We (My wife and I) have flight tickets booked, round trip from Seattle to London (pretty good deal at about 800 pp), and we were thinking about the following plan: Day 1: Arrive London late morning, evening Tourist stuff Day 2: All day london Day 3: Fly to Germany (FRA or MUN) get car, drive to Rothenburg Day 4: Rothenburg drive to Fussen Day 5: King's Castles tours, second night Fussen Day 6: Drive to Salzburg, lose car. Day 7: Salzburg stuff, including a Mass (Sunday) 2d night Day 8: Train to Venice Day 9: Venice (Note: This would be MAY 1, holiday) Day 10: Train to Florence Day 11: 2d night Florence Days 12 and 13: Rent car and make way to Rome, enjoying drive through Tuscany Day 14 Arrive Rome Day 15 Rome Day 16 Rome
Day 17 Early flight to London, Noon Flight home Is this too much? (I'm greedy and it feels like it isn't enough...) My first trip anywhere in Europe beside France, and my wife's second trip to Italy (She liked CT, didn't care much for Venice, but then I wasn't with her ;) ) Cuts I made to get schedule where it is: St Goar and Rhine, as well as Cinque Terre. Any and all thoughts would be helpful. TIA
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Ken first congrats,, I think you got a great price on your airfare! As for everything else,, its all personal taste,, but yikes, its a lot of moving to me. I am sure you will enjoy it,, but I am kind of with your wife on the Venice thing,, but then I haven't been there with a signicant other either,, so you will likely change her mind on that !
Posted by
Germany, Germany
813 posts
It's do-able, but consider that you have 8 or so travel days in a 17 day itinerary. I think you should add a day each onto London and Venice. How about flying from London directly to Salzburg or Venice, skipping the Rothenburg and Fussen or Salzburg portion.
Posted by
OP
Bainbridge Island, Washington, United States
11 posts
The tickets from Rome to London are not purchased yet, but in neighborhood of $120 each (British Air). Still a decent savings compared to the cost of open-jaw. Flying from London to Munich is a few days after we land, so not flying out of Heathrow (Agree, price there was rough). Thank you for the tip on the car, I'll look at that, if I don't take above advice and trim the sights even further.
Posted by
Paradise
7046 posts
Good destinations overall, but this IS too much. I'd be extremely reluctant to drive into Rome. You should add at least a day to London! Your jet-lagged heads likely won't be much good on Day 1 for anything. Days 3-8 involve too much ground travel. Travel should be more than moving around. (You've chosen the most extreme examples of hypertourism in all of Germany, btw.) Fly from London on Day 4 into Salzburg, stay there, and you'll have nearly 4 days for Salzburg and to explore some of Germany near there before your train to Venice. Take a daytrip to Hohenwerfen (Austria) or Burghausen in Germany (real castles, unlike Füssen's Neuschwanstein) and/or to Berchtesgaden, Hitler's Eagle's nest and the Königssee, or to Prien to visit Ludwig's Herrenchiemsee palace (fabulous location on an island in Chiemsee Lake.) http://www.oberbayern.de/obb/live/www_navi//mand_1/psfile/teaser_bild/44/Luftbild_H4e79dbf47d6d9.jpg http://www.salzburg-burgen.at/en/ http://www.roadstoruins.com/burghausen.html For Salzburg flights: check Air Berlin, Germanwings, Ryanair and other discount airlines using this site: www.whichbudget.com]
Posted by
Long Beach, CA, USA
360 posts
wow, that's a lot of moving in a short period of time I'd definitely want more time in all your locations I think you should cut it down 4 countries in 17 days is way too much unless you're on the Amazing Race You shoud decide which areas are most important to you this trip. Since your flights are to and from London you should definitely give London priority this trip
and London alone needs more than 2 days
Posted by
OP
Bainbridge Island, Washington, United States
11 posts
Thank you all for input, I'll sharpen pencil, talk with the wife, and have fun!
Posted by
Stuttgart, Germany
3050 posts
Way too much as others have said. It makes no sense to have the same itinerary flying into Frankfurt as flying into Munich. Pick which city you're going to fly into and center your travels around that area. If you fly into Frankfurt, go to Rothenburg and take a Rhine river cruise, skip Salzburg and King Ludwig's castle's entirely. If you fly into Munich, skip Rothenburg, concentrate in the area near Munich and Salzburg (Fussen, castles, etc) After that, cut Venice. Your wife doesn't want to go, and you don't have time. Go straight to Florence. Even with these changes this will STILL be a very busy trip.