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
Hi Roger,
I find your feedback and advice for travelling through Europe very informative and practical. We are a family of four.2 Adults and 2 children who are 12 and 8 years old.I have made a rough itinerary for 3 weeks.Your thoughts please?
17th June Singapore to Rome
Rome for 2-3 nights
Train to Florence for 3 nights
Train to Venice for 2 nights
Overnight train Venice to Zurich
Stay Zurich for 2-3 nights
Train Zurich to Lucerne 1-2 nights
Interlaken 2-3 nights
Easier to get a flight Geneva to Paris so can then travel from Interlaken to Geneva by train.
Could stay in Geneva for one night before flight.
Fly Geneva to Paris staying 4-5 days.
Paris to Singapore.
Have I packed in too much? Given the age of my children I thought it may be doable.
Thanks
Romi
Romi,
It’s a busy itinerary, but you should be able to do this or something very much like it and enjoy it all. The only thing I’d recommend is that you limit Zurich to one night at most, or just a day trip. It’s very expensive and the sights are uninspiring. On the other hand, the area around Interlaken and Lucerne are among the most dramatic sights in Europe, so spend your extra time in those places.
Also, you can take a train from Geneva to Paris in 4 hours and 40 minutes, so it’ll be faster than flying when you include the airport transportation on both ends. If you buy the train ticket in advance it’ll probably be about the same price as a flight as well, and it’ll be a hundred times more scenic and pleasant. Actually, Geneva has a scenic location on a lake, but the city itself is a dud. I’d recommend staying in Bern for a night if you want to visit a Swiss city, or just take a train all the way from Lucerne or Interlaken to Paris. It’s a gorgeous and scenic train ride.
Let me know if you have any other questions. I’m sure it’ll be a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Thank you so much for getting back to me on my queries!You have no idea what a great help you are doing to people fumbling with their travel plans 🙂 Thanks again.
I have re looked my itinerary and wish to spend more time in Rome and Paris. I have incorporated the changes you have mentioned about Zurich.Can we travel from Venice to Lucerne and make Lucerne as our base in Switzerland doing trip to Zurich? I could then skip Geneva and leave to Paris from Lucerne. My itinerary is
6 days in Rome
2 days in Florence
2 days in Venice
We would love to see Cinque Terre. Please suggest the best route to get there ? Was thinking of a day trip from Florence. Have you got a better idea?
3 days Lucerne, Zurich
2 days Jungfraujoch
We want to give Interlaken a skip as we would like more time in Paris. 4 days in Paris
Home sweet home!
Any advice for visiting Jungfrajoch? Also what are our chances to see snow clad mountains in June and July in Zurich and Lucerene?
Sorry I have loaded with too many questions.
Thanks again
Romi
HI Roger,
will be travelling to France/Italy this dec 11-dec30. Will be starting and ending the trip in Paris. Was hoping you can give suggestions for itinerary. Like which cities to visit first – Few days paris then train or fly to other cities and end up spending christmas in Rome.
Will be traveling with my 73yr old Mom so thats smething to consider in the planning 🙂
Thanks!
Che
Che,
With 19 days like that you can see quite a bit of both countries. I’d suggest spending at least the first 4 nights in Paris. One tricky thing about the rest of France is that it’s better suited to warmer weather. The Med coast around Nice is lovely, but much of it will be hibernating for those months. And the same is true of many wine regions and small towns. So I’d fly from Paris to Venice, and spend the rest of your time in Italy.
Spend maybe 2 nights in Venice and then take a train down to Florence for at least 3 nights. You could spend even more if you want to do a day trip to Pisa or the hill towns. I wouldn’t recommend the Cinque Terre that time of year either.
After Florence you can take a train to Rome and stay there until Christmas. Then on the 26th you can take a train down to Naples and then the local train down to Sorrento, and use Sorrento as a base to see the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii and a day trip to Naples itself. Sorrento is a lovely town that is easy to visit, so it makes for a great base. Then you can take the Circumvesuviana train back to Naples and fly to Paris from there, or take another train to Rome and fly from there if you get a better fare.
