Itinerary advice: Italy v. General Europe

Italy. You can easily spend 3 weeks in Italy without tiring. In November, Italy should be warmer than countries farther north. I would skip Lake Como, unless you want wintery conditions. I was in Italy for several weeks in November in 2010. The early part of the month was fairly mild in Venice; by the time I reached Rome toward the end of the month it was chilly and rainy. Even Sicily was damp and chilly. If you choose to spend your time in Italy, I suggest starting north (Venice?) and working your way south.

You should decide based on what appeals to you the most. All of Rick's destinations are good ones. However, Rick's itineraries are really too fast paced for an extended period. They are based on his tour itineraries, in which most of the logistical details are handled for you and there is a bus to whisk you from place to place. We followed his Normandy itinerary once at about 2/3 speed. It was great but we were exhausted after about 4 days of it. So whatever you decide, plan to skip some of the destinations or to spend more time on your trip.

Rick Steves' suggested itineraries are primarly aimed at summer travel, when the hours of daylight are very long, visibility is generally clear, and much of the tourist infrastructure of Europe is in full operation. Completely different story in November, when there's much less daylight, tourist infrastructure is reduced, and atmospheric conditions are usually gray, hazy and damp. And as the others noted, I also find his suggested itineraries a little too rushed. My suggestion for November would be to pick a string of cities or large towns that interest you, and try to piece them together in a logical order. Rural areas offer much less bang for your buck (and travel time) in the cooler months of the year.

I agree about piecing together major cities on your itinerary. Fly into one city and out of another city "open jaw." Since fuel prices are now $8 to $9 per U.S. gallon, we're seeing people traveling between cities on trains. Rental cars are great to have when you stay in one location for a few days and visiting the various regional cities on day trips. I would like to stay outside Salzburg, doing day trips to Hallstadt, Melz and Innsbruck. I also like just rambling through the Tirolean countryside. Then, take a train down to Venice for a couple of days. Move 2 hrs. to the Florence/Chianti area for a few days possibly staying at an agriturismo. Then spend a week outside Rome. We've found just about as many tourist sights in the Roman suburbs as there is in the city.
Have a great trip!

"I would like to stay outside Salzburg, doing day trips to Hallstadt, Melz and Innsbruck. I also like just rambling through the Tirolean countryside." I love it too, but unless you can't get enough of the color gray, I wouldn't recommend this between late October and March (unless you're there for the ski season). More often than not in the cooler months, a dull gray haze is about all you see. You may ocassionally be able to disern the rough outline of a hazy mountain, but more commonly, those beautiful Alpine peaks you traveled so far to see are hidden behind clouds and fog. Hence, my recommendation to concentrate primarily on cities in November, if the OP chooses the General Europe option.

As already stated, Nov will be definitely dark and (typically; always exceptions!) cold/rainy/yucky. If you want to see more of Europe, focus on cities with indoor activities - museums, performances, etc. Italy would be a little better (again, typically). RS' Italian Itinerary - Ugh. A little rushed, on a beautiful June day. I don't know what's happening in the Cinque Terre in Nov (much of anything?). Same for Lake Como...??? RS' Best Three Weeks: No Rhine cruising, I'm guessing no Alps (fog, etc.)? Hmmm...I'm probably NOT the person to answer you; I'm having real trouble working up enthusiasm for a trip to Europe in November. Other people here have done it and enjoyed their time, so I'll leave it to them. Somebody, help Bob!!!

I can't say what areas you should visit, but I can address the traveling in Europe off-season. The past two years I have gone in Nov/Dec and I think it is all about expectations. I expect cold, dreary/gray, rainy, few tourists, seeing most sights I want to without hordes of tourists and the ability to really concentrated on the areas I am visiting without sweating to death...
The warmer than usual days are always unexpected and such a bonus. Walking the beaches alone with my 15 year old grandson in Normandy in just a light sweater was a priceless experience. I cannot imagine being there with a bunch of people and having the same experience. I am a photographer so that does affect how I look at things... for me , the fog makes for amazing photos. Paris is great any time of year, but again it is all in how you look at it. The bonus for me is that I can travel for about half the cost during this time and I have done summer travel as well... and it has it's own set of problems.

Bob, I'd suggest taking Rick's suggest "Best of" Itineraries with a grain of salt. While they may be feasible, they're far too rushed (IMO) and wouldn't make for an enjoyable holiday. I'd suggest finding places that you're interested in seeing from either Itinerary, and then planning a route and time frame that's a bit more "relaxing". One factor to consider is whether you want more of a "sampler" of different countries, or whether you'd be fine with just Italy for the entire time. I agree with Tom that the weather could be dull and gray in a lot of the places you'll be visiting, especially in northern Europe. I can't recall the exact stops in each of those Itineraries, but generally speaking you may get better weather by focusing on the southern parts of Europe in November (although of course there are never any guarantees with the weather - it could conceivably be fantastic in November?). Happy travels!

I'd definitely go with Italy.I've been there 4 times in November with a 5th one scheduled for this year. Start as far north as you plan to go and work your way south. I've had a few days of rain but nothing that caused any real problems. The heavy rain in Venice was actually kind of interesting since it was the only time I'd ever seen the raised sidewalks in use. I may have just been fortunate but Rome has been in the 50s and 60s. It's much less crowded, cooler and room rates drop on Nov. 1. Further north in Europe will be chillier and rainier.

Just another person agreeing that Rick's suggested itineraries are the weakest part of his otherwise good books. They're much too rushed, with no down time. Plus, they are based on high season travel. In November, it's colder and daylight hours are much shorter, so what is and isn't appealing is very different. If you focus on cities, you can have a good trip. The cultural offerings (opera, symphony, special art exhibits) are in full swing. But if you want see countryside, go at another time.

Because it's November, I suggest you head south, unless you want to spend your time visiting some of the West's best museums and churches. The south (either Italy or Spain/Portugal) will have much better weather and slightly longer days. Spain is on permanent "summer time." Although almost all of Spain is east of the prime meridian, it's on central European time, so the days seem longer. In mid-November, sunrise in Madrid is at 8 am, sunset around 6 pm. In Rome, 7 am - 5 pm, and in Paris 8 am - 5 pm. There's plenty to see in the south, both cultural and natural, to fill 3 weeks and then some.