First time Europe couple/help w/intenery

May is slightly more safe, warmer and less rain. But what I would really ponder for now is if you want to hop around that much. If travel is even hassle free in spring of next year (I am not optimistic), I still would not want to take flights or train rides that often. I am just a big fan of visiting one country or even just one region, as it is more relaxing, only one language to know basics of, etc. The only way Tuscany could really fit in is if you stopped in Florence en route from Rome to Venice, so maybe you should plan an Italy only trip?

Do these 3 nights for each city include travel days? The travel between cities, and finding and checking into your hotels will take up the better part of a day. Even if you're not including the travel time, I don't think you are giving enough time to these cities. Three nights means two days in each city, which is just not enough time for any of these cities. If it were my first time in Europe, I would pick two, maybe London and Paris, or Rome and Venice. But that's just me. The seasoned travelers on this forum will have some good advice for you, I'm sure.

The cities you named are each worth much more time than three nights (i.e. two full days). I'd urge you to limit this trip to just two of them. London and Paris would combine well, or Venice and Rome. There's a wealth of information about trip planning and options under "Explore Europe" and "Travel Tips" on this website. You might also want to read Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door for a great overview and good ideas. If you don't want to buy the book, try your public library, it doesn't much matter which year's edition, keeping in mind that all the info is pre-COVID. Speaking of COVID, I'd urge you to make sure any bookings you make this year for next spring are fully refundable or at least changeable.

If you want to visit all four cities, in whatever time frame, I'd say start with London, then Paris, then Venice, and finish in Rome. Book your flights multi-city (aka "open jaw"), into London and home from Rome, rather than round-trip. That will save you the time and cost of backtracking through Europe to get home. Take the Eurostar train between London and Paris, fly between Paris and Venice, and take a high-speed train between Venice and Rome. Tuscany is roughly between Venice and Rome, and there's a lot to see and do in Florence, but it's too far from either city to be a day trip.

Since this is your first trip to Europe, you might consider a guided tour, but again I doubt if you'll find any available next spring. If you do, pay close attention to their plans for dealing with COVID and get trip insurance that covers a cancellation you may find prudent as April approaches. Rick Steves tours are excellent, but I doubt very much if they will be running next spring. His belief, which makes sense to me, is that independent travelers will be returning to Europe sooner than tour groups. With good planning and flexibility, you could certainly do this trip on your own -- though, again, the logistics of moving around will eat into your time and energy if you try for four big cities in 12 days.

Good luck putting this together, however you decide to do it.

Welcome to the forum, addiva! !!!
How exciting to be planning that first trip! You will get lots of advice, and not all of it will probably be the same. In the end? It's your trip so you should do what makes YOU happy. :O)

It's uncertain at this time if Americans (will you be traveling on U.S. passports?) will be allowed into all of E.U. for leisure travel by April but we'll assume the best, OK? I just wouldn't make any reservations that are non-refundable should access to some of your destinations still be closed.

My humble 2-cents? Venice aside, 3 nights is not enough for your other destinations. Definitely not enough if you're interested in day trips! Take into consideration that you may very well be dealing with jet lag on arrival day, and will lose large chunks of others in the transfer process: it always takes more time to pick up, check out, get to a train station (or airport), sit ON that train or plane, find your accommodation, check in and get your bearings in a brand new city than you think it will. 3 nights is only 2.5 days or less of sightseeing time at a pretty good hustle.

We've done a week or more in London, Paris and Rome and didn't have any trouble filling our time. We also didn't do them on the SAME trip....which is a suggestion I might make for you? It can be easier for first-timers to spend all of their time in just ONE country. That way you aren't having to learn how things like public transport and whatnot work in a different one. As you're asking about Tuscany and have an interest in art, what if you spent all of your 12 nights getting to know Italy a bit better? What if you saved London and Paris for a future, 12-night trip (traveling between them by Eurostar train) and replaced them with a bit more time in Rome - which could use another night or two - and the balance of your days in Florence?