Very little of that itinerary will be much of a challenge for a 73-year-old. Even Pompeii is mostly flat and easy to walk in an hour or so. Have a great time. -Roger
Hi Roger,
We are planning our Europe trip for August 2017 and here is our itinerary for 2 weeks:
Oakland to London: 8/11 then from Lindon I want to straight to Paris and start our vacation there.
Paris 8/11-8/14 then train to Milan for 1n, then Milan to Venice 1n, Venice to Florence 1n then to Rome for 3 nights then fly back to London and spend 3n there, what do you think of this itinerary? I want to also know what kind if train tickets I should purchase in advance. To see main attactions in each city where do I purchase it? Thank you so much
Maria,
Your plan could work, but I don’t think I’d recommend doing 3 one-nighters in a row like that. First off, Paris to Milan takes about 7 hours by train, so by the time you got to Milan you’d be pretty tired (weirdly enough) and you’d only have a couple hours to look around before dinner. And the following morning you’d check out and be off again. The trains to Venice and then to Florence are around 2 hours each, but still it’s exhausting when you are checking in and out of hotels every day, and hard to see much.
What I’d recommend would be to skip Milan, which isn’t nearly as interesting as the other cities anyway, and fly from Paris to Venice (or nearby Treviso). Venice is compact enough (and so crowded) that 24 hours is an ideal visit. Then take a train to Florence and spend 2 nights there, and then 3 nights in Rome. Then fly to London for those last 3 nights.
From London to Paris you’ll take the Eurostar train, and tickets are fairly cheap if you buy about 3 months in advance. That train ticket from Paris to Milan or Venice would actually be more expensive than a flight, so book a flight as early as possible for the lowest fare. Then those tickets within Italy are fairly cheap, and will be even cheaper if you book them on the official Italy rail site about 3 months in advance.
For sightseeing, you can obviously buy tickets for each sight when you get there, but if you want to see the most famous and popular attractions in a fairly short amount of time, you might consider buying a London Pass, Paris Pass, and/or Rome and Vatican Pass. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger thank you so much for your informative info we really appreciate it, I have another question. How far is Venice (VCE) Marco Polo to Venice surrounding area. I found a flight from there to London. Also I I to buy the train ticket from London to Paris Eurostar how long can I use that train ticket? I am also thinking of doing Air bnb for hotel where is the best area to stay in Paris. Rome? Beside leaning tower of Pisa what else to see in Florence? Thank you thank you!!
Maria,
Venice Airport is fairly close to Venice Island, and it takes about an hour there on a bus and then a ferry.
Eurostar tickets are like airline tickets in that you are paying for a specific seat on a specific departure. They sell them 6 months in advance, and if you buy shortly after they go on sale they will be fairly cheap.
My favorite neighborhood in Paris is Rue Cler, which is a wonderful little village sort of area next to the Eiffel Tower. But there aren’t many Airbnbs there, as I just discovered when I was there again a few weeks ago. There are more in another convenient neighborhood called Le Marais, which is just north of Notre Dame Cathedral. There are also more affordable airbnbs in the Montmartre neighborhood, which is a bit less central, but really fun and nice because it’s lively in the evenings.
In Rome there are many good accommodation neighborhoods. I have an article with recommended Rome hotels, and on that there is a map that shows the ones that are convenient and central.
Pisa is about an hour from Florence, so a day trip takes a half a day before you are back. Florence is loaded with its own attractions, so you may not want to take the time to see the tower in Pisa. I can’t give specific recommendations, but if you check any online guide or guidebook you’ll find many excellent things to see. Have a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger just wondering do you a specific hotel in venice that is close by train and water taxi. thanks!
Hi Roger,
Thank you for all these wonderful tips. My mom and I are planning to go to Paris and Italy this coming November. I am trying to do my itinerary but we are going only for 11 days. I was planning to fly to Paris, spend 2 nights then fly to Italy but I am not sure if this is going to be expensive or should I take a train? Which one? I would like to go to Florence, Venice, Milan and Rome. Then from Rome fly back to US. What are your thoughts? I would like to visit Nice but I think the weather is not going to be good to visit Nice maybe next time. Thanks.
