does size matter? --a question about trip length.

In 1994 my Mom & I spent 2 weeks in England & 3 weeks in France, traveling by car & staying B&Bs -- 2-3 nights each place. Mom was getting ready to go home around week 4, but I could have handled another week. In 2000, we spent 3 weeks in France, and it seemed about right, again staying in B&Bs. In 2005, we rented a house in Languedoc for 3 weeks & put 2600 KM on a rental car day-tripping. That seemed about right, too & since we had a house, it was easy to take some off-days to do laundry & read a book. This coming September we're going back for 5+ weeks, renting 3 houses in 3 different, but neighboring regions. Will it be too much? Maybe, but we're game and looking forward to it, and maybe we'll end up spending more time at "home" reading a book.

Just enjoy your trip and bring home some wonderful memories.

We usually spend 3 to 4 weeks in Europe and go every 2 to 3 years. You can have a variety of activities--even in London. We slowed down the pace, limited our museum time (most are free so you can spend an hour and leave and came back another day). A highlight was walking through Hyde Park and having a picnic supper). When travelling in a country, we've discovered how much we enjoy having a week in the middle of our trip to spend at one place. This enables us to unpack, do laundry, and as previous posters have already mentioned--see more of a place rather than more places.

Yes, it's a long trip. The biggest difference, besides the obvious one of the length, is that longer trips can be much more exhausting if you don't slow the pace down. Also, some of the highlights of each location can start to become repetitive. If your itinerary doesn't have a nice balance between urban and rural areas, you can quickly tire of cathedrals and Old Master art museums. For example, I wasn't too impressed by Munich on my first visit, mainly because I had just visited St. Petersburg, Vilnius, Warsaw, Krakow and Prague- it just seemed like another big city. But on a subsequent shorter visit, I enjoyed it's unique features much more.

Anyhow, enjoy your trip... and how was the skiing at Bear Creek this past winter?

yes, i think i may have messed up with the urban/rural balance. we're ONLY doing cities--london, paris, and barcelona, with a weekend out of paris to amsterdam that i'm really excited about, but i now think it might have been ill advised to take out 'trip away from our trip' to another city!

and wow--impressive macungie knowledge! though i don't ski--i tried it one time and have never been in that much pain from something that was supposed to be fun!

You'll be there for a month. Why not change some of your plans to see some smaller places?

For the record, I went on a 19 trip to Europe five years ago. It felt "long" after about 14 days. I didn't enjoy the last few places I visited as much as the first few. However, this might happen regardless of length of trip, as one begins to "feel" the end of the trip nearing (sort of a post-trip depression beginning, after the long build-up from planning).

Also, not eating my favorite foods and not sleeping my own bed for more than two weeks starts to make me feel a little weary.

All that said, my wife and I are planning a 35-day trip beginning in late August. I've strategically planned two days of hiking in the Alps and two days of hiking/beaching in the Cinque Terra to balance out all the "touring."

For us, 14 days is the minimum for a trip. The longer the better. Though after 5 or 6 weeks I do want to be home, sleep in my own bed again, see the dog ... One week for Europe only happens if it's a business trip or a family emergency like a funeral to go to. I find those short trips extremely stressful because I'm constantly jet-lagged.

HOWEVER, our longer trips look quite different from what you seem to have planned. We'd stay a week in each place before moving on. If you see 2 dozen places in 4 weeks, than those easily blur together. It can feel like it's just more of the same.

For me a longer trip is a great opportunity. Not an opportunity to see more places but to see more in each place. And that works really well.

My daughter and I went to Europe and visited 8 countries in 8 weeks. We had a ball. We usually stayed in one city minumum of 4 days...some longer....some 2 - 3 days.

We traveled light...4 sets of clothes...Rick Steves' 21" Roll Aboard and a day back pack each.

We knew each travel day, advanced reservations, copy of train schedules for travel day.

We had no problems.

Careful planning is very important.

Enjoy your trip!!! You will do just fine.

