I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[afan]

we'll need: Virgin Atlantic 200,000 (UR/MR)/

Citi thank you points transfer to virgin as well.

 

[IFlossU]

we dont 100% know but they seem to be popped up by product types... so if poptart on Gold, ur likely to poptart on green. Try a CoBrand.

Thank you. This is what I kind of expected.

 

[IFlossU]

This may be common knowledge here, but thought I would share.

DH PC’d CSP to CSR last week. While on the phone he asked if the card could be expedited as we were leaving in a few days for Labor Day weekend. He placed the request early Tuesday morning. They told him yes, it would arrive in 2 days. Thursday morning at 9:30AM package arrives, yay! Shiny CSR. Then at 3:30PM we get another knock on our door, low and behold another CSR has been delivered. I’m assuming since the card is automatically expedited they ended up sending 2 due to his request. Either way it’s been quite convenient having 2 cards

 

[Minnie368]

Can someone remind me what my credit limits should be at with Chase before a new application? Like what % of total income? Planning to apply for the Marriott card and want to prepare.

 

[happ]

Can someone remind me what my credit limits should be at with Chase before a new application? Like what % of total income? Planning to apply for the Marriott card and want to prepare.

I think the general advice is not to exceed 50%.

 

[PaintsWithAllTheColors]

Can someone remind me what my credit limits should be at with Chase before a new application? Like what % of total income? Planning to apply for the Marriott card and want to prepare.

As mentioned above, I've heard that the limit of total credit Chase will extend you is the greater of 50% of income, or $75k

 

[wanderlust7]

I can only help with Paris to Rome: We took the express train which was comfortable and had good clientele. They insist the large bags go in the bins on the ends of every car. But at one of the stops (even the express had a few stops) someone stepped on and took one of our luggage back off and was gone. It had few hundred in cash, a Murano glass sculpture, work computer, work cell charger, some jewelry, and clothes.

So if you do the train, try to sit where you can see your bags through the tinted windows on the doors and/or get up at the stops to watch them. Otherwise the train was fine. BTW train authorities and Rome police (who didn't really speak English) were of no help.

Do you mean from Venice to Rome (hence the Murano glass)? Paris to Rome is possible, but it would take at least 11 hours.

Sorry to hear about the theft.

 

[Artygal90]

Those with experience in Europe- I'm looking for some advice on planning a Europe trip with me, DH, DD21 and DD18. The cities we're most interested in are Paris, Venice, and Rome. Paris is for me I really really want to go to Disneyland Paris. Venice is on the list because of DD. It's a city she's wanted to see for as long as I can remember. And Rome is for DH. (DS wants Israel and that's a whole other trip for another time). Not sure if those cities are ideal to pair together, but it will likely be the only time the 4 of us go to Europe together as my kids are getting older and will be doing their own things soon, so we want to hit those cities. Here are my thoughts- I'm hoping for some advice as I have no experience in this area...
Planning to fly from US to Paris on Virgin Atlantic hopefully transferring UR/MR and finding Delta One flights for 50,000 miles per person. I'm seeing some availability for that now, so hopefully it'll be there when the time comes. We are looking to stay at Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France. I like that place because of the space we'll have with the 4 of us. Hoping to fly into Paris and take shuttle to hotel and get settled in. Looks like train into Pairs from the hotel isn't too long or too much $, so thinking we'd spend late afternoon/evening of first day and the full second day in the city. Then spending day 3 and 4 at DL Paris. Either that night or the next morning (which is better?) fly from Paris to Venice. Recommended airline? Take shuttle to hotel- looking at Crowne Plaza Venice East - Quarto d'Altino because it is bookable for a family of 4 on points with IHG. Location says it's right across from a train station and reviews seem to indicate it's an ok location for getting to the main areas of Venice. If we fly into Venice on night 4 we'll probably just spend all of day 5 in Venice and then morning of day 6 head to Rome. Is it better to go by train or to fly? Not sure yet where we'll stay in Rome. Having difficulty finding any place that will allow you to book a room for 4 with points, so wondering if we're going to need to book 2 rooms, or pay cash for a double or a suite. Advice on that would be great. Will likely fly home AA because we'll have a lot of points with them.
Points we'll need: Virgin Atlantic 200,000 (UR/MR)/ Marriot approx 120,000-160,000 depending on 3 or 4 nights/ IHG 15,000-30,000 depending on 1 or 2 nights/ AA not sure what we'll need. Also need to figure out flights Paris>Venice>Rome.
Other questions- is there any need for renting a car or will shuttles/trains be enough? Also, when you travel to multiple cities, where do you keep your luggage on those in-between days when you've checked out of one place but not into the next yet?
Appreciate any advice!! This is the best plan I've been able to come up with but if anyone with experience sees something that doesn't sound right or make sense I'm open to suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Paris, Venice, and Rome are fabulous! How much time are you planning to spend total? If I'm reading your itinerary right, it looks like your schedule is:

