3/16/15 8:52 PM

I won't have a bike with me because it's a work trip but I will have 10 days between assignments to get from Hamburg, Germany to Genoa, Italy next month. I'd love to see Paris and the Louvre but am a bit overwhelmed with options...would love to hear some input. Am open to flying or Eurail but I'll have a huge freaking suitcase with me as it's a full 2month trip and I have to pack work equipment as well.

I will have to do some work in that time but that can happen on the train or plane! :-D

3/16/15 10:33 PM

From Genoa you'll want to train to LaSpezia. Lerici is a short cab ride away. The hotels are on the sea with great views. Hotel Florida is reasonable in cost and serves a nice continental breakfast which shames US hotels for thr food options. It's just a short walk into the core of town where there are endless options for food and entertainment.

You can catch a boat to Cinque Terra which has an amazing trail that connects 5 seaside towns, each with their own vibe. Rent a car and run up into Tuscany to visit Parma.

I absolutely love Lerici and would visit again despite having been there. It's the perfect little place to get away and still enjoy the amenities. It's a huge destination place in the summer months so this time of year it will be quieter and you'll enjoy wonderful hosts who will be happy to take care of you.

3/17/15 2:47 AM

But if you get over to Mallorca the week of 4/20 I'll buy you a local beverage. Except for the 25th, when I'll be turning the pedals.

Cinque Terre sounds good too, there's a good restaurant of that name in Portlnad (Maine).

3/17/15 7:49 AM

By all means take the train where ever and when ever you can. European trains are fast, comfortable, reliable, run frequently and are relatively cheap.

A Eurorail pass can be bought for a flat fee to cover however many days or countries you wish. Also, the trains go right into the center of towns and cities so you are where you want to be, not miles away as with an airport. Big suitcases are less of a hassle on the train than in checked baggage on an airplane.

Paris? ABSOLUTELY! However, even scratching the surface of the Louvre requires an entire day so give yourself some time.

3/17/15 8:24 AM

I'd suggest Berlin, Munich, Innsbruck, Venice on your way between Hamburg and Genoa.

3/17/15 9:31 AM

4 cities is a lot in 10 days, if you want anything except a quickie tour.

It's not hard to suggest Paris and parking at a hotel for that time, then slowiy seeing the sights could take that time. And you could then say you've "seen" Paris.

Still, my (our - wife and I) best trip to Europe (in 6 trips) was to park ourselves outside Florence in Tuscany for 2 weeks. We did 4 days in Florence, then explored the region. It was as slow as we wanted, or intense doing the museums of Florence. tons to see, the food and wine is as good as anywhere.

We enjoyed that intense style of travel (lots of time in one place) that we repeated it 3 years later in Rome and Umbria, also a great destination.

Then a quick train ride to Genoa.

3/17/15 9:50 AM

Paris, yes.

Venice. It is absolutely unique in the world, weird, magical. Though it's always full of tourists, and is gradually becoming a theme park, there's still real life there, and the urban landscape is unlike anything else. If you go, do not make the common mistake of staying somewhere on the mainland and day-tripping. You can see a lot that way, but you miss the full experience. The place gets weirder at night, and if you stay overnight (preferably 2 nights, so you have one full day), you get to wander around late at night and get lost in the strange little byways and dead ends. Nothing like it.

On the way between Venice and Genoa, beautiful Verona is worth a half-day stop.

3/17/15 11:03 AM

I will second (or third) this destination. As has been said, it is absolutely unique.

3/17/15 11:17 AM

Split the 10 days between Venice aand Paris then.

3/17/15 2:29 PM

Tour of Flanders? Paris-Roubaix?

3/18/15 6:39 AM

I (on business) and we (wife and I on vacation) have spent a fair bit of time in Italy. My favorite city by far is Florence and would go back in a minute. You do have to be careful not to get "museumed out" but that's easy to avoid by not overdoing it. There is plenty more to do and then city is very accessible.

I have been to Venice and, while I'm glad to have seen it, i would not repeat the experience. As noted, it's almost a theme park, very expensive and quite dirty and, most notably, relentlessly commercial. You can't go anywhere without people trying to sell you something.

3/18/15 7:17 AM

Interesting. My experience was nothing like that, but it was more than 30 years ago, so things may well have changed. Dirty, yes, but in the way that much of Europe is dirty, mainly with age. As for the rest? One of my fondest memories of that trip is sitting in St. Mark's square sipping espresso and watching the birds.

3/18/15 8:13 AM

I've been twice, about 30 years ago with my wife, and about 15 years ago with the whole family (three kids, pre-teen and young teen). My experience was much more like Andy's than Dave's. It didn't seem especially dirty (we may have been lucky with the weather, as the canals weren't smelly in the least), and I don't mind people trying to sell me stuff -- I can say no if I don't want to buy.

It is more expensive than anywhere else in Italy, but like elsewhere you can eat cheaply if you scrounge around a little.

Diff'rent strokes. I'd go back.

