Rail Travel

[Yuan]

I want to travel to Paris with my ten year old daughter this November and try to go to Venice and Rome by rail. I want to fly into Paris and depart from Rome. I was told I have to do one way air fares which is very costly so I thought I would back track on the train to Paris to get the round trip fare. I checked the erorail site and thought the 4 day in two months pass might be a good idea. Is this a good idea or am I just kidding myself. This is a life long dream and I want to get the three cities in during my stay I have 8 days to travel. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated  

[Heitor]

Hi . . . Deanne!

For travel to Paris with your ten year old daughter this November, you are probably trying to do too much in going to Venice and Rome after Paris in just eight days.(especially with your first day wasted/limited from jet lag, body clock adjustments, etc.)

Tell me more about your personal and travel interests, past Europe and France travel experience, budget, etc.  How much are you interested in history?  Countryside vs. cities?  Museums, food, wine, art, music, shopping, architecture, etc.?  How much of it in a leisurely style versus fast-paced?

It should not be that much more costly to fly into Paris and depart from Rome.  What city are you flying from?   What airlines have your checked?  You do not have to do one way air fares.   Back tracking on the train to Paris would take a full additional day. Very wasted.  Very boring and tiring.  

Try going to this website: http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch/?jrunsessionid=1006432586531232303

It can do search on air options for three leg flight options to cover Paris, Venice and Rome.  Let me know  with your exact dates if you are trouble tracking those options.  

From Paris to Venice is a very long day or night rail trip with a train change required in Milan.  Some don't sleep well or enjoy night train trips.  Might consider an air flight from Paris to Venice.  Might be able to get it as a part of your overall air ticket at a decent price and more convenience than via such a long 14-15 hour train ride. Having nine days, good ground logistics and not wasting a day on the train from Paris to Venice would help significantly.  Below is added info on Paris, Venice and Rome.  

Does this help? What are your reactions and needs for added information?  Be happy to provide additional info and answer other questions after learning more from you.  Be sure to complete the evaluation section so that our “bosses” on this volunteer service know we are working hard to make inquiring minds as happy as possible.ENJOY!  Merci Beaucoup!

Thanks.  Terry Casey in Columbus, Ohio

KEY PARIS HIGHLIGHTS/OPTIONS:(Some times might have been adjusted slightly since this was put together a couple of years ago; plus there can always be strikes, budget shortages, etc. that affect scheduled openings in France.) 1. Louvre(closed Tuesday, open 9-6, Monday and Wednesday until 9:45 p.m.) with Cafe Louvre on site for lunch or dinner, plus food court area with wide mix of different items; encyclopedic coverage divided into seven departments covering ancient times to middle of 19th century; Pyramid entrance designed by I. M. Pei, opened in 1989; very big and can spend four days there and still not see everything; Denon(south) Wing on first floor has many of the key European paintings; Richelieu(north) Wing opened in 1993 and has large, covered sculpture courtyard in its middle; Sully Wing(east) has mostly Egyptian and other antiquities.

PRIORITY

2. Notre Dame and Palais de Justice on island of Seine River at site of Paris' start; Notre Dame completed during the 1163-1345 period, tours 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; famous southern Rose Windows, climb up 380 steps of the tower for the best views of the city; Sunday night 5:30 p.m. organ concerts; famous Rose stained glass windows; Sainte-Chapelle near Palais de Justice is 700 years old with outstanding stained glass windows; La Conciergerie is prison where many, including Marie Antoinette were held prior to being guillotined, is well-light at night with its unique architecture, functioned as prison from 1391 to 1914. PRIORITY

3. Musee d'Orsay(door-say)(closed Monday, open 10-6, except Thursday 10 am-9:45 pm), covers 1848-1914 period, especially great for Impressionist art; former railway station and hotel; excellent cafe in museum; on Thursday night perfect for walk from museum west toward Assemblee Nationale and cross Seine River bridge towards Place de la Concorde seeing all of the building lighted and then looking back towards Eiffel Tower; Place de la Concorde was designed in 1775. PRIORITY

4. Eiffel Tower,(985' tall, 3rd floor at 305', built for 1889 Universal Exhibition).

5. Seine boat trip(board at Pont Neuf), great views of famous Paris sights, especially at night as major buildings are lighted.

6. Champs-Elysees(bargain with painters for pictures) and Arc de Triomphe, started 1806 to celebrate Napoleon's early victories, completed in 1836, 165' high.

7. Montmartre/Basilique du Sacre-Coeur(church started being built in 1875 on one of highest points in Paris, dedicated in 1910); dome is second highest point in Paris, took 35 years to build with public conscription, great views at dawn and dusk plus from dome area over city, area made famous by artist Toulouse Lautrec, cubism born there; do direct Metro here, nearest station is Anvers or Pigalle.

