April/May 2018 Trip to France/Switzerland/Italy

Exactly how many nights will you have in Europe?

Check out fares for a multi-city flight into Paris and out of Milan (if your trip ends in northern Italy) or Rome (if you get as far as Amalfi).

As you have found from your earlier visit to Paris, a very quick stay somewhere may mean you feel you need to head right back there to see more. That's not terribly efficient. I don't think you have time to do justice to Paris, Switzerland, Genoa/Portofino and the Amafi Coast. There's substantial transportation time required for that itinerary. Time spent on trains, planes and buses is time not spent sightseeing--except in areas like Switzerland.

Just about everyone is going to suggest that you go to the Bernese Oberland around Lauterbrunnen rather than to Geneva.

Thanks for your reply...
We will have 10 nights. We were thinking 3 nights, 3 nights somewhere in Switzerland and then 3 nights around Genoa. We are using miles for one ticket so are boxed into only using Delta and its partners. Looked into flying out of Milan but unfortunately, the price is quite a bit more which may mean we need to fly out of Paris eating up our last night there. I was thinking train travel between Paris/Switzerland/Genoa and then flying from Genoa back to Paris.

"Are we trying to be too aggressive?"

Since you have, by my calculation, 10 nights in Europe, I'd say YES, by a long shot!

Putting Switzerland in the middle between France and Italy adds lots of travel time between your destinations. To get an estimate of how long it will take to get between any two places, a great start is Rome2Rio: https://www.rome2rio.com/. You should never take it as the final word, particularly in prices, but it will at least alert you to trouble. For instance, Geneva to Portofino is 8 hours - so there goes one of your days just in transit.

It's a false economy on a short trip to fly where you don't want to be. Unless you're staying in Paris or naturally circling back, don't fly round trip there. Instead, pay the extra for a "multi-city" ticket, such as into Paris and out of Rome. This saves not only time, but also money, that you have to waste backtracking. Don't forget that you need to be near your departure airport the night before the flight home. To find these tickets, use the "multi-city" or "multiple destinations" option on airline search sites such as Kayak or Google Flights.

I haven't been to Geneva, but that's because no one lists it as a highlight of Switzerland. If you want ooh-ing and aah-ing, head for the Berner Oberland, or at least Luzern (the latter is easier to splice into an itinerary that is not all Swiss; the former is more distant from other countries, but is spectacularly beautiful). Or you can focus on destinations on Lake Geneva - Lausanne, Montreux, Vevey, Chateau de Chillon. If Italian Switzerland would substitute for Italy, you could see that instead (the new tunnel has shortened travel times from some other parts of Switzerland to places like Lugano).

With only 10 nights, I'd pick two destinations. If you pick Paris and the Amalfi Coast, fly from Paris to Naples, then fly home from Naples (or Rome if you don't mind spending your last night in Rome). If you pick Paris and Genoa/Portofino, fly from Paris to Genoa or Pisa, then fly home from there. If you pick Paris and Switzerland, train from Paris to Switzerland, then fly home from Geneva or Zurich.

Anything more than that, and I think this will be an endurance test rather than an anniversary treat.

I see Air France (Delta) is showing round trip dep April 27, ret May 7 for $618. At that price, I'd save the miles for another time and buy the tickets outright.

I just want to point out that you said you wanted to see the Amalfi Coast. It's nowhere near Genoa/Portofino. I hope you weren't confusing Portofino with Positano. (When I first started traveling to Europe I did confuse the two. At least in the early planning stages.)

Good catch, Frank. That hadn't occurred to me.

By train...Paris to Lausanne with a transfer in Dijon. Lausanne to Genoa with a transfer in Milan. Stay a night in Lausanne for dipping your toe. You'll see some mountains and lakes from the train (and a lot of tunnels). You could check your bags at the station in Dijon and do the town historic walk between trains. Maybe make a reservation in Milan to see the Last Supper?

Although I love Genoa I would not stay there. It is a working community with little to offer tourists. Look to stay closer to Portofino. And as mentioned above is no where near the Amalfi coast. Ten days - two stops. France and in Italy/Switzerland stay around Lake Maggiore - Lugano while still in Switzerland is surrounded by Italy on three sides OR skip this area and head to the Amalfi Coast and fly out of Rome.

You can have a great 10 days if you don't try to do to much.

I find open jaw from the US into cities other than major destinations can be hit and miss. Sometimes there is a really good deal but more often the cost is prohibitive. In your case, I'd probably end up flying round trip to Paris but then catch one of the many European carriers to Milan or Genoa to start the trip. Last trip, I flew round trip to Paris but to close the loop quickly, flew Air France from Nice to Paris toward the end of the trip. The flight was just over an hour and cost $50 (not euros).

I always consider a host of options before I decide which works best.

Can you push your trip to June? Much much better weather especially for Switzerland.

Do not stay in Geneva. Take the train up the mountains into the Bernese Oberland area, like Mürren or Wengen. You cannot be disappointed.

yes, the Amalfi Coast is pretty amazing.

Knowing you want to see Paris, Switzerland and the Amalfi:

Fly to Paris. 3 hours later schedule a flight to Naples that same day. bus/ferry to Positano or Capri. Stay 3-4 nights.
Fly from Naples to Zurich. Train to Wengen 3-4 nights in Wengen, Switzerland.
Train from Zurich to Paris. 3-4 nights in Paris. Fly home.

If you are using your delta miles to fly in, look into flying into Naples or Rome