First Timers Struggling With Itinerary

It really depends on how you like to travel.

I would first lay out your ideal itinerary, then go to airline/train/bus/ferry schedules to see how long it takes to get from A to B to C, etc., you might be surprised at how long it can take. And, some modes of transportation don't run every day.

You have eight bases (Paris twice) in 18 days. That's a fraction over two days per place, and some of those are long-distance travel days.

First, get a multi-city ticket and eliminate backtracking to Paris.

The reason we are backtracking to Paris is because the round trip airfare was so much cheaper. And the flight from Split to Paris is short and cheap as well. We also decided to fly from Paris-Venice and from Rome-Dubrovnik to cut out all the extra train travel time, so we have more time in our destinations. Plus those flights seem very cheap on first look. Also, It looks like trains going from Venice-Florence-Rome only take 2 hours. So we are hoping not to "waste" too much time traveling from place to place. That being said... Just wondering how many days to spend in each city. We would like to spend most of the time in Italy and maybe just 2-3 days total in Croatia.

Your transportation plans make sense. I have been to Split and Dubrovnik, wish I had taken more time in each; I would say two nights each minimum. I think the only public transportation is a rather long bus ride.

I would say three nights minimum in Paris-Venezia-Florence-Roma, adjusted according to your interests, with the two free nights added anywhere on your list (if you spend four nights in Croatia).

This would be possible, but a little too rushed for most I would think.

July
3. Arrive Paris
6. Fly to Venice
9. Train to Florence
12. Train to Rome
15. Fly to Dubrovnik
17. Ferry to Korcula
18. Ferry to Hvar
19. Ferry to Split
21. Fly to Paris
22. Depart Paris

As this is your first trip to Europe, my first suggestion is to read Europe Through The Back Door, as that has a lot of good information on how to travel well in Europe. After that use the RS country or city-specific guidebooks to plan hotels, sightseeing, transportation, etc.

Regarding your Itinerary, IMHO you have too many destinations for an 18-day time frame. You've listed six locations in 18=days, which is an average of about 3 days per location, with no allowance for travel times between them. Keep in mind that each change of location by train is going to require about four hours (when all is considered) and air trips will require at least six hours (when all is considered). As you may be aware, there's no rail link between Split and Dubrovnik so you'll have to rely on the Bus for that portion of the trip.

Does the 18 days include your two travel days? You'll generally arrive in Europe the day after you depart your home airport, and the last day will be required for the flight home. Where are you flying from? You may be affected by jet lag for the first day or two after arrival in Europe, so won't be up to full "touring speed".

My impression is that it would be prudent to skip Croatia this time, especially as you've stated that "We would like to spend most of the time in Italy and maybe just 2-3 days total in Croatia." You're going to spend the better part of two days travelling to and from Croatia, so it hardly seems worth the effort or cost.

"Plus those flights seem very cheap on first look."

While flights in Europe can seem cheap on first look, that can be deceptive. For example.....

• ticket prices can vary depending on how far in advance the tickets are purchased.
• budget airlines tend to have very restrictive baggage regulations and those will add to the cost, especially if you'll be checking one or two bags.
• some of the budget airlines require boarding passes to be printed in advance. If you get them printed at the airport, you'll face a hefty charge.

With rail travel in Italy, you can save a lot if you buy advance tickets for the express or high speed trains. However you must be willing to commit to a specific date, train and departure time, and the cheapest Super Economy tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable once purchased. There are other potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of when using trains and other public transit in Italy. If you need more information on those, post another note here.

Using the high speed trains, travel time from Rome to Florence is about 90 minutes and from Florence to Venice it's 2H:05M. Note that most cities in Italy have more than one station so you'll need to know which station you'll be using in each city. That's also true in Paris, which has about six main stations and numerous Metro and RER stations.

Good luck with your planning!

My impression is that it would be prudent to skip Croatia this time,
especially as you've stated that "We would like to spend most of the
time in Italy and maybe just 2-3 days total in Croatia." You're going
to spend the better part of two days travelling to and from Croatia,
so it hardly seems worth the effort or cost.

I'll echo Ken's advice above. Croatia would involve a lot of transport time with little left for sightseeing once you got there. Paris, Rome, Venice and Florence are PLENTY for 18 days - especially since you're going to have to backtrack to Paris - so consider saving Croatia for another trip?

My first thought is that you should skip Croatia this time, as Ken and Kathy have recommended. David's itinerary is doable but it would be a blur. IT will also be hot in all locations, and that can take the wind out of your sails. Relaxing is key to enjoying.

Since you already have Paris RT flights booked, stick to Paris - Venice - Florence - Rome - Paris. As a time saver, see if you can fly to Venice upon arrival in Paris, then put all of your Paris nights at the end.

You have 19 nights. I would do:
4 Venice (great place to recover from jet lag and absolutely charming)
3 Florence
4-5 Rome
5 Paris

That is 16-17 nights.... You might enjoy spending 2-3 nights in Orvieto, a hill town an hour from Rome, to get a taste of smaller town Italy. Or pick another small town north of Rome.