We are planning a two week Europe trip starting first week of August 2013. Following is a rough draft by each night. We are flying from and to San Francisco. Number is parenthesis indicate full days. 1, 2, 3, 4 : Barcelona (3) 5, 6, 7 : Venice (2) 8, 9, 10, 11 : Bernese Oberland (3) 12, 13, 14, 15 : Paris (3) Background information: 1) We are family of 4 - Parents and two teenagers. 2) Not including London and Rome as already seen. Returning to Paris so feel 4 nights is probably enough. 3) Want to emphasize culture, markets, food, streets and neighborhood over museums etc. Our fondest memories from previous trips are sitting, eating and people watching in various Piazzas in Rome and grocery shopping in Paris for our rental apartment. 4) Thinking of taking trains between these four cities. Planning to purchase point to point tickets. I would appreciate any comments on: 1) General itinerary 3) Direction(clockwise or anti clockwise)? 4) Any idyllic places in the country to stop between these four hubs? For example between Paris and BO, or between Venice and BO? I understand this might cut time from the hub city but curious if there is anything compelling along the way to make a stop. Thanks
Inder
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17427 posts
The Bernese Oberland is itself an idyllic place in the country. It fits between Venice and Paris if you are traveling by train, and if you stop anywhere along the way it will take away time from this beautiful place. Stay up in th emountains at Mürren or Wengen, not in th etown of Interlaken, for the best experience. As for the order of travel, it is really hared to connect Barcelona to the others. Maybe a night train to Paris, but that is not ideal. There may be daytime service by TGV at some point, but I wouldn't count on that. Also, If you end at Venice, you will find that reasonable flights out of there to the West Coast of the US generally leave very early in the morning, causing problems for some people. (By "reasonable" flights I mean ones taking less than 18-20 hours and having only one stop). With those considerations in mind, I suggest you start in Barcelona, fly to Venice, and then take the train from there into Switzerland and then on to Paris. Fly home from Paris.
Posted by
Denver
799 posts
You will be travelling in those areas at their warmest times of year, in places that don't always have AC. Check temperatures, and make sure your group is ok with them - especially Barcelona. Also keep in mind that time of year is prime vacation time for Europeans, as well. Note that the Bernese Oberland is a region, not a city. Your destinations are not so close to each other. To save your limited vacation time for experiencing places rather than travelling between them, you may want to take cheap inter-European flights instead of the train. There are hundreds of idyllic places in the countryside between your four hubs. You could spend months in between. You may want to decide if you want an all-city (or mostly all-city, given the Bernese Oberland) trip, and include those 4 destinations, or cut to two locations but include some countryside locations, as well. For example, we took our young-teen son on a two-week trip that began in Barcelona, spent a day in Figueres (the Dali Museum), then on to the Languedoc region in France (google "Cathar castles"). Then settled in the Dordogne for a bit, more castles and prehistoric caves. Took the train to Paris, where we spent time before heading back home. It was a great combination (for us) of city, city culture and countryside, with wonderful culture of its own.
Posted by
Bainbridge Island
3287 posts
Actually Venice will most likely be the hottest of those places. Curious why you picked these four? Mthen are far apart and younwillmspend quite a bit of time getting from one to another. That will occupy three days of your two-week trip.