Tentative Itinerary for trip with my father

continued from above.

A few things to Note:

A. I am traveling with my father who will be 88 in two weeks. Much of this trip is to hit the highlights of what he wants to see and is gear slowing, for him
B. This trip is organized into three levels of activities. Must do (basically dads list) Primary and Secondary
C) Secondary Things to see and do mostly did not make the list. If time and energy allow for it we will add them in on any given day. Better to plan for less and have extra time and energy we can fill in with. So we take all the info for these “filler” sites but don’t schedule them in
D) we have been in paris before so Paris is to pick up the Louvre, the Top of the Eiffel Tower and The Arc de Triumph that we missed before. And to get over the cramped plain flight
E) We have been in London before, but Dad wants to take the eye which we missed before and if feeling up to it some of the other locations we did not get to on the first two trips
F) We have found after about a week to 10 days dad gets to the point that car travel is the best option. I drive while he rests. Also we like to just see the country side and how the towns differ from the US
G) On the drive north we will probably swing through various places. If the look interesting we will stop for a bit and then keep going. If the don’t look particularly interesting we will just drive on. Or we can plan for something specific but often just a drive past with a “huh that was such and such is enough for dad. We drove around St Tropez a few years ago and didn’t find a parking spot so we drove on. But we spent two hours on a scenic overlook along the coast eating lunch and watching the oceans.
H) Dads Absolute musts are Hadrians Wall, the Vatican The Coliseum. The Louvre. Pompeii and the Cotswolds.
I) Dad’s Really would like to, include: The London Eye, Lean Tower of Pisa, the Last Super, Saint Chappell,.
J) My must have (if I am going to Paris) is the top of the Eiffel Tower (mused it twice because of weather and a strike, been wanting to go to the top for 40 years… grrr. And what’re father wants on what will in all likelihood be his last trip to Europe.

Thanks for any help

Many find the night sleeper impossible to sleep on. You arrive in a new city too early to check into a hotel to freshen up.

Yes to Jazz's point about the sleeper--and it's even worse than that: You don't have a hotel in Milan at all. You are in the city with a sightseeing objective you want to accomplish before you can even get on a train to Florence, after which you must get to your Florence hotel before you can crash comfortably. I would question this if you were a 30-something couple. With someone your father's age, I think it's pretty critical that there be a hotel room available by 2PM or so (in the same city, if only for psychological reasons) after what may well be a miserable, sleepless night on the night train.

In addition, if The Last Supper is a very important sight, I wouldn't position it after an overnight train ride.

The time to have the sleeper experience, if you must, is on a trip when you don't have your father with you. In my opinion, of course.

Dad sleeps 6 hours tops, and we both naturally wake up at 5 to 5:30 in the morning most days.
And while I have never slept on a train I sleep on buses planes and cars regularly so I am not sure what the issue would be with a train?

Noise?

Motion?

Bad beds?
It is just something that we have talked about doing before (sleeper train) but never have. So it sounded like an adventure.

But we could pull it out. But we would either need to pull a day from elsewhere or skip the Last Super as the travel time would not allow for it.

You don't have to pull Milan out, just fly from Paris the night before and overnight it. A friend and I had a sleeper upper and lower bunk Naples to Venice 15 years ago, so we were mid-40s. I slept like a baby in the upper bunk and she hardly slept. Not sure what the deterent was. But, if it was you wanting the sleeper experience rather than Dad, maybe put that off until traveling on your own. If Last Supper is his list, then make it easier for him to succeed.
If you decide to fly, that day becomes too full. I didn't see dates, but if arrival date happens to be first Saturday of the month, Louvre has free evening hours. Take a nap to extend your evening energy.

The issues with the night trains can be a variety of things. I, personally, haven't had a problem with "bed" comfort in couchettes (which just have minimally-padded ledges). The beds in sleeper compartments are more comfortable, I am sure. That leaves jerking due to rough tracks and deceleration/braking followed by station noise followed by acceleration at each station. I confess, however, that I did not check the intermediate stops for that night train before my earlier post. I now see that it (apparently) stops only in Dijon, and just before 10 PM, which makes it one of the least-interrupted night-train journeys in the world, I imagine.

I have no idea how smooth the tracks are, but if you really want to try a night train, I think this is one of the best ones to choose. I'm still worried about your not having a hotel room in Milan, though.

I think sleeper compartments often get booked up very early.

I think I make it 10 different beds across 4 countries in effectively 22 days with no down days en route. I would find that exhausting and your father is a generation older than I am!

Why drive all the way to Edinburgh just for one day there?

