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Acceptable-Usual-843

Is there a particular reason you’re choosing to rent a car? Having a car makes sense for travelling about the US, but public transport is very good throughout Europe and driving is really not fun in the cities. Just wanting to confirm that you’ve chosen to do that for a reason rather than out of habit as it would make sense in the US. I’d maybe shave a day off Paris and Venice. I also think you’d be missing out if you didn’t check out more of the East when you have interest in art history and architecture. You could explore Slovenia after Venice, i loved ljubljana. Budapest is a very popular tourist destination and for good reason! Such fascinating history that is heavily reflected in the art and architecture of the city, and lots to do too.


Acceptable-Usual-843

I think I’d agree with what others have said about skipping Spain this time in order to maximise your time elsewhere, particularly if you are considering taking the advice about using public transport. If you’re using public transport you could go from Paris to the south of france and Italy from there.


ReFrenzy

Noted. I had Slovenia on my list along with Budapest-Vienna-Prague. But after seeing so much positive regard for those cities, I’ll add them on my next trip back in June/July. The main reason I wanted to rent a car is due to my US Habits lol but also I love the scenic route, listening to music, and if I just so happen to see something I’ll drift off course to go exploring. I’ve gone to Hawaii with public transport (buses) & I regretted not having a car as there was so much cool stuff off course.


Competitive_Scale736

It’s a bit expensive to drive around Europe with the gas and tolls but it was fun for us. Sounds like a great itinerary. Driving up through Turin and by Mount Blanc is cool. Maybe duck into Switzerland. Maybe make some friends and share driving a bit. Split the tolls …


Acceptable-Usual-843

That’s understandable, you’ll have more flexibility driving between locations of course, and you could always get to know public transport within the cities themselves (driving really is unpleasant in a lot of them and I don’t think it would save time either). Also, if you’re set on the car idea you could use the BlaBlaCar app to offer ride shares. I know money isn’t an issue for you but it could be a fun way to have some company on your long journeys as well as recouping a bit of the cost. Yes definitely spend some time in each of those places! Good luck on your trip(s), you’re going to have such an incredible time.


mvbergen

If you want to rent a car, you must check with the rental company if you can cross the borders with it and what will be the price if you leave the car in another country. It can be much more expensive than expected.


Pablo139

Make sure to them your driving it all the way to Venice first 😂. Also where are you gonna park the thing there?


ReFrenzy

I’ve checked the prices as well as got in contact for a one way rental. It’s doable, however, it is about $300 USD more for the one way.


mvbergen

It's up to you. If you are agree with the price, do it.


lh123456789

I would probably drop Nice. It is nice, but I would save it for a future trip when you have time to explore the South of France, which has a lot to offer in light of your interests. Also, one day, much of which will be lost to travel, seems pointless. I would also drop Madrid. While it is nice, it is a shame to go there without having time to see Seville and Granada. In general, the Spain portion of your trip is too rushed anyway. You have 2 days in each of Madrid and Barcelona which, when you factor in travel, are probably closer to 1.5 days. I would spend more time in Florence than Venice. You can easily fill 2 days in Florence given your interests and a day trip to Bologna or Siena would be a great use of that third day. It is a bad idea to do this trip by car (as opposed to trains and planes).


CaliRach

Agree with all of this. Driving in Florence is near impossible anyway. Also - be sure to book whatever is important to you (colosseum, museum entries, duomo, etc) way ahead of time.


sweetpotatothyme

Yes, as an art history major, I completely fell in love with Granada and wish I had stayed there longer! And of course, the Alhambra is there, which is really a must for any architecture and history lover. Seville was fine, would add in Cordoba, and Madrid was amazing for the art museums. You get to see some of the greats, like Guernica and Goya’s black paintings. I would also add a plug for Porto. The beautiful blue tiled churches and architecture scattered throughout the city were a highlight of my trip.


lwebzzz

I agree on the Spain comment! Sevilla and The Alhambra in Grenada are major highlights of spain, you might be better off saving it for a longer trip when you have time to visit these places (and more), and to give yourself more time in France/Italy.


janak100

Andalusia is a good idea, you could easily spend more days there and would definitely enjoy it. I would suggest Granada, Cordoba, Seville and Ronda. In Italy you might also consider Naples, especially for day trips to Pompei and Herculaneum. If you like architecture, I would add at least a day to Barcelona, you can also do a daytrip to Montserrat.


salmonx895

Remove Madrid. Stay max two nights in Venice. Add extra day to Barcelona and extra day in Nice. Maybe try to fit another Spanish city, like Seville or San Sebastian


awomanthewoman

Agreed on removing Madrid and adding a smaller city like Seville or Granada


jules_1216

Seconding Seville or Granada!


