3 days in Venice enough?

Your plan seems good to me although I'd give Normandy only two full days for the WWII stuff (OK, for hubby 3). I say 3 full days because I'm married to a total WWI and WWII nut case so I think your husband will have a great time but the girls are probably not going to be so thrilled after day two. We are talking a not to big area here. This might be a good time for the ladies to take a "vacation from your vacation" while husband is off reviewing battlefields (well, that's what I do). The German cemetery in Normandy is quite touching and is well worth visiting after the American cemetery. Kinda gives it a broader perspective.

Your question was about Venice, and since I have not been there - yet - I will leave that to others. I just wanted to comment on your time in France. More time in Normandy than in Paris? Really? Have you already been there? If not, I would drop 2 - 3 of those Normandy days and add them to Paris. You could rent an apartment in Paris and have a little room to spread out. I also recommend for Dachau that you do the Radius tour from the train station. I got so much more out of taking that tour than I ever would have doing it on my own. Have a great trip, and remember that unhappy teenagers are no fun to travel with!

I think your time in Venice sounds fine, assuming you will be staying in Venice itself, not in an outlying city and busing in during the day - because the nights are magical there. After Paris it's my favorite city so you really cannot spend too much time there, in my opinion.

I think two nights is fine in Venice. Depending on your Normandy plans, generally speaking, if this is your first time in Paris, you may want to add a day in Paris. It appears from your other stops that you intend on seeing significant WWII sites, and if that is the case, then 4-5 days in Normandy is good. May I add that I highly recommend Battlebus tours in Normandy.

Coni,

IMO 3 days in venice is too much. Depending how fast you can move around I would sugest to stay just 2 days.
Also 5 days in Normandy seems to be too long.Where in Normandy are you going to go? If you would have a car it would be better. I did Loire valley by car in 3 days and I really engoyed it.

I agree with the above post. You can do Venice in two days. One if you are really pressed for time. If you can make sure you spend time during the evening hours at St. Marks square. Wonderful live music. Normandy too long. Munich 2 days. I would purchase a few guide books. Each will give you a different perspective on the same sights. Sit down with your family and see what they want to visit. It is difficult to really give you an opinion since interests vary.

I agree with the two posts above mine, 3 days in Venice is almost pushing it. I personally found Venice to be overly crowded, sold out and cliche. You can pretty much see all the MAJOR sites in one or two days. So unless you want to have a relaxing 3rd day I would suggest allocating it to another city that has more to do.

However, that is just my opinion. :)

What else are you planning to do in Normandy? Are you just visiting the beaches or touring the whole area?

Two nights in Venice is fine. You won't really have three days when you factor in traveling.

I'm of the camp that thinks that Venice is a wonderful magical place and you can't spend too much time there.

Others obviously feel differently. In the time you have allotted you can get a good taste and see where you and your family's feelings about Venice fall.

there is plenty to do and you will not be able to do everything in the two nights span.

We have been going to to Venice for more than 20 years and stayed 8 dyas the last trip. Still didn't hit everything we had planned.

Have fun

As Ron mentioned, you have to take your travel time into consideration. Salzburg to Venice can be anywhere from 6-9 hours (depending on what time you leave). So, you might actually have two full days. Also, 16 year old girls might enjoy a little shopping in addition to seeing the sites. Have fun making lifetime memories with your girls! We did with our son & daughter.

I agree, three days in Venice is plenty - if not too much. We recently spent 1 night and the better part of 2 days there - and it was good. Don't think I would have wanted to stay longer.......

Sounds like there's a consensus on the Venice time I've planned. As far as our Normandy stay, we've rented a car close to the train station we arrive at. From there: Paris to Rouen, overnight in Rouen, drive to Caen where we spend 2 days, drive to Mt. St. Michael and overnight outside there, finally take a leisurely drive back to Paris and spend the night outside Paris on the way back. My husband and I have been to Paris before, but not the girls. None of us have been to Normandy. Does it still seem like we've planned too much for Normandy?

I think that 3 nights and 2 full days is perfect for Venice: one day island-hopping and the other visiting St. Mark's, Doge's Palace, and just wandering and exploring.

We did Rouen in an afternoon...rode the train there, walked all over, saw the places my father recalled from being stationed there in WWII, as well as the cathedral, the Big Clock, and Joan of Arc spots. If you get to Rouen early enough, you can see it all and move on to Caen or other for the night. Be sure to see Bayeux Tapestry while in Normandy.

Coni Jo
You can "DO" Venice in 1 1/2 or 2 days as others suggest, if you wish. For your first trip perhaps that is appropriate. However, I have found Venice to be one of the most magical cities on the planet. My wife and I have been there 5 times and have never been bored. In my next life I wish to come back as a Venitian. I won't be disappointed.

Coni Jo, Two days in Venice is not enough for us. A real big part of the enjoyment of Venice is walking the neighborhoods and getting lost. We walked around the university area when we were lost, and enjoyed seeing the students come & go. Seems like it might be a rush to see all of the big stuff and not have time to slow down and people watch. By that I mean watching the locals come & go, not watching the tourists. Venice is so unique I think to do it justice shortening the stay in Salzburg & adding a day in Venice is the way to go. Whatever you decide I hope you have a great trip!

Well, Coni Jo, the counsel seems split, but leaning toward yes, your plan is appropriate for Venice. My two cents? Decide what you want from this one-of-a-kind city and then make your final decision, i.e., do you want to see the major sites (Basillica San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, Rialto Market & Bridge, Piazza San Marco, Canale Grande) and maybe take a boat out to Murano? If so, your plan of 3 nights and two full days is right on target, perfecto. However, if you hope to go a little deeper, i.e., explore back lanes in residential areas and see how Venetians live today, find hidden restaurants off the main tourist drag, tour a few palazzos, see a live Vivaldi concert, tour the Guggenheim, explore smaller churches and the art they hold (like the Frari Church), et al, then two full days simply cannot offer these opportunities. Hope this helps!