I am looking for advice on this rough itinerary and if this is reasonably do-able:
1) Fly California to Rome, hopefully do not need to stay overnight (yet) and head straight to Cinque Terra for 4 nights.
2) Train back to Rome and stay 2 nights. (Been there twice before on cruises, never overnight)
3) Fly to Malaga for (hopefully) immediate bus ride (assuming bus is best) to Nerja for 4 nights. I am hoping to eat paella and tapas on or by the beach and experience a "villagey" Spain. (daytrip to Morocco for one of these days, if that is do-able?)
4) Train to Granada (for more of that "exotic, kind of North Africa" feel that I loved in Sevilla) for 3 nights.
5) Train to Madrid (Museum and tapas!) for 3 nights.
Fly home from Madrid.
Any suggestions?
Posted by
LaGrange, Ga, USA
1178 posts
Too much movement...;you will be like a ping pong ball...
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8141 posts
Two previous day trips into Rome on a cruise ship means that you still have so many great tourist sights to see in the city. Rome is worthy of more time than you're allotting. And by spending 4 days in the Cinque Terre, you're missing so many important Northern Italian cities between Venice, Florence and Rome. Italy is so full of culture, art, architecture and food that it's a place that anyone needs to travel properly.
I'll yield to others that have Spain travel experience.
Posted by
OP
Bay Area, CA , usa
89 posts
So maybe I should omit Granada this time? I agree that Italy is amazing. I have been to Florence and Venice (not on cruises) before, and it is one of my favorite countries. Our goal this trip is to hit places that our family (who usually travel with us, but we are solo this time) cannot do due to physical limitations. So Cinque Terra is finally in! And Morocco they definitely would not be up for, so that makes it all the more intriguing for this trip, but I am afraid to commit to more than a night, maybe two there. Madrid seems to be a bustling city, so that's in too! And Toledo looks fascinating as well. So hard to chose!
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Quite an eclectic itinerary, but eminently feasible with 16 nights. Perhaps like this ...
(EDITED)
Fly in to Rome - 3 nights
Train to Cinque Terre - 3 nights
Fly from Pisa or Genoa to Malaga - 1 night
(look for flight connection in Rome, Barcelona or Madrid)
Bus to Nerja - 3 nights
Train to Granada - 3 nights
Train to Madrid - 3 nights (take a night from Granada if you wish to include a day to Toledo)
Fly out of Madrid
Posted by
OP
Bay Area, CA , usa
89 posts
I love it! Now I will put some work into those transportation arrangements precisely.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Travel from CT to Nerja in one day is perhaps too much.
Best to overnight in Malaga, as edited above.