I am considering this tour for late June/July 2012 with my 14 year old son and would like to add Barcelona and Vienna. The place my son wants to visit most is Barcelona because he's a fan of the soccer team so we'll have to do a "pilgrimage" to the museum and get some gear. I promised a friend in Vienna years ago that I'd visit when I finally went to Europe. (If I could switch Vienna with Munich, that would have been an ideal solution.) I initially wanted to plan an independent 3 week trip but then thought instead, to add Barcelona and Vienna to the start of the My Way Tour. The My Way Tour is by bus and I had wanted to ride the train because I have always thought of it as part of my Europe experience. Is it practical to take trains from Barcelona to Vienna? What route? Or should I tack Vienna to the end and take trains from Paris to Vienna? What route? Or should I go back to my original idea and plan it all myself? The cities I had intended to visit were: Barcelona, Rome, Venice, Vienna, and Paris. I had thought to begin in Barcelona for my son's sake, to start the trip on a high note for him. Plus it would be cooler to start south and head north (does it matter?). Thanks for any advice! (Sorry for the lengthy post but I wanted to provide info up front.) Joy
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
I think the My Way tours sound like the perfect answer for a tour with your son. You will have time to enjoy lots of experiences without all the stress of the logistics. If you were traveling smaller cities or villages a car can give you lots of freedom to wander about Europe, but with all the big cities you want to see I think the tour sounds great.
Logistics from Barcelona to Vienna... I am not a train person but I am sure you will get info from many here. I would probably look into a flight.
Posted by
OP
Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23 posts
That's exactly why the My Way tour seems so attractive. Trying to plan for all 5 cities with lodging, transportation, etc. by myself was beginning to seem too much for a first trip. I was thinking of getting help from the ETBD consultants or a travel agent. I've already been to my local AAA office and they were not too helpful. I knew I didn't want to drive for the first trip out. Although I will probably get an international license in case of emergency. CORRECTION: adding Vienna to the end of the trip would be from Rome not Paris. On the Time & Cost map, there is a straight train trip from Barcelona to Paris, that would be a good candidate. From Rome to Vienna is not so direct. The last time I checked flights for the whole trip, that route added a great deal to the overall price. But today, when I tried the route by itself on Kayak, I found far more reasonable cost on Niki and Air Berlin, so flying is an option.