End-of-Semester Trip: Stop Decisions

Posted by gretakoa22 (Texas, USA) on 02/06/24 01:36 PM

Hello!

I am currently studying abroad in Florence, Italy and as an end-of-semester trip, I am making my way from Italy to Madrid, Spain -- where I am flying home -- via train over 10 days in early May. As of right now, my plan is this:

Florence --> Genoa, Italy (1 day, 1 night)

Genoa --> Nice, France (2 days, 2 nights)

Nice --> Montpellier, France (2 days, 2 nights)

Montpellier --> Barcelona, Spain (3 days, 2 nights)

Barcelona --> Madrid, Spain (2 days, 3 nights)

I am looking for any insight as to the timing and locations. Barcelona and Nice are staying on the list, but I am amiable to change most other stops. I would like to stay on the coast and I enjoy exploring the culture of the places I am going to. Cool museums, good food, lively atmosphere, and beautiful landscapes (which is really anywhere on the coast). Also, as a college student, I am looking for places that are at least slightly budget-friendly.

I would appreciate any/all feedback. Thanks so much!

Posted by PlannerMom

Wisconsin, USA

02/09/24 04:35 AM

138 posts

Looks like fun! You will be spending a lot of hours on trains which will shorten your time in town, but just plan for that. Often train trips, especially on the fast trains, are cheaper if you buy the tickets early but you have to commit to those dates and times. The other big way to save money is staying in hostels. If there is a student admission discount to a museum, check whether it applies only to EU residents before counting on it in your budget.

If you want to see Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (which was my favorite there), it's a place that sometimes sells out.

If you have questions about specific stops, try posting in each country's forum.

Posted by Bets

L'Occitanie, France

02/09/24 08:01 AM

10209 posts

What a nice trip for an end of semester. Enjoy. Here's a tip for your Nice-Montpellier leg (and thank you for spelling it correctly with two-Ls).
I make this trip a couple of times a year. For my comfort and convenience, being much, much older than you, I look for trains that have reserved seats. There are a few TGV trains that connect in Marseille to an Intercités train to get from Nice to Montpellier. Both TGV and Intercité trains give you a reserved seat with your ticket. You can also take local trains that don't have reserved seats for one or both legs. You can book on the app or computer: SNCFConnect.com

There are two stations in Montpellier. For convenience, look for trains that go to Gare St. Roch in the heart of the city.

Montpellier is 10 kilometers from the sea, so a combination of trams, bus or bike will get you there. Thousands of flamingos have just arrived for mating and will still be around in May.

Montpellier has 80,000 students. It also has the second largest historical center of winding streets, shops, plazas with cafés and restaurants, called the Ecusson, of any city in France. Although, Occitanie is the second most visited region in France outside Paris, it doesn't make it into a lot of US guidebooks but has a lot of French and other European visitors.

Posted by David

Huntsville, AL, USA

02/10/24 03:03 PM

8159 posts

France and Spain are much larger countries than most travelers realize. And I've never been a fan of train trips over 3-4 hours. Going from Florence to Madrid takes between 18-23 hours on a combination of trains and buses.

Vueling Airlines flies cheap from Florence to Barcelona in less than 2 hours. And a fast train from to Madrid is easy. We would prefer to spend more time in Spain than along the way via train & bus. The Spanish people are exceptionally beautiful and we found the price of rooms and food to be so much cheaper in Spain than France. It's also an interesting country.