8. Luxembourg Palais and Gardens, built in 17th century for Marie de Medici, now houses French Senate, sculptures and fountains adorn extensive gardens, food available in gardens, great place for picnics, across street from apartment. 9. Saint Germain Market, open 8 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-7 p.m., open air, various food and meat items, near apartment; many galleries, cafes and antiques shops in area; rue de Buci street market.

10. St. Sulpice Church, second largest church in Paris, block from our apartment, famous for its organ and DeLacroix paintings, took 134 years to build, open 7:30 7:30.

11. Le Marais Area, NE of Hotel de Ville/City Hall, has Musee Picasso(structure built in 1659, opened in 1985 to settle his estate, open Wednesday-Monday 9:15 5:15) and Musee Carnavalet(built in 1540, two adjoining mansions with decorative arts from the various periods in Paris history), older area starting around metro St Paul statio;, has Jewish section in area with special foods and historic areas.

12. Musee Rodin, has nice scale in both the interior exhibit area as an old mansion, plus the gardens with the outdoor sculpture, at Varenne Metro stop next to Hotel des Invaldes, has third largest private garden in Paris, originally built in 1730, Rodin used as his studio from 1908 until his death in 1917, open Tuesday Sunday 10-5:45.

13. Palais-Royal, former home of Cardinal Richelieu who died there in 1642, old houses, restaurants, teas rooms and shops border the formal gardens on three sides, near Louvre.

14. Pompidou Center or Beaubourg Museum, opened in 1977, closed Tuesday; mostly post 1918 art work; duct-work and steel framing on outside.

15. Paris Opera House, opened 1875; 2nd Empire style, see grand staircase and foyer, 2200 seats, large stage area, current home of Paris Ballet.

16. Musee de l'Orangerie de Tuileries, impressionism collection, including Monet's work; closed Tuesday, open 9:45-5:15 p.m.

17. Musee Marmottan, open Tuesday-Sunday 10-5:30, excellent impressionist art, including Monet works.

18. Hotel les Invalides, Napoleon' s tomb, 643 foot dome, built in 1676 by Sun King for old soldiers, many disabled, open 10-5:45.

VERSAILLES: By suburban subway/train(RER-C5 line, from St-Michel, every 15 minutes) or train(30 minutes) from Saint Lazare; started being built in 1660's for Sun King Louis XIV(during 1661 to 1715 period, involved 32,000 to 45,000 workers) in French classical architectural style; conceived as a world unto itself as seat of government, permanent residence of the royal family and the cream of nobility, was previously modest hunting lodge in swampy area; palace highlight is 236-foot long Hall of Mirrors where treaty signed ending WWI; in garden areas are Grand Canal, Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and Hameau used by Marie Antoinette; town population of 100,000; possible bus tour or car drive options out to Versailles; open 9:45-5, park open sunrise to sunset; tour palace first and gardens later(closed Monday).

PARIS METRO/SUBWAY: Great, great system! Probably best to buy packets of ten tickets, rather than a multi-day, three or five day pass. There are thirteen different subway lines, plus the suburban RER rail options. It is important to know which line or lines you want to use, IN ADVANCE, and the name of the end station for your direction so that you go down the right set of stairs to be on the correct side of the tracks. It's not as simple as New York City with uptown or downtown! But it offers totally great, fast, frequent service. Very clean and nice! PARIS MUSEUM PASS: Strongly suggest getting the Paris Museum Pass for access to 70 museums and monuments in Paris and the surrounding region. Multiple visits to the same museums are possible and there is no waiting in line. You get: * Entry into more than 70 Paris museums and monuments inside and outside Paris, including Arc de Triomphe, Pantheon, The Louvre, Notre Dame, Musee d'Orsay, Musee National du Chateau de Versailles, Musee National Picasso, Pompidou Center, Musee Roding, Chateau de Rambouillet, Basilique Saint-Denis, Château de Chantilly, Fontainebleau, etc.

* Multiple visits to the same museums or monuments at no extra charge * Validities: 1, 3 or 5 consecutive days * No admission charge, no waiting in line Paris Museum Pass, 1-Day Pass 18 Euro or $24 Paris Museum Pass, 3-Day Pass 36 Euro or $48

Paris Museum Pass, 5-Day Pass 54 Euro or $72(based on 3-6-05 dollar value)

You can get the Paris Museum Pass at the Paris Tourist Office, and in its reception offices in Paris train stations, and the Eiffel Tower or the major Métro stations or at the 70 museums and monuments concerned. More info:

www.museumpass.com

EXCELLENT PARIS WEBSITES, including hotels, apartments:

www.paris.org

www.travel-in-paris.com

www.paris-touristoffice.com

www.parisbandb.com

www.chezvous.com

www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/europe

For hotels, you can try:

www.tripadvisor.com

www.hotels.com

For high quality, budget-priced accommodations in Paris, try: www.paristravel.com for discounted rates at quality-level two-star hotels; and www.yourstayparis.com for low-cost studio apartments. OUTSIDE PARIS ACCOMMODATIONS OPTIONS:

www.gites-de-france.fr

BEST WEBSITES

www.franceguide.com/us: official website of the French Government Tourist Office.

www.paris-touristoffice.com: website of the Paris Tourist office, info on hotels, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, and events.

