Disneyland Paris for almost four days-why?

I'm thinking that it will be more like three days in the parks (as one day will be lost getting there, doing check-in etc). The reason is my daughter, who is crazy about Mickey and Co.

Paulo,

Even a 3 yr old will be burned out and cranky after 2 days at Disneyland, to say nothing of the parents! She won't even remember this trip since she is only 3 now. If she were 4 or 5, yes she would remember.

I would not recommend trying to do a day trip to Pompeii with a 3 year old.

I would skip Pisa and Assisi, in favor of one less day in Florence and one more in Venice. Depends on your interests though. Are you really into Renaissance art and architecture? Will you take your daughter into lots of museums?

Just some things to think about.

Hi Paulo, I agree with Dayle re the Disney visit. We took our 9yo twin girls to the Paris Fantasia park a few years ago, and a day was more than enough for them to get their fill! There are only certain rides she can go on due to height limits on rides, and queues can be long. Also, the big lunchtime parade was an excellent way to see all the favorite characters and get cuddles & photos with them etc. The second park would be completely out of the question for a 3 yo, as its rides are really too extreme (and she'd be too short anyway!). But the full day was really enjoyable for my girls, and they got their fill of Mickey and Minnie mementos, so I'm sure your 3yo will love it too. Paris is also good for little kids, as there are exciting things there that they can relate to, eg pony rides in the Tuileries, looking for the Hunchback in Notre Dame etc. Cutting down on the Disney leg will give you a little extra time too for your other destinations. I also agree with Dayle re not making Pompeii a daytrip,as it's quite a way from Rome. If you can spare the time, you may want to consider an overnight stay at a nearby village along the Circumvesuviana trainline eg Vico Equense.

Thank you all for the comments and suggestions.

We already dumped Pompeii as a family trip. I might go alone, but I don't know yet.

In our previous trip to Paris, we had a little more than half-day in Disney, and our daughter was even younger, so everything was very rushed and we couldn't do almost nothing. The trip was a success only because the moment when she saw the characters.

But I'm listening you and thinking that 4 days is too much. We'll probably make it two or three (as we're considering staying at a Disney hotel).

Pisa is important to me and Assisi is very important to my wife. The idea is to go to Pisa as a side-trip from Florence and Assisi as a day-stop in the way to Rome. As we'll probably drop MSM, we'll have a little bit more time in Italy. Does it seems doable?

I loved Assisi! I think your daughter will really like the parks in London and Paris, as well as rides on the rivers. I would add a day (or two) to Venice if you are dropping MSM. It is a great city for walking and getting lost and having a gondola ride, and you could go out to Murano and/or Burano.

After some tweaking based on what you suggested, here is an improved version of our itinerary:

September
13 - Arrive in London
14 - London
15 - London
16 - London
17 - London/Stonehenge-Bath Tour
18 - London
19 - London
20 - London/Paris(Disney) (Train)
21 - Disney
22 - Disney
23 - Disney/Paris
24 - Paris
25 - Paris
26 - Paris
27 - Paris
28 - Paris
29 - Paris
30 - Paris/Venice(Flight)

October
1 - Venice
2 - Venice
3 - Venice/Florence (Train)
4 - Florence
5 - Florence/PISA/Florence (Train)
6 - Florence
7 - Florence/ASSISI/Rome (Train)
8 - Rome
9 - Rome
10 - Rome
11 - Rome
12 - Rome
13 - Rome
14 - Back to Rio

My new doubts:

1. Is it well paced? Should I take some days from some city and put an another? My biggest concern here is the little time in Venice.

3. What day-trips from these cities do you recommend?

2. Is there any better way to fit Disney between London and Paris? Should I think of Disney after our time in Paris, and them straight to the airport and Venice?

Your trip is very well paced IMO. But is there a reason you want/need so much time at Disney? Even for die hard Disney fanatics - 2 full days is enough to see everything. I'd take the train from London to Disney and stay 2 nights. You'd have more than 1/2 a day on arrival and all of the next day. On the 3rd morning check out, have the hotel hold your luggage and return to the park for half a day or so. Then collect your luggage and head into Paris. The extra time in Paris would allow maybe a couple of day trips like Chartres or Giverny.

janisj, We visited Disney Paris last year, but as a day trip from Paris. It was very rushed and we enjoyed the parks only for a few hours. I think that this is our way to ensure that this time we'll get to see much more (besides, the deals from the Disney Hotels are the same for 3 or 5 nights).

I've made several changes in our itinerary. Probably, it's a very good example of how someone can destroy a paced travel plan and put something rushed in it's place! I know I shouldn't read the Switzerland forum, but now it's too late.