Vilma,
First off, I’d recommend at least 3 nights in Paris. It’s very large, beautiful, and packed with excellent sights. If you book early you can get cheap flights from there to Italy (save Nice for a future trip when it’s warmer). As you can see in the article above, Milan is sort of an optional stop, and many people skip it. So you could do 3 nights in Paris, then fly to Venice for 1 or 2 nights and then take a train to Florence for 3 nights and then 3 nights in Rome before you fly home. That would be a fantastic and well paced trip. You could include one night in Milan, and the historic center is interesting, but most of it is kind of a generic “big city” and far less charming than the others on your list. Let me know if you have any other questions and I’ll be happy to try to help. -Roger
Hi Roger, I posted earlier today but have re-thought our itinerary, as deciding between Paris OR Rome seemed too hard. Here’s my new plan:
Dublin
2 nights: Mon 03 Oct – Wed 05 Oct
Berlin
5 nights: Wed 05 Oct – Mon 10 Oct
Venice
2 nights: Mon 10 Oct – Wed 12 Oct
Rome
4 nights: Wed 12 Oct – Sun 16 Oct
Paris
5 nights: Sun 16 Oct – Fri 21 Oct
Dublin
2 nights: Fri 21 Oct – Sun 23 Oct
As I said before, we’ll be travelling with two five-year-old girls so don’t want to be in transit too much. I would love to do some train travel, which could double as down-days for the kids (to sit and watch movies all day). I think though, with this schedule, perhaps the only reasonable distance to travel by train would be between Venice and Rome? Any thoughts on the route/schedule would be much appreciated.
Thanks again!
DB,
Ah, I just saw this one. This looks much better. Honestly, you could do 4 nights in Paris, 3 nights in Rome, and 2 nights in Florence, and you’d see everything. The train rides in Italy are all fast and short, so you can still do plenty of sightseeing on travel days. If you want to skip Florence, that would be fine too, but it’s one of the “Big 3” in Italy for a reason. Also, Rome is an amazing place filled with amazing sights, but it’s also crowded and fairly stressful. My recommendation is 3 nights there, which is enough to see the highlights, without staying so long that it gets overwhelming. Feel free to write back if you have more questions. I’m sure this trip will be great. -Roger
Hi Roger, thanks for such helpful guides! I’m planning a trip to Europe in October this year with my partner and two five-year old twin girls. We’re flying from Australia to Dublin, travelling EU a bit, then exiting Dublin for Australia again (20 nights in total).
I’d love to see so much but we don’t want to cram too commuting in for the kids sake. I’ve always wanted to travel to Berlin, so that’s high on the list. The hard decision is tossing up where to go next. Considering: Rome vs Paris vs Venice (vs some other amazing sounding destinations friends have recommended including Bari, Polignano di Mare, Matera, Sintra).
I’m wondering what the weather will be like in France vs Italy in October and how that should inform our decision – we’d like to spend more time outdoors, walking around/picnicking in scenic places/parks/playgrounds etc. So if it’s likely to be cold/wet in Paris in October, perhaps Rome is the better option?
I’ll list my potential itinerary below, if you have any advice/feedback that would be much appreciated. We’re looking at AirBnBs for accommodation.
Arrive in Dublin 3 October
Dublin: 3-6 October
Berlin: 6-13 October
Venice: 13-15 October
Paris: 15-20 October
Dublin: 20-23 October
Depart Dublin for Melbourne 23 October
DB,
First off, it looks like you are spending 6 total nights in Dublin, which is a lot. To be honest, Dublin is a nice town that you can see in two days or so, but the rest of Ireland is amazing and gorgeous. Most others agree that the magic of Ireland is in the small towns and countryside and natural sights, and that Dublin is not a place to linger in.