Firenze (Italian for Florence) was the cradle of the Italian Renaissance so it's just CRAZY with fantastic art and architecture of the period. It's also a great base for some easy day trips to other towns in Tuscany by public transit to Lucca, Pisa, Fiesole, Sienna, etc. While I wouldn't necessarily travel over the Easter holiday, April would be a great time to travel Italy.

Culture? You'll find that anywhere you care to look. Food? Pretty much the same. We're all different but many in our RS community are fervent believers in the less-is-more philosophy when it comes to travel; the less cramming of lots into a little time, the more that can be enjoyed and absorbed. Having time not to rush around also helps a lot when the sightseeing list is heavy on most-visited attractions that place you smack in the middle of the mob. That can wear one out in a fat hurry! Make sense? A place to start ? Things like best ways to get around can be addressed once you've decided where you want to go. 🙂

I would definitely drop London. You will only scrape the surface in 3 days, and you will feel like you are rushing. That would leave you 4 nights for the other 3, which would possibly allow for some day trips to smaller towns, or to add in a couple of nights somewhere in Tuscany or another town like Verona which is close.

Personally though, I would just do Italy. Our first trip to Europe was Italy in April and it was a perfect time weather wise. We flew open jaw into Milan, and out of Rome. It is nice to see smaller towns as well to balance the busy cities. We mostly traveled by train, but picked up a car at one point to see a bit of Tuscany. About the only thing I"m not sure you'd find is live music ( other than a gondolier).

addiva, I'd suggest to you (as I would to a friend) take a good look at a tour (RS tours are good for first-timers) as long as you're here on this website. There's is value to having a guide, and having transportation, lodging, and some meals covered, so that you can focus on enjoying the experience. Of course we don't know if tours will be going by then, or if Europe will even be open in '21, but its worth considering. As others have said, you're trying to see four of the most popular cities all in one trip, and your time will be eaten up in transit.

If you do go independently, use the Travel Tips and Watch, Read Listen, links on this page and you can find a wealth of information. I'd still only suggest picking two. It would greatly simplify planning as well as give you time to breathe. Curious as to why you defaulted to AirBnB rather than hotels for those short stays?

There's not much I can add to the excellent advice that you've already been given except to say please, please, please listen to what has been said about the need to pare down the number of places you will visit. Either that or double the amount of time you will spend in each place. I think the tendency with most first timers is to want to see and do it all in too little time. Resulting in exhaustion and a blur of mostly airports, train stations, and taxis.

Oh, and the second best piece of advice : fly to and from Europe on a multicity ticket to avoid wasting time and money backtracking to your original arrival city.

I totally agree with the others that a first visit to those cities would ideally allow more time in London, Paris and Rome. Three nights in Venice would be too short for me, but it is a much smaller city, and certainly plenty of people spend only 3 nights there. If you cannot add more time, I'd urge you to drop at least one of those cities. Or you could choose just two of them and allow yourself some time for a day-trip or two to a smaller nearby town.

Best transportation between your cities:

London to Paris: Eurostar train under the Channel. Faster from city center to city center than flying. Ticket prices are lower if you buy really early, but I don't know what the current situation is with respect to refundability. You can get tickets from the Eurostar website, though tickets seem to be available only through March 27 at this point. The price this far in advance is just 52 pounds. Travel time is just over 2 hr. 20 min., but it will be an hour later when you arrive in Paris. I see prices for trips later this week that are up to 155 pounds, and I suspect it can go higher when there's more demand. If you want to explore flying, check skyscanner.com. Keep in mind that you must add the cost (in both time and money) of transportation to and from the airports, and you are likely to incur substantial luggage fees if you aren't traveling very light.

From Paris to either Venice or Rome flying is best. Again, check skyscanner.com.

