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Best Plan for A Month

Posted by on

I've gotten LOTS of advice and suggestions on separate forums, I thought I would post in General Europe as I have discovered that I'm getting somewhere but the days are passing fast. My daughter and I are going on a mother daughter trip for a month, I am travelling from Vancouver BC and need to get home to Vancouver BC, so open jaw as suggested by many seems fit. However there are in between cities and the options are endless. As someone who has only dreamed of travelling Europe ever and just obsessed over Rick Steves videos and blog...I have no idea what sites are reliable and what airports are best to fly into and if trains are a better best or deal with a child, etc. Here is my itinerary, please note my accommodations are booked already.

September 17 Vancouver to London
September 25 London to Paris
October 3 Paris to Venice
October 6 Venice Florence

(Please note: I have already booked a car that I will pick up IN Florence to travel to Tuscany, my accommodations in Tuscany, San Giovanni D' Asso are flexible so that we can spend a night or two in Florence, though I only want to see the David if possible, and Florence isn't a must. I can do that another trip if need be)
~Florence to Tuscany dates to be determined

October 11 Tuscany to Rome (car drop off in Rome seemed the best choice through research on forums and blog etc)
October 16 Rome to Vancouver

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Also note that I am from BC and have travelled the entire province by bus, car, plane, even train on the island as a child, and bike in my city. I am experienced at following itineraries and I know my energy levels well so I booked my accommodations first based on what I wanted to see and how long I needed to rest in between etc.

I really appreciate the support here and this is a huge learning experience and will be for my daughter as well.

Posted by
4917 posts

If I understand your post correctly, you are asking for the optimal mode of transportation between cities, up to Florence? Here's what I'd do.

London - Paris: Eurostar. No question. Faster than flying, since you don't have to travel to and from the airports. Eurostar has its own website. Book as soon as possible for discounted prices.

Paris - Venice. Fly. Otherwise you're wasting waaaaay too much time on a train.

Venice - Florence. Train from Venezia S. Lucia to Firenze S. Maria Novella (SMN). Book in advance for discounted tickets ( trenitalia website).

Posted by
12172 posts

For your trip. In London, I prefer Gatwick. Train or car? It depends on your plan. If you want to see multiple stops in a day, the only way is with a car. If you just want to go city center to city center, a train is the much better choice. If no stops during the day but going to smaller towns, a bus does the same thing as a train (but often only one or two runs into/out of a smaller town each day).

Flying out of Rome, consider an Aer Lingus that stops in Dublin or Shannon. They'll complete your customs there so when you land in the US you can walk straight to the exit - like you took a local flight.

The lighter you pack the happier you will be. Last trip (May) my whole bag weighed ten pounds and was just a personal item size. I'm still refining my packing, but it keeps getting lighter. On my trip last September, with only a daypack, I actually got compliments on my clothes from people I got stuck in Iceland with. They had two large suitcases and a carry on each - for a shorter trip than mine.

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