Our next trip to Portugal, Spain and Italy will only be for 5 weeks.

Tracy, a lot of people are probably shocked about your month-long trip because most don't get that much vacation. Lucky you, enjoy it!!! My last European trip was six weeks; all my previous ones were 2-3 weeks, just so you know I speak from experience. There are a couple of things to consider: firstly, I gave myself permission before ever leaving home to come home early if the six-week trip became just too much (it didn't, I stayed the whole six weeks and would have stayed longer if possible). I budgeted in a possible early return and also had the experience once before (endless rain, left a couple of days early) that the airline often has one or two seats open for a last minute passenger. The second, and very important thing is to have everything at home squared away before leaving. Plants and pets boarded out, appliances turned off and unplugged, water turned off at the main or at least washing machine hoses turned off (they can spring a leak.) Mail stopped, bills paid, grass mowed by somebody, house checked, addresses and contact info left with somebody at home. I think a longer trip has the advantage that you don't start thinking about it being over too soon. You get a chance to get into the experience, leave usual concerns behind you, which may take a few days. Look over your itinerary and, if you think you need it, build in a couple of rest days every so often, just to chill, maybe in a resort area, where you can wander around, eat well, do a boat ride, poke around in shops and enjoy the local atmosphere without having to worry about packing up and rushing to your next destination. The longer travel experience is better, I think, because you don't have to leave before you're ready to go home; you can relax and enjoy every day without stressing about having to depart too soon. Have fun!

As someone who used to lead tours, I can tell you our longer tours were slightly slower paced and had built in down time for the passengers. (The down time in the way of "free" time.)

The longest tour I ever had to lead was 23 days. And even though the passengers had just about everything done for them, they were exhausted by the end of the tour.

For a month, you need to schedule 2-3 days of down time. Time to sleep late, not try to take in sights, or everything will begin to blur. Quite often, on longer tours, I've seen the dreaded "ABC" Syndrome. (Another Bloody Church--although you can substitute museum, ruin, anything else for church.)

Down time can be done anywhere--even in a big city. Chill out, relax in a cafe, take a walk in the park. Give your brain a rest for the day.

Its' well worth it.

You haven't screwed up at all. London, Paris, Barcelona, and Amsterdamn are all different; they probably won't fuzz together a year after you get back (as the hill towns of Italy certainly will).

Do like Tom said, though, and vary what you see in each place: six museums in a single week in Paris would toss me over the edge. See some stuff you might not have thought of, just to add variety -- maybe Greenwich (Royal Observatory) in London instead of the Victoria and Albert, for example.

We go for at least a month at a time (and do it several times a year) just so we don't have the pain in the neck of flying back and forth as often -- it gives us more productive days on one trip and saves on the price of airline tickets.

I'd also suggest that you don't try to tie yourself to a set schedule. You're going to add some things that you never thought of, and thus skip some things you intended on seeing, but that's what makes it fun.

Finally, don't worry about what other people say -- it's your darn trip.

My first trip to Europe was for 3.5 weeks. We had a mixture of city and small town, which was nice. Most of our city time came during the last 12 days of the trip. I was concerned that the trip may be too long. As it turned out it was not only not too long, but I would have loved to stay longer. Our 2nd trip was for two weeks and our 3rd trip was for only a week. This year we are going for 4 weeks. I can hardly wait! For an extended period it is nice to mix up city and smaller areas, but that said, if I could stay in Paris for a month (or longer) I would jump at the chance! Have fun and if you need to you can take a day trip out of a city, just to break things up.

Anna made a good point. Most people only get 2 weeks of vacation a year, and have to balance that with taking time off for other stuff -- Christmas and Thanksgiving, family stuff, things like that, so they usually only take an actual week for their vacation.

If we're going to Europe, the minimum is 10 days. We did a week once when our son was little, it was just too much trouble for the amount of time we got there. Although, I know people who love 4 day turnaround trips. It's just not for me.