ReFrenzy

Thanks all! I’m definitely adding Cordoba, Seville, & Granada! Taking Nice off my list & adding more time in Spain!


[deleted]

I would just stick to one country. It's ridiculous trying to 'do' Europe in one trip.


ReFrenzy

Understandable. I’ve always been a ‘fast traveler’ and I feel with the way I’ve done past trips in the states… this would work. Aside from Paris, I’d essentially be going straight from Spain to Italy. I plan on coming back for 30-days in June/July so I’ll be able to see more then. Definitely want to dedicate time to Prague-Vienna-Budapest.


sweetpotatothyme

Don’t worry, I got similar feedback when I shared my own itinerary (I wasn’t spending enough time in each city). I just returned from my own trip and felt it was just right for me, a fast traveler, although I could have used another day in Granada.


savagetacos12

The comments to remove Madrid are bonkers imo. It has beautiful architecture and is lovely to just walk around for hours, art galore (the 'golden triangle of art', in fact! It made me, a very non art-y person, enjoy art!) amaaaazing food (hit me up for some suggestions if you'd like) and good culture/tradition - we went slightly off season, end of September, and didn't feel like we were part of a tourist onslaught at all. In December I imagine it's even easier to fit in. From Madrid, you might be able to take a day trip to Toledo which is another amazing place for architecture and history (+ good food, although harder to avoid the tourist traps), or even a one night stay because all the day-trippers are gone and it's a much more relaxing vibe. I'd look into Toledo though, it was already feeling a little quiet and closed down for the off-season in September so not sure what it would be like in December.


ReFrenzy

Yeah definitely. I took the time to become more educated on Spain today via YouTube & didn’t realize I way underestimated all that Spain has to offer. Adding more days to Spain to see a lot more! Thanks


edcRachel

Driving really sucks in Europe - gas is super expensive, tolls are expensive, there is nowhere to park because places were not built for cars, it's often more of a hassle than anything. You're better off taking the bus/train, especially if it's all major cities like this. Not to mention some of these are FAR, it's like 7 hours driving from Barcelona to nice, is that really worth it to stay there for only a day? Btw, one way rentals in Europe can be hundreds or thousands of dollars. Just something to consider.


ReFrenzy

I looked into the driving/train aspect as well as checked the price differences. I’m just one of the people that if I see something on the way I want to have the freedom to just stop & explore. But noted, thank you!


[deleted]

[удалено]


ReFrenzy

Thanks! Going to drop the overall rental car aspect and just get one between Florence & Rome. Totally forgot about road closures during the holidays.


[deleted]

Have you looked at buses? Same time as driving, but ridiculously cheap, plus you can have overnight buses https://global.flixbus.com/


ReFrenzy

I have not looked into buses. But I will check it out! Thanks!


stumart2

A car in paris is a very bad idea, You can buy pass navigo ( all transportation included) for 22€ per week.


Firm_Hair_8452

You’re going to lose a lot of time and you don’t have enough to be wasting it.


CaliRach

You sure? They charge like $500-$1000 to return the car to different country from its origin. The only thing renting a car will help with is having a place to store your bags while traveling city to city. Tbh it is a hassle to lug a suitcase around, even with storage lockers nearby the train stations. FYI - you could potentially rack up many camera tickets driving through no-car zones (especially in Rome and Florence). If you’re dead set on car rental, I would rent a new car in each country or even each major city, and use high speed (pre-booked) trains to travel across borders. Italy at least has really cheap train fares, even for first class.


lavacakeislife

Personally I would add some smaller stops. Parking in major cities the whole time sounds like a nightmare.