Between Rome and Venice a train is the best option. Both Trenitalia and Italotreno serve that route. Trains are at least hourly and the fastest take less than 4 hours--simpler than dealing with airports and possibly cheaper (depending on your luggage situation). Tickets are currently available through early December. I'm seeing fares between 68 and 76 euros at the moment. In normal times you can save money by buying non-refundable tickets really early, but that is probably not a good idea with things as uncertain as they are. Use "Roma" for Rome and "Venezia" for Venice when looking up schedules.

Some travelers have found it a bit challenging to return home from Venice. Sometimes you must get a very early flight from Venice to a gateway airport (like Frankfurt, Paris, etc.), and public transportation may not run early enough to get you to the Venice airport on time. In that situation you're stuck with a horribly early wake-up call and a very expensive private motorboat transfer. It airline ticket home from Venice may also be a lot more expensive than a ticket from Rome. Wherever you end up, you should be looking at a multi-city ticket that goes into London and out of one of the Italian cities. On a short trip like this, you really shouldn't waste the better part of your last full day getting back to your starting point.

Edited to add: I forgot the weather question. I do not enjoy chilly, wet weather, so I personally would not go to London or Paris in April. Possibly not even to Venice, though I haven't researched its spring weather. You can see actual, day-by-day historical weather data for your chosen cities on the timeanddate.com website. Check at least three years' worth of data; five would be better. Resist the temptation to look only at the high temperature for the day. You will be outdoors fairly early in the morning and in the early evening (if not later), not just between noon and 3 PM.

If you must do all those cities, which I wouldn't recommend, I'd start in Rome and work back to London. However, I would go with just London and Paris for your first time, and save the rest for another trip. You have around 12 days? 6 each in London and Paris would give you time to really delve into each city.

Welcome to the Forum!

I'm going to join in with most of the other folks and suggest you limit your trip to 2 cities. I think either London/Paris or Rome/Venice would be a great way to spend 12 nights. You need to consider travel time: checking out of your establishment, getting to the train station or airport, time spent traveling, finding your next apartment or hotel, checking in, shopping for water, food, snacks... You can pretty much count on a full day for each transition.

Not to mention that each of the cities you're considering is worth more than 2 days. Our first time in Rome we spent about 12 days. Same for Paris, London, and Florence. There is so much to see, enjoy, and learn!

Someone mentioned you might have trouble finding live music.... I'd suggest you check out the churches in each area, especially if you like classical music. Many churches host musical evenings, and they can be delightful.

I'm also going to second the idea of a tour. Take a look at Rick Steves Best of London, Best of Paris, and Best of Rome. I've done all of these, and they are wonderful. You get to see the main sights with a great guide, and will have a surprising amount of free time to explore on your own. Think about it.

But again, welcome. Most of us are here because we love to travel and still have many questions. We enjoy sharing our experiences and learning ever more about travel. I think you'll fit right in.

You actually have a total of 13 nights, counting the night on the plane. Keep in mind that on your arrival day you will likely be jet-lagged and that whatever you try to see or do, you will be tired and struggling to stay awake.

About the apartment rentals, no matter what system you find them through. I frequently rent self-catering apartments, but I think 3 nights in one is too few to make it worthwhile to stock up with food and sundries that you may have to leave behind. Five nights is the minimum for me. My experience is that hotels or B&Bs are better for 4 or fewer nights.

I agree with others who've recommended fewer destinations and more time in each. Take a look at your priorities for what you want to see and do. I think setting priorities is the hardest task in planning a trip.

One source to help with setting priorities is to go to the Explore Europe section of this Rick Steves website. From there you can select countries and cities and what to see and do in them. In the At a Glance section are the main things to see with a very brief description of each. In the Plan section for each city, you'll find suggested itineraries for different numbers of days there.

Since you are new to European travel, you could probably benefit by visiting the Travel Tips also on this RS website. The sections there continue to help me with information about things I didn't know that I didn't know.

