Accommodation booked. Transportation tips PLEASE? :)

Looks good.
I have these comments:

Correct: You leave on the 8th and will arrive the 9th.
Sunday there will be long lines at Versailles; there are various strategies for minimizing this (post back if you want more info on that).

Consider taking an overnight train to Venice, if they still have those. Generally on this itinerary you will do great on the train. Venice to Cinque Terre will be long haul, look it up online but I think 5-6 hours. You are going spend the better part of a day getting from Paris to Venice, and Venice airport is a longish boat ride to the center.

Also general itinerary comments: I highly recommend avoiding a Sunday visit to Versailles - Rick said the same thing in his 2010 guidebook and probably still does. We regretted not following his advice. Even with the Paris Museum Pass it was a disaster. Try to figure out a way to spend three nights in Venice. It's not the most convenient city and short stays are even less so. Consider adding the Musee D'Orsay to your Paris visit - the best museum that I have been to in Paris, bar none (and I've been to more than a few). Also Castel S'Antangelo in Rome. My wife and I only made it there on our third visit in 2007 and I thought it was great. Might want to think about what day you visit the Vatican Museums, our last time there we stood in line so long I don't even want to admit how long. Think it was on a weekend day. Finally, Borghese Gallery in Rome is utterly amazing.

Ryanair is a big no-no. They fly from Paris Beauvais, a long way from Paris. See if you can fly out of Orly or CDG.
Edit-In Venice, get a 48 hour vaporetto pass with the 4 euro single airport transfer. Your hotel is pretty remote from the nearest vaporetto dock. That will include the bus to Piazzale Roma. Take the 5.1 boat from Piazzale Roma to Celestia for the fastest route, or the No 1 boat Direction Lido for a slower scenic route down the Grand Canal to San Zaccaria. If you decide to take the Alilaguna, take the B boat to Ospedale. Either one is a rather zig-zag walk back to your lodgings. That would skip the bus ride (deduct your 4 euro) and add the Alilaguna boat (14 euro?). Water taxi is very expensive (100 euro range), but will take just a block from your hotel. You can look in to a shared taxi (30-40 euro ?)

With four days in Paris I would buy carnets of ten single-journey tickets to use for local travel. The day pass is not especially good value for money, as it requires five single trips to save, and the multi-day Paris Visite passes are very poor. Note that you will still need to get a specific ticket to Versailles, as it is too far for carnet tickets.

Lots to cover but strictly for the Italian cities:

You'll want to transfer between all of your cities by train. The site you want to use for exploring times and ticket prices is the national rail website, Trenitalia. Here's the English link:

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=4ddd1a035296f310VgnVCM1000005817f90aRCRD

Italo also has a line from Venice to Florence:

http://www.italotreno.it/EN/Pages/default.aspx

Tickets for long-distance trains may be purchased in advance - sometimes at a discount - or on day of departure.

You'll be using regional trains to move around most the C.T: tickets are very inexpensive. It's just VERY important that you validate (time-stamp) these in the little machines near the tracks before boarding as fines for not doing so are very high! This is true of any train ticket in Italy which does not have an assigned seat and carriage number on a specific train.

It's also possible to take a ferry all the way to Riomaggiore and work your way back to Monterosso by train. In Corniglia, you'll either have a long climb up to the village, or get on a little bus which runs between station and town.

It you intend on exploring any of the open hiking trails in the C.T. you must buy a park pass. There's an optional pass which includes unlimited transport, and which only needs to be validated the first time you use it, if that's preferable:

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/cosa-sono-le-cinque-terre-cards_2.asp?id_lingue=2

Your hotel/apt. address is incomplete but looks to be some distance from the train station. Has your accommodation given you any info on reaching them?

For Pisa, you might want to day-trip from Monterosso via train, or you could make a stop on your way to Rome. There is luggage storage (deposito bagagli) at Pisa CENTRALE station.

Florence is really not very large so I don't know as you'll need any transport to sightsee (we didn't). Rome is larger but walking is also the best way to see that one. There is a bus/metro system but we've never used the buses, and there aren't any metro stations near your accommodation. It's very centrally located, though, so you shouldn't have any trouble exploring any direction. Should you wish to hop the occasional bus or metro, individual-ride BIT tickets are 1.50 euro, and you can get them at newsstands and tobacco (tabacchi) shops. They're good until you validate them so you could buy a couple at a time to tuck in your pocket.

