Travel planning help - 7 weeks Paris to Milan and beyond..!!

Check at your book store for Ricks book on France as well as Italy. It is full of information as get a Michelin map of France and Italy and plan a route of areas you want to see. After Paris- You could do the eastern part of France(Chamonix)mountains, then down to Avignon, Arles,wine,Nice, Ville Franche, Monaco. Fly from Nice to Rome - then train down to Amalfi Coast Sorrento, Positano,Amalfi, Capri Ravello(these will be done by Ferry and bus- day train up to Pompeii. Train to Orvieto, pick up car and do Tuscany - leave car in Siena- Train to Pisa then Cinque Terre-back to Florence - Florence to Venice- Train north to Moutains of Italy Cortina- then Train over to Lake Como then back to Milan.
This is just a rough sketch.
This forum can be very helpful in your planning. I am doing so for May 2010 myself right now. I would suggest that in some areas reservations for next April and May should be made asap as some of the more popular areas fill up fast at the hotels you may want.
You can get a rough idea of train schedules now but they are subject to change next year.
Hope this is some help
Good luck with your planning and have a wonderful honeymoon - You will love Italy.

Thanks Shelley,
I am hanging out for 2010 versions of RS books... Have maps on order. We have been reading Lonely Planet books and this website so far... very useful!
Cant wait to book tickets so I can start on accommodation. Would you recommend booking most in advance or leaving it until we arrive? There is an agriturismo in Tuscany I will book straight away... plus Rome and Paris...
Thanks again :)

Natalie,

Wow, seven weeks for a honeymoon - that's awesome!

To begin with, I'd suggest trying to find a copy of Rick's Europe Through The Back Door, either at a local Library or book store. Since this is your "first time overseas", it will provide you with lots of practical information (including Itinerary planning) that will hopefully make your trip go well.

Your first step will be to make a list of places that you want to visit, and then try to work out a logical order to visit these. Be especially careful to allow adequate travel time between destinations, and don't try to fit too many places in. Don't be too concerned with rail passes or lodgings until you get your list somewhat finalized.

I'd recommend that you pre-book accommodations, as even in April/May things can be busy. You won't be able to see rail schedules until the new year, as these probably won't be posted until then. However, using an "arbitrary date" on the same day of the week that you'll be travelling will provide a good estimate. For longer travel legs, consider budget airlines (however there are some caveats to be aware of).

You might consider starting in Paris and then working south to the Riviera, then to Rome and then work back towards Milan. I flew into Paris and out of Milan a few weeks ago and the process was very easy.

As you're planning to drive in Tuscany, you might want to do a search in this section regarding the dreaded "ZTL zones" so you don't get "nicked" with expensive tickets!

As you're "foodies", if you want recommendations for a great restaurant in Sorrento, let me know.

Congratulations and happy travels!

Hi Ken,

Thank you very much for your help. 7 weeks is a lot but if its our only chance [in the forseeable future] we want to do it well!!

Any restaurant suggestions would be great!

Also we were wondering whether to do Amalfi Coast rather than Cinque Terre... Less touristy perhaps?!

Thanks again!

Why the rush to book your tickets before you've planned your itinerary? Sounds like you're putting the cart before the horse to me. Go ahead and get the RS 2009 books now, at least for France and Italy, and plan accordingly.