Please Help! Not sure if this itinerary is possible.

For each of your questions, in order:

Yes. No. Maybe. Yes (unless you cut Paris instead). No.

For me, I would probably cut Paris and make it an Italy-only trip. However, you have alloted enough days (IMO) to Paris that if you really want to go there, you can fit it in. However, it's generally cheaper to stay to one country and night trains aren't exactly cheap or restful.

2 nights in Venice looks about right. But you only have about a day planned for Florence by the time you get there, find the hotel, check in, etc. I think Florence really deserves 2 or 3 days.

One day in the Cinque Terre seems a little pointless to me, not to mention it's in the wrong direction (north of Siena and Rome). If you cut Paris and made it an Italy-only trip, I could see doing this, but otherwise, I'd leave CT out.

You're definitely shorting yourself on Rome. Again, by the time you get off the train, assuming it was on time, find your hotel, unpack, etc. that first night doesn't leave you a lot of time. And 2 full days is barely enough to scratch the surface of Rome, 3-5 would be better (again IMO).

I think Cinque Terre deserves more than a day. It's more of a relaxation getaway than an in-and-out destination. Maybe skip CT and either add a day to some place like Siena or, if you want the small-town relaxed feeling the CT offers, maybe spend a night in Verona instead? It's closer to your other destinations (maybe an hour from Venice) and offers Italian culture at its best, a long with some nice historical and Shakespearean sights. It's busy during the day but probably less tourists than main CT after the last train goes through for the night.

My suggestion would be to eliminate both the CT and Pisa and go from Siena to Rome. I would suggest one more night in Florence and one more night in Rome. I realize that everything you have listed is a "must see" site but you really have a squeezed agenda after Day 8. The CT and Pisa are geographically off the the NW of Florence and you'll lose about 6.0hrs of train travel time on a round trip to and from the areas.

Hi Misty,

Thanks for providing such a clear, detailed question! I think that's a fabulous itinerary, but I am admittedly a fast-moving traveler. I think your days in Paris, Venice and Florence are nicely allotted.

The Siena/Cinque Terre/Pisa part is pretty packed, but it's doable. One thing you might consider, just to reduce the number of times you have to pack and unpack, is doing Siena as a daytrip from Florence. You could do it independently, or there are tons of tour companies that run buses from Florence to Siena in the morning, returning in the evening in time for a train to CT. (Of course, ignore that suggestion if you want to spend the night in Siena!) I think 2 nights and one full day in CT is a good minimum stay. I think no matter how long people stay in CT, they feel like it isn't enough time and want to return.

Rome in 2 days is definitely a crunch. We did 2.5 days in Rome last year, and I wish we had one more day. If you can spare a day elsewhere, it would make Rome much more enjoyable, but if you can't, two days will allow you to at least see the major sights. You'll need to plan carefully and get to sights at the times guidebooks suggest in order to avoid wasting your two days standing in line.

If you tend to get a little bored after a day or two in one city and you don't mind being on the go a lot, then IMHO this is a great itinerary!

Well with the cities you've picked and the time you've alloted there is no chance that things will be a blur or be boring. I personally would only do the 3 biggies: Paris, Venice, Rome -- 2-3 days in each will not be nearly enough to scratch the surface.

I love Paris and would scratch CT. You can leave Pisa as daytrip from Florence depending on how you feel about Florence. Suggest you consider Florence Accademia. It's a short (1 hr) visit but David is not to be missed. Even my husband who's usually not keen on museums was awed. Devote more time to Rome.

Just throwing out an alternative. On day 8 go to Florence and stay for 4 days making one a day trip to Siena via the Sita bus and one making a day trip to Pisa. From Florence, on day 11 take an early train to Rome and have 4 nights in Rome. This will give you time to actually see and experience your trip rather than constantly packing and checking in and out of hotels. CT is lovely--- but you are burning a LOT of time to get to and from there for such a short stay.You could also cut out Paris, fly into Venice or Milan and work your way down to Rome then fly out of Rome.

misty,

Your proposed Itinerary looks reasonably good, but I have a few suggestions.

• Paris: 3 days should be adequate but plan your sightseeing well so that you don't waste ANY time. If you're planning to visit the Museums, a Paris Museum Pass (2-day) would be a REALLY good idea.

• Paris to Venice: I'd suggest using a budget flight for this leg, rather than a night train. That's a LONG trip and if there are any "changes" during the night, you won't get much sleep.

• I'd highly recommend dropping Pisa (and possibly one other stop). For such a short trip, the time is better spent elsewhere.

• You might consider using the route Venice - C.T. - Florence - Siena - Rome. It means a bit longer travel time on the Venice-La Spezia link, but simplifies the others. For the trip from Florence to Siena, you might consider using the Bus, as it drops passengers right in the centre of town rather than at the bottom of the hill (as I recall, it's about a two hour trip by Bus).

• Also plan your touring very carefully in Rome, as you have such a short time there. I'd suggest packing along a copy of the Italy 2009 Guidebook, as it's great reference for Museum opening & closing times, transportation, etc.

• Especially in Rome and Florence, BE SURE to wear a Money Belt and be vigilant!

• Again, given the very short time frame of this trip, I'd suggest pre-booking accommodations so that you don't waste any time. What time of year will you be travelling? Where are you planning to stay in Rome?

• Be sure to allow adequate travel time between destinations. It's a good idea to have a bit of flexibility for "unexpected delays".

Good luck with your planning!