Paris -- Arc de Triomphe does have an elevator for seniors and disabled, but it only goes to an interior museum-like room. To get to the top for wonderful views over Paris there is a staircase -- yes, it has handrails, but it's about 25 steps. And the same steps down again. Can your father do this ? (Not being snarky -- at 70+ I tend to look at things from ground level unless there's an elevator.)
Pompeii is pretty flat, but cobblestoned and shadeless. Take hats and water. One OK cafeteria for lunch and cold drinks. But if it's a bucket list item -- just take your time and enjoy!

Jennifer's right, of course: Even if the individual days are not over-packed, the need to move to a new city so frequently would wear me out. I'm 67 and try really hard not to have any stops shorter than 3 nights (preferably 4 or more, but that doesn't always work out). A one- or two-night stop has to be for a very, very good reason and is rare indeed. I have sleep issues but am otherwise healthy and can walk 12 miles or more--preferably not every day.

I just wanted to say that i’m not completely sure the small details matter in the end. What does matter is that you and your father still have this amazing opportunity to do something together. What a wonderful gift this is, no matter where you go. Enjoy and treasure.

I hope my daughter will take me to Europe when I'm 88(and that I'm still able to go)! I think your father/son trips are so cool!

Good point, Cala. I'm sure my daughter would be willing to "take me to Europe" -- as long as I'm buying!

Just make sure to drink more than the usual amount of water.
I am 49 and took a trip similar with my uncle who is 72 and when we got back he was severely dehydrated requiring hospitalization.
The doctor basically told him "you took a trip fit for a 49 year old not for someone 72."
Too much moving around and flying will dehydrate you

That seems to be an exhausting itenerary for a 22 year old much less an 88 year old. So much moving around in 3 large countries. With 3 weeks, I’d consider cutting the trip down to just England and France or just France and Italy. This gives you a lot more time and can allow for some down time. There’s nothing wrong with an afternoon enjoying a beer in England or a glass of wine in Paris and watching the world go bye.

I understand he’s got a bucket list, but I’d hate to for him to be constantly exhausted. All of those city changes allow the opportunity for something to go wrong and tempers to flair. Even minor stuff like forgetting a phone charger or the toothpaste at the previous hotel can become bigger issues as now you’ve got to eat into previous sightseeing time.

Day 2 - Sacre Coeur would be my last choice for spending time, let alone people-watching. The only people you'll see are other tourists, scammers and beggars. It's the weekend, locals will be out and about. I like the Marais - Place de Vosges will be filled with locals and some of the nearby streets are pedestrian-only on the weekends, lots of Parisians shopping in the upscale boutiques and enjoying the cafes.

Day 3 - The best views of Paris are from Tour Montparnasse (elevator to the top, open rooftop, closed observation deck one floor below). I'd do that rather than the Arc de Triomphe which has limited views. The point of going to the top of the Eiffel Tower is to be on the top of the Eiffel Tower. If it's a must, then fine. Probably doesn't matter day or night.

Day 4 - Too much. The Louvre is huge, even if there are only a few pieces that you want to see, it will take time (and a lot of walking) to see them. Sainte-Chapelle often has long lines for security. Consider going to an evening concert there on Sunday instead. I would not choose outside Notre Dame for food - too touristy.

Day 6 - Which church? The Duomo? There are at least half a dozen churches that are beautiful and full of great artworks. If it's the Duomo, there's not much to see inside. The Baptistry opposite is worth going into for the mosaic domed ceiling. Are you planning to look at the other artworks in the Uffizi? If so, allow at least 2 hours. Consider moving the Accademia visit to Day 7 then.

Day 7 - Pisa is an easy 1/2 day trip by train. The Ponte Vecchio is mostly tourists taking photos and gold shops with inflated prices. Allow 30 minutes. There's a bridge just below the Ponte Vecchio, the Ponte Santa Trinita, which has beautiful views around sunset.

Day 9 - since you are early risers, go to St. Peter's when they open (7 am, I think). There will be no lines, no crowds and the church will be pretty quiet. Then have breakfast (or a coffee) on/near St Peter's Square and walk (about 10 minutes) to the Vatican Museum entrance. Another huge museum. Plan what you want to see and map it out.

Day 10 - the Colosseum and the Forum - lots of walking, some uneven, lots of stairs in the Colosseum, no shade in the Forum. Yes, they are close to each other, but you may want to split them into 2 days. Just a few meters from the Pantheon is one of my favorite churches in Rome, San Luigi (St Louis, a French church) with several Caravaggio paintings.

Day 13 - Be prepared. Pompeii has little shade and parts are very difficult for walking. I uploaded these photos to give folks an idea of what they'll be walking on. Naples in general: the archaeology museum is a wow, allow at least 2 hours; the RS self-guided walking tour is good, starts across the street from the museum.

Day 16 - The trouble with the London Eye is that visibility is not ensured. You either buy tickets in advance and hope for good weather or wait till you get there and end up waiting a long time to buy tickets and get on.