TigersMaul Bammers

IMO, seven days on Whidbey Isl. is excessive.
If you stay there and (1) ferried over to Port Ludlow a couple of days from Whidbey and checked out it, Port Angeles, Sequim, and Neah Bay/Cape Flattery , (2) drove up to Anacortes via Deception Pass, that would be a better trip.

Good luck.

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Greece

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Where in Greece are you going? We are going to Corfu in June and are headed over to Sarande, Albania for part of the trip.

I flew open jaw to Milan and from Paris back in 2022. Used Google flights. I found a cheap one way flight from MXP to Orly on Vueling Air for around $100.

The high speed train was going to take too long due to stops in Southern France.

My wife and I visited Vienna and Prague last December on a Christmas market-focused trip.
TBH, I got a little weary of the markets and the crowds after 2 days in each city.

The foods, Christmas crafts and goods, and mulled wines in the markets in each city were pretty similar to each other, with a few exceptions.

You really need to see the churches, castles, and other landmarks, too, to break up the repetition. Daytime is best time for that site-seeing for the most part. Nights are generally better for experiencing the markets, except they are more crowded.

Musical performances in the Italian Nat'l Church of Mary of the Snows and St. Stephen's in Vienna were a highlight in Vienna. Prague is so compact, we were able to see a lot of it in 2 days and fit in a day trip.

Get cash for some bathrooms and crafts at some of the markets. Otherwise, contactless payment options are offered almost everywhere.

Good luck.

Yes. It was still pretty cold.

Bring layers with a shell rain-type jacket. I recommend a knit hat and gloves too. There were sunny, cold, windy days and cold, dreary rainy days. I think it got to the low 50s F on the warmest day.

My daughter was living there at the time and commented on the constant winds. She did not make it past late June and moved home.

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Sedlec Ossuary

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OP, if you are looking for a true "day trip" with enough time to appreciate the locations, I would also recommend Kutna Hora and the Ossuary.

I can also assume that your daughters would probably like the garnet/jewelry stores around Prague (e.g., Granat) and the cool "passages" found around town (e.g. Koruna and Lucerna Passages) in which they could shop.

What are your stops on the cruise of the Rhone? If you stop in Vienne or near Orange, the Roman ruins/sites in those cities are really good.

Nice was cool, but not my cup of tea. I am sure the ladies on your trip will love it tho.

If you can get over to Nimes (close to Avignon) or down to Arles (on the Rhone), there are more great Roman sites and a Van Gogh trail in the city you can follow.

Nimes

Arles

Copenhagen is an expensive city, but worth it. It is walkable and especially bikeable.

NOMA was supposed to close in 2024. It is extremely hard to get into esp. with a small party. We could not get in from the waiting list the first time in CPH. We went to Frederik's Have, instead, and had a memorable meal.

Biking over to Reffen for craft beers and comfort food is a great way to spend an afternoon.

We took a day trip (via train) to Kronborg Castle (Elsinore of Hamlet fame) and then on to Frederiksborg Castle. Check out the towns of Helsingor and Hillerod while at the castles.

I stayed at the Scandic Palace Hotel during my last visit. It was very nice, just off the start of the Stroget, and close to Tivoli Gardens.

My advice is that no car is needed on trip because (1) you do not need it for getting to and around Florence and Venice (fast trains are fine between cities) and (2) you do not want to drive or try to park in Rome. You can taxi/Uber/Bolt it between sites in Rome if you cannot figure out the subway. Be wary, however, of fake taxis around the Rome Termini train station.

May will be warm weather and short walks will be OK. My kids acted like they were dying when we walked from the Vatican to Borghese Gallery in Rome in the morning in early July. That was a very long walk although we stopped at Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Spanish Steps along the way.

Get all tix for big, popular venues and sites like Vatican Museum, Colloseum, Borghese, etc., before you go. It will save time by avoiding already long lines worsened by Jubilee Year.

Check out latest commuter airline type flights from Marco Polo to FCO. We did that and ended up flying between Rome and Venice to have more time in Venice (when we made a trip somewhat like yours).

4 days in Rome, 2 in Florence, and 2 in Venice sounds about right. So much more to see and do in the larger historic area of Rome.

Good luck.

New Countries (3): Czech Republic, Austria, Poland
New Airports (6): PRG, VIE, KRK, WAW, NCE, PHL
New Airlines (0): None
New Aircraft (0): None

Shortest Flight: LHR-EDI, 322 Miles
Longest Flight: SEA-LHR, 4,800 Miles

Total Airports: 11
Total Flights: 21
Total Miles Flown: 48,528

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