Italy vs. France

How does a flight cost out for you flying into Paris and out of Rome or vice versa? Maybe you could visit both if you have the time. We did something similar in 2019 and connected the two cities with a very inexpensive one way flight. As far as cost on the ground, it was slightly less expensive to eat in Italian cities vs Paris, transportation was slightly less in Italy and museums/historic sites were about the same.

In general, which has better value in terms of travel, sightseeing,
lodging and food??

Sorry, Gene, but there is no "better". Each can be great or bad, depending on your personal preferences and the places you select. I have to say, those flight prices must be incredible if they are enough to make you completely change your travel plans. If you are now determined to go to France, I'd start with Ricks France guide and look at some of his suggested itineraries.

A better deal on a flight to Paris doesn't do you much good if you actually want to go to Italy. If I were you, I would pick out the place or site that I really really want to see the most, and go to that country. My plans for a 2021 trip to Spain turned into plans for a trip to France, and now I'm planning a trip to Rome and the Amalfi Coast instead.

Lucky for you - there's no wrong answer!

Exactly what CJean said!

But if value is your only consideration, I think it's possible to find good values -- or to spend a lot -- in either country, and in most of the rest of Europe and the entire world for that matter. Yes, some places may require more diligent effort to find those good values, but it's doable.

Also, unless you are planning on purchasing your tickets now, keep in mind that airfares can fluctuate significantly.

I recall reading comments by knowledgeable posters on this forum to the effect that September is the most expensive month of the year for lodging in Paris. Perhaps under current circumstances you could nail down a reservation (a refundable one, of course) that would mitigate the usual September effect. You'd need to cross your fingers and hope the hotel would still be in business next fall, though.

I've spent a lot of time (about 4-1/2 months) in France (not including Paris) in recent years but less time in Italy, though my time in Italy did include Rome and Puglia. I've done some research on Paris for a future trip, and it's my impression Paris hotels are more expensive than Rome hotels. I rather think there's more hotel-cost variation within Italy than in France.
For example, lots of spots in the Amalfi area are expensive; Puglia is relatively cheap, probably cheaper than anywhere you'd be likely to go in France. You can explore lodging costs on booking.com to see how much, if any, difference there is for the type of place you like to stay.

I don't think there's a great difference in restaurant costs, but France has one advantage: French restaurants often offer really good weekday-lunch deals. If you're prepared to have your main meal at mid-day, you can save quite a bit. I haven't noticed lunch specials in Italy; if I'm mistaken about that, I'm sure someone will correct me. I'm a non-drinker, so I have no clue about how wine or liquor prices compare.

Walk-up train fares are generally higher in France. That effect can be reduced substantially by buying tickets way ahead of time, which will save you money on Italy's fast trains as well. With a bit of pre-planning, I think you'll find the cost of trains/buses doesn't vary enough to be a significant deciding factor between the two countries.

Both countries have enough fabulous destinations to keep you busy for a year. If you want a combination of capital city and beach time, that will require more transportation time in France than in Italy, because you're not guaranteed of beach weather in northern France in mid-summer, much less in September.

I originally planned Spring for France and Fall for Italy..
It doesn't look like Spring trip to Europe will happen. I'm still crossing my fingers for Fall.
I know Italy well having visited North Italy before, and I know the layout of each cities and the trenitalia system.
I have no idea about France. It would require so much more due diligence regarding France itinerary.
I don't know how great France is, but I don't think it'll be anything as magical as Italy was...
Even with better flight fares to France, it may be counterfeit with higher train, hotel and food costs.. And the crowd in France is unbearable (I heard.. much more so than Italy).
I still have few more months to decide.. Will let you know..
thank you for your contributions to this thread.

I've been to Italy 4 times and France(mostly Paris) 4 times and I prefer Italy because I love Renaissance art and Italian food.

Gene,

What did you mean by

And the crowd in France is unbearable (I heard.. much more so than Italy).

I have spent extensive time in both countries, and in various parts of both countries.

What kind of crowd do you mean? The crowd in front of the Mona Lisa vs. the crowd in the Vatican Museums?

or do you mean the people at markets, or at the beach? Or do you mean the crowds at football games? Maybe the crowds on Rome buses vs. the crowds on the Paris Métro?

I'm struggling to understand which thing you are concerned about....