September
13 - Arrive in London
14 - London
15 - London
16 - London/Stonehenge/Bath
17 - London
18 - London
19 - London/Disney (Eurostar) -------- Disney 1/2 day.
20 - Disney
21 - Disney
22 - Disney/Paris (Train) ----------- Night in Paris.
23 - Paris
24 - Paris
25 - Paris
26 - Paris
27 - Paris
28 - TRAVEL DAY: Paris/Zurich/Chur
29 - Chur/Engadin (Diavolezza)
30 - Engadin

October
1 - TRAVEL DAY: Engadin/Tirano/Milan/Venice --Night in Venice
2 - Venice
3 - Venice
4 - TRAVEL DAY: Venice[10:25]/[13:49]Pisa[17:09]/Florence[18:01] (Train)
5 - Florence
6 - Florence
7 - Florence/Rome(Train) ---------- Rome 1/2 day.
8 - Rome
9 - Rome
10- Rome/Assisi/Rome(Train)
11- Rome
12 - Rome
13 - Rome
14 - Rome/RIO

Any suggestions or comments are welcomed.

You have a reasonable amount of time to see the places you wan t- you're just doing it very oddly.

Suggestions: Either bag Disney - or if you have a young child spend one day there. There is nothing to do for more than one day.

Do not just stuff 3 days in Mt St Michel - give yourself 4 days (you can take from Disney). Go from London through the tunnel and pick up a rental car at the first stop in FRance and see Mt St Michel and part of Normandy (Baueux, perhaps Honfleur and some of hte invasion beaches) then head to Paris. You can see Mt St mIchel easily in parts of 2 days - to allow for tides and then move north for parts of Normandy.

I would take one day from Rome and give to either Venice or Florence - which ever is of more interest to you.

nytraveler: >>Either bag Disney - or if you have a young child spend one day there. There is nothing to do for more than one day.<<

>>Do not just stuff 3 days in Mt St Michel - give yourself 4 days <<

The plan has evolved from that first version. MSM is out and phpacha has explained why they are doing Disney.

Phpacha: Even w/the Swiss addition it is pretty well paced. I'd probably still cut one or two days from DL but you've explained about the multi-day deal.

nytraveler, its like janisj said: the last itinerary is what I'm considering now.

Janisj, thanks for the comment. It was a hard thing to take one day from Paris and London each,but Switzerland won this easily. My resolution now is to stay away from the forums about other european countries!

You have a well paced trip. Try not to add destinations and make it more fast paced. It is not easy traveling with a 3-year old. She needs some stability which you have built nicely into the trip with longer stays in some places.

"My resolution now is to stay away from the forums about other european countries!"

Good idea

Looks good now. You could take a day from Rome or Paris and add it to Venice. Definitely don't add any more destinations. That's part of the adjustment to traveling with young children.

Thank you all for the comments. It's great to discuss these plans with fellow travelers.

As we advance (and enjoy it) in the planning, we're still making some adjustments in our itinerary. I haven't add any other destinations, but I'm considering to reduce our time in Florence.

What I want to do was to visit Florence as a day trip from Rome. Reading the forums, it seems easily doable. Although we'll see only a fraction of what Florence has to offer, we have decided on the few things we can't miss (David, the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio and strolling a little by the city). We're leaving the Uffizi for another opportunity, but it will make a perfect excuse to go back to Florence.

The problem with this plan is that I couldn't find a way to fit Pisa in it. The best way to reduce our time in Florence and keep our day trip to Pisa seems to stay one night in Florence. With the time we're taking from Florence, I added one more night in Venice and one in Rome (thinking about Ostia Antica) or London.

I know that these days will be very rushed, but is it possible or recommended?

The other doubt is about our stay in Switzerland: I can't decided if we should stay one night in Chur and then two nights in Berghaus Diavolezza or get to St. Moritz in the first day, stay in some hotel for two nights and then only one night in Diavolezza.

Here's the possible new itinerary:

September
13 - Arrive in London
14 - London
15 - London
16 - London/Stonehenge/Bath
17 - London
18 - London
19 - London/Disney (Eurostar) -------- Disney 1/2 day.
20 - Disney
21 - Disney
22 - Disney/Paris (Train) ----------- Noite
23 - Paris
24 - Paris
25 - Paris
26 - Paris
27 - Paris
28 - TRAVEL DAY: Paris/Zurich/Chur
29 - Chur/Engadin (Diavolezza)
30 - Engadin

October
1 - TRAVEL DAY: Engadin/Tirano/Milan/Venice --------- Night in Venice
2 - Venice
3 - Venice
4 - Venice
5 - TRAVEL DAY: Venice[10:25]/[13:49]Pisa[17:09]/Florence[18:01] (Train)
6 - Florence/Rome-----Night in Rome
7 - Rome
8 - Rome
9 - Rome
10- Rome/Assisi/Rome (Train)
11- Rome
12 - Rome
13 - Rome
14 - Rome/RIO

Well, maybe you'll just have to give up Pisa. You can't do everything, especially when traveling with children.

