Hello All, I am a first time traveler visiting a friend in Italy for two weeks. Everyone keeps saying I need to see more since I am going to be right there. Since we already have so much planned, I would not be able to do more than a day, at the most two, in Paris. Is it worth it? Is it doable? Thanks!
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33832 posts
There is no way that a first time traveler can exhaust even a tenth of Italy in 2 weeks, especially with an Italian speaker.
Go north, go south. Go east, go west.
I don't know from your other post, or this one, where in Italy your friend is.
In 2 weeks you can do all the things suggested in your other post - 5 days I suggest at a minimum for Amalfi Coast, any islands, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum, Napoli. A week or two is better.
4 days / 5 nights to do a decent job visiting Rome and the Vatican.
3 days / 4 nights to see some of Florence.
4 days / 5 nights to scratch the surface of Venice and its islands, add 4 more for some of the rest of the Veneto including some of Vicenza, Verona, Mantova (I know, but it is close), Ravenna (and its world class, world leading mosaics), and the incredible Padova.
2 days at least for Bologna, 3 more for the rest of Emilia Romagna.
Milano and Lombardia 2 days,
and that doesn't even touch 95 percent of Italy.
Oh, who could forget the area of the Ligurian Coast, some of which is known to the world as the Cinque Terre.
Oh, and a week in Tuscany beyond Florence.
MsGJo, this isn't to overwhelm you, it is to point out that you will have a world at your feet that you won't even touch.
To spend 2 days out of your precious fortnight on a whistle stop trip to Paris where most of the time will be on transport is wasteful, IMHO. You asked.
Yes, it is doable.
Depending where your friend lives count on an hour or probably more to whichever airport. Two hours check in time, one hour or 90 minutes in the air, half an hour to an hour to clear CDG or Orly and the better part of an hour into Paris, then an hour checking in and getting settled.
So 7 hours before you set foot on sightseeing in Paris.
Similar the next day coming back.
Doable? Yes. Would I do it? No way.
YMMV - Your mileage may vary.
Posted by
OP
Rhode Island
10 posts
Thank you so much. I wasnt thinking of check in, clearing, etc. 7 hours to travel...For one day. No, thank you.
Ill stick with my friend, who is in the Navy in Italy, and see all that i can there.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
Good decision, since Paris is not right next to Italy. You could fly, or take a minimum 7.5-hour train ride from Milan, but you can just as well "see more" by staying within Italy.
Posted by
Los Angeles
4853 posts
Europe is perhaps bigger than your helpful advisors think. Italy and France not quite like NY and Boston.