Have fun with the planning and don't be surprised if your priorities change as you plan. It's an iterative process that can be affected by weather, open hours, and transportation schedules, just to name a few. Having a Plan B is a good thing.

The second week of April is school holiday time across Europe for Easter, when places will be busier, more expensive and travel prices will rocket, that’s always assuming you will be able to enter Europe in 2021. I would suggest moving the trip if possible to late April or May. As others have said, limit your trip to 2 locations.

Thank you to all, for such great information so quickly! I was thinking that it might be a bit ambitious, and I physically can't "run" about like I used to! I like the idea of making (2) trips! Lol. Just trying to decide whether to cut London, and maybe only do Paris and Italy. I really want to see vatican city, but I have heard so many wonderful things about Venice too. (Can't skip Paris!) Lol. I honestly haven't given nearly enough thought to covid. I suppose I should consider possibly pushing it back, but I'd go right now, if I could get everything ready! I'm not wanting to stress myself out over it either. I've got some research to do, but thoughts on Paris, Rome & Venice? Too much? Idk. I'm going to drive myself crazy with it all!

Paris and two Italian cities is not too much for the time you have, but I'm a bit more cautious about planning travel logistics right now. A lot of us were burned when the pandemic cancellations started (I had to contest with my credit card for one airfare, and for others I have credits I may not ever use). I can see myself planning a trip, but planning a slightly complicated trip across countries and with additional airfare is something I'd be risk averse about. I am sure others would be just the opposite, but I think simplicity is warranted in 2021! I always like to pair a city with some villages for a nice balance, so you could consider Paris plus a more rural region of France. Be sure to get a travel insurance plan that is not a ripoff. I like Travel Insured. Do a lot of reading about European airlines to have a sense of routes and such.

Sorry if this is too basic, but most transatlantic flights (day 1) are overnight, arriving morning of day 2. If you don't speak French/Italian, and if you're not already experienced with taking subways/metros and trains, then may I suggest starting with London where you can flex your travel skills (others have already recommended Rick's Europe Thru the Back Door, plus you can view his travel skills videos on this website) without the language barrier? Rick's guidebooks have the best practical/logistical tips. Consider city attractions-passes and transit system-passes (for foreign language websites, look for EN or British flag in the corner to switch to English), if their costs make sense for your sightseeing. Hop-on hop-off bus tours can offer a good overview before you delve into a city, especially upper deck on a nice day when you're jet or travel lagged. All your cities are full of art/history/culture/foodies! London has theatre and musicals! Each city, including London, has interesting day trips reachable by commuter train (dip your toes into train travel skills, without luggage :-) I agree with suggestions of London/Paris for your first trip, assuming you don't have cause (friends/family, top of bucket list) to prioritize Italy instead. Check out sample itineraries in ETBD and poached from tours on this website. Once you decide on tentative itinerary, go to websites of the attractions you're interested in--any covid modifications (open? reservations/cancellation policy, etc?) Enjoy!

As 1st time travelers, definitely get the Rick Steves book EUROPE THROUGH THE BACK DOOR. Sometimes it's cheaper on Amazon than on this site. It is a MUST READ - teaches you so much about traveling, Credit Cards, ATM cards for getting out Euros, etc

It takes LOTS of time to travel between cities and 3 nights is only 2 full days which isn't nearly enough time to do any town justice. You will spend an entire day switching towns. Have you considered signing up for the Rick Steves Venice Florence Rome Tour? That is a great way to see Italy. Plus, it gets you into all the HOT spots and teaches you SO much. It's tough to LEARN Italy on your own - even with the amazing RS Italy books. We did that tour in October 2015, flew into Venice 2 nights early and after the tour ended in Rome, we took a train to Sorrento for 4 nights and then back to Florence for 4 more nights. As far as day trips into Tuscany, we loved WalkAbout Florence. We did 2 of their tours --- THE BEST OF TUSCANY and the CHIANTI WINE AND FOOD SAFARI. Check out their webpage. Paris and London should be separate trips - Focus on ONE country. Savor it and learn it. You have way too much planned - esp since you've never done Europe and the trains before. I still encourage you to book a RS tour for your first time over there. The guides are so amazing and you will learn and see so much more than you possibly could on your own. I'd also not even look at going over until the Fall of 2021 at the VERY earliest.