Day 1: Fly into Paris
Day 2: Paris
Day 3: DLP
Day 4: DLP (or transfer to Venice in PM?)
Day 5: Transfer to Venice/Explore Venice
Day 6: Transfer to Rome
Days 7 - ?: Explore Rome
Day ? : Fly out of Rome back to US

That is not a lot of time in any one of those places if you have not been before. Any one of those cities could be a week-long vacation, easy, although IMO Venice is easiest to shave extra time off. Also, with four people, transferring from Paris -> Venice -> Rome will take most of each of your days. If you are unable to spend any more time on the trip then I would plan to leave DLP in the evening on Day 4 so you have at least one full day in Venice to soak up the atmosphere. I haven't been in years ( :'( ) but my understanding is that two days is more than enough time to do everything at DLP.

From the hotel you are looking at in Paris I would plan on 1.5 - 2 hours each way from leaving your hotel room to arriving in any of the central Paris tourist destinations, so just be aware of that. I don't have any particular recommendations on hotels or airlines, but you should definitely be fine with shuttles/trains and shouldn't need to rent a car. I would travel by train over air from Paris -> Venice -> Rome since train stations are more centrally located and the security process is easier. I would imagine if you are staying at major hotel chains you can leave your luggage with bell services until you are ready to check out. Since you are moving around so much, definitely try and pack as light as possible to minimize transfer headaches.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Those with experience in Europe- I'm looking for some advice on planning a Europe trip with me, DH, DD21 and DD18. The cities we're most interested in are Paris, Venice, and Rome. Paris is for me I really really want to go to Disneyland Paris. Venice is on the list because of DD. It's a city she's wanted to see for as long as I can remember. And Rome is for DH. (DS wants Israel and that's a whole other trip for another time). Not sure if those cities are ideal to pair together, but it will likely be the only time the 4 of us go to Europe together as my kids are getting older and will be doing their own things soon, so we want to hit those cities. Here are my thoughts- I'm hoping for some advice as I have no experience in this area...
Planning to fly from US to Paris on Virgin Atlantic hopefully transferring UR/MR and finding Delta One flights for 50,000 miles per person. I'm seeing some availability for that now, so hopefully it'll be there when the time comes. We are looking to stay at Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France. I like that place because of the space we'll have with the 4 of us. Hoping to fly into Paris and take shuttle to hotel and get settled in. Looks like train into Pairs from the hotel isn't too long or too much $, so thinking we'd spend late afternoon/evening of first day and the full second day in the city. Then spending day 3 and 4 at DL Paris. Either that night or the next morning (which is better?) fly from Paris to Venice. Recommended airline? Take shuttle to hotel- looking at Crowne Plaza Venice East - Quarto d'Altino because it is bookable for a family of 4 on points with IHG. Location says it's right across from a train station and reviews seem to indicate it's an ok location for getting to the main areas of Venice. If we fly into Venice on night 4 we'll probably just spend all of day 5 in Venice and then morning of day 6 head to Rome. Is it better to go by train or to fly? Not sure yet where we'll stay in Rome. Having difficulty finding any place that will allow you to book a room for 4 with points, so wondering if we're going to need to book 2 rooms, or pay cash for a double or a suite. Advice on that would be great. Will likely fly home AA because we'll have a lot of points with them.
Points we'll need: Virgin Atlantic 200,000 (UR/MR)/ Marriot approx 120,000-160,000 depending on 3 or 4 nights/ IHG 15,000-30,000 depending on 1 or 2 nights/ AA not sure what we'll need. Also need to figure out flights Paris>Venice>Rome.
Other questions- is there any need for renting a car or will shuttles/trains be enough? Also, when you travel to multiple cities, where do you keep your luggage on those in-between days when you've checked out of one place but not into the next yet?
Appreciate any advice!! This is the best plan I've been able to come up with but if anyone with experience sees something that doesn't sound right or make sense I'm open to suggestions. Thanks in advance!