DINING: You didn't ask, but on dining in France, assuming you're not looking for the high-end, pricy places, the great news is that most any place will be very good to great to excellent. It's hard to have a bad meal in France! The secret is to do some asking where you are staying and/or of others you meet there for their local suggestions. Then apply the eyeball test! If it looks touristy and the people sitting there(or the staff) are bored and uninterested, then that place probably should be avoided. If it looks like there are locals there and/or they are enjoying it, then it will probably be very good. Or maybe even better! Here's a good “balancing suggestion” for saving your dining budget. Grab your lunch at one of the many bakeries/boulangerie/patisserie shops. Most are very cute and wonderful. Great breads! Get a sandwich, pastry, drink. Maybe some cheese. Other nice fresh things. Maybe spend only $4-5-6 a person. Eat in a park area or bench in Paris or the country side. Like a little picnic! Saves money and time during a busy day. Allows a little more budget for dinner in the evening. FINAL KEY POINT: Read up, in advance, with such books(maybe from your library) as Eyewitness France(great maps and pictures) . . . or the Michelin Green books . . . to help you target what you most want to see and enjoy to fit your needs and taste. Don't wait until you get there to decide what you want to do. And be flexible. There could be strikes, rain, etc. that will require you to be able to adjust quickly to take advantage of your best available options each day.

A. KEY STRATEGIC ITALIAN TIPS

1. Relax and enjoy!  The Romans already controlled the world once and are not in that much of a hurry.  It will all work out.  Be patient!  That's their approach to life!

2. It's hard to have a bad meal in Italy!  If you like seafood, you'll find lots of great dishes there.  But most everything is wonderful.  Enjoy the food!

3. The driving in the cities can be a little crazy, but the Italian are great, defensive drivers . . . very alert and aggressive.  Outside of the cities, it's much easier and lots like driving right here in Ohio.

ITALY FAST FACTS: Total land size is slightly larger than Arizona, but the population is 58 million, nearly twice that of California.  The “boot” is 800 miles long by about 100 miles average width, May is one of the four best months for Italian travel(better weather and not over-crowded with tourists). Italy is the world's largest wine producer.

D. KEY ITALY AREAS/HIGHLIGHTS

VENICE(pop. 299,000), best options/priorities of St. Mark's Basilica(Sun. 2 5:30, M-S 9:45-5:30) be sure to take stairs/steps and go up to the higher second level for both great inside and outside views, wonderful 1000-year old church; Doge's Palace(9-6 daily), see the jail area, great outdoor pictures from the balcony off of the grand ballroom-reception area on the second level; do sunrise walk, enjoy the “battling bands” at night on San Marco Square; Grand Canal boat ride; Rialto Bridge and its area is wonderful; Gallerie dell'Accademia(9-10, Sun 9-6) has very good art, but not as great the Uffizi in Florence, nice stuff by Leonardo DaVinci;  wonderful shopping options, including silk, such as ties for $8.50(15,000 lire on San Marco Square); just walking around Venice is the total joy, no cars, truck or motor scooters, just lots of interesting people in a great, historic setting!  You'll walk where Marco Polo walked after being in China!

ROME(pop. nearly 3 million) This vivid city has so many unforgettable images: St. Peter's Dome against a pink-and-red sunset, the city's silhouette from Janiculum Hill at dawn; the array of broken marble columns and ruins of temples of the Roman Forum; a Bernini 17th-century colonnade resting against an Egyptian obelisk carried off from Heliopolis while Jesus was still alive; Renaissance frescoes in a papal palace built on top of the tomb of a Roman emperor.

Rome went all out to spruce up for 2000 and the Jubilee with decades' worth of grime from pollution scrubbed from the city's facades, revealing the original glory of the Eternal City. Many of the most popular areas(such as the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona) are sparkling and inviting again.

Whether they're still time-blackened or newly gleaming, the city's ancient monuments are a constant reminder that Rome was one of the greatest centers of Western civilization. In the heyday of the Empire, all roads led to Rome, and with good reason. It was one of the first cosmopolitan cities, importing slaves, gladiators, great art, and even citizens from the far corners of the world. Despite its carnage and corruption, Rome left a legacy of law; a heritage of great art, architecture, and engineering; and an uncanny lesson in how to conquer enemies by absorbing their cultures.