Ditto what Anna and Ed said...We'd never go to Europe for less than a month and even that seems short to me. Last trip was 7 wks and our next trip in 12 days is for one month and it already seems too short for me. I can never get enough of Europe, it's just pure fun every single day.

We pay a lot in airfare to get there so I want to make the most of that money spent and having at least a month allows me to really feel like I'm there, to really relax and to absorb as much as I can.

Longer trips definitely are different from short ones.

For trips to Europe, my minimum "time there" is about 2 weeks (longer for Asia, and less for the Caribbean/Mexico/elsewhere that doesn't involve flying half-way around the world). After more than a few trips to Europe, I've concluded that the ideal trip length is between 3 -4 weeks. After about 3 weeks or so, I am starting to get tired, just worn down from not being home, and I find I start missing things from home (sleeping in my own bed, familiar bathrooms, and odd food - things like a big, unhealthy American breakfast, which is odd since I rarely eat one). By the 4th week, I'm still having fun, but have less energy and enthusiasm than I did at the beginning of the trip. Sights and activities that I would have immediately embraced earlier in the trip now are weighed against just hanging out. I'll still get off my butt and see/do things, but it feels more like an obligation at that point than an exciting opportunity.

I find I can put off this "plateau" by pacing myself carefully and mixing up activities with more down time, but (for me at least) there's no doubt that "time on the road" does wear me down somewhat eventually.

You'll have a great trip. We're all envious.

As the other Anna said, people are most likely shocked to hear about a month-long trip, because most people working full-full time do not get that much vacation time. Two weeks is the standard, and one probably should save a few days for sick days/emergencies/etc. I would assume most people don't have the luxury of taking unpaid time off to extend their trip past any paid vacation they can use.

OP here--wow, that was all fantastic input. thanks so much! i'm feeling better about it now, knowing that many others shared my views (and have actually DONE the trip and enjoyed it! at this point 'my views' are not based on anything other than what i THINK i want!)--as many of you said, i kind of felt like if we were going to fly across the ocean, we should stay for a while. and i think we should have some down time--we'll be in paris for two weeks in an apartment, so perhaps that will make it easier to feel 'at home'. and we'll have a kitchen, too, which i hope will help with restaurant boredom. oh and a washing machine. another bonus. thank god for research--i didn't even know you could rent apartments in paris (or anywhere around the world) for short term stays.

i guess i should have posted this in the original post--our trip is five days in london, two weeks in paris with an overnight to amsterdam in the middle (that's our 'getaway'), and then i continue on for a week to barcelona without my husband, who does have to go home to work. we're both teachers which is how we're swinging that much time--and even so, my husband has summer courses he has to teach and thus can only stay for three weeks.

thanks again for the encouragement and for sharing all of your stories.

Fantastic Tracy! You've got it well planned and a lot of people are likely quite envious. Enjoy!

I think you will love having the apartment in Paris. We rented one there for 10 days and it was great to have our own "home" there. We did all our morning meals there (or got a pain au chocolat on the run). We also made picnic lunches and had at least 3 of our dinners "at home." I enjoyed going to the market and cooking in our tiny Parisian kitchen. I get tired of going out all the time. It also saved us a ton of money, so that was a bonus. I think you will be fine. At least you aren't bouncing from one place to another every day or two. That is exhausting!

Hi Tracy, the "surprised/concern" about the length of your trip is likely envy! I for one will admit to it! :) With that said, I don't begrudge anyone who is able to get away for extended periods of time. Two consecutive weeks is about all I can scrounge from my employer, add to that my husband's weird "time off" schedule (I can choose my start/stop days thus taking advantage of 'cheaper' flight days, while my husband must take Sunday to Saturday, which would result in 1) more expensive flight days or 2) wasted days of waiting to fly out on the cheaper days, plus, not having any more time for the remainder of the year. What kind of job allows for month long travel several times a year? Doubly envious :) If I was able to take month-long (or longer) trips to Europe, I'd do it in a heartbeat, and wouldn't give a hoot what anyone thought about it. Enjoy, and have a terrific time.

