May 5-22, 2017 London, Paris, (Venice?), Rome for the first time!

May 19 (not 18) = Day 15
If you left Venice very early you could make a day stop in Florence, depositing your luggage at the station (very easy), checking out the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio, before continuing on to Rome in the early evening. You would need to make separate train bookings however.

Overall you have a great trip planned.

ps. Fly from Paris to Venice.

I think it looks great, though I may steal a day from somewhere for at least 2 nights in Venice. I loved it there so much. Mainly we just wandered around (though we had the kids in tow... would have been even better if it was just husband and me!). It was so great.

If you go to Venice, you can definitely take a gondola ride, but I would also suggest rowvenice.org. A couple of ladies take you out on a ....batello? I think? More stable than a gondola. And you learn to row and see a quieter side of Venice. You can even stand on top like a gondolier. It was super fun.

We stayed at a vrbo in Dorsoduro and liked it very much. Canareggio along the big canal was wonderful as well.

Have a great trip!

Kim

Hi Jenn,

You're going to some nice highlights of Europe. I would take a day from Paris or London and give it to Venice. Venice is unlike anywhere else! With your short time in Venice, be sure to stay on the islands and not the mainland - just put the address into a web map site and see.

You can check out train transportation times & options on www.rome2rio.com which points to websites for booking trips.

Another option while you're in Rome is to walk through Ostia Antica. We planned a couple of hours and stayed several.

The Louvre Museum is open Thursday (I think that's the day) evenings, so take advantage of day-light for outdoor activities. Also, I recommend going on a boat ride one of the evenings. Paris is gorgeous from the water lit up at night. And, since that is your first trip to Paris, take a metro to the Sacre Coeur - fun to walk around the neighborhood area & see the artists in the courtyard - Place du Tertre.

In Paris, try to see the Musee d'Orsay. (Much more accessible than the Louvre (although you should go there too, but you cannot see it all).

One nice way to plan your days in the cities is to use the self-guided walks in the Rick Steves' Guides. Also, look at Rick's day plans for each city. They will help you spend your time wisely and minimize the overwhelmed feeling! You can always skip something that does not interest you, but there's so much more to each location than you have listed. His plans also include some audio guides on MP3 which are very helpful. Rick also has hotel recommendations and some are much better deals than AirBNB. As you are a first time European traveler, skip apartments and stay where you can interact with someone who can give you some guidance when needed: small hotels and B&Bs.

Thank you for the responses! I am thinking we will night train out of Paris and spend a day and night in Venice then head to Rome next morning. I will definitely look further in depth into ricks guides for sure. The other thing we were actually thinking of was how we were gonna get around to see all the sights listed either by tour or alone. My boyfriend is afraid we would waste time looking around than a tour but maybe his self walking tour books will help. Any further help is much appreciated. I know this is extremely early to plan but I am such a worry wart and get stressed when I don't know where and when I'm going somewhere. I'll try to leave some space for spontinutity though! Just a little lol

I get you! I am super planner too. I have crazy spreadsheets with all hours planned out meals too. However, I don't pack in every minute, we maybe do 2 big sights per day, plan time for rest and general exploring. However, we are always open to change the plan if need be! I just like to know where we are planning to be, and eat... Because my family really starts melting down without food! Have a great trip! We did London Paris on one trip, and Rome and Venice on another. If you want my spreadsheets, just pm your email address to me!

Kim

It is not too early to plan! I make reservations for lodging as far in advance as possible, often 6-9 months out, and I buy my non-refundable high-speed train tickets the day they go on sale for max discount. Read Rick's books and understand where pre-booking sites you want to see can save you time and money. Watch his shows, which are streamable on this website.

FYI, there's a lot more to Venice than a gondola ride.

If the only thing drawing you to Venice is to ride a gondola, then forget it. 80 euro for a 40 minute ride, for the most cliched experience possible.

Since you are a first time visitor I suggest you start at each place with a HOHO tour. It's VERY touristy so don't tell anyone - lol - but it will give you a good overview. For London look here http://www.londontoolkit.com/blog/daytrips/tours/comparing-londons-hop-on-hop-off-sightseeing-buses/

For other places search for "city name" hop on hop off.

Good luck.

Ohh - and I agree with the comment on Venice. It is a marvelous place, but a gondola tour is WAY overrated.

It is generally cheaper flying into Gatwick, but from Canada you don't have much choice of airlines. We usually go with Air Canada to Heathrow as it is a direct flight from Halifax and we most often are using our air miles.

