Traveling to europe,have some general questions.?

Question

So im doing this trip alone, and i would rather not join a tour group or cruise or anything.And i am planning to go either in March or September of '09. Ive been to Paris, but as a teen so im a bit travel savy for France.

The places I wanted to visit are:

France-(Paris)

Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Lourve, Versailles, Moulin Rouge and the Bastille

Italy-(Rome, Florence, Venice)

the Vatican, St. peters, Sistine Chapel, the Parthenon, the Colosseun, Trevi Fount., Grand Canal

Greece-

Santorini island, specifically Oia.

So i was wondering if anybody knew if any of the places i listed are for groups only, i hear stories about the sistine chapel, but im not positive.

also i was looking to do this trip in under two weeks, i dont want to rush the expirence, but i dont like crowds, and i dont want to be sitting around.

think its possible?

thanks for any info you can give!

Answer 1

Don't know if two weeks is realistic.  

You list Paris, and a bunch of monuments, but you don't mention Notre Dame and Sacré Coeur!  Don't miss them!  

You DO realize that the Bastille itself was torn down in 1798, don't you?  There's some memorial there, but the jail is long gone.

I´m not sure about the Sistine Chapel...As I recall, I didn't get to see it, either.  The other things you have planned shouldn't be a problem, but you might want to check into the Louvre, see if there is some way to avoid the line...it will be long!  

Ummm the Parthenon is in Athens.  and you say Florence, but you mention not a single monument there.  Did you want to see the Duomo?  The Uffizi?  Accaddemia?  the castle?  Ponte Vecchio?  go shopping?  

The only thing you mention in Venice is the Grand Canal...awfully long way to go just to look at some polluted water, I'd say.  There is so much more to the city!  

I suggest you plan carefully, get a DK Eyewitness book for each city (or just sit down at the local bookstore and read through the areas you are interested in) and do some internet searches.  

Make yourself an itinerary.  Any monument or museum that you go into, you want to plan about half a day for.  Between getting there, and getting to the next one, you can reasonably do two, maybe three things a day, if you go into the night.  Things you just want to walk by and take a photo of, you combine with other things...like you go from the Louvre, walking up the river to the Eiffel Tower, you take the Champs Elysées, (now you can say you've done that) stop for a cup of coffee and a pastry there (now you can say you've done THAT), and pass the Arc de Triomphe, take a couple of photos, and head on up to the Tower.  I suggest you not take the elevator to the top of the Arch.  Just not worth it.  Plan about a full day for the Louvre.  Stay as long as you can handle.  It's pretty intense.

Under two weeks.  I don't think that's reasonable...you need to seriously rethink the logistics.

Answer 2

I think you have too much in mind for two weeks.  Italy alone can be a two week trip.  Why not leave out Greece this time?  You can easily fly into Paris, take a train to Milan or Rome, take trains around Italy, and fly back from Rome or Milan.  Versailles is an easy day trip from Paris.  You could even make a one day stopover in Geneva.

Groups get into the Sistine Chapel a little quicker, I believe, but there will be a line even for groups, and you have to get there early--about an hour before opening.    Tickets for the art museum in Florence should be pre-purchased but still be prepared to wait in line.

Answer 3

umm some times when it says "groups only" it just means that they will put you in with a group of people and take the tour, you just can't go on your own but don't need to be part of a tour group.  I don't think any of those are groups only except the vatican (and i believe you need to book in advance).  So you just buy/reserve your ticket ahead of time and then they stick you in a group when you are there.

I now for a fact that those places in France you can do on your own.

To double check go to www.tripadvisor.com it will have the info for all those places there.

Under 2 weeks? definately.  I could probably get that down in 10 days.  Just take a train from city to city (make sure it's direct and not a "local" train you get on the "local" ones make a stop at every town)  You culd probably find a website with this information.

Good luck, have fun! I am totally jealous!