I'd like to help

With respect, Gene, it seems like you're asking people to generalize about whole countries without knowing much about your interests, tastes, budget, or preferences. Here is lots of info about France from our host, to get you started on any research you want to do. Guidebooks are also good sources, especially if you can borrow from a library. I wouldn't plan a trip based only on airfare, though a really good fare might affect my route. If nothing about France appeals to you, why go there? If (more likely) France has much that would appeal to you, do some research to figure out an itinerary that suits you. Many on this forum know a lot about particular places and choices, but need specific questions to answer and enough background to make the answers helpful.

EDIT: Also, if you want to know things about France, it would help to post in the "France" forum rather than this one.

Sauces or pasta? You can't go wrong with either choice!

Just agreeing that your question is unanswerable. Suppose someone were to ask you, "I had planned to visit the US, but now I want to visit Canada instead. In general, which has better value in terms of travel, sightseeing, lodging and food??" How would you answer, without getting a LOT more information, and getting into much more detail about where the person is going, what kinds of travel and sightseeing they had in mind, etc.

I can, however, offer one very specific warning. Only Italy is Italy. If you are going to France, you have to approach it on its own terms. If you to to France wanting it will be like Italy, your trip will be a constant series of disappointments and annoyances. So, if you really want to be in Italy, don't go to France just because of a low airfare - you'll just have a miserable time. If, on the other hand, you research France, figure out where you want to go, accept that it will be very different from Italy, can accept the prices you turn up in your research, and get excited about going to France for its own sake then go for it and have a great time.

I agree that this website is one place to start researching. In particular, look at Rick's France videos - some are getting old, but it will give you a taste of whether this is a place you want to learn more about, or whether your just "not feeling France" right now. That's OK - we all have our travel preferences. If you're library's open (mine is for picking up reserved books, but not for browsing), see how many France books you can get, so you get a more rounded impression than just the parts of the country Rick discusses.

Rick's videos are here - scroll down to France: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show

Sorry about being very general regarding France.
It's very hard to be specific when I don't know much about a country..
My original plan was to go to Rome, Naples, Amalfi, Matera and PUglia in the fall. I know the routes and I know the Trenitalia system to take me there.. I even mapped out budget for lodging and transportaton.
As far as France, I don't have the specific knowledge of where to go and what transportation to take to get to specific towns beside Paris.. Maybe there is a specific town routes many France tourist put it in their bucket list??

As for Nigel, only reason I mention the Paris crowd can get unbearable is due to statistic that Paris has over 15M visitors in 2019, almost double the Rome tourists.. Or is the crowd not as noticeable? As Nigel point out, when you have large queue outside the vatican, it may not feel any different than waiting outside the Louvre trying to get tickets for Mona Lisa exhibit...

I don't think France has quite the same well-worn tourist path as Italy's Venice-Florence-Rome-Naples/Amalfi route. It's a much larger country (almost twice as large), and visitors tend to head in different directions when they leave Paris. Among the areas most frequently mentioned on this forum are Normandy (especially the invasion sites and Mont-St-Michel), Alsace, the Loire Valley, Provence, the Riviera and the Dordogne. However, there is much, much more in France.

As in Italy, trains go to a lot of the places you'd probably consider visiting. You can easily check rail fares on the SNCF website once you develop an idea of where you'd like to go. Comparing fares for dates this week vs. mid-December (before the holiday period) will give you an idea of how much you can save by buying tickets way ahead of time, if you're comfortable doing that.

If you're interested in the Loire Valley chateau, tiny villages in Provence or the Dordogne, the wine villages of Alsace, or spending multiple days driving yourself around Normandy invasion sites, you might want to investigate a short-term car rental. I'd call AutoEurope for that. In situations where there's no train service and you need to take a bus, it's probably not necessary even to think about the price. The bus trip will usually be fairly short, and the cost will typically be too low to worry about.

Everyone has their favorite places and countries in Europe. Italy is probably my top favorite. I am something of an ancient history buff and soak it up in Italy. However, France has plenty of great places to visit.

I doubt if the cost of touring one country is more expensive than the other, but large cities like Paris and Rome tend to cost more than smaller cities and towns.

Regarding Italy, you didn't mention Florence and Venice, perhaps you have been there. To me, Rome, Florence and Venice are the big three in Italy. The Naples area is great with Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento and Amalfi Coast, so it ranks high as well.