Five days is def not too long for Paris - I've had 8-9 nights over 3 visits and still want more.

Night trains aren't all they are cracked up to be - especially with cheap flights. We did a night train in 2010 from Salzburg to Venice. Not my fondest memories, and other than saving $ on accoms, it was expensive as hubby and I wanted a private compartment.

And Venice is so so much more than a gondola ride. I've been there 4 times and haven't fallen into that trap yet. Try to stay in the city of you can - there are some good deals to be found. After staying 10 nights or so over 4 trips, I still want to go back for more.

Hi All,

I have ordered the Europe through the backdoor guidebook and am looking forward to crushing down my itinerary. Here is what i have. This is based on i am able to fly out on friday and leave work a little early, otherwise everything backs up by a day and something is cut out.
May 5 - Overnight flight to London
May 6 - Arrive in London. Check in, eat, pass out.
May 7-10 - London. One day will be spent on a tour to Stone Henge, Windsor Castle and Bath
May 11 - Early morning Eurostar to Paris. Check in, eat, walk around a bit and pass out.
May 12-14 - Paris
May 15 - Paris then overnight train to Venice although now I am considering flying to save the hassle of a restless night then having to recover the nest day.
May 16 - Venice check in, eat, gondola (my once in a lifetime, don't judge!!), walk around all day (This is my "spontaneous" night as i don't have very much planned for Venice. More of a winging it day)
May 17 - Spend more time in Venice then Train to Rome. Check in, eat, walk around, pass out.
May 18-21 Rome
May 22 - Pack up and head home to Canada!
Anything I should edit?
If I do not leave friday afternoon due to work then i will cut out a day somewhere and bump everything up. I wonder if more time should be spent in Paris than London. I want to figure out the main cities so i could start formulating a plan for hotels.

I have printed out Points of Interests maps for each city and am slowly figuring out the outer shell. I find figuring out the in between and getting to all these sights difficult but at least i have a ballpark idea. Can't wait to get the book and am now in search of a great point and shoot camera for these memories! (I printed iphone and samsung pictures recently and was so disappointed..I know it looks great on the screen but i plan to make an album once home.)

Not sure if you know about the great discounts for purchasing the Eurostar ticket in advance. I think you can purchase 4 mos ahead...but it will lock you into a time and date. If you know for sure, then get the tix at the earliest date for best savings. With our dollar so poor against the pound, you need your savings where you can get it.

May 6 - Arrive in London. Check in, eat, pass out.

Best way to get over jetlag, IMO, is to not pass out too early. Arrive, check-in, shower, unpack. Then get outside, take a walk. (Do not go to a museum.) If you have arrived early, like 9:00am as many flights do, get a light lunch, no alcohol. Walk some more. If you have to, take a 90 minutes MAX nap at 4:30pm. Go out to dinner about 7:00pm, then pass out about 10:00pm. Hopefully you will sleep through to 6:00 or 7:00am, ready to seize the day! I sometimes allow myself a one hour nap the afternoon of the second day, about 4:00pm. Then I am good for the duration.

Check internet for London Walks & Paris Walks (different companies). We've used both last April, and enjoyed their guides--lots of choices. Tours last about 2 hrs & describe how to meet the guide. Most do not require reservation, just show up on time--make sure guide has "Walks badge" ( avoid the knock off tours) . Enjoy!

Please don't cover Stonehenge, Windsor and Bath all in the same day from London. This can't be successfully squeezed into one day and you will spend far longer in transit sat on a bus than you will experiencing the sights. Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square are quick walk throughs and not attractions in their own right. Any airport will suffice, as they are all miles out of town. I prefer Gatwick as it is usually quicker to get through, although none are quick.

Having returned on Thursday from 8 days in Venice (surprisingly busy already), I suggest that you aren't allocating anywhere near enough time there to even scratch the surface. I am another that believes that gondola rides are the biggest mistake ripoff in Europe. The Doges Palace (better value than a gondola) took us over 3 hours and it will be much busier in May. This and the adjacent St Marks are the 2 essentials in Venice.

Night trains are not comfortable and I would recommend early morning flights or trains instead, as you don't have any chill days in your schedule to catch up on a poor nights sleep.

Thanks again everyone

I didn't think of that for the jetlag. It'll be a harsh first day in london having to stay awake but we will try for sure.
Saint Marks basilica was on my to go list for venice. I think it will be worth a look see and a break from the hustle and bustle of big cities.
Postcards are a great idea I almost forgot. I'll also send some to family back home!