For a first answer, here are the basics. The train system in these areas are pretty good so you might look at www.bahn.de to get an overview of trains or use the national websites such as sncf.com renfe.com and cp.pt

Canary Islands are basically just African islands (miles from Spain proper) covered in hotels (not fully fair but you get a picture) and you fly from just about any major city on your tour.

To advise on times and other cities you have to give us a clue about what you like to do. One man's meat is .......
Though you have an interesting list for France.

As bilboburgler suggests, let us know your interests. That said, I would offer the following.
As far as Spain is concerned, forget canaries and instead do Barcelona - Madrid - Seville and then Portugal (makes more sense). I like Marseilles but its not everyones favourite.

Sounds like a 20-day road trip, with or without visiting the Canaries. Check the distances and the time it takes to change locations. It change in location can take most of a day. Based on your list, you could easily speed one third of your time just traveling, leaving you little time to enjoy each destination.

If you use the EuRail pass, you'll need to plan your journey carefully as reservations are required on all high-speed long and medium distance trains in France, Spain and Portugal.

<< Places that are on my list >>

Do you mean that these places are ones you definitely want to visit or just ideas and you'll eliminate some of them. When you say you're buying a 3 country Eurail pass that leads me to believe that you definitely will be going to 9 locations in 20 days. That will give you about 1.5 days in each location when you subtract travel time.

<< Any suggestions on where to go (other cities?) >>

Do you want to add more locations (madness) or swap those on your list for other locations (still madness because you have too many places for 20 days)?

I would do 5 to 6 days in Paris and then do the south of France for the rest of the time. Take the train from Paris to Nice and then rent a car so you can see the small towns between Nice and Marseille; fly home from Marseille.

Why the Canarys? What about Mallorca, which is relatively close to Barcelona and not off the coast of Africa?

You've listed a LOT of potential stops for a 20-day trip (is that 19 nights?). If you can articulate why you want to go to the places listed (yeah, Paris, Barcelona speak for themselves, really wondering about Marseille, Canarys, Lisbon), some of your questions will begin to answer themselves and some of them will be more easily answered here.

Check the bahn.de site for travel time between each city. Generally Barcelona-Madrid is just over 3 hrs by fast train, same for Madrid to Seville and Paris to Marseille.

Travel time should also include checking into and out of a hotel as well as the time it takes to get to and from the train station. A simple three-hour trip can easily eat up 6 hours of your day, if not more.

We just did 14 days in Normandy (two bases) and finished up with 5 nights in Paris.

Be practical and spend a few days at a few less destinations.

IMO too many places over too wide an area in too little time. Even w/o the Canarys - and including them would make it even worse.

Where are you flying in to and out of? Even w/ open jaw in to Paris and out of Spain or Portugal you have at least 2 or 3 too many destinations

I agree you have too many places. I'd fly into Paris and out of Lisbon if possible.

This is what I would do:

Paris 4 days
Nice/Cannes 2 days (skip Marseilles)
Barcelona 3 days
Madrid 2 days (skip the Canaries)
Lisbon 2 days
Porto 2 days

Then you have travel days to fill in and maybe add an extra day per your preferences.

it would still be a whirlwind - 3 days Barcelona is at least a day short and 2 days Madrid and Lisbon would really only mean one full day when you factor in travel time.

Great, thanks everyone... I'm not overly familiar with the exact geographic of everything when it comes to timing. LucyLemonade, thanks for that break down... I think we will skip Marseille and obviously the Canary Islands (Just heard great things of it, but that can be a trip of it's own)and do just that. I may have more days, all depends how much time I can get off work.

What we are looking to do...
Well, my spouse and I are very active so we're hoping to do some things that include physical activities if possible. Suggestions in any of the places that Lucylemonade stated??
As for France, we're hoping to indulge in some good food and wine.
As for Barcelona, nothing planned as of yet since I haven't done much research on it.
Portugal, beaches!!!

We'll be spending 5 days or so in Paris because my Best Friend will be living there, so I'll be visiting her hence why we're flying into Paris, then head south from there. We may have a car to drive rather than the euro rail... anyone recommend that over the rail?

I appreciate everyone's comments, so keep them coming.

Hi Lucy; If this was my trip, I would do five nights in Paris, Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon.

1. Paris deserves all five nights by itself.

2. From each of the other three cities, we could suggest at least two full days of visits outside of the city.

So fly to Barcelona from Paris.

Fast train to Madrid from Barcelona.

Fly or train to Lisbon.

You already suggested an open jaw flight and that works.

@CathyM, I was not counting travel time. You can see there are 5 extra days in my plan. Three days in Barcelona is a week short & 2 days in Madrid is 2 days too long. Personally, if it were my trip, I'd spend all the 4 days in Lisbon (and area) and 5 days in Barcelona, skipping both Porto & Madrid.

It's not my trip though. No one is saying it's not a "whirlwind". But it's doable and fun, especially if you are young.

Bedard: Do not drive!!!! It's way too far and you will waste so much time and be exhausted. Take the train. The fast trains are a dream. If you want a car rent it locally, but you will not need one. In fact, a car could be a hindrance.

Can we not edit? I meant to add


@Berdard, I forgot to say, if you are adding a day in Paris, I'd skip Madrid and stay a day longer in Lisbon area.

iris1745's recommendations seem the most reasonable. 5 nights each in 4 large cities would give enough time to get between each city and do 1-2 daystrips from each. It's still covering a large geography in 20 days but it is better paced (definately moderate, not slow) IMHO.

<<Well, my spouse and I are very active so we're hoping to do some things that include physical activities if possible.>>

What means this? "Physically active" can be laying foundations for Habitat for Humanity. You can walk a LOT in any of the cities you're visiting. Barcelona and Paris also have Fat Tire Bike Tours.

If you're from the US, European beaches are generally nothing to shake a stick at - US and Caribbean beaches tend to be far superior. NB: Lisbon isn't on the ocean it's on an inlet.

I don't think Madrid needs 5 nights even with a day-trip to Toledo (forget Segovia, too small and not that interesting). Don't think Lisbon needs 5 either.

Barcelona needs more than 3 nights, no doubt.

It's true Lisbon isn't particular interesting as far as beaches go. I mean it's nice to visit Estoril/Cascais, but I don't see it as a beach holiday.

And the Lisbon coast is cold. He could take an extra night in Barcelona and visit Sitges or better take out Madrid all together and add the two days in Nice/Cannes/Antibes for beaches.

So many options!

'Take out Madrid all togerther'. Or stay in Madrid. Vist the city and its world class museum. Then do day trips.

1. A bus tour to Avila and Segovia.

2. A whole day in Toledo and

3. Further a field, perhaps two hours bY train, Salamanca.

So, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salamanca and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avila,_Spain and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segovia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo_Spain and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid

You can see we all have our own opinions. Never take our thoughts verbatim.

Start using our thoughts and incorporate into you own and then decide what is best for YOU. Have fun.

There are the similar day trips from both Barcelona and Lisbon to fill a five night stay in either of those cities.

YOUR CALL, not ours.

Madrid doesn't have a beach.

Salamanca is a little too far, at nearly 3 hours from Madrid, to do as a daytrip. But iris1745 is correct - all of the larger cities you mention are well worth at least 2-3 days each and have at least 3-5 daytrips I can think of off the top of my head. Madrid, for example, has Toledo, Segovia (which I loved), Cuenca, Avila, Aranjuez, etc....Barcelona has Girona, Vic, Tarragona, Montserrat, Sitges