If you choose to visit France, and haven't been to Paris, you could spend several days in that fair city. Other places to visit are:

1) Normandy--The WWII D-day beaches, Bayeux (don't miss the amazing Tapestry), and more, including Mt. Saint Michel.
2) Loire Valley-- Several amazing Chateau to see. We stayed in Blois.
3) Verdun-- For WWI history it is worth a stop.
4) Alsance-- Strasbourg is great.
5) Provence-- Take the high speed train to Lyon then down the Rhone river, stopping at cities on the way to Arles, Avignon, Aix, Monaco, Nice, St. Paul de Vence, Cannes and more.
6) Bordeaux region of SW France. I haven't been there, but planning a trip. There is more but this is a start.

I can, however, offer one very specific warning. Only Italy is Italy.
If you are going to France, you have to approach it on its own terms.
If you to to France wanting it will be like Italy, your trip will be a
constant series of disappointments and annoyances. So, if you really
want to be in Italy, don't go to France just because of a low airfare
- you'll just have a miserable time.

Wise words from Harold. :O)
Gene, along with being a big fan of Italy, (as am I) it also sounds as if you're working with a comfort-level consideration? You are much more familiar with how Italy "works" whereas France is a Great Unknown to you. At this moment, the task of having to sort where to go, what to do and HOW do it is looking more than a bit daunting to you. I think some of us can sympathize with that feeling as we've been there ourselves. I'll cheerfully admit to a personal loathing for working out the ins-and-outs of foreign transport! Ugh.

But aside from the comfort factor, it doesn't appear as if you're all that jazzed about France to begin with so why keep it on the table? If it's ONLY the price of airfare that's behind the potential change of plan, I'd keep Italy. My goodness, Sept 2021 is nearly a year away so much could happen with fares between now and the months closer to your trip! Even so, a higher-priced air ticket will be well worth the $$ if it's the trip you know you'll joyfully anticipate, and just as joyfully experience?

Editing to add, regarding tourism numbers, Gene, according to a couple of sites Rome saw 15 million visitors in 2018. While fewer in number than Paris - and I'm not sure how those are counted for either city - it's been PLENTY busy. In either case, the bulk of those bodies will be found in and around the top 5 attractions so it's not difficult to find breathing room if you allow enough time to explore less-visited corners.

https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/rome-in-top-spot-as-italys-art-city-tourism-booms.html
https://www.turismoroma.it/en/node/37053

I'm assuming you haven't been to either. If I was advising a friend, I'd choose Italy. There must have been a reason it was your first choice, so go with it. Airfares come and go.

Harold did give you good advice. How long will you have on your trip?

I was in Italy and France for the first time in 1966. On that trip, I preferred Italy and wasn't that impressed with Paris. I could be I was travel weary by then, having been to Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy first.

In the last few years, we've been back to both (my wife was also on the 1966 trip, that's where we fell in love). The funny thing is I've fallen in love with Paris and the French countryside!

Since you've been to Italy before, either go to Tuscany or another region you've not seen or go to France. If you go to France, start and end in Paris and take the train to the countryside. You could train to Tours and rent a car and explore the gorgeous Loire Valley.

Don't worry about the crowds in Paris. I found it less crowded than the hear of the tourist areas in Rome. There's lots more to Paris than the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.

Since you've been to Italy before, either go to Tuscany or another
region you've not seen or go to France.

Based on posting history, I don't think Gene has yet been to Italy. I think he has only researched and developed a detailed plan for a future trip. Gene, true?

Thank you for all your wonderful suggestions.

Hi Kathy, yes I was in North Italy trip in 2018, encompassing Milan, Venice, Florence and Cinque Terres. Best trip of our lives and can’t wait to try the southern end..
Most are right when you stated I am not too enthusiastic about France, but it maybe because of my unfamiliarity.
I like to know more..and my curiosity why Paris is so much more popular than Rome among tourists.
I am a history buff and love the historical cities like Prague, Florence and Rome .more so than relatively rebuilt (at least after WW2) cities like Berlin, Paris etc.

Hi Gene,

I’ve been to Italy numerous times and France four times. Italy has always been my favorite, but this trip in France last year was one of my favorite trips to Europe and now I think they’re a tie. I would gladly repeat it!