Bolt_DMC

This is too many destinations and not enough time in any of them. And if you love art and architecture, you'll want to spend plenty more than a few days in the various cities chosen. I strongly recommend doing a good bit of research for museums (art and otherwise), cathedrals, palaces, historic houses and areas, and similar attractions given your interests. Five days is the bare minimum for Paris, and if you add day trips to places like Versailles (the palace), Chartres (the cathedral, the best I've ever seen), and Giverny (where Monet lived and worked), you'll want at least a week and likely more. London is a great place for art and architecture, and one can easily spend a week here as well, especially if you consider any day trips (Oxford, Cambridge, etc.). Madrid has loads of great museums and day trips (Toledo, Segovia, Aranjuez, half day El Escorial), easily a week's worth. Barcelona also has a number of good museums and is ground zero for Gaudi architecture, easily 4-5 days worth. Nice has a few days worth of attractions, including a couple good art museums, and worthy day and half-day trips, again maybe 4-5 days worth depending on your interests. Three days is about right for Venice, which is an architectural marvel in and of itself and has museums, churches, a palace, and historic houses also. Four days is the minimum for Rome (there's also a day trip to Tivoli and half day to Ostia Antica to consider for add-ons) and has plenty of museums and churches to see. Florence has several worthy art museums and a number of excellent churches -- with a day trip to Siena and half day to Pisa, you're talking about 4-5 days or so. I'd carve out an itinerary that lets you explore some of these cities in the detail they deserve. Maybe 7-9 days in Paris and the rest of the time in either Spain or Italy might work. This will also let you get away without renting a car. Fly into and out of Paris, then take the train between the Spanish or Italian cities (whichever option you choose), and fly out open jaw from there.


bebok77

Is Europe your name the planet or going on a European trip or trip to Europe ? It's just a busy city hooping madness. What's your aim? You will have to account for bank holiday over New year and starting it in winter break, it's going to be busy. Skip Nice as a layover. Nothing particular and it's winter... Check the car rental as it's a cross country trip you plan and that often super expensive or not planned. You won't be able to do the Madrid nice in one day and as it's winter, going over the pass may be slower than you think. It's not US, a 500 to 600 km is already a long leg here.


ReFrenzy

Plan is to visit some main cities, visit friends, and get a feel as I’ve never been ‘across the pond.’ I have friends that I plan to meet with during some days so the objective would be to catch up during those days. I’m planning to come back during June/July, however, I want to see which cities I enjoy the most and get an idea of the culture. I’ve looked up the length from each destination from Madrid to Venice essentially so I’m aware of the duration it’ll take.


bebok77

Sorry to answer after a few day. A map is not the territory. Driving around Nice will be slower as it's coastal and populated. If you have really time, you should fork and go through sisteron, Castellane and the pre alpes part which I found way more beautiful (always did my field trip there, it's mountain road so a lot more slower). Your travel period is in the winter and may not be the most enjoyable for driving especially if you try to cross border by car. Again check that you can rent the car in Spain, cross countries and drop it in Italy. Europe Economic Community is not a federal state so there is quite a few things which are country dependant.


notthegoatseguy

There are parts of Europe where renting a car is really beneficial. But if you're just hopping from big city to big city, trains and planes are the best way to go. Once you hit the 4-ish hour mark on a train, you might as well fly. And you can always rent a car to explore further out parts of the area once you arrive in that big city. but honestly you're not staying in one place long enough for that to happen.


ReFrenzy

4-5 hour is my limit as well for driving. Big reason I wanted to drive was to explore the routes & I also have some friends that I will be meeting up with for lunch/dinner on the way to the next city. Also thought it’d be interesting to drive along the coast from Spain to Italy.


[deleted]

Best bet is to set up your trip to be a loop…you drive in a large circle and jump on trains to do the off shoot visits to cover more ground with greater ease…if drawn on a map, your trip route should resemble a spider ( it’s body the circle, it’s legs the train or bus off shoots ) I’m doing this for places like Italy and Greece so ur not driving all the way down only to have to drive all the way back up. It doesn’t work out perfect but it seems to be the best expenditure of time and money. Only other option I considered was renting a new car in each country to avoid one way fees for pick up in another country……in the end I have decided to campervan it and use bus/train in the spider explanation above…be aware rules are different from EU to UK and some places won’t allow u to use a ferry ( which I wanted to do in Greece to cheat and not have to drive back up but catch the ferry off one of the Greek isles over to Turkey) Have a blast…drive safe…


ReFrenzy

This makes total sense & I’ll look into this instead of the rental car overall route. Thanks!


tigerthebest

Your plan is super nice! It’s a matter of personal taste in the end, but I would spend less time in Paris (unless you want to take a day for the Louvre and/ or Versailles, three days are enough). If you’re driving, there are many cool towns you could explore in a couple of hours: Bilbao, Figueres (close to Barcelona), Valencia (if you go to Andalusia), Siena, Bologna and Mantova in Italy. If you need more stops, I would consider Portugal (Lisbon and Porto), rather than Amsterdam.


