Is this too much for a 15 day journey? Will be taking a combination of flights and trains. I removed a night in Milan and added a night to Amsterdam. Any suggestions would be great!
You don't have to spend a night in Milan. If you're coming from Varenna on Lake Como, then a train departs there about 5:30 a.m. to get to Nice at noon or departs about 8:30 to get to Nice at 16:00. If you're staying at Como town, then trains depart San Giovanni station about 5:50 and 9:50 to meet the same connections in Milan. Give the extra night to one of the other big cities.
If skipping Lake Como, then the 8:20 train from Venezia S Lucia would also connect with that second train to Nice. Or save 8 hours on the train and fly EasyJet nonstop Venice-Nice from $40. Near Nice, Villefranche might be the small-town substitute for the Lake Como experience.
Assume you are planning on the 7:10 direct train from Milano Centrale, but if you accept a change in Ventimiglia, you could spend another night in Varenna (again I'm assuming your place on lake Como) and take a 7:37 train from there to Milano Centrale and change to a Trenitalia IC train to Ventimiglia, then a French TER train to Nice, you arrive only 2 hours later than if you took the early train, which I believe is a Thello.
Not too much. You will lose some weight.
Fly Amsterdam to Venice.
Train Venice to Milan to Como
Train to Nice
Train to Paris
Fly home from Paris
You may want to go back to revisit certain places again after this.
I spent one night in Milan also last May; that was enough for me.
Having trouble deciding if this is an 'ambitious' schedule, or an audition for "The Amazing Race"
I agree with Continental---- there are times when fewer is better
I saw the heading and assumed that this was a minimum 3 week trip!
When are you travelling?
You are going to be losing too much of your time in transit ie Amsterdam to Venice is over 6 hours door to door.
Not sure where you are flying from, but your first day may be lost to jetlag.
Cut it back to Northern Italy and maybe two stops in France. Everywhere you are going deserves more nights than you are allotting. I suggest
Fly to Venice - 4 nights
Train to Varenna on Lake Como (3 nights)
Train to Nice - 3 nights
Train to Paris - 4 nights
Make on AMS another trip.
I'm afraid all you'll remember about your proposed itinerary is checking in and out of hotels and train stations. Five major relocations in fifteen days (you have fourteen nights listed) is, in my opinion, way too many changes. You'll be surprised at the amount of time you'll lose just getting from place to place. In addition to the actual travel time consider the time spent checking out, getting to the train station, getting from the station to the hotel, checking in, and unpacking. And that assumes no complications to the schedule. Laurel's suggested itinerary seems to be a much better choice.
The easiest option is to eliminate Nice.
Day
1. Arrive Amsterdam (3 nights)
4. Fly to Venice (3 nights)
7. Train to Como (3 nights)
9. Day to Milan
10. Fly/train to Paris (5 nights)
15. Depart Milan