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/our-combined-solo-couple-vacation-in-france-2019

Gene
On my first trip to Europe, I flew into Paris and then on to London. Returning to the US I flew from Rome into Paris then home. If your roundtrip flight to Paris was a good deal, my suggestion is to book that part of the trip only for now. You can always change that flight later, if needed, for a fee.
From Paris you could take a train or fly into one location and return to Paris from another area, eliminating the need to backtrack. I have flown within Europe and the cost is minimal.
You would have one major expense locked down. And you would have plenty of time to research where to go once you are there. In a year, many things can change, with covid, and just in general.
Don't limit yourself just because you have get a great deal into one airport.
Happy planning!!!

more so than relatively rebuilt (at least after WW2) cities like Berlin, Paris etc.

Paris was occupied but neither bombed nor destroyed when leaving. Pre-war buildings, some going back quite a long time, are still there.

Berlin, on the other hand, you are correct, was very damaged.

Best trip of our lives and can’t wait to try the southern end.

Ah, apologies, Gene. I'd looked back at your previous posts and it didn't look like you'd yet been. Good to know! Soooo, if you're excited about another rodeo in The Boot, then go for it! France will always be there for another time. As you've already created a your plan for Italy, you're under no pressure to create a NEW plan for a different country in 2021: you'll have well over a year to put together your 2022 or 2023 adventure at your leisure.

...my curiosity why Paris is so much more popular than Rome among
tourists.

Taking a wild guess, based strictly on published numbers showing greater for one than the other, I'd say that it might be because visitors to Italy are more spread out than to France. For instance, if you look at the forums for France on TA, the majority of questions are in regard to Paris, Paris Disney, day trips from Paris to Versailles and Paris-focused queries that have been placed under the France heading. A look at the Italy forum has visitors asking about a wider range of locations: Venice, Florence, the Amalfi Coast, the lake district, Sicily (that one appears to have become quite a popular destination!) etc. Sure, Rome might own a majority too but a smaller one compared to Paris in the France forum. One might deduce that The Boot has more individual destinations of interest to tourists - so they're more spread out - than France but again, that's just a guess. Would be interesting to have the others on this thread offer up their own speculations. :O)

That's not to say that Italy's hotspots haven't been uncomfortably overrun during high and shoulder seasons. 😳

We've spent time in both (a week in Paris; closer to 2 weeks in Rome) and enjoyed both but Rome hit us on a more visceral level, enough to have returned again + is in the plan for another deliciously long stay. Has every traveler loved it like I do? No but that's OK. Spreading the love around to other countries/cities is good thing! :O)

Flights within Europe are so cheap (Ryanair, EasyJet, many others) that my advice for Europe has always been: fly to wherever you get the cheapest flight, and then go where you want from there. If France is the cheapest flight, you can still be in Italy within 2 hours of landing in Paris (or you can stay in Paris for a few days before jetting off to Rome or Naples or wherever you want to go).

Gene, I sure do get that you have loved Italy and kind of have the basic infrastructure under control. BUT, before you went to Italy, it was sort of overwhelming and you didn't know that you would like it. Italy is an amazing country and so is France.

If you want history, France has centuries of it. In Provence in the south of France are many Roman sites, like Arles with its Roman theater, coliseum and the Baths of Constantine and Nimes where Augustus built the Pont du Gard, public baths temples, a forum and more. In the Loire, in addition to all the gorgeous and certainly historic Chateaus, you can also visit Chinon. In 1124 this fortress became the main residence of Henry II, the King of England, and his wife Aliénor (Eleanor) d'Aquitaine until 1189 when the king died. Eleanor (mother of Richard the LionHeart) spent the end of her life in nearby Fontevraud Abbey. Eleanor, her mother and several of her children were educated at Fontevraud and Henry II, his wife, Eleanor, and son, King Richard the Lionheart, were all buried here at the end of the 12th century. Also, Joan of Arc visited Chinon in 1429 to meet with the dauphin, get him to Rheims to be crowned and then on to battle at Orleans and subsequently her death by fire in May, 1431 in Rouen France.
The Loire Valley also allows you to explore the France of the absolute monarchs and their friends and the rather fabulous chateaus of them all.

