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Post by madamtrashheap on Dec 29, 2012 20:57:33 GMT -5
beccat13, the information on the Schengen Zone that Eagle has given is absolutely correct - you can only stay in the Schengen Zone countries for up to 90 days within a 180 day period. If you think you will go over this limit, the best thing is to identify the country or countries you'll be in after the time limit and apply for appropriate visas to extend your stay with a long-stay visa It's worth noting that they will likely want to know why you are staying so long, how you plan to fund your travels, where you're staying (ie with friends, hostel, etc). If you have ancestry rights to a visa or passport from an EU country (parents for most, grandparents for UK, Ireland) then it might be worth applying for an entry clearance visa or passport if applicable, then you won't have to worry about the time limit and you can also work legally.
As for packing, well, that completely depends on what you plan to do (skiing, hiking, etc). As you are covering a number of seasons, you'll need a heavy duty jacket, warm boots, etc. Backpacks are an easy way of getting around, so when you look at them, try them on to see how they feel and how they compare to your height and ability to carry weight on your back. That's really the only way to choose the right pack for yourself.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Dec 21, 2012 22:39:07 GMT -5
appleguy2K, welcome to GFE!
A few points/questions on your itinerary as it stands:
London (5 days) - good amount of time to explore the city as well as perhaps time for one (only one) day trip to say Stonehenge/Bath or Oxford, or even Leeds Castle, if any of them interest you.
Paris (3 days) - hmm, unless you've been to Paris before, and of course depending on your intersts, you may find 3 days (and I mean 3 full days, ie 4 nights) is only just enough to see things. Of course, if you mean 3 nights, ie 2 full days plus arrival day (not that far from London, take the Eurostar and book 3 months in advance for tkts, don't bother flying) then this won't be enough time for you. Add 1 more full day if you can.
then 2.5 hour flight to Madrid (2 days) - again, 2 full days would be good, but if only 1 full day then consider more time.
Barcelona (2 days) - as above. There is a lot to see in Barcelona so think about having 2 full days at least.
then 1.5 hour flight to Cinque Terre (2 days) - by a flight to CT I'm guessing you mean flying in to either Nice or Genoa and training it to one of the villages? This will be, for all intents and purposes, a full travel day allowing for flights, trains, transfers. Againg 2 full days is the minimum time to spend here. Which of the villages were you considering?
Florence (2 days) - allow around 4hrs for the trains from CT to Florence. This will give you a good chunk of your arrival day to spend exploring, but I'd still add another day if you want to visit museums, markets, etc.
Tuscany & Umbria (2 days) - anywhere in particular? These are regions (Florence is in Tuscany) so specific towns will give us an idea of time required, but 2 days would be in one town, not in 2 seperate ones. If you're going for scenery, sometimes train travel through there regions (which you will do on this itinerary) will give you what you want, unless you want to hike, etc.
Venice (2 days) - good amount of time. 1 full day is good, 2 woudl be better.
Rome (3 days) - depending on your interests, you may want 3 full days, which IMO is the minimum for a first time in Rome.
then 1.5 hr flight to Vienna (2 days) - 2 full days would be good.
Prague (2 days) - again, 2 full days is the minimum time here, so add time if you can.
Munich (2 days) - if you don't plan any day trips to the castles (Neuschwanstein, etc) then 2 full days will allow city time and a half day visit to Dachau.
Rothenburg/Romantic Road (1 day) - if you are taking the train, then the scenery will deliver in certain spots, but unless you're wedded to it, I'd train from Munich to Rothenburg ob der Tauber and spend the evening/night before continuing the next day.
Rhine (2 days) - if you take a cruise on the Rhein you might enjoy it for the scenery, otherwise any towns in particular you were considering? What are you interests on the river? That will help with suggestions.
Berlin (2 days) - 3 full days minimum! Great town, something for everyone, don't cut it short.
Amsterdam (2 days) - 2 full days would be a good start.
Right, a few things to consider:
Transport - trains are better on some routes than planes, so once you've sorted where you're going, you'll get a better idea of what to take between each destination.
Museum Days - by this I mean Mondays. Most museums in Europe close on Mondays (except Paris where it's split between Monday and Tuesday) so consider this when you're planning days in certain cities and wanting to visit specific museums.
Route - from Italy onwards, I'd swap the order and go CT, train to Florence, train to Rome, train to Venice (none of them are long at all) then train Venice to Munich (spectacular scenery), train Munich to Vienna, train Vienna to Prague, train Prague to Berlin with a lunch stop for 2 or so hours in Dresden along the way if you're interested, fly Berlin to Amsterdam (check Transavia.com) to save time.