I would do Piazza Venezia on the first day as it's in the general vicinity as the Pantheon. Alternately, you could do that one either coming or going from the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine.

Villa Borghese: you're not interested in the Galleria Borghese? That one is in the park, and is a marvelous museum we much prefer to the Vatican's. It does require advance reservations so let us know if you need that information? Walking north to the park from your accommodation, take a route through Piazza Del Popolo and stop into Santa Maria del Popolo church. That's a good one!

You can get to the airport (Fiumicino) from Termini by shuttle bus or express train:
https://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en-/pax-fco-bus
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=dd2aeb82a8fbf310VgnVCM1000008916f90aRCRD

With luggage, your hotel is a bit of a distance from Termini so taking a cab to/from the station is probably a good idea. The same is true for transfers between the main station in Florence - S.M. Novella - if your apt. is very near Piazza della Signoria.

Whew! Too much? Not enough?

Hi folks!

As expected lots of great information and wise recommendations! This site never ceases to amaze me.

Kent: Thanks for your reply! I am interested in skipping any possible lines, let me know what you got please. (I think I read/heard somewhere that there is another entrance to Versailles at the back or something?)

VS: Thanks for your reply! You are totally right, I read the avoiding Versailles on Sundays at all cost on Rick Steve's Europe guide. I forgot to change it in the itinerary. Actually, I have not thought of a different day to do it, any recommendation?

D'Orsay! I will keep that in mind and will make sure I go check it out.

Castel S'Antangelo: I've been wondering about this one. It is Hadrian's mausoleum (I just learned that) so, definitely worth checking :)

Any suggestions to avoid lines at the Vatican?

Sam: Thanks for your reply! I'm glad you mentioned this, I almost bought the tickets through Ryan Air!

"No 1 boat Direction Lido for a slower scenic route down the Grand Canal to San Zaccaria" This sounds awesome! I will do this one :)

Phillip: Thanks for your reply! I will definitely check out the carnets!

Kathy: Thanks for your reply! Awesome information!! The ticket validation part I have heard multiple times, however, I have never heard the details of how and where exactly to do it, so, THANK YOU! :)

Dumb question from a non native English speaker: When you say "hiking trails" (I hear this a lot specially about CT) I picture myself climbing a mountain or a cliff. My wife would NEVER do this even for a million Euros lol. I'm sure that's not what it means, right?

My host in Monterosso is available for any questions via phone or email. Here's the location:

This is the place: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1016736

"you could make a stop on your way to Rome. There is luggage storage (deposito bagagli) at Pisa CENTRALE station." Exactly what I was looking for! THANK YOU Kathy :)

I haven't looked into Villa Borghese but thanks for the suggestion! I will research about it :)

Our apartment in Florence is at Piazza della Signoria so, how much can I expect to pay for a cab from the airport?

You guys are FANTASTIC! Thanks! :D

Ryanair flies to the secondary Venice airport, Treviso. Easyjet uses the main airport, Marco Polo, from Orly in Paris, easy to get to. A third non-stop service is Transavia, an Air France associate. On a tight schedule, even a train-lover has to consider that flying may save time and money. For low-cost European flights, www.skyscanner.com is useful.

Southam: Thanks for the information! I agree, I believe we'll fly :). Skyscanner is awesome!

Guss,

At this late date, you probably won't be able to get any great deals on the "budget" airline flights. The low cost airlines typically use a "sliding scale", with the prices increasing as the flight fills. I agree with a previous comment to forget RyanAir as they use outlying and distant airports in both of your departure and arrival cities.

I just checked and easyJet has flights listed from both CDG and ORY to VCE on 13 May. Of the two airports, I'd prefer ORY as it's smaller and not as busy. However the departure times from CDG were a bit more favourable. Unfortunately, the current prices are in the range of €130 PP, which will be higher when a few fees are added. To give you an idea of the price difference, I just booked a flight in September, which was in the range of €45 (plus the fees of course).

