France and Italy: Best 2 to 3 week itinerary for first-time visitors
France and Italy make for a perfect first visit to Europe, but there are so many potential places to visit that planning well is extremely important. Of the two, Italy is a bit more straightforward because it has a “Big 3” of tourist cities consisting of Rome, Florence, and Venice. France, on the other hand, has Paris, but beyond the capital it can be hard to know where you should go.
These two countries contain several of what I consider to be the best cities in Europe to visit for anyone, so it’s just a matter of narrowing down where to go and how much time to spend in each place. In the article below you’ll see the best option to string together a tour of these countries in two or three weeks. There will be options and decisions you’ll have to make based on your own tastes, but no matter how you do it this should be an unforgettable trip.
This article was most recently updated in August, 2022.
How many cities to visit?
This is perhaps the most challenging question when planning an itinerary. Newer travelers always assume that more is better and overly-seasoned travelers always preach that virtually any city anywhere deserves at least a week. As with most things, the best answer probably lies somewhere in between. If you only have two weeks per year it would take a lifetime of trips to explore even half of Europe at the slow pace, so it makes sense for newer travelers to move at a good clip.
There are many reasons why fast travel might be your best option, but only up to a point. With only a few exceptions, 3 nights per city is a good minimum even for those wishing to see as much as possible, or 2 nights in the smaller cities.
If you are going to France and Italy for sure then start with Paris and Rome as the foundation and add cities in between to the degree you’ll have time. France is a deceptively large country so travel will eat up some time unless you are flying or taking the bullet trains.
>>>Going just to Italy?: Here are the best first-time Italy itineraries for 3 days to two weeks
Flying in and out
Unless you are starting from elsewhere in Europe, you’ll want to carefully choose which airport to fly into. It used to be that Paris was one of the cheapest, and it’s still competitive, but it doesn’t rank high on the list of European cities that are cheapest to fly into.
Two one-way tickets is ideal
It used to be that round-trip tickets were always much cheaper than two one-way tickets, but often that is no longer true. Sometimes the one-way flights are exactly half the round-trip fare, sometimes a bit more than half, and other times they are double. It’s hard to predict so it’s worth comparing them yourself.
The first thing to try is this:
- (your city) to Paris one-way
- Rome to (your city) one-way
Compare that to this:
- (your city) to Paris round-trip
- (your city) to Rome round-trip
If the two one-way flights are within US$150 or so of either round-trip, then they are your best option. If the round-trips are much cheaper then your best option is to buy one of those as well as a one-way flight between the cities (for around US$100) for just before you fly home. It would cost more on the train and also take 14 hours, so flying that last part is the way to go unless you are planning on using the last leg of a Eurail Pass on an overnight run.
Getting around once in Europe
Flying around in France and Italy doesn’t make much sense. The flights on low-cost carriers can certainly be cheap, but most major cities are only 2 to 5 hours apart by train, so riding the rails is faster, more pleasant, and far more scenic.
Even on trains, you still have three main options:
- Buying a France-Italy regional Eurail Pass
- Buying individual train tickets in advance
- Buying individual train tickets one at a time when you get there
If you are under 26 you can qualify for the 2nd Class Eurail Pass, which will be ideal for many people. If you are over 25 you have to buy a 1st Class Eurail Pass, and those are probably only best for those with a bit more money to spend.
Best cities in France and Italy for first-time visitors
Paris (minimum 3 nights but even that is rushing it)
Obviously you’ll want to visit Paris, and it makes sense to either start or end your whole journey here. If it’s your first stop you should add at least one extra day to help deal with jet lag, but you should plan on staying as long as possible because the French capital is one of the world’s great (and most beautiful) cities by any definition.
It’s true that you can’t just all of France by just visiting Paris on your first trip, but it’s still not a bad idea because this city is the center of almost everything and even the areas surrounding it are filled with great sights, amazing histories, and plenty of things to do. It’s almost impossible to get a bad meal in the city and most of the food is reasonably priced considering the quality. Be prepared for a small hotel room, even if you pay a lot, so it’s more about paying for the location rather than for a luxurious and large place to sleep.
The sights in Paris are almost all worthwhile, but don’t think you have to spend an entire day in the Louvre in order to enjoy it. In fact, I highly recommend taking the 3-hour double-decker sightseeing tour (run by several companies) on your first day in order to see at least the exteriors of all of the famous landmarks. If you want to go inside at least a few of the big attractions you might consider getting a Paris Pass, which also covers the bus tour and a cruise on the Seine.
Spend at least three nights in Paris itself and if you have extra days you might do a day trip (tour buses are a great choice) of the nearby Loire Valley. It’s filled with famous castles and palaces where the rich used to live outside of the city, and many are available for tours.
