Italy/Spain/Portugal/France Itinerary- 6 weeks

Posted by kyleigh (Canada) on 01/16/14 08:02 PM

Hi - I am planning a 6 week tour of the mentioned countries. We want to have enough time in each city to not feel rushed and are excited to enjoy beaches/food/culture and art as well as to wander and enjoy the vibe of each city.
Our tentative schedule is:
Rome- May 23-28 (flight in booked)
Venice- May 28- June 1
Florence - (and area) June 1-9
Cinque Terre -June 9- 13
Nice and Rivera - June 13- 17
Barcelona- June 17- 23
Lisbon- June 23-30 ( accommodation booked)
Paris- June 30- July 6 ( accommodation and flight home booked)

Does this sound feasible/enjoyable? Does it make sense to go from Rome to Venice or should we sandwich florence and area on the way to and from Venice?

Thanks for the tips!
Kyleigh

Posted by Steven

FL USA

01/17/14 05:42 PM

1560 posts

Congrats on having six weeks to make this trip. I am impressed that you are planning to dedicate enough days at each location to allow a fairly relaxed pace to enjoy the experiences. Others can provide guidance and their preferences for sequence and where they would add/deduct days, but i think you have a great itinerary which will provide a diverse experience.
Safe travels!

Posted by Chani

Tel Aviv

01/17/14 06:13 PM

15777 posts

Have you determined the train and plane schedules within Europe? I assume you'll be flying from Barcelona to Lisbon and from there to Paris. Even a 2 hour flight will use up most of an entire day, getting from the hotel to the airport, allowing time for check-in, security, collecting luggage on arrival, etc.

On the whole, it looks good, though I'd take time from Florence, and a day from the CT, and add it to Paris.

Posted by Andrea

Sacramento, California U.S.A.

01/17/14 08:13 PM

10588 posts

I'm impressed by your restraint!

By Florence and area, are you planning to spend time in Tuscany outside of Florence? With that much time I would spend a few days in Florence and then get a car and stay at an Agriturismo or something to see the hilltowns. I can give you a recommendation for a great one if you'd like.

I agree with Chani about taking a day from the Cinque Terre and adding it to Paris. Personally I would take a day or two from Barcelona and add it to Paris too. There is so much to see there and also you could spend a day at Versailles and maybe another day for Giverny if you have time.

Posted by Rosalyn

Portland

01/17/14 10:34 PM

3642 posts

Kyleigh, by the time we all get done weighing in, you may be sorry you asked. However, here are my two cents. I'm with those who think you need a little adjustment of your time allotment. I'd take one full day off the CT, and at least one off Lisbon, if you can adjust your reservation there. I think you'll find that you can see everything you want in Lisbon and have time for day trips - - Sintra, Obidos? - - in five days, certainly in six. Barcelona is my favorite city in the world; but much as I love it, I think you could cut one day there. I'd definitely add time to Rome. It's not clear if 5/23 is the day you arrive or your first (jet-lagged) day. Either way, Rome is PACKED with things to see and do, so you can use more time there. You might add the remaining time to Paris, as has been suggested; but I'd give it to the Riviera. Though very touristy, the Riviera has lots of of everything you enjoy; cute towns, great (modern) art venues, beaches (mais oui!), tasty food, etc. BTW, all of your destinations are prime tourism targets, and you are going at high season. I'd get cracking on the rest of the reservations NOW. All in all, it sounds like you're doing very sensible planning and are going to have a great time.