Let us know when you've had a look through things and the next version of your itinerary.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Dec 21, 2012 22:01:21 GMT -5
Great to hear you enjoyed Helsinki, seth, and that you've been inspired to see more of Scandi. Just a few points on your notes, where I can help out:
Northern Lights - these can be illusive at the best of times, but are non-existent in the months you plan to go. They are better found in Nov-Feb as a general rule, so you won't see them in Sept or Oct.
Fjords - stunning! If you can sort some time on a boat, even the postal cruise, in Norway you won't be disappointed.
Bergen is lovely, and if you're looking to combine fjords with small villages, then look at Geiranger.
If you just want to be able to say you've been in the Arctic circle, then you could look at somewhere like Finnmark (a long way north of even Tromso, which is already in the Actic Circle), but it's a long way to go just to say you've been there, so factor that in to your time.
As for Estonia, I think we've talked about this before in your previous post. If you go, then perhaps for a full day, rather than just an overnight.
Don't get too carried away with fitting too much in to your 14 days. Rather, pick places you'd like to visit in Sweden, as you've done with Norway, and the route will show itself from there.
Good luck with the next round of planning.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Aug 20, 2012 5:34:26 GMT -5
To answer your first question, I'd be inclined to do your first option. With that, you can also take day/half day trips to places like Sachsenhausen (concentration camp on outskirts of Berlin) or Sanssouci (amazing Summer palace of Frederick the Great near Potsdam which is easily reached by train from Berlin). You can also spend time getting to know the city as there is plenty to do, even at the start of Winter, just take a warm coat and warm shoes as it can be a windy chilly place even at that time of year.
For your layover in Helsinki, you should have no trouble leaving the airport, you can store your luggage in lockers for a fee if you need to, but I'm guessing you'll check your luggage all the way to Berlin when you first check in at your departure point. And you'll go through immigration on the way out and getting back in, so take your ticket, passport (of course), and other day bag items with you. Also check the conditions of your flight ticket - shouldn't be a restriction in terms of first point of entry to Europe, but best to check.
It's not a cheap place, and traffic can be annoying if you don't allow enough time to get back from the city centre to the airport, so make sure you go to the tourist information desk for a map and some details before you leave the airport. And there's a Finnair bus which will be the cheapest way into the city (taxi will cost a fair bit). At that time of year, you may already find snow in Helsinki, but of course it depends as 2 years ago the snow was quite late so you might get away with it. Either way, it will be a little chilly ;D
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Post by madamtrashheap on Jun 15, 2012 22:29:15 GMT -5
mel247, a belated welcome to GFE!
Your itinerary looks pretty good - you've allowed a good amount of time in each place and you can also do day trips from some of the places you've listed.
As you're already underway (halfway!) and possibly not checking the boards (why would you - you're on holidays!) I won't write too much, except to suggest that the 6 days you have in Paris will allow for a half day tirp to Versailles plus maybe a day trip to either Epernay (champange) or Giverny (Monet's garden) if you're interested. Otherwise spend the time in Paris and just wander around to soak it all in...in between museums, cafes, bars, etc!
For Amsterdam, you'll find plenty to see and do in the time you have so don't plan any day trips this time around.
Happy travels!
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iceland
Jun 15, 2012 22:22:37 GMT -5
Post by madamtrashheap on Jun 15, 2012 22:22:37 GMT -5
Welcome to GFE, seth.
Iceland is a fantastic place to visit, and it's good to see you're giving it at least 1 week, but if you can allow 10 days you'll be able to see the whole country and spend time in places.
What to see will depend on the time of year you're planning to visit - can you tell us when that will be?
Reykjavik is a good place to start and would be worth spending a few days here as a base to see things like the Blue Lagoon, Þingvellir National Park, Gulfloss, the Geysir, etc. These, and other sights, are in what's called the Golden Cirle area. Of course all these sights can be seen in a (long) day, but if you have another day you can take your time. Also look at places like the Westfjords (travel through West Iceland plains for great views on the way), Akureyri, the south coast (where the volcano Eyjafjallajökull can be seen), Vatnajökull National Park (in the east, home to great glaciers), Dettifoss Waterfall, the East Fjords (many fishing villages dotted along the coast line in the natural harbours). These are just a few suggestions - it depends whether you're looking for scenery (which you'll get pretty much everywhere!) or adventure sports, etc.