Andy, one of my favorite memories from our first trip to Italy was sitting with my wife in Piazza San Marco sipping Campari and soda and watching the birds and the tourists. It was probably the most expensive drink I'd ever bought in my life up to that point. And worth it for the atmosphere and the view.

3/18/15 8:19 AM

Had I the time and money, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

3/18/15 9:02 AM

Yes, Venice can be very commercial. The stretch between the Rialto bridge and Piazza San Marco is totally commercial, but in a fascinating way. There are parts of Venice that are off the beaten path. Then you really see the magical beauty of the place, especially during off hours. An early morning run is great to see the locals setting up shop and commuting to work. The sunlight bouncing off of the water and highlighting the old buildings, particularly at sunrise or sunset . . . I've been four times and wouldn't hesitate to go back.

3/18/15 11:38 AM

Bruges, Mont St. Michael.

3/18/15 1:31 PM

It's interesting the different responses to different cities. Dave's comments about Florence remind me of my own mixed reactions to that city. The second trip, with the kids, we enjoyed it very much. It was winter, it was comfortable walking around, we didn't overdo the museums. For me personally, overdoing museums is pretty much impossible, and Florence is incomparable for that.

But the first time my wife and I went it was August, very hot, and the city was uncomfortable. It's a tight, crowded-feeling place, without big parks and spaces (unlike Rome) and while we enjoyed the art immensely, as a city experience it was ungracious.

On the other hand, Florence's cathedral is unquestionably my favorite piece of architecture in the whole world. Brunelleschi's dome is a marvel, and the story of its design and construction one of the most fascinating in the history of building. I always like to quote Michelangelo's comment when he headed to Rome to work on St. Peter's. "I go to build a greater dome, but not a fairer one."

3/18/15 1:55 PM

But would you plan on doing any walking around Washington D.C. in August ?.

I wouldn't. Italy is about the same latitude and gets hot.

As well, they have different attitudes about air conditioning, so it's hard to pop into a business/museum, etc... to cool off. You don't.

The OP mentioned "next month" so April, and that'll be a nice time of year.

3/18/15 2:42 PM

Oh, yeah, I get all that, Steve. You vacation when you can, sometimes. I'm not saying Florence was awful, just that we didn't love it (as a city) the way we did Rome.

But I love the Duomo.

April should be beautiful, anywhere in Europe.

I lived in D.C. for some years. I walked around plenty in August. No, I can't especially recommend it (but I got used to it, and kind of miss it sometimes -- at least enough to laugh at the New Englanders here complaining about their few hot days.)

The last time we visited D.C. for the 4th of July, it was 100 degrees on the Mall. We sat in the sun with a million people and listened to the music. That was memorable.

3/18/15 10:09 PM

quote:

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I have been to Venice and, while I'm glad to have seen it, i would not repeat the experience. As noted, it's almost a theme park, very expensive and quite dirty and, most notably, relentlessly commercial. You can't go anywhere without people trying to sell you something.

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3/19/15 7:38 AM

quote:

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Granted, I was there in the winter. So, it wasn't smelly, not at all crowded, and nobody tried to sell me anything!

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3/26/15 2:01 AM

Been traveling and busy for a bit so I haven't had the chance to respond.

Venezia is actually my first stop for work. This is my third time being here. Technically I'm staying/working in in the Marghera/Mestre area but it's a quick trip across the bridge to Venice. Venice is a fascinating place. It's the one place in Italy I've been to that I find absolutely beautiful and yet I have no desire to stay in for more than 2-3 days. Despite its size it's still easy to find a quiet piazza away from the hordes of turisti. I have an almost non-existent sense of smell so I've never encountered much of an odour. But there's something almost intangibly unlivable about the place. Not sure if it's the size of the streets or the glaringly tourist-focused atmosphere along areas such as the Grand Canal and Piazza San Marco. Near Ponte Rialto is almost unwalkable at times but the views of the Grand Canal are worth it. I love visiting here but would never stay for long.

My actual itinerary is Venice -> Rome -> -Palermo -> Hamburg -> (10 days for walkabout) -> Genoa -> 4-day cruise -> Livorno/Pisa.

Pisa and Firenze will definitely get a visit at the end. Possibly meeting a friend in the UK, London or Edinburgh. So many options, this is the work trip of a lifetime! :-D Thanks for all the input!

3/26/15 7:27 AM

Would definitely recommend Berlin (great museums and historic sites), Munich (beautiful city with great beer halls, history, food), Dresden (beautiful recreation of a devastated city) as possible walkabout destinations if you haven't been. Prague, Vienna are good for a couple of days each. Salzburg, too.

3/26/15 7:29 AM

Oh, and London and Edinburgh are both great visits. Tough choice if you only have time for one. I would say a minimum of 4 days in London and 2 in Edinburgh just to get in the highlights.

3/26/15 7:35 AM

I've been to London so I'm pushing to meet in Edinburgh. ;)