Itinerary Help for my first trip to Europe

I'd go in early May

I agree with the suggestion to go in early May as we once spent a week in Tuscany in the spring and were treated to glorious displays of wild flowers.

More support for May. September and October can bring torrential rain to areas along the Mediterranean..

First time, huh? 2 weeks? You may be trying to cover too much ground on the ground.
First timers do better taking their trip slower. And you also may want to take in the best cities.

Have you considered flying into Rome and visiting there 4 days? Then take the train up to Florence for 3 days and Venice for 3 days. Then fly to Paris and spend the remainder of your time there before flying home from Paris (open jaw.)

I'm a fan of smaller places myself. I don't see any reason why a first trip to an area has to include its largest city. However, I think you are going to need to rein in your itinerary in order to have time to fully enjoy the places you go. For example, one or two nights down around Nice isn't going to get you much. Most folks who go there seem to want to see multiple coastal villages, a hill town or two, one of the large markets, etc.--more than can be managed with just one or two nights in the area. One night would give you just a few hours.

The Cinque Terre are quite a long train ride from Nice. It will be at least 5-1/4 hours just sitting on the trains. By the time you add in the check-out/check-in process at two hotels and the time needed to get to and from the train stations, you will have lost a large chunk of the day. And then when you leave the Cinque Terre you'll again be dealing with a good bit of travel time. The Milan airport, for example, is about 3-1/2 hours away, or more. And current reports indicate that the Cinque Terre are severely overrun during day-tripping hours, so you would need to figure out what you would do between, say, 10 AM and 4 PM when the thousands of bus-tour and cruise-ship folks arrive. I would give serious thought to whether the Cinque Terre are worth such a time-consuming detour under current conditions. It's a bit different if you're planning a good bit of time in Italy and will already be in or near Liguria.

As for affording it: The daily cost of visiting Europe needn't be exorbitant. Much depends on whether you see lodgings as a means to an end or as a major part of the vacation experience. That's not a matter of right vs. wrong, but of personal priorities. If you can add days to the trip, you can move at a slower pace and see a variety of places along your path rather than vaulting from Annecy to Nice and from Nice to the Cinque Terre.

For first timers , especially, one country at a time is better. You will get used to their way of doing things. If you move on to another country, you have to learn their ways. Two weeks is not long even for one country. Your greatest expense and time is in your flights. Adding more time in Europe would be better if you can. You can find reasonable lodging , meals.

Thanks for all the feedback so far! It is pretty overwhelming just trying to figure out where to go. I'm wondering now if I should focus the whole time in France and fly home from Nice. Then just add days on in areas like the French Riviera and along the Route Napoleon. I already have 2 full days in Paris. I've never really experienced jet lag so not sure how much recovery time I will need. If I were to choose either more time in Paris, or add some time in Lyon, what would you all recommend?

Lyon is great, but I'd choose more time in Paris. Lyon (which is sort of a mini-Paris in the quality and breadth of its attractions) will be a great destination on a future trip to France. On a short first trip, I would seek more variety, so I think Annecy and the south are good ideas.

Don't torture yourself about places you cannot fit in. Every traveler has to choose a limited number of destinations from the hundreds (thousands?) of excellent possibilities in Europe. I haven't been to Paris for 40 years and have been trying to get back there. It has been cut from two recent trips (very long trips, I might add) because I didn't have time to do it justice. I am happy with all the interesting places I saw instead. Just focus on having fun in the places you ultimately choose to go. I do recommend paying attention to travel time, though, so you don't spend too much of your vacation sitting on trains and buses.

Jetlag affects some people more than others. When I was younger, it wasn't too bad. Now I have sleep issues and am usually boarding a flight after one sleepless night, then I don't sleep on the plane. So jetlag is really the least of my problems. Others can doze pretty well on the plane and are even up for a museum on their arrival day. Then some people are still sort of dragging on their second day (the first full day) in Europe. It's something you have to experience for yourself. But I would not pre-pay for anything on the arrival day.