Another point to mention regarding Versailles. As I recall, it's closed on Monday and on Tuesday it will likely be dreadfully busy as the Louvre is closed that day (conversely, the Louvre will often be busy on Mondays). Choose the day of your visit carefully according to the information in the guidebook. I've experienced a Tuesday at Versailles and it was not a pleasant holiday experience. You might find it helpful to pack along a copy of the Pocket Paris guidebook, as that will help you plan the details of your touring. There are also versions for Rome and other cities.

I assume you're staying at Agriturismo Buranco in Monterosso. It's in the "old town" and below the hotel I usually stay at, so it's not difficult to reach (albeit about a 10-minute walk from the station). I'm sure they provided you with directions, but if you need more information, post another note here.

It looks as if you and your wife will be having quite an amazing trip! It seems well thought out. Have fun!

Ken: Thank you very much for the tips! Not sure if we are staying by Agriturismo Buranco but it is Via Buranco.

https://www.google.com/maps/search/Via+Buranco+sn+Monterosso+Al+Mare,+Liguria+19016+Italy/@44.14723,9.65376,17z/data=!3m1!4b1?hl=en

I hope I can find it easily.

Andi: Thank you! Glad to hear the itinerary looks decent :). We will enjoy this a lot as it is our first big trip!

Guss,

Did the hotel suggest that you walk from the station? I stay in that area also and always walk to the hotel (although part of it will be uphill). If you need more specific directions than just the map, post another note.

Guss,

Your itinerary looks great!

Our apartment in Florence is at Piazza della Signoria so, how much can I expect to pay for a cab from the airport?

There is a shuttle bus that can take you from the airport to the SM Novella train station, then you can take a taxi to your hotel from there.

Check this website for more details: http://www.rome2rio.com

Have a wonderful trip!

Hi again, Guss -
Regarding your question about trails:
The Cinque Terre is, in essence, a National Park. There is a system of foot paths which connect the villages; some which run up and down along lower parts of the cliffs, and some which climb higher into the hills. Hiking these paths is a very popular activity among visitors to the region but as you were unaware of these to begin with, I'm guessing you probably don't have an interest in doing that. Large pieces of that lower, most-hiked trail route are currently closed but should the very easy, paved section between Riomaggiore and Manarola - a 1/2 mile piece called the Via dell'Amore - be open again by May, just be aware that you will need a pass to walk it.

There's nothing at all about that one which would cause your wife any anxiety.

Should you decide to visit Galleria Borghese, here's where you make reservations:

http://www.tosc.it/tickets.htm?affiliate=T2C&sort_by=event_datum&sort_direction=asc&fun=erdetail&doc=erdetaila&erid=912678&language=en

You must choose a specific day and available 2-hour time slot. They only allow about 350 people in at one time, and clear the museums at the end of each two-hour period for the next group. You'll be sent a reservation which you print out and present when you check in for your visit and pay for the reserved tickets: you should arrive 1/2 hours before your visit.

Slots can fill quickly so if you're interested, I would book yours sooner rather than later. Really, this is a wonderful museum, and one of Rome's gems. Do note that bags, video recorders and some other items are required to be checked. You are allowed to bring a camera - even though the website says otherwise.

If you are intending on purchasing the Roma pass (doesn't sound as if you are) then reservations must be made by phone instead of online.

Hope this helps!

Ken: The hotel hasn't made suggestions. It's actually a condo. Are you familiar with the location of my accommodation? If you are, I'd love some directions. I can also ask the host I suppose. Thanks!

Priscilla: Very helpful as always :) Thanks!

Kathy: Awesome information/tips! Thank you very much :)

Hello again guys!

Not sure if anyone will see this but I'll give it a shot.

A couple of quick questions.

1. Our host gave us these directions to get to the apartment.

From Charles de GDG airport”

Take the Roissy bus that will take you to Gare du Nord station From
Gare du Nord station you take metro line 4 and go in the direction
Mairie de Montrouge At the station Montparnasse change for the line 6
and go till the station Bir- Hakeim.