In addition to the logistical problems mentioned by many posters, consider the transitions in language, culture and currency with the proposed itinerary. Also, the extra intra-European travel adds to the cost of the trip.

RIck Steves feels that London, Paris and Rome deserve one week each.

Due to the virus situation, I’m not sure that travel to Europe will be much fun in the spring of 2021 even if it is allowed.

On air bnbs or other apartments.

There are advantages to apartments in terms of space and the ability to do laundry . Often they are cheaper. However, as a first time visitor is it important to be aware of their disadvantages. You might really appreciate having a front desk to ask questions or get recommendations from. Also, hotels are much more flexible with luggage-you can leave if you arrive early and if you are leaving after checkout. You will arrive after an overnight flight (little or no sleep) and it is easier to deal with a hotel. You can leave luggage, finding a hotel is often easier than an apartment, and there are no issues with gaining access. We have had some issues with that in Europe--having to meet up with people which hasn't always gone smoothly. My husband insisted that in London we stay in a hotel for that reason. It is really nice to have breakfast where you stay provided.

I have also found it is more time consuming to check and out of apartments.

Our first trips to Europe involved multiple countries and I really enjoyed the differences between countries. So I personally would not encourage you to stick to one country. But I would agree with others that you need more time. I think we did 4 nights in Paris our first trip, took an overnight train to Rome where we stayed five nights, for example. We then went to Florence where we stayed three nights and then to Austria. I think three cities of four nights could work well for you.

That time of year I would just opt for Italy! I have been in the UK in April and it was cool and damp. Paris is also rainy in April. I'm from Seattle so I thought the weather would be warm and Spring like...it was a month behind us. From my take on what you said is that you lean towards Italy in what really interests you. Look at Rick's various Italian itineraries for some idea of timing. Enjoy the warmer and longer days in southern Europe. Go to UK in September, usually great weather.

Tour packages, individual flights: During this iffy Covid period, these will be subject to cancellation, moreso during the low and shoulder travel seasons. Don't set yourselves up for disappointment. Train travel OTOH should be more dependable with firmer schedules.

...thoughts on Paris, Rome & Venice? Too much?

Yeah, I think so.

• In the real world, a single 2-3-hour flight uses up your whole day. Try to plan so that you need only one flight within Europe at most.

• Rome and Paris are big and challenging, perhaps overwhelming on your own as first-timers. I'd pick one or the other.

For a first trip AND some variety, I would pick Paris and Venice. You can take 1-2 day tours of Paris, and do some independent sightseeing on the other days. I would definitely squeeze in some side trips, by train if possible. Paris has good day-trip options. Chartres? Versailles? Several possibilities are listed here. Maybe you spend 7-8 nights in Paris.

Then fly to Venice (3-5 nights?) Verona is an interesting city about 1 hour from Venice - you could daytrip there, or you could stay there 1-2 nights after Venice if you have time.

Flying home from Milan or Venice makes sense.

Note also that there are direct trains between Verona and Munich that take about 5.25 hours. To toss in some additional variety after Venice, you could...

• take the train to Verona for a day of sightseeing and overnight, then...

• take the 9 am train to Munich (arr. 2:30 pm) and spend 1-3 nights there before your flight out. Munich is normally heavy with flights across the Atlantic. You won't be a Munich expert when you leave, but you should have a little fun there.

...but thoughts on Paris, Rome & Venice? Too much?

Yep, I think so. London and Paris go together, and Rome and Venice go together, although you could add an additional Italian destination in between them. You're plenty young enough not to look at this trip as the ONLY one. Heck, we were not much younger than you are when we did our first jaunt together across the puddle!