How are you planning to travel around the country? There are travel companies in Iceland which offer rental cars with an itinerary plan and maps for 7-10days so that might suit your plans.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Jun 15, 2012 22:03:57 GMT -5
I'm back - sorry, been über busy and have been visiting the Boards as often. Julie, I can only help with Bulgaria and Romania as Macedonia and Serbia are still on my list (although I have skirted through Macedonia many years ago). As you are likely to be driving with a firend, you'll be able to cover a lot of ground, but the roads in Albania, B&H, parts of Serbia and southern Croatia (if you go there) are still quite rough in parts and therefore quite slow going. So what looks like a short distance on a map will take a lot longer. Same applies to Romania and Bulgaria, depending on thr routes you take. There are, of course, highways/motorways which are well maintained, but if you're planning to see any of the smaller areas you'll find the roads can be narrow and slow. As your friend is from Macedonia, s/he will likely know about road taxes required for each country. Many require you to purchase a permit at the border upon arrival - this let's you drive on the roads and acts as a "toll". You, depending on your passport, will also need to make sure you're across ALL rquirements for visas for each country as there's nothing like arriving at a border and not being able to purchase a visa there, ie you needed to get it prior to arrival. I can't stress enough how much prior research, and applying, you need to do before you set off on July 22. A couple of other comments: I'm still concerned that you're not allowing much time in places and seem to be "checking off" a list of places to go, rather than actually having time to explore. Athens for only 1 night - really isn't going to allow much time to see more than the road on the way in from the airport plus the area around your hotel. If you can make it two nights, you'll at least get to visit the major sights in Athens. Athens - thessaloviki: I think you mean Thessaloniki. How are you planning to travel this route? Fly or train or bus? Thessaloniki - Macedonia: again, Thessalonki has a bit to see - it's the 2nd largest Greek city - and depending on how you choose to travel there, you won't have time to see much at all with only 1 night. macedonia - albania - montenegro - Bosnia - I also don't get how you'll do this in one day, ie 25 July. Not possible, unless you're just driving straight through each place and not stopping ever, not even for bathroom breaks! I realise you're going back to Macedonia, but the other places would benefit from 2 nights (1 full day) in a city/town rather than just driving through. Bosnia - Serbia: as above, one night will not do this justice. Hungary 2 nights - where exactly do you plan to stop? Same for Romania and Bulgaria, in fact all the countries - it would be better if you listed what cities/towns you plan to visit, rather than just the country. It will give a better indication of how much time you need, but I can say with much certainty that you'll need more than the 1 day per country (on average) you've allocated here. So...This half is up in the air Ukraine Poland Germany Czech republic Austria Italy (northern) Switzerland Again, it would be better to know the cities you plan to visit, rather than just the country name. Even if you haven't fully decided, just an idea of the places you're looking at visiting will let us offer suggestions.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Apr 10, 2012 21:51:42 GMT -5
That's great news! Well done!
Can I make one suggestion, well two actually:
1. Don't plan your visit to Florence for a Monday - most of the museums are closed
2. consider an overnight stay there, so you can leave Rome early, have that full day and evening, then a good chunk of the next day in Florence. There is a lot to see, do, eat and take in, so don't sell it short with just a day trip. That will still leave a good number of days for exploring Rome.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Apr 3, 2012 21:08:20 GMT -5
Aha! Thanks for clarifying the crowding, and for the picture evidence - that looks to be on the steps that surround the Trevi, with the church steps opposite the Trevi in the background (middle and right, there's a fence around it). Which explains the crowding - you'll find the Trevi particularly busy from around 3pm until around 8pm in Summer, the rest of the year it's certainly busy, but not jam-packed like this. If you went there at 10pm, you'd find people, but not even a quarter of what you can count in the photo. So as for May, I doubt you'll find it THAT crowded. And as for the rest of Rome, again, the Vatican area is busy, with inside the Vatican Museums often very busy, but the rest of the city will certainly be bearable for you.
Probably doesn't make your decision any easier, but please keep in mind that this photo isn't indicative of all of Rome. My well-trained eye can also make out two tour groups on those steps, which always adds to the "instant crowd" factor.
One thing I will advise you of is that you will find Rome quite "dirty" in comparison to Singapore. All of my previous guests (I worked in travel in Europe for many years) from Singapore always commented on Rome being quite dirty (it's old, so looks dirty, but in comparison to Singapore the streets are certainly not clean at all), and the fact that Louis Vuitton products were cheaper in the shops in Rome than in Paris - both interesting and useful points!
