HELP! Location / Date Advice

Slow down and take a breath....

You have a lot of time to work things out. But you shout HELP twice in this question. Are you particularly concerned that we won't help?

You have 4 questions all pretty much asking the same questions.

Please consider just running one thread with a conversation so that people can see how things develop and add in their thoughts. When it is scattered the learning also gets scattered and you will have people trying to see the big picture.

For example, I was about to ask where the cruise is going to and from so that we can work out the best answer to this question based on how experience you already have in Italy. I was able to find from another of your threads that you have never been to Italy or Europe before and have no expectation of ever returning.

Then I found on a different one of your threads that you will be having your anniversary (happy Anniversary) in Rome.

Does that mean that this question about doing something for your anniversary is now dealt with?

Sorry for the confusion but I am booking airfares tomorrow and need to work out travel dates tonight!
Initially we were planning on flying home post 37 land based and 31/2 week cruise that means we will be home for our 24th wedding anniversary (and 30 years together) however to complicate things I then thought it would be nice to stay somewhere for our anniversary (1st Oct) but can't decide where? Amalfi / CT and Rome but worrying about weather - want swimming weather. Not sure if this helps with the confusion or not? LOL. May be easier to just go home after cruise and do everything land based pre cruise - HELP!

I have read your posts twice and I am confused.

dates will be 28th Sept - 4th October

Since it is already 17th October, I assume you mean 28th Sept - 4th October 2019. Long term planning.

I am booking airfares tomorrow and need to work out travel dates tonight!
Initially we were planning on flying home post 37 land based and 31/2 week cruise

This is nearly 1 year away, what is the urgency to book flghts tomorrow, before you have decided where you are visiting?
"post 37 land based and 31/2 week cruise" - that phrase totally confuses me, what is 37? and is 31/2 a date (31st February doesn't exist)?

I haven't read your other post, but I am totally confused as to what you are asking.
"Amalfi Coast ? CT ? or Paris . . . . Alternatively . . . . Tuscany / Rome". If you are asking for recommendations amongst these places, what sort of places do you like, Chilling out? beach? old towns? museums? countryside? Please elucidate.

sorry for the confusion yes i meant 2019 and great business class sale on atm

I've looked at your other posts to try to make sense of what you are saying. I still don't understand. Please ask detailed questions as we aren't mind readers. We would you like help you, but you need to calm down and be precise.

Right. I've looked at your other posts and I'm as confused as everyone else. Your previous itinerary had too many moves and wasn't counted realistically, such as:

25th Aug – 28th Aug – - Florence – 3 Nights / 4 Days
(Including 1 Day Trip to Tuscany)

Coming from Venice on the 25th and moving to Rome on the 28th is not 4 days in Florence: it's 2.5. And you didn't allow even one FULL day for Venice. Anyway, you were going to tweak/reduce that itinerary based on input from multiple posters and we don't know where that shook out. We don't know what might be a logistical fit. And did you scrap this plan?

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/romantic-places-for-wedding-anniversary

"Special"? There are too many "specials" in Europe, and one person's heaven might be "meh" for someone else. The Amalfi Coast, Paris and Tuscany are different animals so it's up to personal preference and what makes the most sense with the larger plan.

sorry to confuse everyone, we have decided to do everything pre cruise and then go home after the cruise, wedding anniversary can be spent at a nice hotel near home. So this is what we have planed - happy for advise .

Itinerary Europe 2019 starting from 23rd July -

4 nights Hong Kong

8 nights London
3 nights Amsterdam
5 nights Paris
3 nights Lucerne Switzerland.
3 nights Salzburg Austria
3 nights Venice
4 nights Florence
6 nights Rome
CRUISE - 31st Aug – 24th Sept – 24 nights.
24th Sept - Fly Home

Not Sure – Still Undecided -
London we are doing an extra night (8 nights in total) to allow for jet lag. Is that too long?

? Add 1 day to Rome and do day trip to Amalfi Coast (total 7 nights)

Add 1 day to Venice (total 4 nights)

Paris – ? change to 4 nights or leave at 5 nights.

Cheers

You will not have any trouble filling that time in London, and I wouldn't reduce Paris, either. Those are places where you could easily spend a month without running out of things to do and see. I've spent 22 days in London during the last 13 months and am going back next September for another 2 weeks. In addition, you'll probably have really substantial jetlag in London after flying in from Hong Kong. That may not fully resolve itself for several days, so you may not be operating on all cylinders at the beginning of your stay there.

For London, I highly recommend looking at the large slate of walking tours offered by London Walks. The descriptions are annoyingly cutesy/cryptic (to an American, at least), but the walks themselves are very good. They give you a 2-hour introduction to a neighborhood or topic and cost only 10 pounds each (less for seniors). The length of your stay will afford you the opportunity to take advantage of things like that; hit-and-run tourists would not have the time to do so. You can download the Summer 2018 schedule to use for general planning purposes. I'm guessing the Summer 2019 schedule will not be available until next April.

I think your new schedule is going to work well. You're going to have a great trip, but it is a long one, and it is not a good idea to start out at an exhausting pace.

? Add 1 day to Rome and do day trip to Amalfi Coast

It would be a very small minority of people who would consider the Amalfi Coast as a 'day trip' from Rome. Spend at least 2 nights or do not bother.

Thank you for all the advice it has been extremely helpful - now to research where to stay in each place!!!