Any suggestions on an itinerary for a few European destinations??

[LuCeKa]

Hi, I am a first-timer andgethering infofor my trip toEurope next year. We areplanning a custom tour ourselvesto a few regions. Not so sure what kind of professionals should I ask for just to arrange the itinerary, accomodations and travel(train or flight)between regions.



My planned destinations are : Paris, Lyon, Florence, Rome and Venice.



Since I am using mileage to redeem tickets from The States to France with Air France, Ihave to take the flight backfrom Paris to LA. What is the best route for my itinerary in this case? Should I go toLyon after Venice and take off from Paris instead?



Really appreciate if anyone could give some advice and suggestions!

[kyshel]

LuCeKa
You have so many options but the limitations will most likely involve your AF FF seats.
I might suggest you look into mixing your flights with Skymiles partner Delta if you need flights from, say, Lyon to JFK, then on to LAX, since they have new service. Also, you can combine travel from other EU cities without having to backtrack to CDG. There are options to fly other city pairs without the constraints of AF only. Pisa, Venice to JFK--or even CDG to SLC then connect to LAX.
You many wish to search thru an agent who specializes in FF travel. You can source several thru Conde Nast Travel website--[Wendy] Perrin Report[s] are a wealth of referrals. It sounds like you really need a professional to assist with some complicated itineraries. An agent can offer ideas and book them based on your needs/profile.
You'll get lots of great info here if you can give a direction of what you want--there are some outstanding properties available @ LL.

Message Edited by kyshel on 06-19-2008 09:00 AM

[jashermd]

Hello,

For more feedback on the accommodation part of your itinerary, I'd recommend posting to the Europe destinations board -- there are some regulars on that board who have spent a lot of time in France, and Lhbrown, one of the VIP contributors, lives in Paris.

Cheers,
Julian

[omegaet]

LuCeKa....here is another consideration to investigate.....this is from a old thread in this community. LaDonna might be able to assist you for a reasonable fee:



"LaDonna Epler has been singled out several years as a top performing specialist in redemption of Frequent Flyer Miles. You may contact her at [email protected] and outline your situation. LaDonna works a reasonable fee basis. In my opinion, it is worth a few extra dollars when you can secure some worthwhile assistance from and experienced professional. Good luck!"

[obrienkf]

I echo kyshel's comments on thinking about a smaller international airport. I recently placed a short blog on starting your travels in Italy in Pisa. Its a smaller international airport (without the chaos and confusion of Rome's Da Vinci), and you can walk the short 40 metre walkway to the train station, that offers many trains to Florence. If you intended to rent a car, although likely the same price as in other airports, it isnt as frantic a moment, the flights from NY arrive at mid-day, and getting onto the highways is much easier than the insanity of Rome --- you are already in the heart of Tuscany. With petrol in Europe hitting the sky in terms of prices, wasting time on the highway just to 'get out of Rome' is a huge cost. Taxis from the airport in Rome to central Rome are very expensive (and can be an ugly start to a holiday as well!!).



If you intend to travel by train in Italy, which is a much more affordable travel option, and eliminates parking, petrol, pay highway costs(tolls tolls tolls), and the time wasted on highways that are more like parking lots..... Pisa can be an excellent starting point. What you save just in terms of the taxi costs from the airport to your hotel(Pisacan be very tourist friendly, and offers a smallerscale starting point toItaly) can be translated into a wonderful hotel, or a great wine. If you wish to fly around Europe, and you have flexibility in your travels, and you travellight, Ryan Airor Easy Jet are good options as well. Both operate out of the Pisa airport...



kind regards