Actually, in 6 or 7 trips to Italy, I've never been to Pisa. Ticking that one box is just not that high on my list of priorities.

phpasha - why not stay IN Pisa? then you get a whole afternoon [and morning if you want] in Pisa, which is great because in the evening all the tourists and tat disappear and the buildings of the campo dei miracoli are beautifully lit up.

the next day, get the train to Florence, spend the day there, and then get a late train to Rome. as you only want to see David, not the Uffizi, reserve tickets for the Accademia in advance - you're not likely to spend more than an hour or so there, even if you have a strong interest in their fascinating exhibition of musical instruments! That way you'll cut down the time you might spend in a queue - which on a day trip becomes very important.

Mimar,I suppose we could decide that when we arrive in Florence, as there is no need to book that ticket in advance. I agree with you that travelling with children requires certain flexibility.

annhig, thanks for the tip on reserving the tickets for Academia in advance. As for your other suggestion, I wasn't thinking about staying overnight in Pisa until now. It would definitely be less rushed. Besides the complex with the tower, is there more attractions in the city? A hotel in Pisa will be much more cheap than one in Florence?

Pisa is not just the "campo dei miracoli" [which includes not just the tower but the Duomo and Baptistry] but is also a very pleasant and historical city with the Arno running through it. Like other tourist -swamped places, for example San Gimignano, it takes on a quite different atmosphere at night, when the vast majority of them disappear along with the tourist-tat touts, and the buildings, when lit up, are quite magical.

you would have to do your research into hotel prices, but it certainly wouldn't be dearer than Florence, I wouldn't have thought. we have stayed a couple of times at the Royal Victoria Hotel down by the river. The first time, over 25 years ago, it was a wonderful experience - we had a huge room with a bathroom as big as our bedroom at home, and though it was faded, it was certainly grand. the 2nd time, when we stayed with our kids, they had divided the rooms into two [at least!] and there was hardly room to swing a mouse, let alone a cat. but I'm sure that some research on TA or booking.com would yield something better.

a word of warning however, no children of under 8 are allowed to climb the tower. So if you want to do it, you'll have to do it in relays. You can [and indeed should] book your times here:

www.opapisa.it.

You need to allow a bit of time beforehand to pick up your tickets, deposit bags, etc.

it just seems to make much more sense than rushing to get to Florence, when your interests in that city are, at least presently, quite limited.

Pisa in the early morning or late evening is very different than during the crush of many tourists. Pisa is also only 1/2 an hour by commuter train to Florence. So you could stay in either and visit either.

Pisa has a few old towers left over from the fortification period, a few bits of old wall, a couple of nice churches (with frescos) but in my mind it is a walk and look sort of city. I can think of many nicer ones (Florence is one such) and I understand you don't want more cities to look at.

Why some much time in London, Paris and Rome, particularly as you have been to Paris before?

I agree with nytraveller--get a car and drive through Normandy to MSM. You could probably do in two days with one overnite stop. There is a lovely small hotel near MSM with a great restaurant. It was one of the high points of our travels, if only for one nite.

In any event, I'd spend more time in Florence/Pisa than in Rome and would stop at Assisi on the way to Rome--even if you had to spend the nite at Assisi or Perugia rather than back tracking.

"Why some much time in London, Paris and Rome, particularly as you have been to Paris before? "

Why not for heavens sakes? For whatever reason(s), some people actually like/love/prefer each of those cities. The OP has a very nicely paced trip and it meets their wants/needs. They are just doing a little tweaking of the Florence/Pisa bit

janisj--The OP seems to me to be looking for more than just some help with Florence/Pisa and most of the responses had to do with the time they were spending at Disney.

Quote from OP:

"2. I know that there are too many cities and too little time, so, I'm willing to sacrifice Venice and go directly from Paris to Florence. On the other hand, Venice is very close to Florence and this doesn't sound like a great economy of time or money. What do you think?

If you could, I would like to hear any thoughts on this itinerary."

And from the last iteration: "Here's the possible new itinerary."

If I were thinking of traveling to Brazil, for example, I'd certainly welcome any and all input. And even if I'd been to and loved Rio, I would consider it helpful if someone recommended that the time I was planning to revisit it was too much and that I needed to spend less time there in favor of seeing something different.

DWD