Paris to Nice by train: About 6 hours
Provence region (optional 2 or 3 nights)
Probably the most efficient first trip to France along with Italy is to spend a few days in Paris and then head to Nice (see below) to explore the French Riviera, but if the beach scene doesn’t interest you, or if you are coming in the cool months (the beach areas are pretty dead from November through March) you might instead stop in the Provence region. This area is famously where Van Gogh was based and got his inspiration, and also home to a Papal Palace where 7 popes lived during the 1300s.
The main city is Arles and that is probably the best base, although Avignon (where the Popes lived) is also very tourist friendly and could be a good choice. In fact, Avignon is the beginning of the famous Côtes du Rhone wine road, which connects a series of hill towns with amazing scenery and of course wine tasting. Something like this might be better for a second or third trip to France unless you’ve got weeks to spend here. Provence is also known for its cuisine, as it stands out even within a country where the food is amazing virtually everywhere you go.
Paris to Avignon by train: About 3.5 hours
Avignon to Nice by train: About 3 hours
Nice, France (minimum 2 nights)
Nice is the largest (and cheapest) city on the Côte d’Azur (AKA French Riviera) so it’s the perfect base to explore this stunning part of the world for a few days. It can still be quite expensive during July and August, when most French are filling their own beaches, but in other months it’s not too bad.
Nice has a famous beach (made of pebbles rather than sand), but it’s also an important cultural capital with great museums and a thriving food scene. You could easily spend 2 or 3 quick days in Nice alone, but you might also consider spending a few hours in Cannes and/or Monaco, which are both only about 30 minutes away by train in either direction. The cheaper hotels in Nice are near the train station anyway, so that’s something to consider if you want to visit all 3 places in one short trip.
Nice to Milan by train: About 5 hours
Nice to Venice by train: About 7.5 hours
Milan (1 night or just skip it)
Milan is famous, though that alone is not enough of a reason to stop there. If you skip it you won’t be missing much, or you might stop for one night just to break up the journey a bit. On the plus side, Milan has one of Europe’s most photogenic gothic domes at its heart, and it’s the home to Da Vinci’s Last Supper (if you make reservations well in advance).
The down side, however, is that Milan is mostly a business/financial city that isn’t as charming as the rest on this list. It’s one of Europe’s fashion capitals as well, but the casual visitor wouldn’t notice. Worst of all, accommodation in Milan can be insanely expensive if there is a trade fair or event in town. If you are coming through in between fairs and events, hotels can actually be unusually cheap, so it’s worth checking rates if you are considering stopping. Generally speaking, I recommend skipping Milan at least on your first trip.
Milan to Venice by train: About 2.5 hours
Venice (1 night minimum, 2 nights maximum)
Certainly one of the most beautiful and unusual cities on the planet, Venice is something that everyone should see, though it can be a bit tricky. The thing is, between about 10am and 5pm every day of the year, the main walkways in Venice are a slow-moving parade of more tourists than seem possible or even safe. Many of them stay in hotels nearby on the mainland, while many others just come in for the day on part of a bus tour. The point is, Venice is very frustrating during those hours, so to appreciate the city it’s important to work around them at least a bit.
The trick is to stay at least one night, if not two, on the main island itself. Perhaps surprisingly, Venice shuts down early, with most restaurants and bars closed by around 10pm. But in those evening hours as well as the morning hours on the following day, the place can feel magical and like a fairy tale destination. Venice is also quite compact so seeing the main highlights in 24 hours isn’t difficult. Depending on your budget, spend one or two nights on the main island and you’ll be quite satisfied by the time you leave. You’ll be sick of the crowds by then anyway.
Venice to Florence by train: About 2 hours
Florence (2 nights minimum, plus side trips)
With fewer than 400,000 residents, Florence feels more like a small town than the others, even though it’s much larger than Venice. As the largest and most central city in Tuscany, Florence is a cultural capital filled with famous museums, cathedrals, and other sights, but it’s also the ideal jumping off point for day or overnight trips into some of the nearby hill towns.
Whether you are coming from Venice or from Rome, this is the point on your trip that you’ll be able to catch your breath a bit. It’s also the cheapest city on this list so lingering here will be more affordable in addition to relaxing. The cuisine here is, of course, world famous, and it can get even better and cheaper if you spend a day or two in one of the many scenic villages in this part of Italy.
From Florence to Rome it’s only around 90 minutes by train, so another easy and pleasant travel day.