Ditto to what has been advised as far as airbnbs. First-timers can benefit from the reassurance of an English-speaking hotel desk with 24/7 service. And don't discredit the ability to drop luggage at the hotel before check-in and/or have them watch it for some hours after check-out! It's a valuable amenity that can save you time and isn't usually provided at airbnbs.

Guided tour? My husband and I have been independent travelers so far, and like it that way as our time/itinerary is our own versus someone else's. It does mean doing more research versus just signing on for a pre-scheduled package with transport, accommodations and attraction tickets provided but it works for us. With online resources, such as booking.com, making hotel reservations abroad isn't any harder than making them in the U.S. Attractions usually have their own web-booking sites, and most have a tab for English. Still, a tour is perfectly OK if it works for you. Your money; your trip!

COVID-19 reality check: If you're allowed to travel from the US to the EU in April, which is a huge if, you do not want to be border hopping between the UK, France, and Italy. Too much risk of getting stuck. The UK is no longer part of the EU and is changing their minds daily about where it's acceptable to travel to and from. Honestly I'd avoid it for the time being, you just carry a lot of risk of not being able to enter at the last minute. France is having plenty of problems too, and you may find yourself unable to enter Italy if Paris experiences a surge while you're there.

The sanest way to plan this trip is to pick one country, and I'd strongly recommend Italy, as they seem to have their stuff together more than any European country right now in terms of rules and regulations. Be prepared to wear masks a lot - in crowded outdoor spaces, not just all indoor spaces. Not the most enjoyable way to experience museums, so you might want to focus on areas you'll spend more time outdoors, like Venice and then maybe some hill towns in Tuscany, Peidmonte, Umbria, etc. I love Rome but so much of the focus is on museums and I personally find wearing masks indoors for many hours to be unpleasant, but ymmv. May would be better than April so the weather is more reliable.

With only one week, choose one place and do it justice. Arrival day you deal with jet lag. Any of those on your list would be a wonderful place to spend a week. Or combine London and Paris taking a train in between.
Or Rome and a Tuscan town.
Or Rome and Venice.
Travel between cities on trains. If staying in Tuscany, rent a car.
Hire guides in cities for a half day or day.
If you stay in hotels you get a lot of support from the front desks especially when dealing with a new language.
We had snow in London and cold temperatures in Paris on a trip the first half of April. Second half of April is better, month of May even more so.

I’m not sure Air BNB is going to be the best choice for a trip that has a lot of moving around. And, you can never escape local politics. I have no idea what the post Covid world will look like as far as accommodations, but if governments spent lots of money keeping hotels alive, I’d imagine Air BNB might face even more rules and regulations.

Such great insight. I'm so glad I joined this group! My husband and talked last night and decided that until we know what 2021 holds, we're going to look at maybe September. I hear it's a great time for EU. I'm listening to all of you and since we are limited to 13 nights,(1-2 extra days for travel from/to home) 14-15 total, that we're probably do either London and Paris, with some group half/day trips. Or- Paris and Rome or Venice. (I'm thinking Paris & Venice might give us a better variety of experiences/culture.. just thinking out loud. RE-AIRBNB- From my research so far, those I've spoken with are versed in english and offer early/late luggage drop off too. They seem to be much more affordable and I've found some really good ones that are just outside of the city centers, in areas that seem quaint, not "Hoteley", with easy access to popular attractions. Most have prepared notes, binders filled w/important info & suggestions. We don't plan to cook, but access to W/D is important because normally I'm a very heavy traveler, lol, & if I'm going to go light (as possible), I'll need to be able to launder a few things. Everything is flexible. So, in the knowledge that it's going to be a year before we make EU, we're considering a long weekend trip to somewhere else, before end of year. Possibly October. I'm thinking an all inclusive in Jamaica, Aruba...any thoughts on this? Yes- we have the travel bug! I'm thinking that travel in the caribbean might not have as much covid restrictions...I'll wear a mask if I need to, I just gotta get out of here!!!

