Itinerary Help!

It would be really helpful to know what your interests are. For instance, if you love paintings, you'll want two full days in Madrid just to visit the Prado, the Thyssen and the Reina Sofia. If that's not your thing, you could dive into Andalucia (Cordoba and Sevilla) for tapas, flamenco, Moorish art and architecture. Whatever your interests, I can think of better places to spend time in France than Annecy. But the high-speed train from Barcelona to Paris would probably be my choice. So I might spend more time in Spain or Paris. Remember, 4 nights = 3 days, 2nights = 1 day. You'll use at least 1/2 day in travel (except Cordoba/Sevilla), when you add in packing/checking-in, getting to/from airport/train . . .

Are you going to be hauling luggage around with you? You'll need summer clothes in Italy, light winter clothes in Spain, heavier winter clothes after that. Plus any clothes you'll need specifically for the clinic.

I will be taking my luggage around with me, although for the clinic we will wear the same thing every day. I could also have my parents bring extra heavy winter gear when they meet me in London.

To be honest, I haven't traveled enough to know my interests but I definitely think I like architecture, scenic/unique places, good food/culture more than historical sites/museums although I would probably want to see some of those too.

Are you saying to skip Madrid and do Andalucia if that's where my interests line up more or do both?

I think I will skip Annecy and just go Barcelona to Paris as you suggested.

Barcelona is fabulous for an architecture-lover, as is Andalucia. There are three fabulous side-trips from Madrid that you'd probably enjoy: Toledo, Segovia and Cuenca. The first two can be arranged late in the game at not too high a cost. Cuenca requires use of the AVE (fast train), which will probably be very expensive if not booked far ahead of time. Toledo is even better if you can spend a night or two there.

If Andalucia makes the final cut, remember that it will probably be the warmest place you visit, so I'd schedule it late in your trip.

The Sicily beginning is, frankly, kind of a shame. Wonderful, wonderful destination, but 4 days there is grossly inadequate. If you're not committed to Sicily, I'd do something else. With so little time available, if forced to choose, I'd go with the Palermo end of the island. There are nearly uncountable interesting religious buildings in Palermo proper, plus the basilica at Monreale (perhaps the best sight on the island). Time permitting, you could visit Cefalu (former fishing village, now a beach town), Trapani/Erice (the latter a medieval hill town), and/or Segesta (Greek ruins). Other than Monreale and Cefalu, I'm not sure any of those suggestions is viable as a day-trip from Palermo via public transportation.

Check train times to your potential Italian destinations. In some cases rail will be much faster than using a car. The Deutsche Bahn website is easiest to use for checking schedules. You can go to Trenitalia to look up fares when you progress to that stage of your planning.

I think Ventimiglia, much less Nice, is too far to go for a weekend. Other Italian destinations you might consider are Torino, Padua/Vicenza (located on the rail line between Verona and Venice), Ferrara, Ravenna (stunning town, stunning mosaics), Bologna, Orvieto, and any number of Tuscan and Umbrian hilltowns within an easy drive of Florence. I'd definitely devote at least one weekend to seeing some of those nearby hill towns by car. But do read up on driving in Italy. Don't be one of those travelers who just hops in the car and spends the next year dealing with late-arriving notices of fraffic violations.

I had a quite detailed reply going to your question, which I somehow managed to lose. Ggrrrr. Hate that. Anyhow ....

1. Sicily with 5 nights.
   Confine yourself to Catania - Taormina - Siracusa - Ragusa.

2. Drop Annecy. Extend Paris and Barcelona.
   With December's diminished daylight, it's not worth the considerable travel time for 2 nights only.

3. Don't waste time venturing too far (ie Nice, Naples) on your weekends. You have some great places at much closer range.

1.Pisa & Lucca
2.Siena & San Gimignano
3.Cortona & Arrezo
4.Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano
5.Cinque Terre
6.Bologna & Ferrara
7.Parma & Modena
8.Perugia & Assisi
9.Orvieto, Todi, Spoleto

I agree with Chani. Could you say something about your interests and what sorts of things you like to do when you travel? That will determine, for example, how long or whether you go to Madrid. It has wonderful art museums that could take 2-3 days to cover. In addition, Madrid is a very walkable city - but not necessarily in the winter. The city is on a high interior plain and can be cold in the winter, in the 40s. Ditto Toledo, another walking city. I you do go to that area, make sure to bring warm clothes. Andalucia would offer an alternative, as has been suggested. The temps are warmer, probably in the 60s. I think with the time frame you think you can afford, it would be difficult for you to get to Granada, so you would miss the Alhambra, which is a shame. Granada is not especially easy to get to, unlike Madrid or Seville/Cordoba. At least Cordoba has a wonderful example of Moorish influence, La Mezquita, which you should not miss if you are in Andalucía, and the old Jewish Quarter should not be overrun with tourists. Barcelona is also mild, although a little cooler, because it's on the Mediterranean, and there is much to see both inside and outdoors, and you can do lots of walking to explore the quaint old quarters of the city. Another thing to keep in mind is that winter can be rainy in many parts of Spain, so you should make sure that wherever cities you hit in Spain, that there are things to do inside for rainy or cold days.

In Britain, I would suggest spending at least 4 days in London, or even 6 if you want to hit art museums in addition to the historical and cultural attractions. In Ireland, I would suggest 2 full days in Dublin, and then heading to the west coast to county Clare or Kerry. Again, this all depends so much on what you like to do. For example, we really liked the Guinness factory in Dublin. Museums in Dublin are interesting if you like medieval (see Book of Kells) or archeological artifacts, and we enjoyed the pubs with Irish music throughout the country. The west coast is outstandingly beautiful, but I'm not sure that it will be in winter, so check the climate before you decide to head out that way. The city Galway might be a compromise between scenery and city things to enjoy.

You'll want the same warm clothes in Paris as in London. You may be able to manage with a couple layers of light-weight thermals (tops and bottoms).

RyanAir shows a mid-day flight on Nov 30 from Milan Malpensa to Sevilla for €50 (the price will go up as time goes by) with one checked bag of 20kg. Spend some time in Sevilla, then a night or two in Cordoba, then train to Barcelona. You won't regret it.

Unless you have some specific goal in mind (heritage?, special sight?), I'd skip Sicily this time around. You'd have to fly from Sicily to Milan. You might as well choose just about any European city for that time, then fly to Milan. One of the problems is that your trip is right around the corner, so there aren't many bargains to be had, on rooms or flights. Mid-September isn't shoulder season anymore, it's high season. Or you could fly straight to Milan, leave most of your stuff, pack a backpack and explore northern Italy on your own for a few days.

I used to live in italy. I'd choose florence or Rome or Venice and spend more time touring and less time traving.. FYI it floods there in October or November so pack a second pair of shoes to dry out overnight. pack a dickies thermal hoodie. wind breaker and cardigan. Polo shirts and jeans. sunglasses and broad brimmed hat for sun proteection. if you go to Andalucia make reservations and take me.