Paris, has long been the glittering capital of France and its perhaps most glittering time was the age of the Sun King, Louis XIV, who reigned for 72 years starting in 1643 at age 5. The gardens of Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte, the Tuileries, the Champs-Elysees and Versailles were designed by one man during this time. The buildings and spaces of Paris owe a great deal to this historic time.

In Normandy itself you can move from the Bayeux Tapestry, dating to the 11th century an embroidery in wool thread on linen cloth that tells the story Norman conquest of England in the Battle of Hastings to the beaches of Normandy and experience the amazing WWII effort to free Europe.

My point, rather belabored, is that history, dating back to the Romans and extending to WWII is throughout France and quite accessible. Trains and busses provide good access to everywhere. Some research, which we all have lots of time for in these Covid days, will open a whole new wonderful world of travel experiences. And I rather think that is why we travel.

If you’re not interested in France and prefer going to Italy, then go to Italy. As Kathy and others have said above, the airfare will work itself out.

Just as an aside, I live in Paris but felt like the sidewalks in central Rome were much more crowded with tourists than I ever feel walking around here. That is only anecdotal, not scientifically based though !

And no Paris wasn’t destroyed in the war. In fact most people forget that there was even ANYTHING bombed here. Its architectural heritage is one of the reasons it is such a beautiful city.

But again there is no reason to work yourself up into convincing yourself to go to France. Go back to Italy ! There is plenty to see there, all well worth it.

I adore Italy and have been there more than to any other country. But I agree that Rome does feel more crowded than Paris.

I think the reason the answers to your question are all over the map are because there really isn't much difference in terms of budget, travel (ways to get around), food, sightseeing. Obviously France is France and Italy is Italy and they are quite different but in terms of those things mentioned one is not better than the other. Parts of each of them are less expensive so it would depend on where you wanted to go. If you had asked about either France or Italy versus say Sweden or Slovenia then there would be an answer. Sweden is more expensive than either France or Italy. Slovenia is less expensive than either of them. The train system is not as extensive, economical or easy to use in either Sweden or Slovenia than it is in either France or Italy. Both Italy and France are much more well know for their food than either Slovenia or Sweden. But if you are trying to decide BETWEEN France and Italy in terms of expense, ease of getting around and things to see - well they are BOTH very near the top of most people's lists.

In terms of which one you would LIKE more - no one can answer that. I've been to Italy 14 times and France 10 times and I love them BOTH (but if I had to choose one Italy would win but just barely). But that's just me. My daughter definitely would choose France. My husband would definitely chose Italy. My best friend would definitely choose France. See what I mean.

If you really, really want to go to Italy then don't let a better airfare to Italy sway you. But if you are drawn to both, then yeah, I'd go with the one with the better airfare.

In terms of how to plan a trip to France. Well how did you plan the trip you already took to Italy? I'd think it would be the same basic strategy. I usually pick which towns/regions I want to go to by looking at photos. You could start with that. And I suggest you start a separate thread saying you need help planning a trip to France, starting in Paris and tell us length of time and what kinds of places you like and you'll get all kinds of suggestions.

Here's my photos of France: https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/f667172952
Here's Italy: https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/f739967755

Hi Isabel,

The pictures look lovely. It took me a while to look through most of France pictures, and they look amazing.. I feel like I need to go to France as part of my European bucket lists.
Not to hijack this thread to France forum, but did you go from town to town via Train in France?? Are the towns easily accessible via train?
Thank you for your comment and those pictures.

Most of my travel within France has been via train but I have rented a car in certain areas - mostly in Provence and the Dordogne. Those are two areas NOT easily accessed by train. But, for example, I took the train from Paris to Brieve and rented a car there for the Dordogne. Different trip took the train from Paris to Nice and rented the car there for Provence. So it depends on where you are going. Most of France is easily accessed by train but you do need a car in the more rural areas. Same for Italy. For example you mentioned you were considering a trip to Puglia in Italy, that's one area we rented a car for. That's what I meant by saying both Italy and France are fairly similar in terms of getting around. Great train system but not to the rural bits. My most recent trip to France, summer 2019, I took the train from Lyon to Marseille (side trip to Nimes, via train, and Casis via bus) and from Marseille to Dijon. Also did a side trip from Lyon to Perouges via train. So some of those were small rural towns (Casis and Perouges) that were both accessible by public transportation. It's just if you want to visit a lot of small villages in a region it's more efficient to have a car. Not that it can't be done without one, but if you do choose to not have a car it works better to base in a larger town that is a transport hub so to speak and do day trips. And it just takes longer. This is true of both countries.