But ancient Rome is only part of the spectacle. The Vatican has had a tremendous influence on making the city a tourism center. They created great Renaissance treasures and even occasionally incorporated the old into the new- as Michelangelo did when turning the Baths of Diocletian into a church. And in the years that followed, Bernini adorned the city with the wonders of the baroque, especially his glorious fountains.

Rome is also a city of sounds, the peal of morning church bells, yielding into an urban symphony. The streets fill with cars, taxis, and motor scooters, all blaring their horns as they weave in and out of traffic; the sidewalks become overrun with bleary-eyed office workers rushing to their desks after stealing into crowded cafes for the first cappuccino of the day. The shops lining the streets open for business by raising their protective metal grilles as loudly as possible. Before long, fruit-and-vegetable stands are abuzz with activity as homemakers, maids, cooks, and others arrive to purchase their day's supply of fresh produce, haggling over prices and clucking over quality.

By 10 am the tourists are on the streets, battling crowds and traffic as they wind their way from Renaissance palaces and baroque buildings to the famous ruins of antiquity. Indeed, Rome often appears to have two populations: one of Romans and one of visitors. The traffic is worse than ever, complicated by a confusing lay-out of changing street names, twisting directions, etc.

More than Florence or Venice, Rome is Italy's treasure trove, packed with masterpieces from more than two millennia of artistic achievement -- Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling to Federico Fellini filming La Dolce Vita and 8½ .

Rome's 2,700 years of history are laid open with every step. Nero fiddling, Mark Antony praising Caesar, and Charlemagne being crowned. Walk in their footsteps past the masterpieces of Michelangelo, sip your caffè in the shadow of Mussolini, and dodge Vespas speeding by Baroque palazzi and Egyptian obelisks.

VENICE DINING

Suggested and Highly Recommended by Us from May of 1999:

Taverna La Fenice, Campiello de la Fenice 1938; next to fire-damaged, but being repaired Opera House, wonderful food; if nice, can dine outside

Restoranti da Raffaele, Calle larga XXII Marzo 2347, phone: 041/523-2317, right along side of canal, wonderful food and great setting; if nice, hopefully can dine outside.

Suggested and Well-Rated by others: Al Covo *, expensive, three stars from Access, 14-Gault

Flaschetteria Toscana,  Canareggio, to north near Bridge, three stars from Access, 14 Gault; classics: squid w/polenta, SEAFOOD

Corta Sconta * Just ask where the Fermata Vaporino(Arsenale) is. Three stars by Access, 15-Gault

Osteria da Fiore. 2202 Calle del Scaleter, San Polo, 39-41-528-6396*(choc. souffle!), high marks from Knoff, 14-Gault, star from Fodors

Antica Martini three stars by Access, next to Fenice, 15-Gault

Osteria Da Alberto, three stars by Access

Venice's Ristorante Ai Due Vescovi, just north of Piazza San Marco(Calle Fiubera, Tel. 041-5236990). Owned by a delightful young couple who couldn't have been more gracious. Nino does the cooking and Ruxandra runs the dining rooms. She's from Romania and speaks flawless English. Don't miss Nino's rolled eggplant stuffed with tiny pasta, whether as an antipasto or first course. Gelato:  Gelateria Causin, east end of Campo Santa Margherita

Gelati Nico, Zattere  (very good gelato)

OTHER TRAVEL NOTES

Venice The water - of the river, of the sea, of the lagoon - is the main characteristic of Eastern Veneto.  Each one of the many people settlements in Venice area during the centuries have had to deal with this natural element. The real Queen of water is Venice, unique town for many reasons, not last the way it has been constructed(apart from any pittoresque suggestion) which reveals intelligence and a great architectural ability. Even simple numbers in this case take a special meaning: 411 bridges, 118 small islands, 150 channels - the "Canal Grande" is 3800 mt long - are the basis of this town miracle.Its artistical, historical and cultural treasure is due to an incredible, intricate and harmonious communication system based on water and on stones.

Ride the vaporetto-#1 - for a slow tour up the Grand Canal-#82 is the Express;  Lots of churches loaded with Tiepolos, Tintorettos and Titians, Bellinis, etc. The Accademia for classical art. Walk across the canal on the wooden Accademia Bridge and on the shop laden Rialto Bridge. Osteria da Baco on Calle delle Rasse behind San Marco has wonderful sandwiches; La Taverna alla Fenice has the best risotto in the world. Poste Vecie in the fish market area has fabulous fish and is a real old Venetian Landmark;