Italy - Plan B

Cprice - If you are going for plan B and cancel the Italy portion amidst the crisis there with COIVD-19, why not pair Amsterdam with Belgium then proceed to Paris. It makes sense geographically. You can always postponed Italy for another year. You can tour Ghent, Brussels, Bruges, and Antwerp in the Belgium portion.

That could work, but 11 days seems like a long time in Belgium, unless we add time in France. Also an option.

You can combine Paris with a tour of the Alsace region of France to spread out the 11 days if you like. The Alscace region has some beautiful towns like Colmar and Strasbourg. Try that!

True, we had considered Strasbourg when planning the trip originally. But since my husband and I both have Scandinavian roots, we looked first to the north.

I understand, but it's always good to have options so you can get the most out of your trip. Discuss the options with him and make a decision that you both agreed to.

Indeed, and thanks for the reminder about Strasbourg!

If I were in your situation, I would keep looking at Copenhagen and Norway. I would be very hesitant to plan any travel to France in the near-to-medium-term.

Kim -

I live in Seattle. At this point, hard to imagine it'll be worse anywhere else by the time we go. Or hell, if they'll even let us leave. The whole thing may end up scrapped for all I know.

Cprice -Just be well informed about the countries you plan on visiting and take the appropriate health safety precautions. Don't let this pandemic deter you from visiting places you aspire to see.

Yes, I saw that, having read the thread. However, since your thread started as trying to find a safer alternative to Italy, and then turned back towards France, I was merely offering my opinion that France is less desirable as a destination now and the original idea of Denmark/Oslo better, given that the government here is probably going to implement their own stage 3 measures within the next couple of weeks at the minimum and perhaps in the next few days.

Just trying to offer some friendly on-the-ground insight since you posted and asked.

Another option is to go to Copenhagen, fly nonstop to Stockholm for less than $100 (check Skyscanner) and stay in the Gamla Stan. Fly nonstop to Oslo and do the Norway in a Nutshell tour and fly out of Bergen.

Another option is to go to Copenhagen, fly nonstop to Stockholm for
less than $100 (check Skyscanner) and stay in the Gamla Stan.

Or, take the train for a fraction of the cost of flying.

I fully understand why you’re worried. I wouldn’t travel to Italy at the moment (also because The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark is strongly advising against doing so at the moment). While corona isn’t as prevalent in Scandinavia as it is in some other European countries, it’s here, and the situation is still developing all over the world. My point is that nobody knows what the situation is going to be like at the beginning of April, so read up on the latest development regardless of where you end up going.

I agree with Badger. It’s both cheaper and more comfortable to take the train vs. flying between the Scandinavian capitals. Or, if you travel between Copenhagen and Oslo, take the overnight ferry.

Yes, I am watching the situation. Currently Italy is closed until the 3rd and we don't go to Venice until the 7th. Plan B is to fly to Copenhagen, stay there a while, then overnight ferry to Oslo, and then train to Bergen. Probably Bergen to Paris which is where we fly home from.

Follow the situation closely, in the end the best choice might be to stay home.

@cprice You may want to read this thread before travelling to Denmark: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/denmark/info-coronavirus-covid-19-in-denmark