Paris/Rhine/Amsterdam Itinerary question

Allison, Have you already purchased air tickets into Frankfurt? My suggestion would be to rearrange your Itinerary to follow a more efficient and logical route. You could (for example), consider something like this.... > Flight to Amsterdam > Amsterdam, touring > Train Amsterdam to Paris (3H:16M, direct) > Paris, touring > Train to Bacharach (time 5H:29M using a departure at 08:01, arriving 13:30, 2 changes at Köln and Koblenz) > Bacharach, touring & day trip to Burg Eltz (were you planning to hike to the Castle from the station in Moselkern? Local transportation to the Castle is somewhat "limited". Taxi is a possibility but it's expensive. If you'd prefer a Taxi, disembark in Löf rather than Moselkern). > Travel to Venice. I'd have to check flight options. One method you could consider is making an intermediate stop for one night. Munich would make a good location (2 nights would be better), as train from Bacharach to Munich is as short as 4H:41M. Munich to Venice via day train will be about 7H:09M with 1 change at Verona. There's also a direct train (Dep. 11:31, Arv. 18:10) with travel time of 6H:39M. > Venice, touring > Train to Rome (time 3H:40M, direct) > Depart FCO for flight home There are numerous ways this could be arranged, and this is only one suggestion. Good luck with your planning!

Hi Allison. I think you're putting too much emphasis on days of week for Paris. Since you are planning several days there, you can do other things on days certain museums are closed. Suggest you design your itinerary on logical order / ease / convenience / cost. Enjoy your trip!

I like Ken's suggested itinerary very much, as it avoids backtracking and shortens your transit between destinations. And I agree that being in Paris on Monday and Tuesday is not a problem. Many sights close for one of those days, but then are open the other day. And many are available every day. Unless you have a wish list particularly heavy on sights that are closing on one of those days, don't worry that you'll run out of things to do on a Monday or Tuesday.

Allison: My family has done the Amsterdam-Rhine Valley-Munich-Innsbruck-Venice trip twice by automobile in 2 weeks, and we were pushing it. Taking in both Paris and Rome is spreading yourself quite thin. Italy is a trip to itself, and Rome alone is a one week city. There is just so much culture, art and architecture in between these great cities that you'll be missing. Europe is much better if taken a little slower. Otherwise, the teenagers' trip may just be a big blur. You might get better advice if you let us know how long you have to spend. Note: I've stayed twice in Bacharach, and it's just a little quiet town about 300 yards long. It may be a little boring for teens watching the tour boats go by on the Rhine. It's a 1 night destination.

"I'm looking at flying into Amsterdam (2 nights), and then Paris for Tues-Friday." - then the Rhine, Venice and Rome, right? Bacharach is what's kinking up your travel time. Since you're headed for Burg Eltz, I'd suggest Cochem instead. 1. Cochem (on the Mosel River) is about 4 hours from Paris vs. 5.5 hours to get to Bacharach. 2. Cochem is more attractive than Bacharach, IMO, and has more to do. 3. Moselkern (Burg Eltz stop) is only 17 minutes from Cochem (Bacharach means 1.5-2.0 hours each way to Moselkern.)
4. It makes good sense to fly from Frankfurt HAHN airport to Venice. Hahn is 1 hr. 20 min. by shuttle bus from Cochem. But from Bacharach it takes over 2 hours (Bacharach to CGN airport is also 2+ hours.) In Cochem, you can also visit Reichsburg Castle. There's a great falconry show there 4 times daily - see photos: http://www.falknerei-reichsburg-cochem.de/fotobuch.htm

Thanks so much for all the input and answering my primaary question. I won't worry over which days we are in Paris since we have 4. My kids have listed seeing the Effiel Tower, the Orsay and picnicing as their must do. Love your ideas, Ken. We would like to go to Munich next time, but ruled out on this trip in favor of more time in Italy. This is why we are flying to Venice, rather than the train. With this itinerary we have a week left for Rome, so we can do day trips from there if desired. I like the Cochem suggestion as a way to see the Berg Eltz and spend some time along a river without going all the way back to Bachrach. Perhaps Amsterdam/Cochem/Paris, then Venice? Our family enjoys sleepy towns with biking and picnicing, which is our aim for those 3 days. We will have plenty of big city time on this trip. Thanks again for all the ideas!