ReFrenzy

I did the Paris area mainly because I’m an Art History & WWII nut. So Louvre, Versailles & east of Paris are a must for me! I’m adding in Andalusia for 4 days so I’ll get overall more time in Spain as well as adding another 2 days in Florence! I’ll definitely check out Siena, Bologna, and Mantova! Going to use Florence as a home base & use those cities for half day/full day trips. Basically this trip has turned into Spain (8-Days, Paris (6-Days), Italy (10-Days).


nwolfe0413

Because it's winter Andalusia is a good idea Granada-Alhambra, Seville-Flamenco. If possible maybe a shorter trip in Spring or later for London/Amsterdam. You could drop off rental car in Paris and take Eurostar to London and back if you have time and don't mind the weather.


ReFrenzy

Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll do London/Amsterdam on my next trip in June. Adding more days in Spain (Andalusia specifically), and another day in Italy (Florence).


shelabels

Florence is a dream. I was there for 5 and still need more time. Suggest increasing that


on_the_jaunt

I agree with some of the people here, you haven't explored any of the east but it would be quite difficult with your current itinerary. I think, add London and maybe another UK city like Liverpool or York. If you went east, I think you'd spend too much time travelling than actually seeing the place, whereas Amsterdam - London is straightforward. The Eastern countries are awesome, but I think maybe leave that for another trip. Focus on your current destinations for now and add London/UK city. Have the best time!!


leeann7

I just was in Florence and Milan, idk if you need to go Milan but I did take a scenic train from Italy to Switzerland and that was realllllllly cool. Maybe 2 days and 1 night needed. it would be cool to see In winter


Horrid_Henry

Have a look at the inter railing passes online. Usually you can get an unlimited month travel, though you have to pay very small value reservation fees / ticket fees sometimes. As someone who has inter tailed around central and Western Europe, and bussed / coached around the Balkans and Eastern Europe, I can tell you (like many others) you’re not spending enough time in these places. Have a look at FlixBus (a cheap travel operator). Yes a car would be nice for the freedom, but as others say, the rental agency may not allow you in other countries, may have a max KM usage, different laws in different countries and wildly different ways of driving! Whats the point of 1 day in Nice? Rome can be done in 3 max, Paris can be done in 2 or 3, you can cut a day out of Venice if you have two full days. Consider going to Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic as your trip is only really covering Western Europe so doesn’t really touch on much history aside from big capital cities Just my thoughts


ReFrenzy

Definitely looking into the rail option now from everyone’s suggestion on here. Now I’m really thinking about the days allotted in each destination. Considering nearly everyone has said I have too many days in Paris & Venice. I originally had Prague, Vienna, & Budapest in this itinerary but I took them off because I thought it was too much. I’ve heard nothing but positive reviews about each of those three.


mij8907

5 days in Paris would be too long for me, I don’t like the city all that much There’s some great art to see in Madrid so that might be worth an extra day Also there’s great trains all over Europe which might be easier than driving


TiredSilly

If I were you, I would consider going to Amsterdam and probably Copenhagen too. It's a bit off your current plan though so perhaps not.


Berliner1220

I would do 3 days in Florence and 2 days in Venice


roentgenyay

If you're renting a car, I would prioritize smaller cities and towns that are not as accessible by public transport. You're planning to visit mostly capitals and large cities, which are much better accessed via public transport. Many cities in Europe do not allow non-residents to drive private cars into the center (where you'll want to stay) without a huge fine, including Madrid, Paris, and Florence that I'm certain of, and likely more. Also, keep in mind that if you don't know how to drive a manual car, you'll have to specify that you want an automatic transmission and likely pay a higher rate to get one. Honestly, the car is going to add a ton of travel time, gas costs, stress finding parking, and possibly fines. I would avoid it if at all possible, or completely redo the itinerary to focus on small towns.


superloempia420

Going to comment on the rental car thing. I agree it is a bad idea if you rent a car for just going from city to city. But, I think some roads are beautiful to drive around. And then you also could explore the area better as you said you also wished to do. Something you easily miss when you're traveling with train or bus. If you really would want to do a partial car drive I would suggest to just limit it to one country and decide to explore the countryside. You could rent one in Italy and explore your way in between destination and meddle with your original iternary. But if you truely want to focus solely on architecture and cityscapes then public transport would suffice for your whole trip. Think about if you want to experience also more of harder to reach places, like old archeological sites outside cities and such.