Just a couple comments.

London and Paris are really different from each other. I was in both last year-Paris for the third time and London for the first. I think it is a matter of what cities you want to see on this trip.

Venice is more difficult to fly out of than into so if you do decide to do Paris and Venice, consider starting in Venice.

Location of apartments. In Venice make sure you stay in Venice proper not on the mainland or Mestre. Mestre is certainly cheaper but then you are commuting to Venice. There are lots of apartments in Venice proper and I was going to be staying in one of them in this past May.

You might consider posting to the France board for advice about locations in Paris. I have stayed only in hotels that are not in residential areas.

Also consider how you will gain access to an apartment when making your choice of a place to stay. A pad key that you are provided with the combination is easiest in my experience while meeting up with someone is fraught with the most possibilities of things going wrong. (and I have had them go wrong) That said, it can be nice to have a personal introduction to the city. In other words, when there are no issues, personally meeting up can be very lovely.

Here's a tip:
Wherever you choose to visit, (and I would also recommend only two places for you as first time travelers), spend your first night in a hotel.
If you have never rented apartments before, it can be daunting, frustrating, and scary when things don't go exactly as planned.
Having one night in a hotel first ensures a good sleep in a safe place .
Then , next day you can be refreshed and thinking clearly for your check in to your apartment.
Pick a hotel very close to your apartment.
Just an idea...
As first timers, I would, if I were you, pick the UK and stay there.
Go to London first, and spend a week, then maybe go up to Scotland for your second week.
Happy planning.

They (Airbnbs) seem to be much more affordable and I've found some really good
ones that are just outside of the city centers, in areas that seem
quaint, not "Hoteley", with easy access to popular attractions.

Very kindly, as you've not yet been to Europe.... :O)
Be really careful with airbnbs (or hotels, for that matter) that are outside of and promise "easy" access to center. That "easy" could take considerable time. "Quaint" is a catch-all, advertising term could mean a lack of the sort of services a visitor usually desires. We see those "really good" promises ALL the time so actual location on a map will be really important.

The center, when talking about places like Paris, Rome and some other European cities, is often where you're NOT as likely to experience "hoteley" sort of architecture as we know it in the U.S. They often have building codes which protect and promote historical architecture so the boxy, boring, modern stuff is more likely to occur outside of historical centers. Those centers are also where you are most likely to want to spend your time, and are wonderful places to stroll at night when the day-trippers leave.

Yep, to fully experience Venice, don't stay in Mestre. And be really careful about booking a LEGAL airbnb in Paris. Lots of chat out there on that subject....

Congrats on choosing to go later and keep it to two cities. I'll echo what others have posted about being centrally located, though London and Paris have such good subway systems (Tube or Underground in London, Metro in Paris) that you can get around easily. Rome not so easy, and with Venice it's either walking (a lot) or water bus (vaporetto). As for laundry, it's very convenient to be able to do it "at home," but hotels will also do laundry (for a charge), and there are laundromats all over London and Paris (not sure about Italy). We've had some of our most fun times in Paris meeting folks and watching street life in and around laundromats!

Good luck finding that Caribbean paradise this fall!

Hi. I agree with virtually everything that’s been said so far. Our first trip to Europe was the RS Best of Europe tour. It was mostly two nights per location and a couple of one-nighters (see “Our Tours” on this website). So just a few nights per location can be done. The difference is that on a tour someone has done the planning and you’re just riding along which saves you time on transportation and hotel-hunting. And now, many years later with a dozen trips to Europe under our belt plus others to the Middle East, Latin America, and the South Pacific, we don’t just stay a night or two or three in a location.

