Home base for CT plus other questions

Owen, i think Genoa is too far, there is a hostel in Manarola one of the 5terra villages. I think a day trip to Pisa is doable, train will be around 2 hours each way. If you have 2 full days for 5terra plus a day trip to Pisa it would be enough, if you want to relax and go to the beach you could add another one. In August it should be quite busy, we were there in September and it was packed. For Interlaken, if you did not make reservations yet, i would spend my time in the Lauterbrunnen valley instead, there is a good hostel in Lauterbrunnen, it is called the Valley hostel, we really liked it, have a good trip!

Thanks for the info! I was recommended La Spezzia as a base too. I just want to be able to be close enough to be at CT within an hr if possible, and have a comfortable trip to Pisa that's not rushed.

Right now I have my arrival day in CT, plus 2 other nights which includes the Pisa day. Looks like I need to shave off a day in Interlaken and put it in CT. No big deal since I was there last summer for 3 nights. Stayed at Balmers Hostel which was awesome. They did a Canada's day celebration and took a hostel wide pic of everyone in their courtyard. One of the best memories of the trip last year.

I was also told the transportation connections through Italy, South of France and Spain are slow. I checked out the schedule in my Eurail pass from last summer and the travel times seemed reasonable. I'm staying in CT, Nice, and then Barcelona (1 night in Montpelier to break up the Nice-Barc stretch). Have the trip times changed? They were 3-4 hrs or so?

And new question - advice to include Venice at the expense of Granada, Spain?? Any thoughts on this? I'm not an artsy fartsy dude, so it would be for 2 nights only. And I would go after Interlaken, and then to CT after Venice.

Thanks again for the info. August can't come soon enough

Owen....after reading the two concurrent threads you have going, you seem to be rather unsettled on exactly where it is you want to go, and what it is you want to do. Trading off one destination for another is really only a decision you can make based on your personal likes and dislikes. Maybe you should spend some time with a good travel book, like Ricks or Fodors, and see what appeals to you about these destinations, then make some choices based on the time you have available.
It'll have to be done quickly though....August is an extraordinarily busy travel month across Europe, with both locals and foreigners taking their holidays.

Genoa is an industrial city and port. I sugg you stay in Hostel in CT.

Owen: You asked about August, you probably want to read twice what Norm said: "August is an extraordinarily busy travel month across Europe, with both locals and foreigners taking their holidays."