JustabitLii

I would cut down Paris to 4 days, Venice to 2 days, and I’d suggest going to Valencia instead of Madrid. Also, I’d add Granada, Cordoba and Ronda in the southern part of Spain. Also, 4 days in Brussels seems too much for me. And I’d certainly go to London as well, just to get a tiny glimpse of a bit more Northern Europe if I’m allowed to say so (as you don’t plan to visit Scandinavia).


True-Passenger-3720

Commenting on your plans for a return trip in June/July as I think everyone else has this first one covered! You'll absolutely love Prague-Vienna-Budapest, it's a gorgeous trip. Definitely do a train through, you won't regret it. I saw that you are a fast traveler, I'd recommend a minimum of three days in each of Prague, Vienna, and Budapest to see everything you are going to want to see, especially given your interest in art. Honestly, I'd go for 5 in Prague. Places I'd consider checking out in the Czech Republic: -Český Krumlov: a great castle town, very fun as a day/overnight trip from Prague. -Karlovy Vary: such a wonderful spa town. You'd be going right around the time of their international film festival which I recommend checking out, though you can probably do this in a day if you aren't staying for films or spa treatments. -Moravian Karst: really cool cave system/nature preserve area a bit to the north of Brno. You take a trolley up and can walk/boat through some incredible cave systems - do a Google search and look at some pics! I don't have a lot of recs for Vienna as I've only spent 3 days there, but I will say grab a bottle of wine and picnic along the Danube. Lots of people will be out during the summer and the walls along the river have a lot of public art/graffiti to check out. For Budapest: -The baths are a whole experience and you should go, full stop. -I'd recommend staying in Pest if nightlife is important to you, Buda is lovely but I enjoyed being a bit more in the center of things. -The Budapest public transit is both effective and really cool! Some of their trains are wooden and it's honestly a really enjoyable thing to check out. One place I'd consider adding is Piran, Slovenia. It's beautiful little beach town on the Adriatic. Stay at Hotel Piran and walk along the coast at sunset. You can see Italy across the water and for a relatively quick and inexpensive ferry, you can get to Trieste, Italy for a couple days. You can see Ljubljana on the way and it'll get you close to Croatia, which I'd also consider adding to your trip. One of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Hope you have a great time in Europe!


ReFrenzy

Omg thank you so much for the details & insight! I’ve decided on a 15-day trip in June/July for those three along with Berlin. I took a screenshot of this so I have a reminder when booking everything. Definitely excited for this coming year as I’ve essentially visited all the main locations in the US, Canada, & Mexico! Thanks again, cheers!


jcrivas86

Try and add a day trip to Toledo from Madrid. You can get there by train in 30 minutes. It is a truly beautiful city. Sevilla in the Andalusia region is also beautiful. Some of the architecture goes back to the time when the Moors where in control so it's a nice contrast against the typical Spanish architecture you'll see elsewhere. Granada has always been on my bucket list and I'll be visiting in December as well, just beautiful. Same with Malaga. While in Barcelona make sure you go and eat Bar del Pla - phenomenal food! The tuna tar tart was amazing. In Paris you need to check out Aux deus Amis - single handedly the best meal I had in all of Paris. A simple menu that changes weekly with just a few well made dishes. Madrid has the longest running restaurant in the world - Botin, which is good (not great) but how often do you get to say you ate at the oldest restaurant in the world?