Pisa (a few hours on a day trip at most)
If you are spending several weeks exploring Italy then perhaps you’d want to spend a night or even two in Pisa. But for a quick trip where you are trying to include as much as possible, Pisa is best for a day trip. It’s about an hour by train or bus from Florence, so you can literally do it in half a day there and back. And being honest, the Field of Miracles (which includes the Leaning Tower) is definitely worth a look, but the rest of Pisa doesn’t really stand out.
Regardless of your starting point, you can go to the Pisa Centrale train station and walk about 25 minutes to the Leaning Tower area, or take a train to the Pisa San Rossore train station and 7 minutes to the Field of Miracles. There are also bus tours from Florence that take you all the way there, but those come with the slowness of large-group travel.
Cinque Terre (1 night, optional)
If you were to be spending all 2 or 3 weeks in Italy and saving France for another trip, then you’d want to considering spending at least a day and perhaps a night in this stunning little group of 5 towns perched on rocky cliffs overlooking the sea. They are on the west coast a bit north of Florence, so they are a bit out of the way if you are headed to Rome. Of the 5 towns, Vernazza is probably best for a short visit and it’s definitely the most scenic.
When you see a photo of these villages it’s hard not to be drawn in so if you are in that group you could add a day or two in this area either before or after Florence. Note that the scenic footpaths connecting the towns are partly closed down at times due to instability, so a quick tour by train or even by boat might be a better option.
Florence to Rome by train: About 90 minutes
Rome (minimum 3 nights)
Again, it makes the most sense to start and end your visit in Paris and Rome, and if you are starting in Rome you should add an extra day just to get your footing. Similar to Paris, Rome is crammed with amazing sights too numerous to mention, but unlike Paris, Rome can be a frustrating place to visit. No one regrets their first visit to Rome, but many swear that it’ll also be their last. It’s the traffic and general sense of chaos (multiplied by the summer heat) that wear on visitors.
All of that said, Rome is absolutely a must-visit, although you won’t be blamed for hustling through the city quickly and efficiently so you can spend more time in the relative serenity of anywhere else. The Eternal City is also quite expensive, especially by Italian standards, which is another reason to save only a few days there rather than a full week.
Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento/Amalfi Coast (optional up to 4 nights)
The “big 3” in Italy are Rome, Florence, and Venice, and if you have time for only 3 cities those are the obvious ones to choose. But if you want to dig deeper into Italy and you have enough time, your next best choice will be to base yourself in Sorrento and use it to explore Naples, the ruins of Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, and the island of Capri.
Naples is a large and gritty city that has an unfortunate reputation for pickpockets and other street crime. In reality, any daytime visitor who uses the typical precautions will be fine. Naples is also famously the birthplace of pizza and home to one of the world’s best archaeology museums so it’s worth a day trip for sure. The great news is that Naples is very easy to visit from nearby Sorrento, which is a lovely and friendly place where most people know English.
Stay in Sorrento
To reach Sorrento you’ll take a train to Naples and then change for a one-hour local train (known as the Circumvesuviana) to its final stop. Once you are checked into a hotel there, you can take the same train back to Naples, or an even faster boat. Halfway back on the Circumvesuviana you can jump off in front of the stunning Pompeii Ruins. Those in a hurry can spend half a day in Naples and a couple hours seeing Pompeii and be safely back in Sorrento for an unforgettable dinner.
Amalfi Coast and the Island of Capri
Not only is Sorrento the perfect base for a visit to Naples and Pompeii, but it’s also the gateway to the Amalfi Coast and a short ferry ride from the touristy island of Capri. On a quick visit you can hop on the local bus in Sorrento that takes you through Positano and Amalfi to Salerno. You’ll see all the famous and amazing Amalfi Coast views, and you can return either by bus or boat for an ideal day out.
The other main nearby attraction is the famous tourist island of Capri, which is best known for its Blue Grotto attraction. The ferry from Sorrento only takes 20 minutes each way and leaves hourly most of the day. This is another easy and ideal day trip where you can have breakfast and dinner in Sorrento and a wonderful time in Capri in between.
Filling in the rest of your itinerary
If you have only two weeks total then the above minimums will also pretty much be your maximums, give or take a day. But if you have three weeks you will be adding days to these cities or adding new cities altogether. Honestly, if this is your first trip to these countries, you’ll really get the most bang for your buck by adding extra days in Paris or Florence or both.
Rushing around for two weeks can be exhilarating, but rushing around for three weeks can really start to get exhausting. It’s better to plan to go slower and if you are getting bored you can do a day or overnight trip to something nearby. But you won’t get bored, and if you do you are probably doing it wrong.
Cinque Terre photo by World Walk About on Flickr
Dear Roger,
Let me compliment you for an excellent and a very ‘user-friendly’ article, especially for first time visitors like me. I have following queries :-
1 Roger! I,my wife and my three year old son are planning for 16 days (including travel time) trip to France -Italy and Switzerland (My wife is keen)/ Spain (I am Keen), so could you advice what is the best option in your opinion??
