My husband and I are traveling to Europe for the first time in June this year. We only have a 10 day trip - of course 2 days taken by travel to and from Ohio. We are flying into Amsterdam. I have a relative that lives in Holland and we will spend the first 2 nights there. We plan to travel by train throughout our time in Europe. Our next stop is planned for Rothenburg ob der Taube for 2 nights. My ancestors are from the area around Stuttgardt so want to see that area. From here, we go to Cinque Terre to stay 2 or 3 nights in Monterosso. We do have reservations here. I have always heard this area is wonderful but my husband is aprehensive about staying here. He is looking for somewhere with more to do. We need to get back up to Amsterdam for a flight out a couple days later. Where would you recommend stopping half way back up to Amsterdam from Italy? I know we are traveling a long distance for few stops and will miss so much in between but trying not to overdo and spend too much time on the train. We were thinking Paris but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by how big the city is and so much to do there. We also considered Lake Constance (Bondesee) in Germany for a night on the way back. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Shari
Posted by
The Heartland USA
8936 posts
Shari you are trying to cover way too much ground in too short a time. What you are proposing is like flying to Los Angeles, and trying to visit San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Las Vegas, and considering whether to stop at the Grand Canyon on the way back to LA. You will spend almost all your time in transit, whether by train, plane or auto. You won't see anything but the train station. and a blur of scenery out the window.
Posted by
troy, ny
660 posts
Shari, that seems an awful lot of traveling in 10 days. It seems most of you time will be spent traveling from location to location, not giving you much time to enjoy your surroundings. I will let the more experienced people on the forum advise on your itinerary, but for 10 days i would think 2 places at most.
Posted by
troy, ny
660 posts
i see stan and i had the same thought at the same time :)
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3398 posts
I agree with the first two posters. For this short of a trip, you need to choose a smaller geographic area and stay there. Your current itinerary has 8 nights planned (taking into account your travel to and from Ohio) + at least 4 travel days in between, some of them extremely long.
My thought is to stay in the Netherlands and, since you want to see where your ancestors came from, see some of Germany as well. It will still be rushed but you will get an overview at least. You must absolutely give up your plans to see Italy on this trip. Getting down to the Cinque Terre will take FOREVER by train form Germany and then going back to Amsterdam for your flight home will be even longer. I suggest you get online and look at the actual travel times between the cities you are thinking about, create a chart of each day, and lay out how much time you will get in each place after all of this train travel and checking in and out of hotels. You will be surprised at how little time you will have left to actually see anything. If you insist on sticking with Italy then you should consider flying back to Amsterdam...train ride from Italy to the Netherlands is mind-blowingly long.
Posted by
2081 posts
sharis311 ,
take a look at the following links for trains.
Then, plug and chug some the start/stop points and see how much time you will be spending on those trains. It will give you an idea on how much time you will have to see things vs warming train seats.
happy trails.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Good suggestion to plot daily travel times before you decide on a final itinerary. I would also pick up a guidebook or two and take a look at "things to do" (both RS and Lonely Planet have good lists based on number of days you have).
Only you and your husband can decide what is too much, but I think you are underestimating the actual transit time involved in your destinations.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
Pisa airport is served by some cheaper airlines, and can be a good location from which to fly to Amsterdam or Paris; try www.skyscanner.com to find flights.
Rick's big Train Time & Cost Map gives you an overview of travel time on some longer routes, but does not factor in the extra time that you'll need to connect to smaller towns such as Rothenburg and the Cinque Terre. How to Look Up Train Schedules Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it; complete schedules are posted through June 14.
Posted by
southwest, Missouri, U.S.A.
1717 posts
Hello Shari. A total of 10 days. If you start at the North America continent, I guess you will arrive at the airport of Amsterdam the next day. The day you arrive at Amsterdam, you might not do any sight seeing. And the tenth day, you will travel to your home. Thus, you will have seven whole days at Europe. I recommend : go to a total of two countries. That could be the Netherlands and Germany. Riding in railroad trains from Amsterdam to Rothenburg in Germany, you would probably change trains at Koblenz and Mainz. I recommend getting off of the train at St. Goar (at the Rhine River, about 20 minutes from Koblenz), stay at St. Goar 2 nights, for you to see castles at that part of the Rhine. You might enjoy the ride on a K-D ship on the Rhine River from Bacharach to St. Goar (go that direction). And the small old town Bacharach has medieval charm. After visiting Rothenburg, you could go to Stuttgardt (I recommend it). And ride in trains from Stuttgardt to Amsterdam.