Need help on travel plans

Karen, Some additional information would be helpful. For example, does your nine days include your two flight days? I'm not sure that's enough time to see London, Paris and "Italy", especially considering the distance you'd be covering and the fact that you'll have to return to LHR for your flight home. Is there any possibility you could use open-jaw tickets instead? Cheers!

You can, on day trips from Paris, see spectacular architecture, since you mention that interests you... for example, the Vaux le Vicomte, Versailles, and magnificent gothic cathedrals (Chartres, Reims, etc). You might want to spend your time there.

I did not include our travel days in the nine days, we were looking at traveling to Venice for two days and then onto florence where we would take one day trips to either Siena or Pisa and then travel to Paris for two days, which we would end taking Eurostar back to London. Does that sound doable in nine days ?

Karen, What I would do is Eurostar to Paris and spend 2 days there (Versailles etc). TGV to Nice and take regional trains to the Cinque Terre (spend 2-3 nights here). Train to Rome and spend 2 days here sightseeing (Vatican, Colloseum). Then finish the trip with a quick stay in Venice (high-speed train to Venice). Fly out of Venice to Heathrow. This way you will also be able to see the countryside (landscape) when travelling on the train. This is a very tight itinerary but I know that it is possible to accomplish most of it as my upcoming trip will look similar to this one. Ryan

How much time are you spending in London? Will it be at the start or end of your trip? Keep in mind that 2 nights in a location is only one full day. Factor in travel times, which include checking out of your hotel, getting to the train station or airport, going to the next place, then finding and checking into your next hotel. Figure on a half day minimum for each location change. Longer if going further. How much do you want to see places as opposed to the inside of trains and planes? Have you been to Europe before?

I have never been to Europe before and it may be my only chance to go so I want to see as much as possible.

Karen, I certainly understand that. But...you are moving so fast that in reality you probably won't even remember most of your trip. If you're just interested in checking places off of a list and being able to tell people you have been there is your goal, then rushing through Europe might be just the thing for you. If you really want to experience and see places, you will need to pare down your list. It's impossible to do it all, especially in only 9 days. Where does London fit into this trip? You only mention flying in and out, but don't say when or if you will actually spend time there.

I will probably stay overnight in London when I arrive and will fly back to London a day or two before my flight out to see the sights.

So 3 nights in London combined? Leaving you 6 nights for Paris and several places in Italy. I don't really see how you can this. It would have been better to fly into London and home from Italy to avoid backtracking, but I suppose it's too late for that now. IMO you need to make some very hard choices about where you REALLY want to go. I certainly wouldn't waste time going to Pisa, which isn't worth more than a couple of hours even if you have plenty of time, which you don't. I see 2 scenarios working for you. One is to split your time between London and Paris, which are an easy Eurostar train ride from each other. That allows time to really see each city and even do a day trip from each. The other is to skip Paris (this pains me, as it's my favorite city), and fly from London to Italy upon your arrival in Europe. Pick 2 or 3 places to stay in Italy over the course of 6 nights. Fly back to London and spend 3 nights before flying home. Personally I would choose option one, as you will have a better experience spending more than a day in each place. I'm not sure why you think you'll never go back to Europe again. If you enjoy your trip you can make it happen to return.

Karen... if you want to have a whirlwind 'taste of Europe' then do what Ryan suggested. I have done both the crazy itinerary trips and the immersion where I have stayed in the same place, and I have to say I love them both. My first trip was 9 countries in 17 days and I wouldn't change a thing... as a matter of fact if there were any trip I could re-live it would be that one. However, I feel because I saw so many places in one trip it gave me the burning desire to return. Yes, I wanted to stay in each place longer... but you have to make choices. As far as returning... I know a lot of people who have been to Europe once and due to circumstances and choices have never returned. Yes, people on this board go to Europe a lot... but in my circle of friends they are the exception. So, while I hope I will be fortunate enough to return, I take each trip with the thought that I might not return and I try to do it with 'no regrets.'

Ryan says
"What I would do is Eurostar to Paris and spend 2 days there (Versailles etc). TGV to Nice and take regional trains to the Cinque Terre (spend 2-3 nights here). Train to Rome and spend 2 days here sightseeing (Vatican, Colloseum). Then finish the trip with a quick stay in Venice (high-speed train to Venice). Fly out of Venice to Heathrow. This way you will also be able to see the countryside (landscape) when travelling on the train. This is a very tight itinerary but I know that it is possible to accomplish most of it as my upcoming trip will look similar to this one." I think what you really have to look at is his last sentence. He has not yet done this, so he has no way of knowing how it will turn out. It could be a fantastic trip, or...it could be a big blur that he will never remember. However you decide to proceed, I hope you have a great trip!