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| Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy |
Wow, where do I even begin? Planning a multi-city trip is a bit overwhelming, especially if you haven't done it before. I have, but it still overwhelms me. It's also one thing to plan for just you and, let's say, your husband, it's another to plan for a whole group. Chances are, the people in your group have different tastes and will want to see different things. Well, I guess you could always split up. There's no rule saying you all have to stick together, right?
This post will talk about just the basics, and not really the day-to-day itinerary. Right now, my family and I are in the process of planning a 3-week vacation in Europe for July-August of this year. It's a short period of time considering we would like to visit so many different cities.
Here are the cities we plan to go to:
- Barcelona
- Lisbon
- Fatima
- Rome
- Florence (Tuscany)
- Venice
- Paris
- Lourdes
- Back to Barcelona
I know, I know, we're going to be borlog (knocked out) after the trip, but it will be so worth it, for sure.
So first things first.
1. Decide when you want to go.
There are so many factors that affect this decision like the weather, or if weather is not that important to you, the budget perhaps? Whatever the reason for your going at a certain time, you have to make a decision when you're going and make sure everyone in the group agrees.
In our case, we are going to celebrate my mother's 75th birthday, which is in June. However, while looking at ticket prices, we found that it would be a lot cheaper to go in end of July to mid-August. So, even if it's going to be hot, we decided to go for it. Also, June to August is summer break for my nephew Yeshua, who lives in Guam.
2. Decide which cities you want to see.
Ideally, we'd rather have plenty of time to explore just one particular area. But let's face it, when we travel, especially long distance, we want to make the most out of the 21-hour flight and check off as many places on our bucket list as possible. So in our case, we'll be spending 2 nights in Lourdes, 3 nights in Barcelona, Lisbon, and Rome, and 4 nights in Florence and Paris.
3. Book strategically-located accommodations.
This is a bit tricky, because we all know that accommodations in the city center or close to attractions are the most expensive. If you're on a tight budget, you might have to settle for something a little outside the city center.
Thankfully, there's public transportation. So keep in mind that being close to metro stations or bus stops could save you a lot of walking. Also, if you're into eating cheap, having a supermarket nearby or a neighborhood deli will help you save money.
Whenever we go to Fukuoka, we always stay in the same Airbnb apartment. In fact, we're staying there again in March. Well, different apartment unit but same apartment building. It is not in the center but in a more quiet neighborhood. What we love about this place is it's close to public transportation, convenience stores, restaurants, an awesome bakeshop, and a 24-hour supermarket.
4. Planes or trains?
Decide whether you want to fly or take the scenic route. I discovered that it's cheaper to fly (within Europe) than to take the train. For us, flying is the best option since it saves us both time and money. We only have 3 weeks, and even if we love riding trains, we just can't afford it this time.
5. Figure out how you'll get around.
Does the city you're visiting have a metro system? How do you get to the city center from the airport? How much does a one-way or return ticket cost? Do you buy a metro card? Or is it cheaper to buy one ticket at a time? These are only some of the questions you need to know the answers to. Reading about the city's or cities' public transportation system could save you time and money. Also, remember that you'll be dragging your suitcase around, so it's best to prepare ahead of time by doing research.
6. Set a budget.
Last but not the least, set a daily budget for yourself. How much are you willing spend per meal? How many times a day do you plan to eat out? Are you going to cook? Also, take into consideration transportation expenses. Unless it's a highly walkable city like Florence, it's going to cost you money to get from one attraction to the next. Setting a budget really helps me determine how much of my spending money is for food, transportation, attractions, and shopping.
Ideally, we'd rather have plenty of time to explore just one particular area. But let's face it, when we travel, especially long distance, we want to make the most out of the 21-hour flight and check off as many places on our bucket list as possible. So in our case, we'll be spending 2 nights in Lourdes, 3 nights in Barcelona, Lisbon, and Rome, and 4 nights in Florence and Paris.
3. Book strategically-located accommodations.
This is a bit tricky, because we all know that accommodations in the city center or close to attractions are the most expensive. If you're on a tight budget, you might have to settle for something a little outside the city center.
Thankfully, there's public transportation. So keep in mind that being close to metro stations or bus stops could save you a lot of walking. Also, if you're into eating cheap, having a supermarket nearby or a neighborhood deli will help you save money.
Whenever we go to Fukuoka, we always stay in the same Airbnb apartment. In fact, we're staying there again in March. Well, different apartment unit but same apartment building. It is not in the center but in a more quiet neighborhood. What we love about this place is it's close to public transportation, convenience stores, restaurants, an awesome bakeshop, and a 24-hour supermarket.
4. Planes or trains?
Decide whether you want to fly or take the scenic route. I discovered that it's cheaper to fly (within Europe) than to take the train. For us, flying is the best option since it saves us both time and money. We only have 3 weeks, and even if we love riding trains, we just can't afford it this time.
5. Figure out how you'll get around.
Does the city you're visiting have a metro system? How do you get to the city center from the airport? How much does a one-way or return ticket cost? Do you buy a metro card? Or is it cheaper to buy one ticket at a time? These are only some of the questions you need to know the answers to. Reading about the city's or cities' public transportation system could save you time and money. Also, remember that you'll be dragging your suitcase around, so it's best to prepare ahead of time by doing research.
6. Set a budget.
Last but not the least, set a daily budget for yourself. How much are you willing spend per meal? How many times a day do you plan to eat out? Are you going to cook? Also, take into consideration transportation expenses. Unless it's a highly walkable city like Florence, it's going to cost you money to get from one attraction to the next. Setting a budget really helps me determine how much of my spending money is for food, transportation, attractions, and shopping.