Just wanted to confirm if this is a convenient way to get to our accommodation (3 Rue de Buenos Ayres. Paris, Île-de-France 75007. France). Sounds like a LONG journey! How much would this cost? Would it be more worth it to get a taxi?

Also, I have been reading about train tickets and checking prices. I cant decide if I should do this ahead of time or while I am there. What is the risk of trains selling out and getting considerably more expensive than buying them ahead of time?

I appreciate your help!

Also!

I arrive on Saturday and I'm unsure now about when to go to Versailles.

Sunday is crazy, Monday it's closed, Tuesday is crazy because Louvre is closed (this kinda rhymes).

Given my options, (we leave on Wednesday). Which would be the best (or least crazy) day to go to Versailles?

Thanks again! :)

I have now defaulted in most instances to taking a taxi from the airport to my lodging. In the airport you just follow the signs to the Taxi rank and give the driver the address which you will have written down ahead of time. It is doable by public transportation, of course, but jet lagged, in a new country and with even just carryon luggage, taxi is my recommendation.

Sounds wonderful, you can plan my trips!

One note: the Gates of Paradise that you will see at the Baptistery in Firenze are copies, the originals are in the Museo dell' Opere dell Duomo, which is scheduled to reopen this year.

Paris to Venice will most likely be on Easy Jet or Transavia from Orly South. You can take the Air France bus from Hôtel des Invalides which would be a short cab ride to where you are staying (or walk).

Nice travel itinerary. Don't be disappointed if all your activities don't work out as scheduled. For your Pantheon, Trevi, City walk tour I recommend Rick's Nighttime Rome walk (he may have changed the name in his latest edition) Which includes the Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona. It doesn't matter if you do it at night or not but it is prettier at night. Leave time in all your destinations to sit, relax and people watch which is as enjoyable as any major attraction, maybe more.

Guss,
For Versailles perhaps the best plan is to go on the nicest weather day. If you wake up Sunday and beautiful, go! Go to the gardens first, as most people go into the palace immediately, then backtrack to the palace when the crowds there thin. I have read that is in early afternoon, maybe someone can confirm that.

Yes the Cinque Terre is hiking as in trails and as in some can be very challenging. However, you can very much enjoy the area by touring each of the little towns (Rick Steves' guide has a walking-tour of each tiny town) and also by boat. If you have time, the trip to PortoVenere is fabulous, too.

Guss,

If your accommodations in Monterosso are the ones I'm thinking of and you plan on walking from the station, this is the route.....

• When you disembark from the train, walk down the steps to the transfer tunnel between platforms and then out onto the main street; turn left.
• Walk along the main street for about 10 minutes or so (the ocean will be on your right) and then through the pedestrian tunnel.
• When you exit the tunnel, Hotel Pasquale will be on your left. Just after you pass the hotel, turn left onto Via Roma / SP 38 and go underneath the railway platform; walk straight until you see Ristorante Ciak.
• Turn left at Ciak and you'll start to climb uphill; you may see a sign for Via Buranco.
• After that I'm a bit hazy on the route. I'd suggest keeping the phone number of the place at hand so you can call them. They may send someone down to the main street to meet you.

Regarding the trails in the C.T., there's an extensive network of trails, many of them extending high up into the hills, however most tourists are only concerned with the Sentiero Azzurro trails that run above the ocean. At the moment, only the segment from Monterosso to Vernazza is open as well as a small segment of the Via dell' Amore from the Manarola end. The Monterosso - Vernazza segment is a bit challenging so I wouldn't recommend trying it unless you're in good shape (quite a steep climb at the Monterosso end).

Hope this helps.

Pam: Thanks for the tip! Taxi would be great! Looking around looks like it would be around $50 Euros, does that sound right? I'm staying next to the Eiffel Tower. According to Google Maps, it is 34.8 KM and a 35 min drive.

Zoe: Thanks for the reminder! I would love to help you plan your trips :) I am doing this from scratch and have been reading and researching almost daily. I'm far from reaching the level of expertise of folks around here but I'm working on it :). By the way, my itinerary has changed a bit lately and probably will keep changing. It's looking decent :)

Richard: Glad you like my itinerary, it means a lot! I want be have everything planned but be ready for anything. And avoid as many unpleasant surprises as possible.

