I'm not asking for negative comments about any towns because I know its all relative to each person. What I do want to know is which towns could be easily covered with 1 to 4 hours, like what Rick calls "high speed town hopping." Countries I will be visiting include France, Spain and Italy, but if there is anything stop worthy along the borders I would consider adding them in. Traveling in the fall by train. Thanks for inputs.
Posted by
Newbury, VT, USA
75 posts
My first thoughts are: Pisa, Assisi, Siena, Civita Bagnoregio, Orvieto, Givierny, which are all great, but no need to stay overnight!
Posted by
Charleston, SC, USA
91 posts
Dont skimp on Seville or Barcelona!!! (especially Seville if youre going, so pretty!)
If youre headed to Granada, you could do the Alhambra and gardens in 4 hours and have that be the highlight of the day....
Posted by
Ottawa
233 posts
The following are towns that we did in day trips and felt no need to stay overnight though they were all lovely.
Italy:
Pisa;Lucca;Siena;Volterra;and Verona.
France:Versailles.
Spain:Salamanca;Toledo;Segovia; Avila; El Escorial; Pamplona; and Rhonda.
Posted by
Los Angeles, CA, USA
1003 posts
I wish I hadn't spent half a day in Venice going to Murano and Burano and instead gone to Verona or spent more time wandering alleys in Venice
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
IMO there is absolutely nothing worth seeing between Monaco on the French and Cinque Terre on the Italian side. All those other Italian riviera towns and cities are very industrial and chaotic - and the few beach front hotels available are rip offs. On your way to Spain I'd spend at least a few hours in Sete...
Posted by
Los Angeles, CA, USA
1449 posts
In Italy you can visit many of the hilltowns in a few hours apiece. By car you could easily see 2 or 3. It's harder by train because the schedules aren't synchronized that well to the bus that you'll need to get from the train station to the hilltown, and because the train may not be departing when you'd like to be. But with some advance research (yeah web!!) you can figure out some pairs that work. On a recent trip, for example, started in the Cinque Terra, stopped at Arezzo, then spent the rest of the day and the nite in Perugia.