New Traveler - Need Advice on Last Minute Trip Planning

Hi Michelle, can you give us some ideas of what you would like to do while you’re there (don’t mention cities on this answer)? I could easily recommend some towns around Milan or Rome that would be less expensive for lodging, but I need to have an idea of what would make a nice trip for you.

Train is definitely the cheapest option & also extremely easy.

Hi Michelle -
As well, could you tell us if your July 12 - July 18th window include your travel days, such as flying out on July 12/back on July 18th? It makes a pretty big difference as far as what you can do realistically.

Editing to add: You've previously been to Scotland so are not completely new to travel outside of the US (or Canada, if that's your home country), right?
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/need-help-figuring-train-travel-from-london-to-edinburgh

Editing again: I would NOT advise a camper van or even a car. They're essentially useless in European cities.

How are you with heat? For myself Rome or Milan would be too hot for me. Paris might be too hot but I can get around better there and be assured of a hotel with AC.

Jean is one of your go-to gals for Italy (and so is Kate!). I (along with many on the forum) is/are your go-to for Paris, lol!!

Do you enjoy museums, churches, gardens? Give a little more so we can do recommendations.

That is a remarkably low airfare for travel from anywhere in the US (assuming that’s where you’re coming from) to Europe this summer. Better decide and book ASAP before it disappears. This is a very short trip. If July 12 is your departure date and July 18 your return, you only have four full days in Europe. Pick one city, I suggest Rome, and spend your time seeing that one properly, with perhaps a day trip or two. The last thing on earth you should do as a novice single traveler to Europe on a trip like this is rent a car of any kind, let alone a camper van. Do any traveling outside your base city by train. Get started as soon as you book air ticket on accommodation and trying to get tix to popular sights. It’s late to be doing this for next month but there’s always some place to stay in a big city like Rome, and plenty to do even if you aren’t able to book some things such as Colosseum or Vatican museum (Sistine chapel). It’s free to look at the outside of the Colosseum any time, and lots of other good museums and churches in addition to Vatican.

Welcome to the Forum. You can order the Rick Steves Italy Guidebook (and most other guidebooks, in an e-Version for your tech (Kindle, iPad, iPad mini, etc) so you can have it in hand almost immediately and can carry it with you easily.

Can you fly into one city and out of the other at the same price? If so then you can hit two places easily. Perhaps into Rome on July 12 (13 on arrival?), stay 2 nights (13, 14) and take the train to Milan for the nights of the 15, 16, and 17 and fly out on the 18th? Or fly into Rome, take the train to Florence and fly out of Florence (with a connection of course to get to the US)?

1) It will be hot and high-tourist season everywhere so very crowded, but you'll never be lonely.
2) Trains are the way to go, frequent, reasonably priced, bookable on line or in the app, and you can't park in town near most hotels anyway.
3) The Man in Seat 61 website has great information on train travel in Europe, as do Rick Steve's guidebooks.
4) Given the short time best get onto Booking.com or some other booking site to check out what accommodations are available in the places/dates you need. You can always find a place, but not necessarily at a price with which you may be comfortable.
5) Rick's guidebooks have reasonable hotel lists, but many are very popular so may not be available. But, his hotel lists give an idea about the best areas. I like the Hotel Oceana in Rome and the Loggiata dei serviti in Florence. Others on the Forum have their preferences too so visit various websites and various trip reports on this Forum and find a place with costs and availability you can manage.

I know it goes against the grain to plan to do nothing but sit on a square and have a Spritz while watching humanity swarm around you, but I highly recommend taking the time to just enjoy "being" rather than "going."

With just a week I would not rent a car. Trains go most everywhere and are reasonable. Consider spending most of your time in Rome. It is an incredible city with many great neighborhoods. People often recommend looking for lodging in one of the many Catholic church options. They do have no frill, but reasonable single rooms. I can’t remember the exact name for the search.
You could then do day trips to places like Naples or Orvieto.

Once you decide on itinerary let us know and we can help with lodging, transportation etc

Monastery and convent stays are budget friendly and quite nice
www.monasterystays.com