We are planning a 2 week trip in July 2012 and were thinking of: Flying to Barcelona (3 nights) taking bus/train to Nice (2 nights) bus/train to Venice (3 nights) bus/train to Milan ( 4 nights). Plan is to see as much as possible without rushing through the vacation, have visited Nice before and loved the Mediterranean coast line.
I'm not sure about bus/train ticket prices or length of the trips between cities. Any suggestions is greatly appreciated.
Posted by
Ontario Canada
651 posts
RF
The itinerary is very aggressive by train or bus. Train from Barcelona is 9 hours to Nice and another 7 to Venice. Maybe a stop in Arles or Avignon on the way and skip Nice - Also consider a stop in Verona before going to Venice. And then again you could fly from Barcelona to Venice and spend a few days on the way back to Milan on the train to explore Padua and Verona. For more train times I use plannerint.b-rail.be very easy site to plan your trip. Depending on what you are interested in doing the days in each sound fine-looks like 12 days + day there and back - don't forget this schedule does not allow for travel time between these cities so some of your time will be eaten up with trains. Enjoy your trip
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
Use www.viamichelin.com to get an idea of how far things are from each other. This will give you driving times, but times by bus or train could be different, especially when you consider waiting time at various stations.
Posted by
Washington, DC
873 posts
I would also agree that this is a fairly aggressive itinerary given how far away your destinations are. First, I'm assuming that you are flying open jaw (into Barcelona and out of Milan). Maybe consider flying between your destination. Use whichbudget.com to help you plan. Be sure to carefully research the exact location of the airports (some are fairly far away from the cities they are named after) and be aware of the various restrictions of these budget airlines (luggage fees, etc.). I did notice that you mentioned that you loved the Mediterranean coastline, but I would skip Nice on this trip maybe? Given your needed travel times, you'll most likely have a day and a half there (if that much even), which doesn't seem worth the expense and trouble. Maybe add some time to Barcelona and take a ferry over to Mallorca and then fly directly from Barcelona area (Palma included) to Venice or Milan (if to Milan, then Venice would be the last leg of your trip).
Good luck and have fun!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32249 posts
I tend to agree with the others that this is a bit "ambitious", even if it is feasible. I'd suggest providing allowance for adequate travel times between cities. Unless you have specific sightseeing plans in Milan, four nights seems too long.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
I would take the time away from Milan in favor of the drive along the Mediterranean sea any day. I also would skip Nice as a stopping point in favor of one of the smaller beach towns along the sea. I have done this drive many times and love it. Although I liked Milan I could easily skip it or just spend a day if you are flying out of there.
Posted by
OP
Dallas, TX
9 posts
Thank you all for the tips, looks like we may have to reconsider and make some changes.
always good to ask.