Rome Night Walk is a fantastic idea! Thanks a lot! I actually implemented the Paris Historic Walk from Rick Steve's book and audio tour. I'm very excited about that one. Will be implementing Rome Night Walk as well! (Just looked at the book and looks like now it is called "Heart of Rome Walk" and it sounds AMAZING. Will definitely implement that to my itinerary. I will make sure we have time to sit and relax :)

Laurel: Thanks for the tips! I like that idea of starting at the gardens in Versailles. Makes a lot of sense. I'm ready to set my shoes on fire at the Cinque Terre! From Monterosso (where we'll stay) to Riomaggiore and back! Will consider PortoVenere as well, honestly I hadn't heard of it, which is kind of embarrassing.

Guss , I have been to Versailles over a dozen times now.. and I don't think it will make any difference which day you go.. it WILL be packed and crazy in palace( grounds are never bad).

Which ever day you plan to go.. arrive with a ticket in hand or use the Paris Museum pass. This allows you to skip at least the ticket buying line.. and get in line just for security. This line can be long too.. we arrived last year at 10.30 am.. and waited 45-60 minutes just for security.. arrive BEFORE it opens. Try and be first wave to go through palace, then you can enjoy grounds, gardens, and Marie Antionettes Hamlet , and the Trianons at leisure after wards.

Have you looked at Vueling.. I have used them a few times now ( and have also used Easyjet and Ryanair. (but from Paris, as said.. Beauvais is most inconvenient airport.. almost 100 kms away from city !)

Ken: Thanks a lot for the directions, those are definitely going to be useful.

Now I'm excited for the Monterosso-Vernazza trail! That would be a good workout. I exercise regularly (gym), my wife doesn't so that'll be interesting.

Pat: Thanks for the tips! That makes sense, Versailles sounds like is always busy. I'll try to get us there really early.

I forgot to mention that I already booked flights from Paris to Venice through EasyJet leaving from ORLY :) (7:20am - 8:55am)

Hey Richard!

I have a question for you. (or anyone can answer if you know the answer)

How long can that walk you mention take? (I believe in the Rick Steve's book is called Heart of Rome). I was thinking around 4 hours?

I was hoping there was an audio tour for this (just like the Paris Historic Walk) but after looking for a while confirmed there is not:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/is-there-an-audio-tour-for-the-heart-of-rome-walk

Thanks in advance :)

It would depend on how long you linger at each place I suppose. My wife had no idea where we were going, I was her tour guide. We had dinner at Al Bric which is near the beginning of the walk and then I would read a paragraph about where we were and then follow the directions to the next highlight. She loved it so much that we did it another evening as well and she;ll probably want to do it when we go next month. Unfortunately the Trevi is under repair and the Pantheon is closed at night but seeing the statues and buildings lit up is very beautiful.
Four hours seems a bit long. Tear the Rome section out of the book and carry it with you. Carrying the blue book gives you away as a Ricknik.

Although the Trevi fountain is not flowing, you can actually get closer to the facade via the catwalk. There's even a small pool to throw coins into.

Portovenere is not well known to American tourists, but that Laurel keeps giving away our secret places!

Don't remember if I mentioned it, but you can check skylinewebcams.com for real-time streaming of landmarks all over the world.

That's disappointing that Fontana di Trevi is still under repair. It's been like that for ever it seems, I was hoping it was long completed by the time I go.

Not sure if I can rip off the pages of the book! I'll see if I can get a PDF version or something.

Zoe: Thanks for the tips! I'm not american and still hadnt heard about Portovenere. Now I will definitely go! I like alternative routes/sights that are not commercial.

Richard,
It's funny you mentioned this:

Tear the Rome section out of the book and carry it with you. Carrying the blue book gives you away as a Ricknik.

I actually spotted a tourist in Padova, looking at his RS torn section's map, & I directed him to the hotel that just happened to be the same one we were staying in!

I agree with Guss, I could not tear the book apart. I did take the book with me but would leave it in the hotel most days.

I did however make copies of the maps I needed & highlighted the main sites we wanted to visit.

Have a great trip!