Help creating Paris/Italy Itinerary

Your Italy wishlist will take at least two weeks and Paris certainly deserves 5 to 7 nights itself.

I would probably fly into Paris, spend time there — let’s say 6 nights for planning purposes — then fly to Venice.

3 nights Venice
Train to Florence and stay 3 nights
Train to Naples and on to Sorrento for 4 nights
Trains back to Rome for 5 nights.

That is 21 nights on the ground, not including your overnight flight. If you only have 20 nights, make Paris 5 nights. Many people will disagree with 4 nights in Sorrento, but it is a great base to see the area but everything is a day trip: Pompeii, Positano and other points along the coast, Capri and suddenly 3 full days are fillled.

I like Laurel's itinerary, but I would reverse it - flying into Rome and out of Paris. Mostly because Italy is already starting hot and crowded by the end of May. Perhaps it's better to head northwards rather than south as you get into June

CJean makes a good suggestion there. Italy in the full heat of summer and full of crowds is no fun IMHO.

Hi Dominique,

I can't comment on the amount of time at each city in Italy because I am planning my trip to Italy myself. I think I can be of some help though. First of all, people will suggest different amounts of time to each city than you may have planned, consider the advice. But you know yourself best. If you feel you need to spend less time one place because you really want to add another stop, then do it. You can see for yourself if it was the right thing for you. The reason I say that is that I notice you mentioned Nice. If you really want to go, I suggest you fly from Venice to Nice (a train ride will be over seven hours long). From Nice you can take a train to Marseille, and from Marseille the TGV to Paris. This part I have some experience with. My husband and I went seven years ago and did this trip but southbound. We arrived in Paris at 6:45 am and spent four nights. Basically we had almost four full days (arrived at the hotel around 9;30 am). In that time we visited the following places: Louvre, Orsay Museum, Orangerie Museum, Versailles Chateau and Gardens including the "smaller" apartments, Eiffel Tower (elevator to the top), Arc du Trioumph (went up the stairs to the top), Champs Elysses, Napoleon's tomb, Pantheon, Trocadero. We aso went to the Stade de France (for a Coldplay concert). And walked to lots of other places. After the four nights, we took the TGV (high speed) to Marseille. We got off in Marseille and left our luggage in lockers at the train station. Took a hop on hop off tram and saw some city highlights. Found a place that was open for early dinner. Then walked back to the station and took the train (a slow one) to Nice. Spent one full day in Nice and then went the next day on a day trip to Monaco. Then I returned home and husband went to a conference.

Happy planning.

Laurel had good suggestions.

I would skip Nice and the South of France for this trip. Do five nights in Paris.
For Italy, 3 in Venice, 4 in Florence, 5 in Rome and 4 in Sorrento.

Thanks all. Appreciate it very much