Hi! I need some advice on my itinerary planning. I haven’t traveled to Europe except by cruise in over 30 yrs so I have a lot to learn. My daughter and I will be traveling for the first week together—starting in London for 3ish days and then headed to Amsterdam/Bruges/Ghent as possibilities for 2 nights. Then we are are meeting my husband and 3 boys for Switzerland and Italy for the second week. My kids are outdoor enthusiasts and so my thought was Interlaken/Lake Como/Cuenca Terra/ and maybe Venice or Florence or Rome. I know we shouldn’t try to do too much. And I feel like this probably is. Where would you cut? I don’t have anything set yet so I’m open. My kids are 22, 20, 18, and 15. We won’t be renting a car. For my daughter and I I’m planning on hotels. But for all 6, I’m assuming apartments are better. What’s the best place to find those. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I’m planning we would fly in to London, and boys would fly into Zurich and we’d all fly out of Milan or Rome?
See??? I need a lot of help!
Posted by
5097 posts
That is not all going to fit into a week. Take each piece and look at the transit. Start with the Amsterdam/Bruges/Ghent bit--from which one of those can you get convenient and affordable travel to Switzerland?
For the second week, I'd be looking at no more than two locations. For a family of outdoor enthusiasts, Switzerland would be perfect, but you need to start looking at accommodations because it is very pricey and the small villages book well in advance.
Posted by
San Diego, California
5648 posts
What time of year and what are the highest priorities for you? You really do need to thin out this proposed itinerary. Give us the must-do's and we can be of more assistance when plans become more specific.
Good luck!
Posted by
OP
11 posts
We are going the last week of July/first week of August. Lake Como and Swiss Alps are highly desired but I’m willing to give and take to have a better overall experience. I want to avoid the massive crowds and lines but I do realize I’m picking Italy in the summer. Mostly we want scenery, great Italian food, and some unique experiences like food tours, etc. My daughter and I will do the museum/history tour before the boys arrive. 🤓 Maybe London, Bruge Interlaken, Lake Como, Florence is more doable. 2 weeks for all of that? And fly out of Milan? Is Interlaken the best for hikes, outdoors stuff?
Thanks for all the input!!
Posted by
San Diego, California
5648 posts
Do you have 14 days on the ground, or is that include flying? You still have too many places. Start researching available hotels/lodging in your price range , as that may limit your options, as pent-up demand is already resulting in lodging being fully booked in many areas. Also look at flight prices and availability. You still have many moving pieces to fit into your travel puzzle. You can do this!!!
Good luck!
Posted by
North Carolina
2499 posts
You could spend the entire first week in London, with perhaps a day trip or two - just three days, one of them being jet-lagged, would be far from doing it justice.
Posted by
8322 posts
The other posters are right, don't include too much travel in your itinerary. You couldn't do London properly in 3 days and absolutely could not do Amsterdam/Bruges/Ghent in two days.
For a two week itinerary, start with London and plan exactly what you want to see in that fair city. Just dong The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Westminister Abbey and Parliament will eat up most of two days. There is much more to see and do in London. Windsor Castle, Canterbury, Oxford, Stonehenge and much more are in the vicinity of London.
Check out TripAdvisor things to do in London
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g186338-Activities-London_England.html
Plan what you want to see, then check on whether or not you need to book it in advance. 30 years ago, you wouldn't have to do that, but today, some of those places you would.
Then plan your travel time and how you would get from one place to another.
My wife and I just spent a week in Amsterdam and it was great. Just doing the Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museums we had to book in advance. We spent over two hours at the Anne Frank House then three hours each in the other museums, not counting the travel to get there.
Italy for instance, just to see Rome, Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento/Capri/The Amalfi Coast, Florence and Venice will eat up two weeks for sure.
Posted by
5097 posts
We can't do all of the legwork. You have to research all of the transport logistics--time involved and schedules. That is the only way it is going to become clear how much time you actually have.
It can really maximize your time to stick to one country (or adjacent countries) on a trip--especially a diverse country like Italy where you can really get it all.