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Western Europe itinerary thoughts

Posted by (Melbourne) on

Hi everyone, first time poster here, and first time Europe traveller :)

My partner and I are going to Europe in June/July this year and have some rough plans which we'd like a little bit of feedback on! We land in Amsterdam on the 12th of June and leave Paris on the 6th of July. The primary considerations for us are:

  • 1 - Romantic locations, relaxation, not too much rushing! It's our 10 year anniversary
  • 2 - Netherlands for a long enough time to get a good feel for it... I am a Dutch citizen and have family there so I want to soak it up a bit, however we don't want to miss other great places by staying too long either
  • 3 - My partner is very excited about the possibility of Paris and Italy in general, however is happy to save Italy for another trip if it's worth spending a longer time in Netherlands
  • 4 - Getting in some nature time. The itinerary options thus far have lots of city time in them :) Day trips are perfect where there are good options

So our rough itineraries so far are

1

  • Netherlands 12-22 (9 full days), train to
  • Bruges 22-26 (3 full days), train to
  • Paris 26-6 (9 full days)

Pros are lots of time in Netherlands and France, and checking out Belgium/Bruges in between, minimal travel cost
Downsides are perhaps spending too much time in Netherlands, missing Italy

2

  • Netherlands 12-18 (5 full days), fly to
  • Rome 18-23 (4 full days), train to
  • Florence 23-28 (4 full days), fly to
  • Paris 28-6 (7 full days)

Pros are lots of time in France, seeing Italy, still a solid amount in Netherlands, minimal travel cost
Downsides are, less time in Netherlands... but perhaps it's enough?

3

  • Netherlands 12-17 (4 full days), fly to
  • Rome 17-21 (3 full days), train to
  • Florence 21-25 (3 full days), train to
  • Switzerland (Lucerne) 25-29 (3 full days), train to
  • Paris 29-6 (6 full days)

Pros are generally more sight seeing, time in Italy, time Switzerland which would be great for a nice nature break in the trip
Downsides are, less time in Netherlands, a generally busier trip (is it too busy?), a fair bit more expensive because of the train connections

Ok, enough from me! What are your thoughts as to the best all round trip? Thanks so much for anyone who chimes in :) :)

Posted by
354 posts

I vote for option #2, since it will provide you with all of what you are after. But perhaps take 1 day from Paris and add to the Netherlands so 6 days in each since day 1 you will probably be in a mental fog. .I have not spent significant time in the Netherlands so can't comment on how much time would be too much or too little. I am not a huge fan of Rome so for Italy I would vote for Florence and either Venice or one of the lakes. The lake segment will provide you with some really nice down-time. Fly into Milan for the lakes.
Sounds like a great trip. Enjoy.

Posted by
5563 posts

I'd choose number 2. I'm a massive fan of Rome, so I would spend more time there than Florence. Rome offers more to see for those interested in the Roman Empire, Florence is more medieval.

I can't offer much input about the Netherlands, I've only been to Amsterdam for my stag weekend and it's all a bit hazy. I would dedicate more time to Italy than anywhere else on your itinerary.

Posted by
15798 posts

I think you are right to leave Italy for a separate trip. You'll be short-changing everything to do that.

Working from Plan 1, I'd reduce the Netherlands to 7 days (no less, family and heritage are important). I'd consider dropping 2 days from Paris, although you'll never have enough time there. With those 5-7 days, I'd take a train from the Netherlands to somewhere in France, rent a car and spend a week exploring the countryside: hiking, biking, visiting chateaux, cathedrals, quaint villages, medieval towns, and more. Then train to Paris.

Posted by
7175 posts

I think #2, and would even add Venice without considering this a trip too rushed.

June 12. arr Netherlands (7 nights)
June 19. fly to Rome (4 nights)
June 23. train to Florence (4 nights)
June 27. train to Venice (3 nights)
June 30. fly to Paris (6 nights)
July 06. dep Paris

Posted by
2 posts

Thank you everyone for your input! Apologies for the very delayed reply too!

After a great deal of thought and deliberation we have decided to follow Chani's advice (thanks Chani!) and focus more on our time in France. We are huge lovers of the outdoors, and by spending more time in France we can take beautiful day trips into the country side and see more of France rather than a little bit of everything, and then focus our next trip on Italy.

We are going to spend 7 days in Netherlands then fly down to Marseille and explore Provence for 7 days, and then train from Nice into Paris. Whilst in Provence we will stay in Rognes, and then do day trips out.

For any Provence lovers... what are your must see sights?!

We are currently planning on
- Gordes
- Les Baux de Provence
- Calanques swim or kayak
- Verdon Gorge on the way to Nice

What would be the suggested winery tours?

Thanks again :)

Posted by
8412 posts

Option 2 looks best. All these places are great and that option only has four places with more time in each. Also, your first option has way too much time in Netherlands.

Posted by
4132 posts

You've made a good choice, so I will not belabor why saving Italy for another trip is a good idea.

I think your latest plan is excellent, but if Nice really is a priority I would suggest flying there instead of to Marseilles, then working your way west. This will shorten your trip to Paris by about 3 hours.

One thing to see in Provence, if the idea is appealing, are the Roman antiquities. Some highlights are the Pont du Garde near Nimes (swimming and canoing possible), the theater on Orange, and the areas and temples in Nimes.

Guidebooks will be your friends planning this trip. The area is laced with walking trails, and there are books of walks in France that could be adapted to your purposes.

It will be high season in Provence, so nail down lodging as soon as you can.

Posted by
7175 posts

I think Provence offers enough for a full week. Take a flight from Amsterdam to Marseille and then train to Paris from Avignon.

Days to cities of interest ...
•Nimes
•Avignon
•Arles
•Aix-en-Provence
•Orange

Days to towns/villages of interest ...
•Les Baux + St-Rémy
•Pont du Gard + Uzes
•l’Isle sur la Sorgue + Vaison la Romaine
•Gordes + Roussillon

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