Honeymoon Help Needed

Congratulations!

I will address rhe Italy part of your trip. To avoid moving around every night, add a night to Florence and visit Pisa as a daytrip. You could also fit in Lucca thst day for a long trip; Lucca is very charming, Pisa less so.

Verona could be a daytrip from Venice so you could add a night to Venice.

You might consider Germany after Italy, then Paris and Amsterdam.

I agree with Zoe. Do Pisa and Verona as day trips and add two nights to Florence. Or, you could add one night to Florence and one night to Paris.

Have fun!

As Zoe said, Pisa should be a day trip from Florence. It takes 1/2 day to see the campus with the famous tower (though there are better day trips from Florence - Siena is great). I love Verona, but Venice is too romantic to short-change. Leave Florence early, check your bags at the Verona train station, spend the day and continue on to Venice in the evening.

Ideally, I'd start in Venice rather than Rome. Venice is an easy place to enjoy and just soak up the atmosphere while you're recovering from jetlag and the long-haul flight. Then do the rest of Italy in reverse order. Having been to all those places, I'd skip Pisa completely. 2 full days in Venice (3 nights), day trip to Verona, 2 full days in Florence (3 nights), then 2 full days in Rome (3 nights).

Why Munich? Paris, Amsterdam, and Westphalia are all pretty close to each other, while Munich is not. Each flight will eat up the better part of a day - you have to get to an airport that is probably far from the city center (unlike train stations which are usually in or very near the center). You have to arrive long before your flight for check-in and security procedures, then you have to wait at the other end to collect your luggage before making your way to the city center.

Maybe fly from Rome (or Venice) to Paris, then train to Amsterdam, then to Westphalia. If you want to see another city in Germany (there's so much in that area, though), maybe Berlin, Frankfurt? Fly home from Germany.

Another thought. Paris needs more than 2 days. I'd give up the time in Munich for more in Paris.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and amazing European honeymoon! My wife and I went to Italy (Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice) on our first trip to Europe in 2008 and to Paris in 2010.

Rome - Personally, I would start there as you have listed because it's southernmost. Completely understand the jet lag thing though, so maybe see something you wouldn't mind being a little hazy memory on that first day. Our bags were lost and I didn't sleep the whole way over, but we were so excited when we got there that we had to see something. Went to the Colosseum and to see Michelangelo's statue of Moses at San Pietro in Vincoli just around the corner. We ended up going back to both because I didn't really absorb either the first time. The only things I will personally skip the next time we go back will be the Spanish Steps and Palatine Hill. The Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, etc. are all neat. The fountain is crazy crowded, but it's still beautiful at night. However, a friend that just came back said it was OFF and under construction, so obviously check all things like that before planning your daily itineraries. Make adequate time for St. Peter's Cathedral & the Vatican museum. Just mind blowing the history, art, architecture, etc. Really took our breath away!

Florence - Quite possibly my favorite place in the world. I'm partial to Renaissance history, but the surrounding countryside is also worth every day for the rest of my life. Is that overstating it too much? Anyways, please do NOT waste a night in Pisa when it should be spent in Florence. Train from Rome to Florence, then half-day trip to Pisa (about an hour each way), then train to Venice. Easy peasy. However, I would consider cutting out Pisa all together to give more time to Florence, and this is coming from someone that dreamed about climbing to the top of the Leaning Tower for years! If the weather is good, get a picnic and walk up to the Piazza di Michelangelo overlooking the city and surrounding hills. I have many other specific suggestions about Florence, but this is already too long.

Venice - Are you staying on the island or the mainland? If you have the money, stay on the island. Not necessarily on the Grand Canal, but somewhere on the island(s). We didn't have the money, but we will make sure we do next time because we wasted lots of time coming from Mestre. Not far, but it added up. I don't care how touristy it may be, take a gondola ride. See if your gondolier will also take you down some smaller and quieter canals. Prepare to be gouged for the romance. We paid €70 for 45 minutes, but our guy told us about some history and sang. Don't miss St. Mark's Basilica and really stop for a few moments to take it in. We got lost a few times (not hard to do) and just had a great time wandering around with our gelato.

Our daughter's name is Italia, so yeah, we think Italy is cool.

Paris - After our whirlwind trip to Italy, my wife & I wanted to go to a city and really just get immersed in that culture. It sounds a lot like your trip to Spain. We look forward to seeing the French Countryside someday, but loved every second of our time as temporary Parisians. It was so nice to be able to slow down and let things sink in. We rented a tiny studio apartment just a few blocks from the Louvre and had the time of our lives! Loved Notre Dame (even if you're not religious, going to an evensong service is a beautiful experience), Saint Chapelle, the Orsay Museum, Rodin museum, among many others. Rick's Paris guidebook is on the money. See the Eiffel Tower at sunset/night or stroll Rue Cler and have a picnic in the park during the day. Both were unforgettable. Unless you're going to the top, I'd suggest staying away from the area directly underneath it. Really budget your time wisely at the Louvre. It's overwhelmingly massive. You will only see 10% of it so make sure it's the 10% you really want to see. I only have 50 characters remaining, so good luck planning the rest!

