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Planning our next vacation (Spain/Italy/France)!

Just got back from our first European vacation last week and already planning the next one! We loved it and can't wait to go back next year! Want to focus on Spain and southern Italy and maybe a few nights on the French Riviera. We will be going next October (maybe late September). Time is somewhat flexible but around 2.5-3 weeks.

There are 4 adults in our group, including one in a wheelchair. I'd heard numerous warnings about the lack of accessibility in Europe before leaving. We visited the following places:
-Germany (Munich, Bavaria, Rhine/Mosel river)
-Austria (Innsbruck)
-Italy (Verona, Venice, Dolomites, Italian Lakes)
-Switzerland (Bernese Oberland, Lucerne)
-Paris

There were few small obstacles along the way:
-didn't realize we had to call the train station in advance for ramps
-airport being a little confused as to how to handle the wheelchair
-some inaccessible areas with stairs such as Bellagio, Italy

But for the most part, it was actually better than we thought it'd be:
-cobblestones weren't too rough (except for the Rhine/Mosel River area which had extremely thick cobbles)
-sidewalks had nice curbs to cross the street
-buses in Paris/Verona were great
-quite a few handicap public restrooms (water closets!)

We LOVED Italy (and we only did a small portion of it) so want to focus about half of our time there and half in Spain (mixed in with hopefully 2-3 nights on the French Riviera).

Interests: Beautiful scenery/architecture, lively atmosphere, good food, vibrant culture. Not big into visiting every museum/cathedral. Will hit the biggest ones but don't need time to linger all day, etc. On our last vacation, we found that we really enjoy the smaller and more quaint little towns as opposed to the big cities (Paris). Although it's nice to at least visit the big ones for a few days. We enjoy a nice variety and mix of big/small cities.

Spain:
-Want to do Barcelona/Andalusia (Seville based)/maybe Madrid.
-Has anyone flown into Seville from the USA? Seems like that would be a good starting point if we're going to do Seville-Madrid-Barcelona-French Riviera-Florence-Sorrento-Rome?
-Stay in Seville 5-6 nights with day trips to Cordoba, Grenada (seems a bit difficult to get to though), and maybe a few White Hill Towns?
-Train from Seville to Madrid, stop at Toledo for a few hours along the way? Then Madrid for 2 nights? Not huge art people (only museum we visited on last trip was the Louvre) so maybe we could actually skip Madrid? Would it be a crime to skip Madrid?
-Train from Madrid (or Seville if we skip Madrid/Toledo) to Barcelona and stay 3-4 nights?
-Have heard a lot of great things about San Sebastian but not sure if that'd be a good place in October. It's kind of out of the way too.

France:
-2 or 3 nights on the French Riviera. We aren't really beach loving people. Just want to experience beautiful scenery and lively atmosphere. Nice, Cannes, Marseilles, Provence...so many choices. Where would you suggest?

Italy:
-Want to do Rome/Florence/Siena/Tuscany/Amalfi Coast.
-Train from French Riviera to Florence/Siena? Trying to decide which of those to stay in. Also want about 2 days to explore Tuscany so need to factor that in. Would renting a car for a few days be best for exploring Tuscany?
-Thinking we should do Sorrento/Amalfi Coast next since we will probably fly out of Rome. What is the best way to get from Florence/Siena to Sorrento?
-Thinking 3-4 nights in Rome? A couple of people in our group wouldn't mind skipping Rome but I think we should see it while we're in the vicinity. I know 2-3 full days isn't enough for a lot of people but from our experiences, I think it'd be enough for us.

Thoughts?

Everyone on these forums was so helpful when planning our last vacation so I'd love to hear all of your suggestions! Thank you!

Posted by
7354 posts

This past November we visited parts of Spain over 2 1/2 weeks, including Madrid and San Sebastian (Donostia). Madrid is definitely vibrant and I'd highly recomend it, but part of its attraction for us was its outstanding art museums, including the Prado, Reina Sofia, and Thyssen-Bornemisza. It might be a shame to miss Madrid if it fit into your travel schedule and was on your way, but not a crime :-)

Donostia is reachable by plane, train, bus, or rental car. We stayed there for 2 nights and also visited Bilbao (with another outstanding museum, which might not appeal to you) an hour to the west. The tapas dinner scene and the crowds and music in the square in Donostia midday on Sunday were lively, even in November, so October shouldn't dampen things. It did pour rain one day, however, and spit rain a few other times, and the locals toted umbrellas. The aquarium there was great, though, and got us out of the rain. Again, October could be better, but take at least a jacket and prepare to wear layers for warmth in the fall. The underground parking garages cost about 25 euros a day, so if you're driving, that's an additional expense.

Posted by
663 posts

Seems a rather ambitious plan for 3 weeks. You could spend all that time on the Italy portion alone and wish you had more time.

Posted by
5 posts

Seems I may need to drop either the Cote D'Azur or the Amalfi Coast...which would you drop? I've read the Amalfi Coast is more spread out so may be more difficult to see in 3-4 days. But getting there may be easier since we'll already be in Italy than getting from Cote D'Azur to Florence?

For travel connections, what do you think of the following:
-Fly into Madrid from the USA
-Train from Madrid to Seville
-Train from Seville to Barcelona (flying would be faster but might be more hassle with the wheelchair)

Option 1 (includes Cote D'Azur)
-Fly from Barcelona to Nice (I think train would take way too much time plus multiple connections)
-Fly or train from Nice to Florence/Pisa/Siena? This is a difficult one.

Option 2 (includes Amalfi Coast)
-Fly (or take a boat?) from Barcelona to Florence (Livorno?)/Pisa?
-Rent a car for a few days to drive through Tuscany.
-Car or train from Florence/Siena to Naples (then take ferry to Sorrento?)?
-Train from Naples to Rome
-Fly from Rome to USA

With a wheelchair in mind and most efficient time wise, what do you think would be our best travel options for getting from place to place?

Posted by
7354 posts

We were based in Sorrento for a few days over New Year's 2012/2013 and drove the Amalfi coast in our Europcar rental car, as well as driving to Pompeii, Herculaneum, and other sights near Naples. We took the train to go into Naples for a day, however. A ferry was never considered there, although we used the short ferry ride to get from Sicily onto the mainland with our car earlier in the week. Flying from Barcelona would be a lot faster than going by boat, especially if the seas were rough. If going by car on the Autostrada, though, you should be able to pick up a rental car in one Italian city and return it in another without problems -- we picked up in Palermo and returned in Sorrento, and there were no extra fees for doing that.

There are budget airlines (like Vueling) that can jet you quickly and cheaply, but they can have severe luggage restrictions, fees, and policies (read the fine print), and sometimes the planes are on the small side, which might or might not present accessibility issues for the person with the wheelchair. You mentioned confusion before at the airport - was that dealing with the wheelchair at the security checkpoint, or wheeling through the terminal on the way to the gate? Hopefully you all (including the companion in the wheelchair) won't encounter any difficulties this time around!

Posted by
4132 posts

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Nice, Cannes, Marseilles, Provence...so many choices. Where would you
suggest?

I suggest Provence, which may work a little better with Catalonia than the Cote d'Azure.