I m Italian and i ve been in France twenty times in twenty Years,last time in 2013. For me Paris is better than every other Italian town. When i was there i felt great. In France i liked mt. saint Michel, Loira castles (3-4 no More or you are bored) and saint Raphael for swimming, too. So, Paris is the better town but , all Italy is better than all France (for me) . If you have one week holiday only, go to Paris. If you have three weeks, and you have never Been in Italy...Venice Rome Verona Florence Dolomiti Sardinia etc etc are better

I think that italy is the best especially Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast and the islands of the Gulf of Naples.
During September in Paris start to get cold in Campania instead there is still very nice temperature, and the landscapes are amazing.

Thank you to all who have given such wonderful suggestions.Thank you especially the members who suggested I go to both countries..
I did some remapping of my potential trip for Fall 2021. It appears, it is cheaper if I go to Paris for 4 nights, then take 2 hour flight to Italy (2 weeks of Rome, Naples, AMalfi, Matera etc) and then fly to Lisbon for 3 nights and then return home...

That whole itinerary is cheaper than one RT to Rome. Who would've figure that.. Ha..
I may work on that trip little bit more.
Thank you for suggesting that interEuropean trip.. never thought it would be cheaper..

last year, we went to France for two weeks. Three years ago, we visited Italy. I would recommend Italy, if it is your first time visiting Europe. Steves got plenty of videos on visiting Italy.

Gene, your title post reminded me of this cartoon by Italian animator Bruno Bozzetto. As you've been to Italy, I am sure some parts may make you smile.

I am partial to Italy (and Rome). Despite having lived there a few years, I still have 50+ to-be-seen items on my Rome bucket list!. Now, living in the NL, we often train to Paris as it's less than three hours. And Paris is perhaps our favorite city - to visit - in Europe. Certainly, whatever decision you'll make, you will have a great trip.

My suggestion revolves around my initial trips after I relocated to Europe. As an inexperienced traveler in Italy, who wanted to see EVERYTHING, my new Italian friends would constantly implore me, "Piano, piano!" --- basically, slow down! I'd make the same suggestion to you. Regardless of where you go, give yourself plenty of time to experience your destinations, rather than just see them. Based on how difficult this "where to go": decision sounds for you - and your passion for European travel - you'll be back. Good Luck!!!

So the last time we heard from Gene was early November, and they seemed to be leaning toward France. It would be good to know where their thinking is at this point, before more people offer comparisons on France v. Italy.

That said, I cannot resist quoting my adult son, who has spent lots of time in both countries: "The coffee is much better in Italy, the bread is much better in France."

I suppose "them's fightin' ' words" for some here, but I agree. Now ducking my head.

Hi Lola,
Even though I haven’t posted on this thread since Nov, I am reading every recommendations.
Thank you to all who have contributed.

Our initial plan was France in Spring and Italy in Fall. The way pandemic is going, Spring may be a miracle at this point. If we only have Fall for travel, we may extend our trip to 3 weeks and visit Both Paris and then take 2 hour flight to Rome to continue our trip to southern Italy including Amalfi and Puglia.
RnR suggested “piano, piano” but we are so starved for traveling, that may be almost impossible. LOL...
Thank you to Mona for suggesting taking Both Paris and Italy trip together. Flight is only 2 hours and cost is under 90 Euro pp.
Now I have to see where I can sign up for a vaccine...

OK, that sounds good; may be the best of both worlds. Paris plus Italy!

We had Naples and Matera ( and more) on our plan for a trip last March, but of course we could not go. We are waiting re-schedule until we see how the vaccine works out. Currently looking at March 2022.

If you go in the meantime, please let me know how you fare on the coffee versus bread debate.

Hello, Lola

Yes... going to Naples and Matera is on our itinerary as well. Trip is Paris for 3 nights, Rome, Naples, Amalfi, Matera and Puglia.. and return home.. If I take TAP airline, I may take advantage of free stop over at Lisbon to spend 3 nights there as well. I know that's alot, but that's what happens, when we have travel starvation...LOL.. I'll let you know how Naples and Matera turns out...