Everyone that has responded had a first trip at one time or another. We are responding to your question now with the experience of multiple trips under our collective belts. And from that experience and the travel know-how that’s been collected is what you are now reading. By saying this is your “first trip” to Europe tells me that you think there will be others, or at least you are hoping. That’s good. My suggestion is do what you want to do. Stay with your original plan, drop a location or two, see if you have time for a longer trip, just visit Italy, etc. The possibilities are endless. Have a wonderful trip.

May or September are my choices. First trip start in Paris for 4 nights, fly to Florence 2 or 3N, train to Orvieto 1N, train to Rome. Pack really light.

Re: Air B&B

Here is a link to an article about the negative effects of Air B&B rentals on local housing supply:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/garybarker/2020/02/21/the-airbnb-effect-on-housing-and-rent/#12314bfa2226

To elaborate on what S J said about staying in a hotel. . . .

Over many trips to Europe I have almost always stayed in hotels, so my experience with apartments/Airbnb is very limited. Your host may be very helpful, with on-site availability and lots of tourist information. Your host may just hand over a key and never been seen or heard from again. For an experienced traveler that may not matter. But for newbies, it can be miserable if you don't have someone to give you guidance and answer questions.

Everything will be foreign and sometimes confusing. Do not underestimate the time and energy (mental, emotional) to get oriented to a strange place. Just figuring out how to use the metro or bus or waterboat - how to buy a ticket, what kind of ticket, which one to take in which direction and the signs are in another language. Look at a map of the center of Paris. Streets change names as they wind through the city, and wind they do, try to find a straight line on the map. A hotel will not only give you a map but will mark the walking route on it for wherever you're headed. Don't worry about Venice, just assume you'll get lost at least once or twice a day. Are you planning to eat in at all? Everything in the supermarket is labeled in a foreign language and it can take much longer to find what you need. In Venice it can be hard to even find a supermarket. Are you going to wash all your clothes by hand? If your Airbnb has a washer, it may not be easy to figure out how to use it - European machines aren't at all like American ones. I once stayed in a flat with a washer/dryer combined in one machine. I never figured out how to use the dryer and ended up taking the heavy, wet laundry to the laundromat a couple blocks away to dry my clothes. It would have been easier to simply do the whole wash/dry there.

Do not stay "conveniently near" the center! Others have explained why that's a poor idea. Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements (zones), the 1st is in the center (with Notre Dame Cathedral), the others spiral outward around it. It's best to stay in a one-digit arr. There are pluses and minuses to all, but you will not want to be outside the arrondissements. In Venice, just about anywhere on the island is fine. But avoid the outer islands like Lido and Giudecca, where you'd be forced to commute by slow and sometimes infrequent waterbuses.

It would have been easier to simply do the whole wash/dry there (the laundromat.)

Agreed. Plus, you can do multiple loads simultaneously so it saves time. Don't expect them always to have instructions in English but we've always managed, often with the help of friendly locals or other travelers doing a wash-up too. We've met some interesting people doing laundry, and consider it part of the adventure! :O)

Additionally, regarding the central location topic, being within walking or short cab-ride distance of most of the attractions you wish to see, even if that walk is a bit of a hike, can be a plus if there's a public transit strike. Been known to happen.

1) Three nights are not enough for taking in London, Paris and Rome.
2) Minimize your travel by focusing on a geographical area.

I suggest going with two weeks the following:

1) Italy, Rome, (perhaps Naples area), Florence and Venice. Fly into Venice and take the train to Florence, then Rome and if you wish the Naples area, coming back to fly out of Rome.
2) England and France: Pick one or if still ambitious, do both. 4-5 days each in London and Paris, with day tours (more days) in Windsor Castle, Bath, Stonehenge or from Paris, do Versailles.

You have already received a great deal of good advice. I’d like to share one more. Assume you will return. If you plan your first trip to Europe thinking it is also your last trip to Europe, you will try to include too many places for the time you have.

Rick also has some great travel planning and travel tips videos on this website that can help you out learn about planning.