A longer trip has its own rhythms. It's a good idea to vary the pace and also to mix some bucolic splendor with the great cities.

You've done the former and not the latter, but I'm not going to urge you to change anything because the trip should reflect your priorities.

yeah, i now see the value in the mixing of the country and the city (after all, i typically am quite the country mouse) but i didn't even think of that when planning, and alas everything is booked at this point (we leave in six weeks, thus the freaking out!) however, our next trip will have this balance. i suppose i can't do everything right the first time, but this board has helped me immensely in not messing up too much! i guess i was thinking about day trips being escapes from the city, but after much research (and asking questions here) i now realize there's a huge difference between a day trip to bath and a weekend in the english country side.

Hi Tracy, We always go for five weeks, but we also spend about 10 days in Paris and after leaving Paris, we usually rent at least two or sometimes three apartments at a week each. We always rent a car after Paris, and explore around the districts near the apartments. We are ready to come home after 5 weeks, but soon we are ready to go again.

Well, it would be possible to put some countryside into this itinerary by taking off after a week or so in Paris. You'd have three easy options:

1) Visit some destinations in northern France (e.g. Normandy, Burgundy), ending up back in Paris;

2) Take a train to Provence, renting a car there. You continue to Barcelona and husband either flies back from Marseilles or catches early TGV to deGaulle.

3) Drive to the Perigord in SW France (Dordogne valley), rent a car, and end in Toulouse for your train connection and husband's flight home.

I'd chose #3 but any works; 1&2 even work if your husband can't change his return ticket.

Tracy, I am jealous. Even though worked in the school system (teacher then assistant principal), we could never get more than 2 consecutive weeks due to hubby's job. We did manage to fit an around the world trip into that one time, though. Now I'm retired and he has changed jobs and has much more flexibility, but we can't travle much due to his mother's health. She is now improving and we hope to start again soon... (crosses fingers). I understand your concern about jsut doing cities, but with the longer stays (Paris and Barcelona .. even in London) you could do some day trips out to more rural locations for a change of pace. I love to take the train out to smaller towns and villages and then visit the markets, etc.

Tracy, your trip sounds fabulous and the perfect length. Our trips to tend to be around 10 days, which is too short considering the airfare expense and adjusting to jet lag. I say we take short trips because of our work schedules, but really it's because I feel guilty about leaving our cat....

I think you are lucky that you can take off for a month. I wish I could do it every time I go over the pond. The most I have ever spent was 17 days. And man, it never seems like enough time. Due to the fact that I do not get 30 paid days off in a year, I can not do it. But if I did, I would go for that long. I would rather take one big long one that 2 2 week vacations. So there is nothing wrong with what you are doing. You are living life and most people do not know how to do that.

Interesting reading about length of vacation time you guys get. Full time workers in Oz get 4 weeks paid annual leave. Mind you, we need that amount of time to travel to the other side of the world.
In addition, full time workers are entitled to what we call Long Service Leave after working 10 years continuously for same employer. This entitles you to 3 months leave on full pay. This is how I took my first 7 week overseas trip in 1995. 21 day guided tour of Western Europe and a 19 day guided tour of England, Scotland and Ireland.

Two weeks is a short trip by most people's standards here.

Wow Judy, you guys down under are lucky! Three months off after ten years? I celebrate 30 years on my job in June and I still get the same amount of time I began getting at 15 years - 5 weeks. I will never get more than than. I can save up to 480 hours, but I never come close because I do take vacations. My husband can accrue 560 hours, but is not allowed to take off more than 4 weeks at a time. I am lucky that as long as I have the time I can take off for as long as I want.

We do short trips. I like smaller cities (and big ones too). More than a week is a long trip to us. Our past Europe trips have been between 4 and 7 days. 4 day was a long weekend to the Netherlands where we split our time between Haarlem and Amsterdam - also have done a 4 day trip visiting Amsterdam, Delft and Leiden. We did six days in France - 2 Paris - 2 Bayeaux - 2 Paris. and 7 days in Portugal (3 cities). 7 days in Czech Rep / Poland (3 cities).

