Planning a Europe trip this August with 3 friends (from Aus) and would love some thoughts on pacing and logistics.
Rough itinerary:
Paris - 3 nights (have been before, could drop to 2)
Portugal (Lisbon +/- Lagos) - 4 nights
Lake Como (Bellagio) - 2 nights
Florence - 3 nights
Cinque Terre - 5 nights
Albania - 6 nights (Shkoder one night> Shala River two nights then drive to Himare (3 nights))
Provence - 3 nights
Paris - 1 night (fly home)
Rough transport plan:
Paris > Lisbon: flight
Lisbon > Lagos: train (if we split stay)
Portugal > Milan: flight + train to Lake Como
Lake Como > Florence: train
Florence > Cinque Terre: train
Cinque Terre > Albania: likely train + flight (via Milan/Pisa?)
Albania > South of France: flight
Provence > Paris: train
Questions:
*Does the pacing look reasonable, or are we underestimating travel time anywhere?
*Is splitting Lisbon + Lagos worth it for 4 nights or is it better to be based in Lisbon and consider day trips?
*Is Cinque Terre worth it with the crowds in Aug?
*Would you tweak the order at all to make travel smoother?
Thanks heaps