Europe- Need help planning

S

sonja415

Active Member
I am planning a 6 or 7 week trip to Europe. I have never been. I'm taking my daughter who will be 11 when we go in June '07. This trip is her idea she has been begging to go since she was 3. I'm planning to go to Greece, Italy, London, France (Paris), Spain (Barcelona), and Morocco.

I'm trying to decide which country would best best to fly into to start the trip and given the countries what would be the best way to plan the itinerary?

So far I know I'll use a Eurorail (sp?) pass and was thinking of taking a ferry or boat from Greece to Italy or vice versa. I'm also thinking of saving Barcelona for last and meeting up with my sister there and taking the ferry over to Morocco for a couple of days and flying home from Barcelona.

I have never planned a trip this big befor so I'm looking for any tips or suggestions from you well traveled ladies. I'm doing searches on other sites like Foder's but I don't know if trip planning is really my forte.

TIA,
M
 
This sounds so fabulous!! I'm very jealous :)

I've found Fodor's to be helpful for trips I've done, especially in getting feedback about lodging and restaurants. You might also check out Rick Steves web site, he has a show on PBS and focuses mainly on travelling throughout Europe. http://www.ricksteves.com/

Also check out the forums (aka Thorn Tree) on Lonely Planet. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/

I haven't spent much time in Europe (48 hours to be exact), but when I was planning our last trip to Costa Rica, I checked out some pre-set tours and borrowed bits from their itineraries to come up with our own thing. It kind of gave me an idea of how things could work logistically.

This is such a great experience that you're giving to your daughter. What fun!

ETA - The one thing DH and I were so glad we did during our VERY brief stint in Paris was to visit the Eiffel Tower at night. It was breathtaking.
 
If it were me, I'd fly into London. That way it's not HUGE culture shock, because at least everyone speak English:) Then Paris, Greece, Italy, Barcelona/Morocco. Where are you going in Italy? And how about London? Will you spend all your time in that city or do some trips into the English countryside? I ask specifically about those two places because I've lived in both.

Sounds like a great trip. I can't wait to take my DD to Europe and show her where I grew up!
 
Sounds like a marvelous trip!

I recommend planning your itinerary in a circular pattern, so you leave from the same airport you arrive in. You could arrive and leave from London, then go to Paris, Italy, Greece (I don't have a map in front of me at the moment, so maybe Greece before Italy would be better), Spain, Morocco, then back to Paris and London on the way out. This would help you spend less time travelling and more time actally visiting.
 
DH and I have done several trips to Europe over the last few years. We just came back from Germany/Switzerland/Holland in April, and are heading to Ireland in November.

My suggestion is to get out an atlas. You want to minimize travel time between sites, and you have to be cogniscent of where trains go (if you can avoid flying between countries, taking the train is a FANTASTIC way to travel Europe). If you can go in an order that flows (ex. start in London, move down to Spain, etc...I would suggest ending in Greece - it's about 15 hours from Italy to Greece, so that will likely be your longest distance to travel). It's easiest to not try flying in and out of the same country, that way you can maximize time at each location.

Trip Adviser is a great site to use for travel tips and hotels. The forums are very informational if you're looking for things to do, and the hotels are all rated by people that have stayed there. This last trip, we used all hotels from the site and were very pleased.(and it will help to keep your costs down).

Also, do as many tours as you can. If you search, you can often find free tours or even personal tour guides for areas - you just have to play around on the web. In Switzerland, we found a private tour guide that was $100/day, and she was invaluable at making our experience fantastic!

Finally, the Eurail passes are great, and you can often get discounts on travel (ferries, tours, excursions, etc...) by using them over there. If you are going with the 2 month pass, you have to track each day and get it validated in your country where you begin prior to use (at the train station, not ON the train). So as you use them, make sure to count your days for travel, and once you know what you need, then find out what else you can use them for.

Have a great time!
 
Thank you, thank you, thank you ladies. I knew I came to the right place for great advice.

Shelley- In Italy my DD would like to see Venice and Rome I would guess that it would depend on how I can logically make Greece fit in. London I might rent a car for a day or something and do a trip to the countryside. I'm just starting to plan everything.

Thanks for the tip on Trip Adviser I'm going to check them out.

Gayle - I checked out Rick Steve's site yesterday, it has a lot of great tips. I'll be frequenting it as I plan this trip.

Once again thanks,
M.
 
Speaking as a Londoner, I think there may well be greater flight availability and cheaper fares flying into London than anywhere else. You can purchase your interrailing tickets from there also. I liked Kathryn's itinerary and also the idea that London would allow you the chance to find your traveller's feet before dealing with language barriers, excessive heat, weird food, etc, in continental Europe.


Clare
 
M. - you may want to think twice about renting a car in London, unless you're a really fabulous, confident driver. The Brits drive on the opposite side of the road and the road systems (traffic circles, etc.) can be quite confusing. It might be a better choice to find some kind of day trip via bus, perhaps.
 
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