2.Is it possible also to include one of the most recommend destination spot for Switzerland.(To avoid clash of opinions between self and wife)
3. I am planning trip from 25 Sep to 10 Oct. is it a good time to visit t all these places?.
4. Could you advice which is the better place to start from (Paris or Rome) keeping the above mentioned dates in mind??
5. My budget is modest. So your advice is even more critical in our planning.
Please advice us and resolve the conflict:)
Biri
Biri,
I’m happy to try to help, and thank you for the kind words. This is a tricky situation though. On one hand, Switzerland has the most dramatic and beautiful scenery in Europe, and you can have a really nice visit there in as few as 3 days. The downside is that Switzerland is also very expensive on a per-day basis, even compared to France and Italy. So those 3 days in Switzerland would be amazing, if a bit expensive.
Spain is obviously very different. The most basic trip to Spain that I’d recommend for a cultural traveler would be 3 nights in Barcelona and 3 nights in Madrid. They are both large cities filled with great sights, and they are very different from each other. They are both about the same price as France and Italy, so they are not exactly cheap. So if you already want to visit France and Italy, you really won’t have 6 days to also visit Spain. If you tried to do all 3 countries in 2 weeks, you’d be racing around and only seeing maybe 50% of what you flew all that way to see.
In other words, Switzerland would be much easier to work into your itinerary, and still have enough time to see Paris, Venice, Florence, and Rome. As mentioned in the article above, I recommend 3 or 4 nights for Paris, 1 or 2 nights for Venice, 2 or 3 nights for Florence, and 3 nights for Rome. Spain is a wonderful country and even those two cities are just scratching the surface, so I vote for saving Spain for another trip when you have more time. The rest of Spain also is more reasonably priced, so it’ll be a pretty cheap trip when you get there.
The best short visit to Switzerland is to head to the Interlaken area. I explain it in fine detail in my article about where to go in Switzerland.
Late September and early October is a perfect time to visit all of these places, and hotel prices will be down a bit from their summer peaks as well. Let me know if you have any other questions and I’ll be happy to help. Sorry to side with the wife on this one. 🙂 -Roger
Hi Roger – wow! what a following you have!
I am originally from Germany but live in Boston now. I am planning to take my then 13 and 11 year old daughters next summer on an extensive Europe road trip (we go every summer but mostly to Germany and/or just one specific place). I was thinking to fly into Madrid, drive to Barcelona, then up the coast to Marseille and Nice – but then I am not sure whether to go through Provence or rather continue along the coast to Italy? Any thoughts you have would be really helpful as well as some specific small idyllic towns you know of along the way. We really have as much time as we need for the trip but I am not sure – looking simply at the map – what towns to go to…… again any comments are appreciated – thank you so much!! AK
AK,
This sounds like a wonderful trip you are planning, and unfortunately I won’t be of much help. I’ve traveled extensively in much of Europe, but in France I’ve mainly spent time in Paris and the other popular places for foreign tourists. As a result, I won’t be confident in giving you specific advice on where you might try, although I do envy you. In fact, I’ll be in Normandy for the first time in about a month, and I plan to explore other areas of France shortly after that (I’m an American, based in London at the moment).
If you haven’t lived in the US long you might not be familiar with travel writer Rick Steves. I would highly recommend getting his current France guidebook (paper or digital) and scanning the appropriate chapters for advice. One of the things he does best is that he goes pretty much everywhere and then only writes about the most worthwhile places, including small towns that aren’t on many other lists. If you use a guide such as Lonely Planet (and I’m a fan of theirs as well), they tend to have a small section on nearly every notable town, so it’s much harder to know which are really the stand-out ones.
Since you are from Germany (where my family is from as well), at least you know that most of the small coastal towns in France are not well set up for car visitors. But as far as I’m aware, the wine regions and other inland destinations are quite car friendly. Have a great trip and I wish I could have been more help. -Roger
Hi Roger,
I saw this site and was amazed how you actually took the time to reply to people’s queries. I am trying to plan a trip to Europe for my daughter’s 15 years. Her birthday is in July but since her brother is only a month old right now, we decided to plan the trip during the December holidays rather than in July, so that the baby would be about 7 months old. My daughter wants to do Paris, Italy, Croatia and Greece (more specifically Santorini). My wife and I would like to put about 3 days in Munich as well. We have about 22- 24 days max for the trip.
