My brother and I (both college students) are traveling to Spain and Italy (into Madrid and out of Rome) for 2 weeks this summer. Our list of cities to visit is: Madrid, Barcelona, Venice, Cinque Terre, and Rome. How many days would you recommend for us to stay in each? Is there time to visit northern Spain? Any other cities that you think we should add to our itinerary? We know we won't be able to hit every major city/site, but plan on returning!! Also, there are many pros/cons to traveling via plane or train from Spain to Italy. Any advice on which might be better for us?
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
In two weeks, I would fly from Spain to Italy. I would not add more cities, in fact I would choose either Spain or Italy for the entire trip.
Posted by
Charleston, SC, USA
922 posts
I would fly from Barcelona to Venice. Take a look at Skyscanner.net. Vueling, Ryan and Iberia all have cheap direct flights to Venice. You may want to look at train schedules between cities in Italy on trenitalia.com or italotreno.it. Here is one possible itinerary for you to consider:
Day 1 Depart US
Day 2 Arrive in Madrid
Day 3 Madrid/Toledo
Day 4 Madrid - evening train to Barcelona
Day 5 Barcelona
Day 6 Barcelona - evening flight to Venice
Day 7 Venice
Day 8 Venice - afternoon/evening train to Cinque Terre (at least a 5 hour train with a change of trains)
Day 9 CT
Day 10 CT - afternoon/evening train to Rome (3-4 hours)
Day 11 Rome
Day 12 Rome
Day 13 Rome
Day 14 Fly home from Rome
You can play around with the number of days in each location to suit your tastes. If you are a fan of Gaudi, you will want to spend more time in Barcelona than Madrid. If you like hiking, add more to CT.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
I think you're on the right track with the advice above. Rome isn't my favorite city to give the most days to, but having that "extra" day there allows time for a day trip, such as to Orvieto or Ostia Antica, if you find you have accomplished most of your goals in the city.
Posted by
OP
Wisconsin
11 posts
Thanks everyone! How far in advance do you recommend booking the flight from Barcelona to Madrid?
Posted by
FL USA
1520 posts
Do not fly! Use renfe ave train for a wondeful experience.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
From Barcelona to Madrid, you definitely want the train, as it's much faster than the flight when you take into account getting to the airport early, and getting to and from the airports at each end. The train goes from city center to city center in less than 3 hours.
The prices on those trains only go up, so book as soon as you know your dates. Here's a very comprehensive tutorial from TripAdvisor on how to do it with the official RENFE site, as well as some other sites that may charge a bit more but are easier to use: http://tinyurl.com/cu48wk5