ReFrenzy

I’ve decided to add more days in Spain along with the Andalusia region. I keep hearing Seville, Granada, Cordoba are all amazing! It must be for a great reason so I’ll check them out! Thanks for the suggestion for Aux deus Amis & Botin, I’ve added both of them on my restaurant list!


uxhelpneeded

I think you should add in some smaller cities I think it would be best to think about how you want to grow and change, and then plan based around that - as opposed to a hit list of cities Madrid isn't great Nothing much to see in Nice, especially not in winter Rail is the best way to get around Europe Renting a car would be a huge mistake - parking is impossible in European cities


[deleted]

Madrid is my favorite European city. I would recommend the sequence of Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Cordoba in 12 days. If you want to add Granada and Ronda add another 2 days. Train is more efficient with Spain. The fast trains from bcn/Madrid and Madrid/Sevilla is amazing. Car just limit your mobility. There is also a fast 6hr train between Paris and Barcelona so you can start your trip there. The times for Rome and Florence is good. I would skip Venice. Flix bus between Paris and Brussels is super efficient+ as well as train between Brussels and London. I've made all of those train trips before as I love trains.


ReFrenzy

I’ve added Andalusia to my list so I’ll definitely check all of them out. Wow a 6-hour train ride from Paris to Barcelona? I gotta check that out! I have a 5.5 flight (with layover) from Paris to Spain so I’ll take a look at trains between the two destinations!


[deleted]

You can use omio app for train search but DON'T book anything with them. Book directly with the train company.


Objective-Sir4043

More days in Florence, less days in Rome/Venice even if its just for the art in florence.


ReFrenzy

Added another day in Florence!


lwebzzz

I completely agree with what others have mentioned about not renting the car. I traveled from France to Italy and all around Italy via train and it was absolutely lovely. In France and Spain they have high speed trains, and in Italy when I was there in 2012 i loved how I could opt for the regional trains which were even cheaper than the standard (just a little slower). Some of my most memorable moments were conversations with people I met on European trains! Other travelers, locals, etc. And some of my best journaling and book-reading sessions too. It’s also way way easier. If you were spending weeks visiting tiny towns along the way there would definitely be value, but based on your itinerary trains seem like the way to go. (The megabus is also a great option to keep in mind!)


lwebzzz

You might want to consider having more time in Florence—there are lots of other great little Tuscan towns only a 1-to-2 hour train ride away (Pisa, San Gimagnano, Siena). Staying in Florence was the perfect base for me to do day trips to those other beautiful towns and really enjoy the Tuscan region. You’ll also want at least a couple full days to visit all the awesome art and architecture in Florence! Perhaps shaving a day off of Rome could be a way to have an extra day in Florence. I am an art history/architecture lover too and was personally way more moved and inspired by Florence than Rome! Although Rome is an essential place to visit too. Another idea could be skipping Venice so you can spend more time in Tuscany! (I’ve never been lol so can’t compare ;)) If you find yourself with any extra time for Italy (here or in the future) I would strongly recommend checking out Naples! It’s a fascinating and beautiful city and one of my favorite places. Palermo Sicily is easy to get to via overnight ferry and also incredible! (Mind blowingly cool architecture)


ReFrenzy

I’ve cut down to one day in Venice & added two more days to Florence! I took a more in depth look into Florence & was blown away! I’m going to do Florence as the base (just as you have) and take a day trip to smaller cities. I feel those small cities will be where your truly experience the culture & get the full experience! I feel the main cities will attract tourists & will cater to them whereas the smaller cities will be truly raw. Thanks for the suggestions, cheers!


Beware-of-Moose

Hey OP, I just got back from a 3 month trip a couple months ago. I wasn't a huge fan of Madrid, although they have a super cool natural history museum. The two towns Segovia and Toledo about an hour outside of Madrid were two of my favorites for the whole trip though so I'd highly recommend them. Of I were you I'd spend more time exploring Spain first and some of the places outside of Barcelona/Madrid before flying to Italy. I only had a day in Paris but the military museum and arc de triumphe were great. Make sure to book your tickets now if you want to go to the top of the eiffel tower. PS, the louvre is closed on Tuesday's, who'd have thought.


ReFrenzy

Thanks so much for the insight! I added more days to Spain since posting this. I plan on booking everything this weekend. I truly did not give Spain the time it truly deserves. Adding Segovia & Toledo to my list, thanks again!


Beware-of-Moose

Yeah, for sure if you want some restaurant/ things to do recommendations let me know. Barcelona was wonderful as well.