Here is what I was thinking:
Paris – 3 nights
Venice – 1 night
Florence – 2 nights
Sorrento – 2 nights (day trip to Pompeii and Capri)
Rome – 3 nights
Santorini – 2 nights
Athens – 2 nights
Munich -3 nights
Prague – 1 night
Paris -2 nights
I don’t think we could fit Croatia in the itinerary. It already seems too much. Would appreciate if you could let me know what you think of the itinerary. And also if we should take places off the list or add some. What would be the best way to travel to Greece? And at what part of the trip would it be better?
I am a little apprehensive because we will be traveling with a 7 month old baby. Do you foresee any problems with that?
I gratefully look forward for your comments and guidance.
Sanjeev,
For some strange reason, I really love trying to help people with itineraries and such, so I’m happy to give it a go.
Your plan looks quite solid as it is, although it is fairly rushed. The main issue I’m seeing is that some of these places are very seasonal, and December is not ideal for those. The good news is that Europe’s cities are obviously designed to work at 100% all year round, especially with subways and other public transport that goes in any weather. Most attractions in Europe’s larger cities are indoors, and the weather even in December is usually mild enough that walking around for a few hours a day is enjoyable, as long as you have warm clothes with you.
The bad news is that Greece and Croatia are very seasonal, so it’s good that you’ve already set Croatia aside. Athens itself is obviously a large city, so 2 days there would be okay, although climbing the Acropolis and walking the Agora would be less enjoyable if it’s cold and a bit wet. The bigger problem is that the islands practically shut down from November until April. Santorini and the other larger ones will still have some hotels and restaurants open, but there will be maybe 10% of the people there as you’d see in summer. Most of the smaller islands literally do close down for the cold months, with only a few locals remaining and no ferry service.
In other words, I’d save Greece for a future trip, and Croatia as well. That would give you 4 more nights for the other places on your list, and I’d add at least 1 or 2 to Prague. You could add a day or two in Italy, although you could enjoy what you have planned there now. You could also do 2 days in Vienna or Salzburg on your way from Prague to Paris at the end. Both of those cities are wonderful, and would still be good in December.
I think traveling with a 7-month old will be just fine in Europe’s cities. More than any other place I can think of, Europe is very advanced when it comes to strollers and changing rooms and ease of use on public transportation for infants. Also, Italy in particular has a reputation for loving young children, so you’ll probably get some extra attention while you are there.
Let me know if you have any other questions, and I’ll be happy to help you sort out the best itinerary if you are okay with saving Greece for the future. -Roger
Thank you so much Roger! Your inputs have be tremendously helpful. I will take your suggestions and leave out Greece for another trip in the future and will add Lucerne and Interlaken in Switzerland instead. Also will add an additional night in Prague. Thanks for your time. I am sure you will be paid many times over for your wonderful service to fellow travelers in terms of a positive karmic energy surplus. Cheers!
Dear Roger:Few days ago, not knowing what I was getting into, I went ahead and booked tickets to Europe (from US) – Flying into Paris and flying out of Rome. I(46) will be travelling with my spouse(44) and my son(14). As a first timer to Europe, I am certainly overwhelmed at the task of planning an itinerary. I am glad I found your website! While there is a lot more research to do, I was hoping you would review my current plan and make suggestions for changes. I would like to finalize my train tickets ASAP and work on accommodations after. Here is the current plan:
August 2nd (ar in Paris 7AM) to August 17th (dep Rome 10:50AM):
1. Paris (4 nights) – To include a half day trip to palace of Versailles
Leave at ~7AM to reach Lecerne ~noon
2. Lucerne (1 night)
3. Interlaken (2 nights) – To stay in Gimmelwald or Murren
Leave from Interlaken to Speiz-Milan-Genoa
4. Santa Margherita Ligure (1 night)
5. Cinque Terre (1 night)
6. Florence (2 nights)
7. Rome (4 nights) – To include a day trip Pompei
a. Does this look ambitious?
b. What steps can I take minimize the train tickets cost?
c. Do you have any suggestions what I can add or remove from the above?
d. From Paris, is it better to go to Interlaken first then to Lucerne or the opposite (Note: need to minimize the time to Italy post Switzerland) ?
Many thanks for your effort and great information. I eagerly look forward to your guidance.
Hari,
I’m happy to hear that this has helped, and I’m sure your trip will be excellent.
I’d not heard of Santa Margherita Ligure, but it looks quite nice and is obviously on your way, so it should be a good stop. I don’t think your plan looks too ambitious. You’ll be moving pretty quickly between Paris and Rome, but I do think it’s worth doing that because those places are mostly compact enough to appreciate in a day or two. You might consider consolidating your first two nights in Italy by staying in one place and seeing the other during the day. Santa Margherita Ligure is only 54 minutes from Vernazza (the most famous Cinque Terre town) by train, and really the train ride through that area is a big part of the appeal of going there.
