Girls Trip to Europe! 3/4-5 Rome, 3/6 Milan, 3/7-11 Switzerland, 3/12-13 Paris, 3/13-16 Amsterdam. (1 Viewer)

[Harry Frogfish]

Figured I'd post this here in hopes that the FFA Braintrust (FFAB?  ) might make the trip of a lifetime for these ladies even more special.  I have never been to any of these cities, save for some pub time and whatnot in some of the countries.

They just knocked Praha off the list -- a city I spent time in and LOVED (not hard) -- due to time constraints.  Personally, I still think they are squeezing in a little too much for a two-week window but so be it.

I suggested ABNBs but nope, hotels only at this point...although that's not too late to change, I'm thinking.  There's a point in situations like these where I throw in the towel and I'm just happy they didn't go super low budge, especially on the airline part.  That said, it was only 600 bucks RT from LAX on Lufthansa.

Anyway, I would love it if the FFAB collective could toss some knowledge their way and make this dream-come-true trip, even that much better for them.  BTW, for one, this will be her first vacation and/or sick day in FIVE years.  Legit.  And she works 6 days a week.  

THANK YOU!

 

[The General]

That's a lot. But sounds great.

Amsterdam was my last big trip so freshest in my mind. Things that were cool there: Walking around. Very cool city to look at. Winkel 43 - This is random but this place had the best apple cake and whip cream dessert thing I have ever eaten. Likely near where you would walk anyways. Van Gogh Museum was very cool.  Anne Frank House is kind of a must do. Have to get reservations for that well in advance, start checking now. 

Paris: Can't go wrong in my book. Not a ton of time there so I'd just walk around the neighborhoods near the Seine see the big sights, do a cafe, and chill a bit, then walk more. I'd research the food a bit for a nice place here of your liking. One excellent thing we did do outside of seeing the main sights was this tour: Paris by Mouth - well done walking tour where you get food, cheese, wine, and some good history. Luxembourg Gardens was a good spot to grab some food and take a picnic, don't forget the vino.

Enjoy. Can't go wrong in any of these places.

 

[rockaction]

Rome: Definitely go to the Vatican and see the Sistine Chapel. There's a peace you feel like nowhere else in the world. It's just amazing to sit and marvel at what Michelangelo did. We did three days in Rome; I'd imagine two is enough if you do it right. The Colosseum and The Vatican. 

I cannot tell you about the rest of those cities. Haven't been. 

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Oooof. Way to much packed into that time frame. Why Milan?  Fashion?

if the 2 days in rome include the arrival day, that’s really only 1 day. If they think they can/want to do it, do the night colosseum tour the day they get there. I recommend the tour, but not doing it on the night they get there.  Book the breakfast at the Vatican. The breakfast part is irrelevant. You get into he vatican about an hour before anyone else. My wife and I were ALONE in the Vatican, after breakfast for about 45 minutes. It was unreal. Book through the Vatican site(pre Covid) 

In Paris, pick the right arrondissement for what they want to do. This restaurant was awesome, many years ago.  And affordable. 
 

haven’t done Switzerland. 
 

in Amsterdam, I bought hash and stayed on an awesome house boat. Didn’t do much else.

 

[rockaction]

Oooof. Way to much packed into that time frame. Why Milan?  Fashion?

if the 2 days in rome include the arrival day, that’s really only 1 day. If they think they can/want to do it, do the night colosseum tour the day they get there. I recommend the tour, but not doing it on the night they get there.  Book the breakfast at the Vatican. The breakfast part is irrelevant. You get into he vatican about an hour before anyone else. My wife and I were ALONE in the Vatican, after breakfast for about 45 minutes. It was unreal. Book through the Vatican site(pre Covid) 

 I forgot about this. He's right, and the flight will knock you on your ###. So it's really one working day to see stuff, unless they really force it. But they'll be exhausted, IIRC. 

 

[zoobird]

Which cities in Switzerland or is that still TBD?

 

[bcat01]

That is a lot of travel days.  I would cut out Milan and have an extra day in Rome.

 

[rockaction]

I think it was just fashion week in Milan. That might be the draw. 

 

[higgins]

If the number of days, and the stops, are flexible I'd go:

From:

3/4-5 Rome, 3/6 Milan, 3/7-11 Switzerland, 3/12-13 Paris, 3/13-16 Amsterdam

To:

3/4-6 Rome, 3/7-8 (Florence), 3/9-10 Switzerland, 3/11-14 Paris, 3/15-16 Amsterdam

 

[Ron Swanson]

Rome: Definitely go to the Vatican and see the Sistine Chapel. There's a peace you feel like nowhere else in the world. It's just amazing to sit and marvel at what Michelangelo did. We did three days in Rome; I'd imagine two is enough if you do it right. The Colosseum and The Vatican. 