Berlin is a large city, but I don’t think I’d stay a week there. In 4 days you will be able to see everything that interests you, and if you stay longer you’d be visiting sights that are low on your list.
The weather in October in both Italy and France will be great so you could choose either and really enjoy it. It’s only from December through March when it gets quite chilly and sometimes unpleasant. Italy is a bit warmer most of the year, but both will be very nice for sightseeing and outdoor things.
You have enough time to visit Rome for 3 days and Florence for 2 days if you spend less time in Berlin and Dublin. And still have 4 nights or so in Paris. I was just in Paris again yesterday morning, and you can see all the highlights in 4 days or even 3. Let me know if you have any other questions, and I’ll be happy to help. -Roger
Hey Roger,
My wife and I are landing in Paris on Oct 8 at 9 am.. Here’s the itinerary I came up with.. Let me know if you think this is too aggressive.
Oct 8- Land in Paris 9:40 am —
Oct 9 – Paris
Oct 10 – Paris
Oct 11 – Leave Paris – Arrive Interlaken Switzerland afternoon
Oct 12 – Switzerland – Interlaken
Oct 13 – Switzerland morning then train to Venice.. Arrive Venice at 2pm..
Oct 14 – Venice
Oct 15 – Venice – leave AM.. arrive – Florence
Oct 16 – Florence to Rome
Oct 17 – Rome TO Amalfi
Oct 18 – Amalfi area
Oct 19 – Amalfi area
Oct 20 – Amalfi area
Oct 21 – Amalfi area
Oct 22 – Amalfi area
Oct 23 – Fly home – Naples
We are still considering skipping either Florence or Rome, but not sure which to skip, if at all…
Thanks!!
Bill
Bill,
I think your itinerary looks quite good and not too aggressive, although it depends on your reasons for blasting through Florence and Rome so quickly. Rome in particular, and Florence to only a slightly smaller degree, are among the top tourist cities in the entire world. If you’ve already been there or you plan on going back there soon, then I think your plan looks great. However, if you haven’t visited them and might be doing the fastest possible visit because you are worried that they are too crowded or touristy, I’m not sure that is wise. But I’ll leave that up to you.
The Amalfi Coast is primarily a string of summer beach resort towns in a gorgeous setting, so by the time late October arrives the season is winding down and it will probably be too chilly to sunbathe most days. Still, all of the restaurants and hotels will be open, and there will be plenty of people there, just not so many sunbathing or swimming.
Either way, I’ll highly recommend Sorrento as your Amalfi base, for the reasons listed in the article above. It’s a wonderful town where most people speak English, and it’s the prime transit hub for the whole area. I really love it there.
If you were thinking of skipping Florence or Rome and adding the remaining day to the other, definitely save Florence for the future and do 2 days in Rome. Sights like the Vatican, Ancient Rome, the Colosseum, and the Trevi Fountain are eye-popping and like no other place on earth. I’ll admit the Rome is crowded and hectic, but it’s also easily one of the world’s greatest cities to actually appreciate in person at least once. It’s also beautiful. As always, let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Thank you so much for all the advice! You make some great points about rushing through Rome / Florence. I think we will cut a day from Amalfi and add it to Rome. Do you think a day trip in Florence would be a total waste of time?
The chances of my wife and I getting back to Italy in the near future are slim..
Thanks again!
Bill,
If you are talking about doing Florence as a day trip from Rome, it would not be a waste at all and it would be easy to do. On one hand, Rome is so packed with top sights that you might not want to go to Florence. But if you do want to do it, the train journey is only 76 minutes each way, and tickets are quite cheap if you buy them well in advance.
Better still, all of Florence’s main attractions are within a fairly short walk of the train station. The famous cathedral is about a 10-minute walk or even less. You could plan on spending maybe 5 or 6 hours in Florence and you’d have time to see the main things, wander around town a bit, and even have a Tuscan lunch. Rome really takes 3 nights (2 full days) to see even the main highlights. If you have more than that, then a day in Florence would be great. -Roger
Hi! I am so grateful to have come across your site as i find it very informative especially for me who plans to have a first time 2-week visit to Europe. I hope you would find time to answer my queries.