If you leave Interlaken early enough, you could even stop for a couple hours in Santa Margherita Ligure and then head into the Cinque Terre for the evening, staying two nights. Or you could just stay two nights in Santa Margherita Ligure and see the Cinque Terre by day. That would be nicer so you don’t have to keep packing and checking into and out of hotels.
For the cheapest train tickets, buy them online as soon as possible. Here’s my article on how to buy cheap European train tickets online. The ticket from Lucerne to Interlaken will be the same price no matter when you buy it, and it’s the same with the tickets for the trains through the Cinque Terre. But for all of your long distance trains, the fares start out low and the price goes up as more seats are sold. If you buy soon, you’ll be surprised at how cheap some of them are, especially in Italy.
I’ve already answered “c” above.
You can get from Interlaken to Genoa in 5 hours and 11 minutes if you leave a bit after 7am, and it takes a bit over 6 hours from Lucerne to Genoa. So it doesn’t matter too much, and the ride through the Alps has excellent scenery. The departures from Interlaken are only fast at certain times of the day, while from Lucerne you can leave almost any time. Check out the options and fares on sbb.ch, which is the Swiss rail site.
As always, let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi,
I spent the evening reading different comments on this post … We are planning a trip to Europe for the first time aand I basically want to include France Italy and Switzerland and on the way back go to London.
Basic Itinerary :
Paris – 4 days
Italy – 5 days
Switzerland – 4 days.
This is the Itinerary which I planned but am not too sure .. I am travelling with my parents so comfort would be my first preference… Please suggest how we should travel and plan .. Any suggestion would be really helpful.
Parul,
Your itinerary looks quite good to start with. As far as how to get around with comfort in mind, you’ll want to do most of it by train, as trains in Europe are far more comfortable and less stressful than flying.
If you are starting in Paris then it would be most efficient to head to Switzerland after that, and then take a train to Italy. Here’s specifically what I’d suggest:
Paris for 4 nights then a train to Interlaken for 2 nights
Take a train from Interlaken to Lucerne for 2 nights
Take a train from Lucerne to Venice, which will take about 7 hours with a change of trains in Milan, but the part from Luzerne to Milan is one of the most beautiful train rides in the world.
Now, I normally recommend 6 nights for the quickest good Italy visit, so it would be ideal if you could add at least one more night. If not, you’ll have to figure out where to cut. You can have a great Venice visit in about 24 hours, as mentioned in the article above. Then you can take the 2-hour train ride to Florence for 2 nights, and then the 90-minute train ride to Rome for 3 nights. After that I’d recommend flying to London.
Here is information on exactly where to go in Switzerland.
As for Italy, you could skip one of the cities, but it would be hard to pick which one to skip. And I wouldn’t recommend cutting a night in Florence or Rome because there is just too much to see to do it in fewer days.
I’m happy to help you figure out more of the details on this, so feel free to comment back with more questions if you have them. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Thank you soo much for the suggestions. I would include them for sure.
Just wanted to know if soo much travel is involving trains, then is it advisable for me to buy a europass or should I just buy tickets as and when needed ?
Parul,
For a tightly scheduled trip like this, you will be best off buying your train tickets online, as far in advance as possible for the cheapest prices. The Paris to Interlaken and Lucerne to Venice tickets would be quite expensive if you waited until the last minute to buy, but they will be reasonable if you buy at least a month or so in advance.
A Eurail Pass is best for longer trips where you want to make plans as you go. They aren’t cheap, but they are usually cheaper than buying last-minute tickets. On the other hand, advance train tickets in Europe can be surprisingly cheap if you buy them online at least a month or more in advance. Buy from the official rail sites of the countries involved. Have a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Thanks a lot for your information and it is really useful for me! Especially this will be the first time I visit Europe (I am from Hong Kong)
I have bought an open-jaw air ticket and I will arrive at CDG on 30/7, and leaving from FCO on 13/8. I come up with the following general plan for my trip. If you have time for some advice, I will be very thankful or your help!
I will start by staying 3 days in Paris, and then on the 4th day, I will take a flight to Toulouse (stay at Toulouse + Carcasonne for 2 days). Then, on the 6th, take a flight from Toulouse to Nice, and stay at Nice for 3 nights. On the 9th day, from Nice to Florence, for 3 days. Then Florence to Rome for 3 other days.
Is this itinerary doable? Could you give me some advice? I will go with my university friends so energy probably is not a problem. Thank you very much!
