First time traveller to Europe: Rome, Florence, Paris in 2 short weeks?
Mar 9, 2012, 4:00 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 1
First time traveller to Europe: Rome, Florence, Paris in 2 short weeks?
Hello,
I am also starting to plan a 2 week trip to Europe with my sister from May 1 to May 14 and first time traveler to Europe!
Our desired cities are Paris/Rome/Florence.
I'm uncertain if I should fly direct to Rome from Vancouver or should I be considering Paris first? Both are expensive.
Ideally, I'd like to fly to Rome and then train to Florence. My sister and I are wanting to visit the Space outlet. While on the way to Florence, wondering if there is a train route that lets me view much of the Tuscan countryside and perhaps even a stop in Umbria. I'd love to find a route that lets me stop in one or two small towns on the way.
After leaving Florence, I'd then like to stop in Cinque Terre, hike the small towns, train to Genoa, and then fly to Paris.
I would then spend the remaining time in Paris with a day trip to Chateau de Versailles. Then fly home direct to Vancouver.
What do you all think of this proposed itinerary? Should I cut out Cinque Terre..though I heard it's spectacular! Is this doable for around 12 days?
Thanks,
Roselyn
I am also starting to plan a 2 week trip to Europe with my sister from May 1 to May 14 and first time traveler to Europe!
Our desired cities are Paris/Rome/Florence.
I'm uncertain if I should fly direct to Rome from Vancouver or should I be considering Paris first? Both are expensive.
Ideally, I'd like to fly to Rome and then train to Florence. My sister and I are wanting to visit the Space outlet. While on the way to Florence, wondering if there is a train route that lets me view much of the Tuscan countryside and perhaps even a stop in Umbria. I'd love to find a route that lets me stop in one or two small towns on the way.
After leaving Florence, I'd then like to stop in Cinque Terre, hike the small towns, train to Genoa, and then fly to Paris.
I would then spend the remaining time in Paris with a day trip to Chateau de Versailles. Then fly home direct to Vancouver.
What do you all think of this proposed itinerary? Should I cut out Cinque Terre..though I heard it's spectacular! Is this doable for around 12 days?
Thanks,
Roselyn
Mar 9, 2012, 5:28 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: south of WAS DC
Posts: 10,131
welcome to ft. you are trying to crowd too much into 14 days. just rome, florence and paris are reasonable. adding umbria, tuscany, cinque terra, geona, versallie, one or two small towns, and a kitchen sink puts you on a train or bus for the whole trip. if you are young, plan to return. skip most of that stuff, and spend 2 or 3 quality days in each place. save the big cities for when you are old. at least we did. now that we are old, we go to paris, london, venice rome, etc. for the first 20 years when we were strong, we did countryside.
can you drive? driving in italy is really not that bad. the cars are very nice, and the auto routes are much better than the us interstate system(anything is better thanI95)
each one of those moves i listed eats most of a whole day. that's 10 days.
for specifics, i don't think the train goes to umbria. you do not see anything worth seeing of tuscany from the train. i don't think you can train to cinque terra(not sure).
once took a night train from paris to milan. the train went west of the alps, and saw nothing. have done more than a few trains in italy. never saw anything worth seeing. looks like maryland and new jersy.
consider an open jaw from rome to milan, get a car and drive to small towns. small towns in both italy and france are wonderful and inexpensive. the people are fabulous. or, you can start in nice and drive to paris, stopping at 10-14 small towns along the way. do not drive in paris or rome
what is the space outlet. this some place that sells space on the cheap? or did you misspell spice?
can you drive? driving in italy is really not that bad. the cars are very nice, and the auto routes are much better than the us interstate system(anything is better thanI95)
each one of those moves i listed eats most of a whole day. that's 10 days.
for specifics, i don't think the train goes to umbria. you do not see anything worth seeing of tuscany from the train. i don't think you can train to cinque terra(not sure).
once took a night train from paris to milan. the train went west of the alps, and saw nothing. have done more than a few trains in italy. never saw anything worth seeing. looks like maryland and new jersy.
consider an open jaw from rome to milan, get a car and drive to small towns. small towns in both italy and france are wonderful and inexpensive. the people are fabulous. or, you can start in nice and drive to paris, stopping at 10-14 small towns along the way. do not drive in paris or rome
what is the space outlet. this some place that sells space on the cheap? or did you misspell spice?
Mar 10, 2012, 3:43 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: south of WAS DC
Posts: 10,131
i would, instead, check out the toilets at ostia antiquata and the house of the vestal virgins.........i have photos of me sitting on each. those people were tall. they are set up for people at least 6' tall.
Mar 11, 2012, 3:57 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 14
That sounds like a fantastic trip. Yes it is quite doable, although it will only allow a limited experience of each place.
I would fly in to Rome, and out of Paris. May can still be quite cool, especially in Paris - so leave the cooler (northern) city until last.
Fast trains from Rome to Florence hurtle along about 240kmh, with no stops. The countryside is pleasant, but nothing exceptional. There are other slower trains that stop along the way, but that would extend the travel time greatly - and you have very limited time.
I would go straight to Florence from Rome and hire a car for two days. Cars are very efficient transport outside of the cities. That way you could see the Space outlet and perhaps Siena and San Gimignano in one day You could also get to Cinque Terre, Pisa, Lucca and/or the Barberino Outlet Centre on another day.
Cinque Terre could be a bit of a logistical problem to fit in between Florence and Genoa. Storing luggage while you hike, then doubling back to pick it up all takes time. You would probably be best to spend a night somewhere in Cinque Terre at the end of your hike, so you could leave at a known time the next day to make your flight from Genoa. This would commit you to doing the Cinque Terre on a particular day, regardless of the weather. I think a day trip from Florence would be safer and a more efficient use of time.
I think you can get away with 4 days in each of the cities if you are really well organised. Make a list of the things you most want to do in each city and select whatever is most suitable on the day - depending on the weather and how you are feeling. Some things you may need to book in advance for particular days, so you will have to work around those fixed activities. Expect to return home with a lot of things still on your list!
I would fly in to Rome, and out of Paris. May can still be quite cool, especially in Paris - so leave the cooler (northern) city until last.
Fast trains from Rome to Florence hurtle along about 240kmh, with no stops. The countryside is pleasant, but nothing exceptional. There are other slower trains that stop along the way, but that would extend the travel time greatly - and you have very limited time.
I would go straight to Florence from Rome and hire a car for two days. Cars are very efficient transport outside of the cities. That way you could see the Space outlet and perhaps Siena and San Gimignano in one day You could also get to Cinque Terre, Pisa, Lucca and/or the Barberino Outlet Centre on another day.
Cinque Terre could be a bit of a logistical problem to fit in between Florence and Genoa. Storing luggage while you hike, then doubling back to pick it up all takes time. You would probably be best to spend a night somewhere in Cinque Terre at the end of your hike, so you could leave at a known time the next day to make your flight from Genoa. This would commit you to doing the Cinque Terre on a particular day, regardless of the weather. I think a day trip from Florence would be safer and a more efficient use of time.
I think you can get away with 4 days in each of the cities if you are really well organised. Make a list of the things you most want to do in each city and select whatever is most suitable on the day - depending on the weather and how you are feeling. Some things you may need to book in advance for particular days, so you will have to work around those fixed activities. Expect to return home with a lot of things still on your list!