As for your sights to see in Rome, you're on the right track and they can all certainly be visited in a week. I was going to suggest a day trip to Pompei (on the train is easy enough), just bear in mind it will be a long day, but absolutely worth it. You could also fly into Rome, spend 3 full days there, a day trip to Pompei, then train to Venice (around 4.5hrs on Eurostar Italia) have a full day and fly out of Venice back to Singapore, rather than in and out of Rome. It means a little more travel, but would allow you to see more of Italy on your list. Otherwise, a week in Rome, with a day trip to Pompei and even to Orvieto (small hill-top town around 1.5hrs by train north of Rome) or Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este (Villa Adriano is a stunning garden and archaeological complex in Tivoli, Villa d'Este is a short bus ride away from Adriano and is also a stunning villa and garden complex - amazing. To reach Tivoli, take the Metro to Ponte Mammalo then the Cotral bus to Tivoli, will take around 30mins) would allow you to experience that part of the country at a slower pace.
I think saving the Highlands for another trip, even if you do decide to go to the UK this time, is a wise move as a week there would be perfect. Aaah the choices!
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Post by madamtrashheap on Apr 3, 2012 5:34:31 GMT -5
Glad we could help, hemple!
Great idea for an open-jaw ticket to fly in and out of Europe - makes the most of your time without backtracking.
I misunderstood about Luxembourg, thought you meant Luxembourg City and not the whole country, in which case go for it. 2 full days will be good for what you plan to do.
Hard call between CK and Vienna in terms of the extra day, however it seems that you'll need it for the rafting in CK so go with that. Vienna, whilst the capital, is hardly a big city really, but if you have more interest in the outdoor activities than museums, etc then go with the extra day in CK.
Yes, there is hiking in Vaduz, but there's also much hiking to be had in the Bernese Oberland (BO), including Interlaken. In fact, skiiing in Vaduz in Winter would be a better reason to spend more time there, so perhaps just a passing lunch stop on your way from Austria to Switzerland will be enough if you just want to experience it, otherwise you could remove it and add it to time in Luzern and/or BO. I'm glad you've already been to Pilatus - great mountain as your first Swiss one! Yes, Luzern is worth more exploring, especially a walk on the old town walls, so a full day (2 nights) would be a good opportunity to see the city and lake.
And I don't think the time in Interlaken/BO is at all excessive - I totally understand why you want to stay there as long as possible. Maybe this time you can stay further into the Valley, hence the Lauterbrunnen/Murren suggestion - you think you like Interlaken, wait til you wake up in L'brunnen!
Keep chipping away at the plans and don't try to shove more in (eg Slovenia - it needs 2 full days for Lake Bled, etc). Keep us posted on your progress as it's shaping up to be a very good trip indeed.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Apr 3, 2012 5:23:22 GMT -5
mochahazelnut, I agree with Eagle in the suggestion to visit Rome this time around rather than London, for all the reasons he listed.
I think you'll still find the UK crowded in May as this year it's going to be busy pre and post Olympics as well as during, of course, but I guess the question I have is how crowded is crowded, as far as you're concerned? Peak hour in any city is busy, part of city living (bless the Tube!). And another question: what draws you most - Rome and surrounds or London and surrounds?