Gordon
Gordon,
I think your plan looks really good and well paced. I don’t know the Toulouse area but I know the others and they are obviously filled with highlights. I suppose my only suggestion would be to consider taking trains in France rather than flying. From Paris to Toulouse there is a train that goes direct in 5 hours and 20 minutes. From Toulouse to Nice the fastest train is 6 hours 20 minutes, although most options are a bit over 7 hours. The scenery is quite nice on both rides, particularly when you get near the Med.
If you buy those tickets soon on sncf.com (official France rail site) they will be fairly cheap, and possibly cheaper than the flights. But really the main thing is that the experience is about a million times more pleasant on the train compared to hustling to the airport and all of that. And of course, with a one-hour flight, it really takes about 5 hours to get from city center to city center, so the schedule isn’t much different. Personally, if the train was €80 and a flight was €40, I’d still take the train on these routes.
By the way, Nice to Florence can be complicated by train and you might have to change trains twice. It takes 6.5 to 7 hours, and the earlier you buy that ticket the lower the prices will be and the more options you’ll have of fast trains. You should probably buy the Florence to Rome ticket soon while you are at it, although that won’t be too expensive either way.
Have a great trip and let me know if you have other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger, I’m a female in my mid-twenties currently planning a trip to Europe on my own for around 20 days. I initially looked into doing a tour, but have decided I’d much rather explore on my own. I’ve decided that Paris, Italy, and Greece are my top 3 places to go in Europe and I want to spend as much time in each as possible, particularly Italy. So I am thinking 4-5 days in Paris, around 10 days in Italy, and maybe 3-4 days in Greece. In italy, I’d like to see Florence, Venice, Rome for sure, Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast if at all possible. I’m not certain if I want to go to Nice/Monaco and am not too interested in Milan. I was thinking of going from Paris straight to Venice, then exploring Florence, Cinque Terre, Pisa etc., then to Rome and down to the Amalfi Coast before taking a boat/flight to Greece (Mykonos and Santorini). Is this practical at all?
I have a general idea of what I want to do/see in each place, but am clueless about planning hotel/hostel and AirBnB stays in Europe. I don’t know if I should try to book it all at once, or the best places to stay in each place. I was thinking definitely AirBnB for Paris, as I want to stay in the main part of town for a few days, and then a mix of accommodations in Italy and Greece depending on where I go. One of my main concerns is, I don’t think I want to take my luggage with me absolutely everywhere- I would like to leave it at the apartment/hotel/hostel where I am staying, but I don’t know if I can do that everywhere. If I must I can take my pack everywhere with me, but was hoping to take a smaller pack/bag for day trips. Any advice you have on these matters would be much appreciated! Thank you.
Justine,
This sounds like a great trip, and 20 days should be long enough to see almost everything on your list. I’ll try to answer the questions in the order they came up…
Four days should be long enough to see everything you want in Paris. If Greece is a priority, then skip Nice and Monaco. The best way would be to fly from Paris to Venice or nearby Treviso on a cheap airline, as it would be far cheaper and obviously way faster than a train.
Venice is great for 1 or 2 nights, as mentioned in the article above. Florence and Rome are good for 3 days or so each, although Rome is WAY larger, though Florence has more interesting day trips nearby and it’s less expensive and less stressful than Rome. On a fast-paced trip like this, I’d recommend Cinque Terre over Amalfi Coast. You can actually do Cinque Terre as a day trip or quick overnight from Florence, while seeing the Amalfi Coast requires getting at least to Sorrento and then another day or two from there. Both choices are a bit underwhelming on a fast trip, and you might actually appreciate days trip to Pisa, Siena, or one of the Tuscan hill towns a bit more. Those coastal areas are so packed with tourists during the day that it’s hard to appreciate the magic of them, which is easier to notice if you stay 2 or 3 days on a future trip to Italy.
The only ferries from Italy to Greece are slow ones leaving from the east coast, so flying is a far better option. Fly from Rome to Santorini and it should be fairly cheap and fast.
As for your luggage, obviously you can leave whatever you want in a hotel or apartment while you are renting the place. As for a hostel, if you do the dorm bed thing then they usually come with a locker where you use your own lock for smaller things (computers etc), and there is a secure luggage room for larger items. Reports of thefts from these places are amazingly rare, so as long as you follow the procedures and keep your phone and wallet on you at all times, you’ll be fine.
For hotels and hostels you can also store a bag in the secure luggage room before you check in or after you check out. So if you have a 4pm train you can check out at 10am and come back to get your bag several hours later after doing your last sightseeing. For apartments such as airbnbs, there is usually no storage facility available before you check in or after you check out. However, every train station in Europe’s larger cities has storage lockers where you can stash a backpack for maybe €5 for half a day.