I cannot tell you about the rest of those cities. Haven't been. 

How'd you get any peace in the Sistine Chapel? Every time I've been there it's been overrun by tourists and the damn Swiss Guard shushing everyone constantly.

 

[rockaction]

How'd you get any peace in the Sistine Chapel? Every time I've been there it's been overrun by tourists and the damn Swiss Guard shushing everyone constantly.

Really? There were people there for sure, but you could have heard a pin drop when I was there. I did not notice the Swiss Guard. I was just hanging, in awe of everything. I blocked out everybody else. It seemed like everything just stopped. We went earlier in the morning, though. I think I stayed in there for half-hour/hour or so. Maybe half-hour. Just beautiful. 

 

[culdeus]

Absolutely too much moving around. That's maybe 2 full days in transit.  Plus dealing with all the hotel in and outs.  

 

[scorchy]

No need to add to the "too much" posts any more, but what is it they plan to do in Switzerland?  I've been to Switzerland a bunch, and I haven't really found any reason to visit the cities.  I guess Lucerne is cute, but in my experience, Zurich is just a big corporate mecca, Geneva is kind of crappy, and Bern is boring.  The way to experience Switzerland is the small mountain towns - Zermatt is the most touristy one and slightly easier to get to.  Wengen (above Lauterbrunnen) is my personal favorite.  Both are car free though and so you have to get there by rail.  I have trouble imagining either can be readily done via a two-day detour.  Oh, and bring $$$.  Switzerland is stupid expensive.

 

[culdeus]

I would run the days like this this.

• Night 1 on plane arrive Rome
  
• Day 2 In Rome jet lag see sights
  
• Day 3 In Rome see sights
  
• Day 4 Day Trip to Florence, see Florence return to Rome
  
• Day 5 Travel to Nice/Monaco area for one night.  Can stop in Milan briefly on the way.
  
• Day 6 To Paris
  
• Day 7 In Paris
  
• Day 8 In Paris - Consider day trip to wine, normandy, ???
  
• Day 9 In Paris
  
• Day 10 To Amsterdam
  
• Day 11 In Amsterdam - Options to go to several other day trips here.
  
• Day 12 In Amsterdam
  
• Day 13 depart
  

Switzerland in March in that trip makes little sense unless some real defined reason to do this.  Cut that out entirely and spread those days across the rest of the trip, and find day trips to base out of rather than constant movement.  

 

[Drunken knight]

I agree with a lot of the suggestions...

-I thought milan could be done quickly, or omitted...maybe northern lakes instead.

-I can think of some nice options from switzerland to paris:

  - through colmar/alsace

  - through beaune/burgundy

  - possibly a change of route to avignon

  - possibly a change to south of france.. up to avignon, through beaune, through colmar, on to paris

 

[GroveDiesel]

I think this type of situation is the one time where it’s a shame that travel agents have disappeared. Worth it to pay someone else to figure out the details and to also help be the voice of reason and say “I think you need to cut some things out”.

 

[Chemical X]

spending 4 nights in switzerland and only 3 in italy seems odd, unless i’m missing something.  and one of those italy nights looks like an arrival date.  if you go rome to milan, i’d sneak in time to go rome-florence.  i’ve flown from florence to paris, so there’s that.

 

[El Floppo]

I lived a few months in Milan 30+ years ago... and while I loved the city, I don't know that I'd recommend it for a tour like that- especially if they're omitting Florence. I'd go there or Venice instead, or spend another day in Rome.

But if Milan is must-do... 

The Duomo is right in the center of town and had a covered gallery-shopping area right off the plaza. You can walk around there and get a great feel for everything. If they want tranny hookers or to buy some hash, they can go to the Castello (c 1988). There was a place called Salvagente that was a fashion shoppers dream/nightmare- imagine actual open boxes filled to the brim with designer clothes that you had to sift through (probably different now) on crazy discounts. I'd imagine they'd love it... even though you need to give it a deep dive.

I'm sure they can google the main fashion street/area (Corso Vittorio Emanuelle iirc).. but it wasn't too far from the Duomo... like walking down NYC's Madison ave with every store a famous designer. 

the best meal I had there was at the restaurant attached to La Scala Opera house. but I ate almost nightly at a spot called da mimmo off the #19 trolley.

if they're taking the train from Rome- the train station was a pick-pocket haven (again, c 1988) where family groups of gypsies would approach with a sign asking for help, with the youngest kids working under the sign to grab everything they could.

 

[El Floppo]

I forgot to mention- Da Vinci's The Last Supper is in Milan, and also worth seeing. if they can squeeze it in between the tranny hookers and hash.

 

[Harry Frogfish]

Thanks for the input, really wish I would've posted earlier, but I am urging them to reconsider some of the itinerary based on the experiences here.  We'll see...