Rome has a lot to see and do both in the city and some day/overnight trips away, so it depends on what you want out of this trip - to re-visit a favourite or to explore a new country completely. Both ideas have their benefits, but let me tell you that whilst the Vatican Museums and St Peter's are always crowded (Winter, Summer, December, you name it!), the rest of Rome has plenty of space and just like London you'll find pockets of quiet, often where you least expect them.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Apr 3, 2012 5:15:37 GMT -5
To add to Eagle's most excellent advice, you could also look at www.seat61.com for information on specific rail routes and other tips. If you can, as Eagle has asked, supply your preliminary itinerary, we can make futher suggestions and perhaps fill in any blanks you may have.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Mar 28, 2012 21:32:34 GMT -5
Welcome to GFE, hemple. As you've already been to Europe, I'm guessing that's the reason for the omission of some places (Prague, Florence) or less time in other places (eg Rome), but I can suggest the following: Luxembourg - you may find that 1 full day (2 nights) or even 1 night if you arrive early from Brugges/Bruges and have the rest of that day and some time the next day before departing for Bacharach. 2 full days might be a little long in that particular city. Germany - starting at Bacharach, which is a good choice, will give you a chance to see a little of the Rhein, and you can even look into a river cruise for a few hours (head north to Cologne and explore there for the full day before catching the train back) if you want to experience the scenery (check www.kdrhine.com or www.k-d.de ). Or you could even get on the cruise at Bacharach on the day you're going to Heidelberg, sail up (but south) the Rhein to Rüdesheim am Rhein (not far) or further along to Mainz then catch the train to Heidelberg, sightsee and have the night there before a little time the next morning and continuing by train to Rothenburg ob der Tauber ( NOTE: make sure you use this as a destination when searching on German train sites as there are two other Rothenburgs (one on the German/Polish border, the other up near Leipzig) and you want the one on the River Tauber, which is often shown as Rothenburg o.b.T. NOTE: the KD Cruise boats accept Eurail passes as a travel ticket, which might help for the full boat trip Bacharach to Mainz then the train to Heidelberg as it is activated as a day of use and the boats are considered a form of transport akin to the train. The train from R.o.b.T to Munich will be between 2hr45 to 3hr15 and involve a few changes, so you can get an early start and make the most of arrival day in Munich, thus sneaking in a little extra time. Or take the extra day from Luxembourg and add it to Munich, giving you 4 nights/3 full days allowing for your trip to Berchtesgaden (which could also be done from/on the way to Salzburg), half day at Dachau, day trip to the Ludwig II castles (Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Hohenschwangau) and time in Munich itself (a great town). And something worth knowing - if you odn't want to use the days on your Eurail pass for the day trips from Munich, there is something called a BayernTicket (or on weekends the Schönes Wochenende ticket) which is for train and bus travel in the state of Bavaria on most routes. The group ticket (more than one person) is Euro 25 (or may now be 29) from ticket machines in the stations, or Euro27 from the travel centre ticket office in the station. This may help with keeping days on your pass for travel days in the future. www.bahn.de/regional/view/bayern/bahnregional/freizeit/bayernticket.shtml Cesky Krumlov - the train from Munich to CK takes around 7hr30mins, so either look at a night train on this section or add another day to CK if you feel you really want to sightsee. Otherwise, 1 full day will be good. Vienna - you may want an extra full day here as there is a lot to see and experience and just one day won't really give you much time. The train from CK to Vienna will take 4hr30 with a few changes, so if you get an early start on the travel day, you'll have a good portion of the afternoon of arrival in Vienna, but still may find you need the additional full day, ie 2 full days. Vaduz - you'll find you only need 1 night here as it's small and easy to walk to see the sights (you can even see the castle from the main street, so don't have to walk up to the gates). NOTE: there is no train station in Vaduz, just bus services. So from Austria you'll train it to Feldkirchen on the Austrian/Lichtenstein border, take the bus into the Zentrum (centre) of Vaduz, then a bus out to Schaan-Vaduz station to catch the train to Switzerland. Luzern - it's a stunning town so I'd choose here rather than Appenzell if it were me. And if you have 2 nights - 1 full day you could also take time to wander the city, cruise the lake (stunning scenery). Bern - I like Bern, but feel that 1 night here would be enough for you, so take the day from here and add to Luzern. Interlaken - not sure what your interests are and what you plan to do, but you might find that heading a little further into the mountains around Lauterbrunnen might work better for you in terms of scenery, activities, etc. Interlaken has a lot of adventure activities, but in terms of staying "in the mountains" you can't beat Lauterbrunnen, Murren and around the area. There are hostels in L'brunnen and Murren and a campsite (with cabins or a dorm) in L'brunne, so you'll find accommodation if you book well ahead (ie now!). NOTE: I'd consider travelling from Vaduz to Bern, then Berner Oberland/Interlaken, then Luzern and travelling to CT from Luzern as the trains are a little more conducive to travel (there is an 8am-ish train with only one change in Milan then on to La Spezia for the regional train to the 5T). Otherwise, remember that if you catch a later train, the regional trains along the 5 villages stop around 11.10pm or sometimes the last one is 00.50 and the next isnt' until around 5am the next day, so don't arrive at La Spezia Centrale too late in the day. Rome - the train will take a good chunk of your day from CT to Rome, unless you take the Eurostar Italia between Florence and Rome (1hr30mins), but 3 full days in just Rome will allow for a good amount of exploring, sightseeing and eating. Other than that, you've put together a good itinerary. See what you can do with the above suggestions and no doubt the others will chime in with some more ideas soon.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Mar 11, 2012 1:00:23 GMT -5