First of all, we come from the Philippines. My husband is a SG citizen and I am a Filipina – so what are our visa requirements? When would be the best time of the year for us to travel? could you help us out with the itinerary? WHat about accomodations and means of transportation from one city to the other? How much, roughly, would we spend for the two-week tour?
Thank you very much in advance as this would surely help us decide whether or not to push trough with the trip.
Ireena,
I’m happy to hear that this site has been helpful. Unfortunately I can’t help you with visa requirements, as I’m an American myself (currently living in London) and it’s different for every nationality. You should be able to find out by Googling it though, or on wikitravel.org for any country you want to visit.
In my opinion, the best months to travel to France or Italy are April, May, September, and October. In those months you get pleasant weather that isn’t scorching, and smaller crowds and lower hotel rates. In June through August it’s crowded, more expensive, and often hot. And in the winter months the weather isn’t very pleasant, although I still travel around Europe in the winter all the time. It’s just not ideal.
As for your itinerary, the article above is specifically meant to help people figure out where they want to go and how long to spend in each place. It is literally all my best advice on this topic in one place. Once you have your basic plan down I can help with some of the details if needed.
The train is the most pleasant (by far) way of getting from one city to another, though in some cases such as Paris to Rome, flying is better and cheaper. Once you have your general itinerary together, it should be easy to see where you’ll want to do the train. As for accommodation, if you click on the individual cities listed in the article above, you’ll find a link to “recommended hotels” in almost all of them. It’s hard for me to make specific recommendations without knowing your budget and tastes. So with the general recommendations, at least you can see the better neighborhoods and know how much the good places cost.
In France and Italy you can count on spending at least US$200 per night for two people. You can get okay hotels starting at around US$100 a night in most cities, though better ones are more expensive. Usually breakfast is included. For lunch and dinner you can count on US$10 per person per meal as a low average. You can get some cheaper lunches, but you’ll probably want to do some nicer and more expensive dinners. And of course, things like hop-on, hop-off bus tours can cost US$20 to US$30 each, so attractions and activities can add up as well. You can get a good idea how much each city will cost by looking at the page for the city on this site. That is why I created them, such as this one for Paris and this for Rome. Have a great trip and let me know if you have more questions as your plan is coming together. -Roger
Hi Roger – Headed to Europe for 10 days at end of August and returning Labor Day. We fly in to London and we have the end of the trip set for Dublin for 3 nights. The in-between is what I would like your thoughts on. I’m thinking Italy – Rome, Venice or actually somewhere in Italy out of way of the millions of tourists. Been to Paris, been to Barcelona, been to Florence – but not Rome or anywhere along Mediterranean. Thinking we would fly from London to Rome or SouthernItaly and then return fly to Dublin for our last 3 nights. I’m wide open for suggestions –
Carolyn,
This sounds like a great trip. Nearly all of my experience in Italy is in the popular tourist cities, so I’m not a great source for smaller non-tourist towns. I’ve heard that the Puglia area in the south is nice and doesn’t get much tourism, but I haven’t been there myself.
Of the places I have been I’ll highly recommend Sorrento and the area around it. You definitely have to spend about 3 days in Rome, but it’s quite chaotic so I wouldn’t stay longer than that. After that you can take the high-speed train down to Naples and then the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento. It’s explained in the article above, but the highlights are that Sorrento is an ideal base for day trips to Naples and Pompeii, as well as the isle of Capri, and the Amalfi Coast. Sorrento will be busy in August, but nothing like Florence or Venice. You could even stay a bit out of town and take the bus in, or the same train 1 or 2 stops into the center. Sorrento is probably my favorite city in Italy to relax in rather than sight-see. You can then fly from Naples to Dublin for a reasonable fare. I hope this helps. -Roger
Thanx Roger! Thanx for resolving the conflict. Will surely keep Spain for next trip with more duration in Spain:)
Continue with your good work!!
Best Rgds, Biri