Hi,

How do you intend to get to Paderborn from Munich? I did a day trip there few years back...finally, had always heard of it but never got around to going there. .. interesting.

If you are going by train, the most direct and easiest way based on the schedule listed above is to take the ICE Munich Hbf. to Soest/Westfalen. This direct connection runs only once a day, ie, in the morning (not on Sundays). The train station in Soest has finally been redone a few years ago, now has coin lockers too. From Soest take the direct regional train to Paderborn. The other route on the ICE train is Munich-Dortmund hbf, much better to transfer at Soest than at Dortmund Hbf.

Soest is also an interesting town to visit, the oldest in Westfalen. Warstein (of Warsteiner beer fame) is nearby, assuming you'll be motorised, easy to reach.

Thank you all so much!!!

We have made some alterations based on the feedback:

Fly from US to Rome,
3 Nights in Rome,
3 Night in Florence, (trip to Pisa/Lucca)
3 Nights in Venice, (trip to Verona)
4 Nights in Paris (Fly from Venice to Paris),
3 Nights in Westphalia (Paderborn area and driving around),
3 Nights in Amsterdam, Fly from Amsterdam to US

But now we have a few additional questions:
1) Can you reasonably do a day trip to Pisa and Lucca?
2) The one thing we have never done is take the trains within Europe but they not only seem like the fastest method in most cases but they're right in the city. My question is does it make sense to rent a car at any point? And, should we pre-buy the train tickets from the Eurotrain website now, or while we're in Europe?

Thanks!

Yes, you can make a long daytrip to both Pisa and Lucca by public transportation. Leave Florence early, plan on not more than four hours for Pisa including transportation time to Lucca. Then spend the afternoon and evening in Lucca.

You should be able to do everything you have planned without renting a car. The train system in Europe is really great. Wish we had a similar system. TC

We did a very pleasant day trip from Florence to both Lucca and Pisa by train. It was easy enough and we took our time. Certainly not in depth, but we strolled around Lucca, rode rental bikes, and had a leisurely lunch. From the train station in Pisa it was an easy bus ride to the Tower area and a few hours walking around, then back to the station by the bus and "home" to Florence.

Looking much better! Can't speak for Lucca, but I can speak for Pisa. The train from Florence was about an hour. We didn't want to wait for a bus, so we walked from the station to the tower area in less than 15 minutes. I'd give yourself 1.5 hours to stroll through/around the baptistry, cathedral, and tower. Extra 30 minutes if you want to climb to the top of the tower. DISCLAIMER: You buy your tickets to climb the tower at a nearby office and get an assigned time to walk up. If you want to climb the tower get your ticket FIRST, then walk around the other places while you're waiting for your time. If you leave Florence for Pisa at 8am you could see Pisa and be on your way to Lucca by noon.

Hi,

Based on the revised itinerary, how do you intend on getting from Paris to Paderborn? Anyway to try it, you'll have to transfer 2-3 times. I suggest taking the early direct ICE train Paris Est to Frankfurt Hbf, arriving just before 11am. After that it's not so direct. One route is more circuitous but involves only one transfer even though you're back tracking, ie Frankfurt Hbf to Hannover Hbf, direct, then take S-Bahn back to Paderborn direct..

This other more direct route involves two changes, in Köln and Hamm. Take the ICE Frankfurt Hbf to Köln Hbf, then change to Hamm, (I don't like changing in Hamm but that just me), then change to Paderborn Hbf.

If you prefer departing from Paris Nord, you'll go through Belgium taking the more expensive Thalys train. I am suggesting Paris Est - Frankfurt Hbf to avoid that route, and it's on the ICE.

Given that your revised itinerary says you want to drive around Westphalia, I'd say you'll need a car at that point.

If so, you might look at driving from Koln.

Either way, it's a long trip.

I would skip Pisa as well... Actually as I look at this, and remember my honeymoon... I would not stay 1 night anywhere, even if it wasn't my honeymoon... My husband and I still travel a lot and have no kids and love to stay in romantic villages and travel into cities. Your last 4 legs sound great. I would decide on 1 place you want your 3 one nighters... I would say stay for a few nights in a beautiful Tuscan farm house and visit, Florence, Siena, all those amazing Italian cities. You can drive through Verona on your way to Venice or stay in Verona and day trip to Venice (Im not one of those in LOVE with Venice.) Just thoughts...