Hopefully this helps. Let me know if you have other questions. -Roger
Heloo, i love your website! So glad to have foundit! We are going to italy for the first time in september, we are spending a few days in dublin first(easier fly schedule ) and going to rome , i booked one of the hotels you recommended , thank you , my question is wether to go to brescia from there and do side trips but staying based in brescia ? We want to recreate a little of the 1000 miles race and go to the ducati factory , we leave at the end of september from dublin , staying there maybe 3days before flying out . Thanks for any help you can give us !
Laurence,
Thank you. This is a tough one because I’ve never been to Brescia and it’s known more as an industrial city than a tourist destination. So with that in mind, it sounds like you have a specific reason for visiting, which is great. One of the challenges in staying in a city that doesn’t have much of a tourist infrastructure is that far fewer people will speak English, and it’s often tough to find a restaurant where you feel comfortable or even welcome.
If you speak Italian or even Spanish then it might not be so tough, but if not, you might be better off staying in Milan or Verona and visiting Brescia during the day when you want to see something there. Milan is more international and English is pretty widely spoken, although it’s also a convention city so half the time the hotels are extremely expensive and the other half they are weirdly cheap. If room rates there look reasonable, it might be a great choice. You can reach Lake Como in an hour from Milan, among many other places.
That’s all the advice I can offer on this, and again, I haven’t been there and I’m unsure what you have in mind. I hope it helps and feel free to follow up. -Roger
Roger,
I find the wealth of information very useful for planning travel to Europe. I am planning an Western Europe travel from India, to France, Italy, Spain with my wife and two sons. We intend to do it in 12 days commencing end May. Could you please advise on an itinerary. Our places of interest are historical, catholic churches and sports (soccer) in the order of priority. I was tempted to add Portugal by adding 2 more days but dropped it as I felt it would be too cramped. what would be the port of entry and exit and train as the mode of travel between cities.
Many thanks,
Vivek
Vivek,
Your idea of dropping Portugal is probably wise because of those two extra days you’d spend one of them in transit because it requires a night train and/or flights.
But actually, 12 days is going to be very rushed if you want to visit the three countries left on your list. I’ll actually recommend saving Spain or Italy for a future trip for reasons I’ll outline below. Assuming that this is your first visit to this part of Europe, then really the classic France and Italy itinerary described in the article above will be the most enjoyable and easiest. Not only is Spain quite large and somewhat remote for this trip, but English is not widely spoken there so it can be trickier than the others.
I highly recommend spending 3 nights in most cities in Europe, partly because your transit day will not be much of a sightseeing day. You can get a good look at Florence in 2 nights and Venice even in 1 night, as mentioned above, but part of that is because they are close together and the train only takes about two hours between them. If you go from Venice to Paris, it’s either an 11-hour train ride, or a 2-hour flight with all of the extra waiting and airport transport mixed in, so that takes nearly the whole day as well.
For history and Catholic churches, not to mention many other reasons, you’ll definitely want to spend at least 3 nights in Rome and at least 3 nights in Paris. If you are locked into the 12 nights then here’s probably the best and easiest way to do it:
Fly into Rome and spend 3 nights there
Take a train to Florence for 2 or 3 nights
Take a train to Venice for 1 night
Take a train (7.5 hours) or flight to Nice for 2 or 3 nights
Take a train to Paris for 3 or 4 nights
Because those Italian cities are pretty close together and the train rides are only 2 hours or so, you can still see a lot in 6 days in those 3 cities. That would give you 6 more days in Nice and Paris.
Or you might actually be better off doing those 3 Italian cities in 7 or 8 days, and then flying directly to Paris for the remainder. If you aren’t too interested in Nice, Cannes, and Monaco, then skip them for this trip.
Including soccer sights on this trip could also be a bit tricky. As you know, the leagues will all be done for the summer by late May, so the best you could do is one of those stadium tours. I’d think that they’d have those in Rome and/or Paris, although I’d imagine that Camp Nou in Barcelona would be better, or even San Siro in Milan. I wouldn’t go to Barcelona unless I had 3 days to spend there, but you could conceivably spend one night in Milan after Venice and visit San Siro.
By the way, if you would prefer to keep Spain and get rid of Italy or France, you’ll want to allow 3 nights in Barcelona AND 3 nights in Madrid. Both are large cities with many great sights, and they aren’t much alike at all.
I’ll be happy to help you sort this out in future comments if you write back with your preferences. But for now, I’d recommend flying into Rome and flying out of Paris. Or if a return flight from India to one of those is much cheaper, you could fly into Paris and then immediately take a low-cost flight to Rome to start the trip, or the other way around.
Again, I’m happy to help more if I can. I’m sure it’ll be a great trip. -Roger
I think i will try to go 2hrs out of Nice to check out some winery wineyards