The plan you suggested, does it make sense to reduce the 5 days at each place to 3 days and add Germany ( Munich, Berlin) and Switzerland( Alps). I have nephew who lives in London. I know this needs more days. But not sure how I route it. The number of days suggested in each city in my previous post is not based soley on the time you have to travel, but on the ideal time to spend in each of the destinations listed. That is, some cities warrant more time than others, so simply reducing the days spend as a generic amount of time per destination may well sell some cities short. For example, I wouldn't recommend Paris for 3 days as it doesn't allow for proper exposure. I suspect you've fallen into the "see as much as possible while we're there" trap, and it's understandable as you are spending money to get there, but don't forget that 3 days = 4 nights and if you're happy to pack up and move every few days then that will work, but don't forget also that travel between some destinations can take a good chunk of a day, thus eating into time sightseeing. Mostly we are interested in city highlights, city/historical landmarks, and some landscapes. I guess kids are not much into museums/arts gallaries etc. They are not into malls and shopping either. They love public transport though. That's why I suggested the city combination in my previous post. If you want to try to do the combination you've suggested by adding another 4 (including London) destinations, you simply do not have adequate time for all cities. You already suspect this, but as an example with 3 days (4nights) shown, I've also put the optimum time in brackets in red: fly into London 4 nights London (5-6)Eurostar to Paris - takes 2hrs 4 nights Paris (5-6)TVG to Bern (fast train, takes around 4hrs) then regular train to Lauterbrunnen takes 1hr30 with a change in Interlaken Ost. 3 nights Lauterbrunnen train to Zurich or Basel airport (around 2hrs) and fly to Berlin (1hr30, check Air Berlin) 4 nights Berlin (4-5)fly to Munich - takes around 1hr, again check Air Berlin 3 nights Munich (4 nights if doing day trips to castles, etc)train to Venice 3 nights Venice - great scenery, takes around 7hrs, otherwise look into flights, but I suspect they might be pricey on this route. train to Rome - the Eurostar Italia takes 3hr45min. 4 nights Rome (5 with a day trip, otherwise 3 full days would be good)fly home from Rome. As you can see, even with changes to number of nights the time adds up. Perhaps you should go back to discussing the top 3 (at a pinch 4) cities you all want to see, or pick one city each, and know that you have options for transport between them. But trying to do too much will just end up a holiday of European transport, not a holiday of Europe using transport.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Mar 4, 2012 21:52:17 GMT -5
Something worth considering as you're travelling in Summer, is that London is hosting the Olympics from 27 July - 12 August. The prices of hotel rooms have already jumped significantly, especially in the weeks leading up to the Games and the few weeks afterwards, so that may affect your choice of cities in your final itinerary. London will always be there, so it might be an idea to leave it out this time and go back with the kids for a week when things aren't so hectic. As for a proposed itinerary, you could: fly into Paris 5 nights Paris fly to Venice 3 nights Venice train to Rome 5 nights Rome fly out of Rome It's an itinerary which will have something for everyone and you will get to see some major sites as well as have things to interest your kids (book an underground tour of the Colosseum for sure - they'll love it!). Arriving in Paris will allow for a little jet lag to be conquered by walking around the city on the first day and just taking it all in. It's one of the best ways to experience the city and when you've had enough you can jump on the Metro to get back to your hotel. It's simple enough to navigate and shouldn't be avoided just because the station names are hard to pronounce! Or you could go on a Fat Tire Bike Tour of Paris, either on a bicycle or on a Segway (Segway Tours are find for 12y.o. and above and bike tours are fine as long as all can ride a bike, check their websites fattirebiketours.com/paris or citysegwaytours.com/ ) Flights from Paris to Venice are easily found with EasyJet ( www.easyjet.com ) from either Orly or CDG (not Beauvais) to Venice Marco Polo (VCE), and are good value. The train trip from Venice to Rome is around 3hrs 45min on the fast train (Eurostar Italia) and a ticket in 2nd class (perfectly fine) is around Euro75 for an adult. You book a little ahead for this, even the day you arrive in Venice is fine, as the seats are reserved. There's no point in flying this route, too much time wasted getting to/from airports, and the scenery is worth the journey. There is a Eurostar Italia train every hour, so you'll be able to pick your departure time easily. Flights from Rome back to California will be easy to find, but if you want to consult a travel agent for this part then go for it. Of course, run this idea past your kids and see if it piques their interest, then you can start a little more planning and searching for accommodation. If you can start to set your dates now too that would be good as you'll need to book well in advance for Summer accommmodation.
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