Itinerary Help for October 2016

For your consideration:

London-Normandy travel options are primarily train-ferry (such as Portsmouth-Cherbourg)-train or it's probably faster (6 hours total) to take the Eurostar from London to Paris, changes stations there, and another train to Bayeux or Caen. In Normandy, you'll need either a guided tour or a rental car to explore the D-Day monuments very well. If you choose to drive yourselves, then keep the car for Mont St Michel, also.

Paris-Munich is a 6-hour train ride, putting it just on the edge of where people start to compare flights, although flights don't save much total door-to-door travel time.

Many people spend 2 nights each in Munich and Salzburg without leaving the cities and/or needing a car.
The usefulness of a car depends on identifying specific destinations not served by train.

Any chance that you don't have to meet your group for the Milan/Como portion of the trip? It's a logical destination for them, but not so much for you, if you'd rather head toward Vienna.

You need at least 3 days for London and Paris.
Normandy is rather big and it would be interesting to know what you wish to visit in Normandy. It seems you do not take account of the time of travel.
Try to limit yourself to a maximum of two countries. 17 or 18 days fly when touring Europe.

Laura, thank you very much for the feedback! For Normandy, we are currently planning to take the Eurostar to Paris, then pick up a car (maybe 2 since there are 6 of us) and head to Normandy. We'd then return the car when we get back to Paris. Good to know that we'll need it in Normandy!!
For the trip to Munich, we were considering an overnight train. Also for the Munich/Salzburg part of the trip, I was envisioning that even though we spend 2 (or 3) nights in each city, we'd spend at least 1 maybe 2 days in the surrounding areas. We're looking at Neuschwanstein, Dachau, and the Eagle's Nest as some of the major sites we'd like to take in while we're in that region. It's for this reason I'm considering renting a car.

As for the Milan/Como portion, I agree it's less than ideal from our perspective. But unless the group (and my wife) change their minds, I think that it is pretty set in stone that we're all going to end up there in the end. If we weren't going to Milan we would certainly go to Vienna. But since we are going to Milan, we started looking at Venice as a possible alternative.

It will take you a half to a whole day to get from one of your destinations to another, so you really have little time in any of those places to see anything.

Would it be better to scratch Vienna/Venice altogether, spend more time in Munich/Salzburg area, and then go straight to Milan/Como from there?

1) What are the pros/cons of Vienna vs Venice?
Vienna is a short train ride from Salzburg whilst Venice is overnight. I would then fly from Vienna to Milan.

2) Are we too ambitious with our tentative schedule (3 cities in 6-7 days)?
It is fast paced, perhaps even rushed, but you have acknowledged this as your preference. Dropping a single destination would free up the journey a little.

3) Suggested modes of transportation?
I think a rental is necessary for Normandy and Mont St Michel. Your time in Munich and Salzburg is brief so won't really extend beyond the city centre. Day trip to Neuschwanstein is possible without car.

4) Any thoughts on the trip as a whole?

I would try and find an extra day for Normandy...
Arrive in London (2 nights)
Eurostar to Paris, then train to Rouen (1 night)
Pick up hire car and drive to Bayeux (1 night)
Drive to Mont Saint-Michel (1 night)
Return hire car and train to Paris (2 nights)
Fly to Munich (2 nights)
Train to Salzburg (1 or 2 nights)
Train to Vienna (2 nights)
Fly to Milan, then train to Lake Como (2 nights)
Train to Milan (1 or 2 nights)
Depart from Milan

A gentler middle section (on your own) between Paris and Lake Como would see me travel either via Provence and the Cote d'Azur, or along the Rhine and through the Swiss Alps.

Thanks David!! Your feedback is a big help! Something just occurred to me ... Would it make more sense to fly from Paris to Vienna, then work our way back through Salzburg to Munich to Milan by train?

Yes, it makes much more sense to only make the one flight, Paris to Vienna. Well done.

Arrive in London (2 nights)
Eurostar to Paris, then train to Rouen (1 night)
Pick up hire car and drive to Bayeux (1 night)
Drive to Mont Saint-Michel (1 night)
Return hire car and train to Paris (2 nights)
Fly to Vienna (2 nights)
Train to Salzburg (1 or 2 nights)
Train to Munich (2 nights)
Train to Lake Como (2 nights) via Verona and Milan
Train to Milan (1 or 2 nights)
Depart from Milan

Hello Chris. You will be at Europe, 14 whole days. I recommend : fly from Paris to Vienna. Train from Vienna to Salzburg, and to Munich. Fly from Munich to the U.S.A. I think you will not have time for doing anything in Italy.

What Ron says makes sense. You are making an incredible effort for only 3 or 4 days in Italy at the end.
I would further suggest Lake Lucerne instead of Lake Como (after Munich) and then fly home from Zurich.
fly from Paris >> Vienna >> Salzburg >> Munich >> Luzern >> fly home from Zurich