We really like to be on the move. We are a family of three (son is 11 today!) and aren't huge museum people. My advice - you have two whole weeks in Paris and only two days in Amsterdam. While I love Paris - two weeks??

yeah...the two week thing happened like this...we were going to JUST go to paris, and figured that if we were flying across the ocean, we should stay for a while. we really wanted to get a feel for it--immerse ourselves in the culture, if you will. i still think it is a good idea--though i'm sure i could be wrong. plus my stepfather lived in paris for a few years in college, and he was all like 'you could stay for a MONTH, a YEAR and it wouldn't be enough'. we we thought why not? and then i got a little crazy and added on a week at the beginning for London, and a week at the end for Barcelona (and two more days in london on the return to gatwick). The Amsterdam thing is a recent addition, basically because my husband really wants to go there and it is pretty reasonably priced for a 'day trip' out of paris--even thought it is really a two day trip. And the Barcelona part--which I'm doing on my own--was originally a week and a half long trek around the UK. But multiple people--including lots on here--said things like 'going too many places is tiring and expensive', and i thought 'huh--that makes sense' so i booked seven nights in barcelona, which many people also think is excessive, but hey, it is cheaper than a railpass, and i feel better having a home base traveling alone. plus i like inexpensive day trips--we're planning bath/stonehenge out of london, chartres out of paris (in addition to the amsterdam trip), and i'm hoping to do at least tarragona and girona (on two different days) out of barcelona--and probably montserrat as a half day trip. wow--that was a really long explanation! though to be fair, it took me months to figure out! feel free to read about the crazy journey to this trip on my (ad-free) blog [email protected]

happy travels!

Your stepfather is correct...you could spend way more time in Paris and it will never seem like enough. I can't even imagine only spending 2 days there like Bronwen did before moving on to another city, even if she did go back again for another 2 days later.

For the majority of Americans, a typical trip length is maybe 5 to 10 days, so if you tell someone you are going away for a month you can expect some of them will be surprised you can swing a trip that long. Also, many people don't want to be away from home for that long, so they may think it's crazy that you'd want to.

I really can't fairly answer what I'd consider a "long trip" because I traveled for an entire year once and it still didn't seem long enough to me. The worst part is that now every trip I will ever take after that year on the road seems ridiculously short.

Heed the advice of others who tell you to take some time off from sightseeing and don't try to cram too much into each week. If you don't follow that advice, so much of what you do will blur and run together. You can also make yourself physically sick if you try to push yourself too hard on a long trip. So do take time to enjoy doing absolutely nothing but relax every now and then.

Good advice about pacing yourself on long trips. We always try to be back at our accommodation by 5.00-5.30pm each day to put the feet up for a couple of hours before heading out for dinner etc. Also try to minimise very late nights.
We are very lucky in Oz with our generous vacation and leave provisions. When you consider we lose 4 days travelling to and from Europe, and the high cost to get there, we need to make the most of it.

I prefer a longer trip myself. We spent 10 days in Southern Spain and a month touring parts of France last summer and it was magnificent. We spent 10 days in three bases in Southern Spain, Southern France and the Paris area. While in those locations we had time to do day trips, overnight trips, and even time to just kick back and relax (which I don't think you ever have time to do on trips of two weeks or less). We spent an additional 10 days moving between those bases and spending overnights in additional locations. We got to see and experience A LOT without torturing ourselves! Because we did not wear ourselves out, we enjoyed the entire trip! We plan to take another 5-6 week trip next summer.

If I could, every trip would be a month or more; I can't always get away for that long. When you consider the expense of getting there, a couple of days lost to travel and maybe a day of jet lag, it makes sense to extend the trip. It both increases the percent of your vacation that you are up and running and lowers the per day cost of your trip.

When (if?) I retire, I expect to push the Schengen limits regularly.