.
The (10-day) Rome/Positano/Sorrento trip looks focused and well-balanced to me.
For the (14-day) London/France trip I'd still recommend focusing a little more so you can spend less time in airports/stations and more time in places you want to see. For example, maybe spend a few days in Normandy while going from London to Paris, instead of stretching the trip out to the Riviera.
The London-Paris-Riviera thing isn't impossible, though. If you decide to go with that, the 4-5-4 division you have is good. I would still recommend taking the train and doing an "open jaw" (arrive in London, leave from Marseilles or Nice) if possible. (If you take the train, you can see some countryside and enjoy some cheese, bread, and wine you take on board with you. More relaxing than a plane.)
These are all great, gorgeous places, so no matter what you do, it'll be the "right" decision.
Thanks! The train from Paris to Nice does sound a lot more pleasant.
I suggest visiting Naples, Amalfi and Sicily. Too beautiful and too close to your destinations to pass up.
In case you haven't yet, obviously visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum too.
I did that on a one day bus excursion from Rome and got to see a good bit of Naples and the ruins (just Pompeii) and the Amalfi coast as well and they gave us a wonderful lunch.
I did that on a one day bus excursion from Rome and got to see a good bit of Naples and the ruins (just Pompeii) and the Amalfi coast as well and they gave us a wonderful lunch.
bryson, on an one day bus excursion?! I am glad you liked it, but I am surprised you saw much on a day, since there is so much to see!
cantthinkofone, I strongly suggest no guided bus tours.
Pompeii takes at least a day on itself, and Naples has wonderful things to see (Capodimonte, Cappella Sansevero, etc.), as does Amalfi.
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