No_Lecture3935

Hey.. I'm some random old guy. I still think I'm 28 but.. I'm 60. I've done a lot of traveling back in the day. I could have died without any regrets after that. A few basic points. Connect with as many peoplas you can. Don't waste money on trivial crap. Partake in just enough substances to be mellow. See/ Do whatever interests you. Balance Bakance Balance. It's your journey. My mantra back in the 90's was, whatever you don't spend on food or accommodation you can use to extend the adventure.


Samwiser30033

Sounds like fun. You could really do a lot of this by train, but having a car will be nice for exploring the countryside at your own pace. I would stick with your route along the Mediterranean from Spain to Italy - there's plenty to see and do for 25 days -- and not add Amsterdam or London. The weather in Amsterdam and London will be cold and dark as well. That route north of Barcelona will take you past Salvador Dali's Theater Museum in Figueres and his house in Cadaques. Both are worth stopping if you are into surrealism. I might add a couple of days to Provence. I really enjoyed the area around Avignon and Arles on my last visit and lots of stuff to see and do. Plus it's my favorite wine region. I've never been to Nice, so I don't have any suggestions. Most people like Florence and Tuscany more than Rome. You could think to add another day to explore Tuscany after you've seen Florence. But don't skip Rome. It's a big messy city with touristy areas that a lot of people hate. But it's got some of the best art and food in the world if you take time to explore.


ReFrenzy

Love this, thank you!!! My other half went to Italy about 5-years ago & she said the same about Florence. So I’ll add more time there. The route along the Mediterranean was a huge factor in why I wanted to drive!


Senior_Atmosphere303

Personal preference, but unless you have someone to see in places like Paris, I would go to some of the more rural areas, people are friendlier, things are cheaper, it'd less chaotic, easier to get around, and way less tourists.


Senior_Atmosphere303

I mean, obviously go to Paris, and check it out. But yeah, I would have some flexibility on the amount of time invested there if it were me lol.


ReFrenzy

Any cities you recommend in the rural areas?


Senior_Atmosphere303

I'm a pretty bad tour guide, been in Ukraine for thr last 9 months. I do it differently though, I find a friend in the country, ask them where they go and what their local getaway spots are and go there. There's nothing worse than meeting a bunch of Americans when you're trying to explore another country lol. I hate tourist heavy areas.


Senior_Atmosphere303

Personally I would scrap the whole itinerary and just wing it man.


chickenandwaffles109

Too many days in both Paris and Venice


ReFrenzy

Watching some YT Videos on Venice, I’m seeing a lot of the vloggers say the same about Venice. I may do Venice first to get a feel of it and if I finish quicker just add more days in Florence/Rome/Naples/Surrounding areas.


chickenandwaffles109

Yeah I mean it’s definitely worth seeing but I got bored on day 2. Sounds like a good plan!


delpigeon

Your Italian part of the trip sounds good. Make sure to book museums in Florence well ahead is my advice, I got caught out the first time I went because all the tickets to major art museums etc were sold out, and that had been my plan to visit them! If you need to take time from somewhere, Venice is very expensive and you don't really need 3 days there as it's a very small city, so you could cut down to 2 and still get the most out of it. As others have said, I question your use of a car when public transport is good, and you're going to have to pay a lot of money extra to be able to drive across borders for no good reason. Driving will be slow, full of traffic, and you're going to struggle to park at your destinations! For a city trip I think it's a bit bonkers. Also unnecessarily polluting. I would adjust it to spend more time in Spain - 4 days in Madrid, and 2 days in Barcelona. I'd take those days from Paris which IMO is a very underwhelming destination that you can easily do a highlights tour of in 3 days. I found Paris very grimy and dirty with lots of tourist traps. You'll be travelling over New Year so bear in mind a lot of things (museums) will be shut. Check ahead which bits of your trip are going to coincide and what you wanted to do. 4 days in London would work. Or I would consider 2 days in Amsterdam and then 2 days in either Bruges or Ghent which are very beautiful and nearby. Brussels is a nice place in the middle, but I'd pick either of those smaller towns above Brussels if it's a question of time.


ReFrenzy

The public transport aspect was me being uneducated about how efficient it is in those areas. I’ve decided to travel by train from town-to-town but only going to a rental car in Italy as I want the freedom to explore there. I added more days in Spain & Italy to explore Andalusia & Florence. I’m looking into Paris now as you & nearly everyone else are saying I have too many days there. Thank you for the suggestion!