I'd encourage you to plan a route with minimal car time. If you have more than 4 people you will need 2 cars - or one huge one. Luggage space is very limited in European cars. Look at the descriptions on the rental websites. A good place to start is autoeurope.com where you can compare multiple companies. The car descriptions include the number of doors, passengers and luggage. Most of the large vehicles that seat 5-7 people comfortably will not have space for everyone's luggage and it's a bad idea to leave any belongings visible in a parked car. On long drives, the back seat usually means cramped leg room and very limited scenic viewing. A large car means difficulty parking and even driving in small towns with narrow streets and sharp corners.

If you are quite serious about seeing small (and beautiful villages) away from the crowds, try to get a copy of the The 100 most beautiful villages in France. It should be available at large bookstores or on Amazon. The book is divided up by areas of France, so choose the area you are most interested in and try to pick an itinerary that includes several of the villages. We did this last year and saw some beautiful villages going from Lyon to Bordeaux. Peter

If you are taking 2 weeks, stay in one country. If you have 3-4 weeks, then consider expanding to another country. If you still want to go to Italy, fly instead of the train. There are so many cheap flights in Europe. You could potentially fly from Nice to Florence.

I wouldn't skip Lyon and would spend fewer days in Annecy. If you are focused, though, on the water, then you will want to spend time in Annecy.

If you want to see Cinque Terre, plan on a few days. We spent one day there, and it felt very rushed.

Hi- I’m going to go against popular opinion and say you most definitely can do 2 countries in 2 weeks and have a memorable trip. My best experience was doing 3 countries (cities- London, Paris & Barcelona) in only 9 days. I actually prefer it to the 8 concurrent days I spent in Rome. You just need some good planning & time to work out any kinks. Don’t worry about hitting every tourist attraction, pace yourself, and try to include something out of the ordinary (outdoor concert, food tour, evening bike ride, short river cruise, etc). Honestly, I was worried we would shortchange ourselves with such little time, but it ended up being, thus far, my fondest travel experience. I would, however, do it differently from your initial plan and pick a major city as a base & include a day trip or two and fly instead of train travel to your next country/city. There are many fabulous day trip options from Paris, and the same goes for Rome, Florence, and Venice. If you’ve never been to any of those cities, I would soak up their distinct ambience and not fret over trying to visit the smaller villages/towns for now. I would also reconsider renting a car if you choose to go that route. If you’re set on the villages in Provence, maybe Arles or Avignon or even Aix would serve you bettter. Personally, I think 3-5 nights gives you enough time to appreciate a city’s flavor and also add in a day trip to a neighboring town/tourist locale (ex.: Giverny, Mont St. Michel, or Versailles from Paris; Orvieto from Rome, Siena from Florence, Burano Islands from Venice). There are so many options...I’m sure you’ll enjoy whatever you choose. Paris is a singular delight. Enjoy your planning!

I think you are on the right track, Ellen. You said you are a fan of the Tour and want to see the smaller places. Since large cities aren't your goal, three nights in Paris seems enough to get a handle on jet lag, see a few things and move on. Hopefully, you'll be back one day. Although I've lived in Paris and go a couple times a year, it's still an adjustment the first few days. The suggestion to get the most beautiful villages book is good, and you can get the info for free if you search : Plus Beaux Villages de France.

Where your trip breaks down is going all the way to Cinq Terre. If you don't want crowds, then you don't want Florence, Rome, and Cinq Terre, especially squeezed into just a few days. I've been in May, and it's real crowded.
If this is to accommodate your sister, it contradicts what you said you wanted, which may be why you are getting so many suggestions for cities.

I'd stay on the Riviera, which was part of Italy until the 19thC, and visit the Italian border town of Ventimiglia (especially for Friday market), San Remo a little further, and go up the Valley of the Roya to Breil-sur-Roya( Italian until 1947 per Lonely Planet). This will give you lovely, rural towns away from tourist crowds.

If your sister absolutely wants F, R, 5T, then fly to Pisa or Florence from Nice and get a car. Or take the train to Genoa and pick up Italian rentals. It's cost prohibitive to drop a French rental in Italy. Bon voyage.