Again, thanks for your time.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Thanks for the input, really wish I would've posted earlier, but I am urging them to reconsider some of the itinerary based on the experiences here.  We'll see...

Again, thanks for your time.

Yw. Do the breakfast at the Vatican. It was surreal to inside by ourselves. 

 

[waiver wire]

Yw. Do the breakfast at the Vatican. It was surreal to inside by ourselves. 

i did the early morning tour , maybe 20-25 people inside the Sistine chapel .
highly recommend 
Like many have said way to many cities , they will be rushed and exhausted 
 

 

[DA RAIDERS]

i did the early morning tour , maybe 20-25 people inside the Sistine chapel .
highly recommend 
Like many have said way to many cities , they will be rushed and exhausted 
 

It was so awesome. We were inside, even before the tours. I have pictures of my wife and I, completely alone in various halls and what not. We took our time and there were about 60 people, from the early tours in the Sistine chapel, by the time we got there. 

 

[Judge Smails]

I've done several of these trips that combined any mix of London, Paris, Florence, Venice, Rome, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Ireland, Scotland, etc.  Everyone here recommending fewer stops is spot on.  Example, I did one trip that was Paris, Florence, Rome over 2 weeks.  Was going to add Versailles and the Amalfi Coast and others recommended to do that on another trip.  Great advice.  Another trip was London, Amsterdam and Barcelona.  Then we did one that was Porto, Lisbon, Algarve in Portugal then drove into Seville, Granada and Barcelona in Spain - but that was driving/train with everything in a logical order so it worked well.  But the last thing you want to do is spend too much time checking in/out and dealing with planes and train stations.

Paris and Rome deserve 3-4 days minimum in my book.  Florence is far better than Milan and is only a 2 hour fast train ride from Rome.  If it were me I'd cut Milan and Switzerland, add Florence and spend more time in Paris and Rome.  I'm happy to DM itineraries I did in any of these cities.

 

[waiver wire]

It was so awesome. We were inside, even before the tours. I have pictures of my wife and I, completely alone in various halls and what not. We took our time and there were about 60 people, from the early tours in the Sistine chapel, by the time we got there. 

i will have to do this next time in in rome .
the day i was there , it was the day before the 40th?? EU celebration 
The choir set up and practiced in the Sistine chapel , still wasn't that packed inside the chapel 
Stood there and listed for a good 20-30 minutes 
That would've been the 2nd time of three i entered the chapel that day 

 

[waiver wire]

I've done several of these trips that combined any mix of London, Paris, Florence, Venice, Rome, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Ireland, Scotland, etc.  Everyone here recommending fewer stops is spot on.  Example, I did one trip that was Paris, Florence, Rome over 2 weeks.  Was going to add Versailles and the Amalfi Coast and others recommended to do that on another trip.  Great advice.  Another trip was London, Amsterdam and Barcelona.  Then we did one that was Porto, Lisbon, Algarve in Portugal then drove into Seville, Granada and Barcelona in Spain - but that was driving/train with everything in a logical order so it worked well.  But the last thing you want to do is spend too much time checking in/out and dealing with planes and train stations.

Paris and Rome deserve 3-4 days minimum in my book.  Florence is far better than Milan and is only a 2 hour fast train ride from Rome.  If it were me I'd cut Milan and Switzerland, add Florence and spend more time in Paris and Rome.  I'm happy to DM itineraries I did in any of these cities.

my experience when planning trips , major cities are 4-5 days 
mid size 2-4 days
small towns 1-2 
In a month long trip in a country , it would work out to be 5-7 places to visit 
30 days , you got to minus 2 days for arrival and departure day 
this has worked well for me as it gives me some flexibility
90% trips i do alone so i only book a room for the 1st city then wing it from there  

 

[mr. furley]

I lived a few months in Milan 30+ years ago...

how was the journey to Minsk?

 

[belljr]

how was the journey to Minsk?

Strange and erotic

 

[Major]

I'd echo the sentiments of the previous posts, cut out Milan unless there's a reason you're going there.  I'd recommend Cinque Terre and/or Florence in Italy and then the coast of France (Nice/Monte Carlo) instead of Switzerland.   Nothing against Switzerland as the mountains are beautiful and great for skiing/mountain biking but if you're just doing the city thing, it's really really expensive for what you get.  Have a great time!

 

[culdeus]

I mean the trip is going on like now.  I doubt any changes can be made.  

 

[Major]

I mean the trip is going on like now.  I doubt any changes can be made.  

Haha, good point.  I didn't even check the exact dates but it is pretty easy to pivot if you're traveling by train/car.

 

[Chemical X]

I mean the trip is going on like now.  I doubt any changes can be made.  

i didn’t even notice the dates.  lol.