From experience, I've usually traveled to only one country/one region on a trip. This time, I'm tentatively planning 2 countries/multiple regions. I'd love to hear advice and thoughts on whether or not you loved it or wouldn't do it again. My plan is 7 days in Italy (Rome and Tuscany) and 9 days in southern France (Nice, St. Remy, Lyon, Paris to fly home). My husband commented this morning that it sounds like too much moving around.
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7886 posts
Hi Heather, regardless of the number of countries, it becomes the total amount of time you would be spending on trains. (If you’re thinking of driving, it’s expensive to take a car into a different country.)
Look up each route and count the number of hours; this should include round-trip day-trips, also. When I am traveling solo, my goal is to have an average of less than an hour /day. If my husband is traveling with me, we reduce that down further.
Since your husband commented that it’s too much moving around, it would be good to look at some modifications. It’s easy to add more activities in a city, but it’s difficult dynamics if someone in your group is feeling over-rushed before the trip even begins.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5498 posts
I will side with your husband. It looks like you will spend at least at least a half day each on 5 days of your trip on transportation between places. But Tuscany is a big region. Where in Tuscany? One place with day trips, or multiple stays in different towns? And how are you getting from Tuscany to Nice? Renting a car for part of each region? How many of your 16 days will be spent in a car or train? Not meaning to stomp all over your plans, just trying to figure logistics.
How many days and nights are allocated to Paris and Lyon? Could you consider dropping them and returning home from Nice or Marseille?
Posted by
OP
California, U.S.A.
34 posts
Thank you Jean and CJean. We will actually have 16 days on this trip and my husband just suggested we extend it by 3 more days. I like the idea of skipping Lyon and Paris though and flying home from Nice. We’ve been up Paris several times before so we could concentrate this trip on Italy and southern France. We’ve never been to Italy though so this will be the first time in Rome and Tuscany. We’ve planned to make Florence our base and plan trips to San Gimignano and Montepulciano (from suggestions we’ve gotten from friends). Then we’ll take the train up to Milan for one night then up to Nice. It’s a special trip to celebrate my retirement from 35 years of teaching! I’m retiring in June.
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7886 posts
Congratulations on your upcoming retirement!
I would suggest adding your three extra days to Italy since you haven’t been there previously. Rome and Florence are both great locations. May I suggest that you stay two nights in a smaller town for two of those three extra nights? There is a charming quality to the smaller towns in the evening that’s very special & memorable! Since you mentioned Montepulciano, you could stay there two nights and enjoy exploring the Val d’Orcia towns during the day. Or, for an exciting local experience, the jousting festival at Arezzo is Sunday, June 22.
Posted by
OP
California, U.S.A.
34 posts
Thank you Jean! I'm so excited! One of my students was in Italy last week and brought me a beautiful painted ceramic bell with lemons on it and bordered in blue; so pretty! And she also brought me Italian dark chocolate with raspberries that is so delicious.
We are revamping our trip to spend more time in Italy and then move up to southern France only and skip Paris this time.