Starting to Plan

First you start by doing your own homework -- check out guidebooks from local library, view travel DVDs, read Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, talk with other travelers, watch travel shows on PBS, etc. Go back through this site and read the answers to similar questions. Only you can determine what you would like to see and do and what you can afford. Response space here is very limited so we cannot write a guidebook for you. As you develop specific questions, come back and ask them.

Frank,

These kinds of questions are the beginning of planning a trip on ones own. The first time you went to Italy did you ask friends who had been there before for their opinion? Did they tell you to go away and come back after reading a guide book. Relax, if these questions annoy you don't respond.

Ariana,

Start with the basics and expand from there. I consider the basics to be Rome and Florence, a lot of people would probably include Venice as well. Give your self at least 4 days for Rome and 2, ideally 3, for Florence. From there you can expand to include smaller towns in Tuscany, Cinque Terre, Sorrento/Amalfi coast, etc...

Frank's advice might be a little sharp, but it is right. With a 5 week trip, you can't really expect to get enough suggestions on this forum as to where to stay, what to see, where to eat. That's why guidebooks are written.

As for general advice, you ought to be looking into guidebooks written with the younger traveler in mind such as the "Let's Go!" series or the MTV guides. Also the forums for people reading books like those would probably be better sources of advice once you have more specific questions than a forum like this who's typical reader is probably a (cough) few (cough) years older than you. The Rick Steve book "Europe Thru the Back Door" has many chapters about general travel and planning that would be useful for those of any age, but his country and region guidebooks won't devote as much attention to the nitty-gritty details of where to eat and stay for budget travelers that some other book series would.

Thanks :)

We have a very basic outline of where we want to go Milan --> Portofino/Rapallo --> Florence --> Rome --> Pompeii
Knowing about how long other people have felt was a good amount of time to stay in each place is helpful, and how others experience with transportation was is nice too. We're all under 25 which I believe is the minimum age to rent a car.
At this point though there are four of us with slightly different ideas of where to go so outside input is very helpful.
Things like 'stop and get a picture in Pisa, and then move on'
I would love if anyone has places they ate that they would recommend

Ariana,

I also have a few comments concerning your travel plans....

I'd suggest starting with some Guidebooks, especially Europe Through The Back Door. Check your local Library or book stores and have a look at a variety of books, and hopefully you'll find one that "fits" your travel style. Most here (including me) really like Rick's books.

The most important advice I can offer is not to try and fit too many places into your Itinerary. A time frame of 4-5 weeks is not a long time for travelling Europe, especially since you're covering a fairly large area. You'll probably have to prioritize, so things like stopping to get a photo in Pisa would not be an efficient use of your limited time.

If yo have a PBS station in your area, check the listings to see if Travels In Europe airs in your area. Watching the shows may give you some ideas on places you'd like to visit.

Even if you were able to rent a Car, travel by train will be a faster and more efficient method. The high speed trains such as the TGV in France (travels at 300 kmH!) are fantastic, although these cost a bit more than the slower trains.

Will your trip be limited to Spain, Italy and France or will you consider others? Germany would be another good location to visit.

Using open-jaw flights would be a good idea.

Good luck with your planning!

Ariana, I am too in the process of planning a trip to Europe next year. I went on a Rick Steves tour last September but this time my husband and I will be traveling on our own. I have found searching the Rick Steves and Frommers websites to be very informative. I also went to my local library and checked out a pile of books on the areas we were interested in visiting as well as photographic travel books. Before I traveled last year I read Rick's Art History 101 which was fun, easy read and full of great information. It really enhanced my touring experience. The helpline is a great resource .. I also receive great advice quickly. Enjoy your planning and good luck.

Hi Ariana,
I'll give some general advice, rather than specific locations. I typically travel to a single country for about 3 weeks each time that I go to Europe, and I still only scratch the surface of that country. with 4-5 weeks in 3 countries, you're going to be focusing on the big money spots, which is fine (it gives you a reason to go back!). With this being said, train travel is the way to go. Trains (or buses in some instances) will likley get you you all of the sites that you want to see, and you can do away with the hassle of a car (not fun in big cities or trying to cross borders). I usually try to spend at least 2 nights in a place, so that you can have a full Bed to Bed day there and try to immerse with the locals. However, this might be difficult with 4 25yo who have different opinions of what is cool. The region that you are in should dictate the cuisine choice for you. When in Vernazza, try the anchovies (you'd be surprised), in San Gimignano, go for the boar,in the dordogne: fois gras, etc. The local wine is often the best value, too. I hope that is helps!

I would start the passport application process early... Its nice to have that out of the way if you have not done so already. After doing that, I would sit down with my pals and have each person contribute their top 2 things they would like to do and or see. From there, I would start to make a rough plan and fill in holes where it makes sense.

hi Ariana, if food is your interest, I'd recommend that you and your friends find out as much as you can about the cuisine of each region you want to travel to, and then start working out an itinerary based on whether the food you're most interested in matches your sightseeing 'must sees'. Come to think of it, that was kinda how my friends and I planned our first big trip together. You might have to draft this a few times! As you're young travelers, you're likely to be on a tight budget, right? Which means that dining-out options might be limited, so bear that in mind. Venice, for instance, can be very expensive even for 'older' people. If you're interested in meeting people, you could consider spending a few days in one town, maybe in a B&B where the owner lives in the same house. You'll get to know the neighbourhood that way. Or spend a few days in an agriturismo in Italy. For dining suggestions for budget travelers, I like the Lonely Planet guidebooks (sorry Rick!)

I just found out that a two of my friends are unable to go, despite having the (very vaguely outlined)plan to go since last summer.
Anyways I think now a basic outline is this.
Granada to the Balearic Islands to Barcelona to Paris/Versailles to Milan (possibly a stop to Portofino/Rapallo) to Florence to Rome to Pompeii.

We plan to spend the least time in France and the most in Italy.
I feel like of all the places Milan would be mostly a hub city (we'd fly there from France) and move on. I get the feeling its big on shopping, would people say its a place to stay?
Other than that how long would you stay in places like Florence and Rome? I know we won't be able to cover everything, but to get a broad view of the cities without it being a huge stressful rush

If you are after the cuisine, get a nice Italian cookbook - a coffee table type, pretty one. That will teach you about the different regions and the specialties from each. Then you can match the cuisine to the sites and you should have a great experience!

Ariana,

Spending a few days in Milan is good if you have specific sites to see (the Last Supper, the Duomo, etc.) but not someplace I would spend a lot of time in. There are lots of other great locations, especially as food will be a prime focus of your trip.

Regarding time in each city, I'd spend at least three days in Florence and if you can manage at least five days in Rome. There's LOTS to see in Rome and I find it's important to have enough time to "pace yourselves" (I "over extended" the walking on a previous visit to Rome, and had to see a Doctor!).

Were you planning to spend any time in the Cinque Terre (the area where Pesto was invented)?

Cheers!