IMHO this is a very ambitious itinerary. You will most likely have jet lag on your first day in Paris and may not feel much like touring. One full day to tour Paris isn't nearly enough (and we've been there a few times). Train to and from Paris Disney is easy -- it's what we did and we didn't have any issues.

We took the express trains (first class) from Venice to Florence and Florence to Rome. The trains are very clean and easy to use. This was a trip where we were gone for 2 weeks and only had carry-ons (we shipped 2 boxes home along the way, which the hotel concierge did for us; Murano will ship to your home for you, which is what we had done -- no issues, items arrived intact). We use cable locks for our luggage on trains and have never had any issues.

I wouldn't personally rent a car in Europe for the reason that transit is very efficient.

If it were me, I would cut one of the cities off of your itinerary. Most likely either Venice or Rome. You can fly into Paris, fly to either Venice or Rome, then fly home from there. Or add more days to your trip. I prefer at least 3, usually 4 nights in each new city that I visit.

 

[Hoosier John]

Do you mean from Venice to Rome (hence the Murano glass)? Paris to Rome is possible, but it would take at least 11 hours.

Sorry to hear about the theft.

Oh, good catch! Yes Venice to Rome And we did get the Murano glass in Venice. (I'll go back and change that in my post)
Thank you! And I think you have a good chance at a new career as a detective, putting all the pieces together like that

 

[wanderlust7]

Those with experience in Europe- I'm looking for some advice on planning a Europe trip with me, DH, DD21 and DD18. The cities we're most interested in are Paris, Venice, and Rome. Paris is for me I really really want to go to Disneyland Paris. Venice is on the list because of DD. It's a city she's wanted to see for as long as I can remember. And Rome is for DH. (DS wants Israel and that's a whole other trip for another time). Not sure if those cities are ideal to pair together, but it will likely be the only time the 4 of us go to Europe together as my kids are getting older and will be doing their own things soon, so we want to hit those cities. Here are my thoughts- I'm hoping for some advice as I have no experience in this area...
Planning to fly from US to Paris on Virgin Atlantic hopefully transferring UR/MR and finding Delta One flights for 50,000 miles per person. I'm seeing some availability for that now, so hopefully it'll be there when the time comes. We are looking to stay at Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France. I like that place because of the space we'll have with the 4 of us. Hoping to fly into Paris and take shuttle to hotel and get settled in. Looks like train into Pairs from the hotel isn't too long or too much $, so thinking we'd spend late afternoon/evening of first day and the full second day in the city. Then spending day 3 and 4 at DL Paris. Either that night or the next morning (which is better?) fly from Paris to Venice. Recommended airline? Take shuttle to hotel- looking at Crowne Plaza Venice East - Quarto d'Altino because it is bookable for a family of 4 on points with IHG. Location says it's right across from a train station and reviews seem to indicate it's an ok location for getting to the main areas of Venice. If we fly into Venice on night 4 we'll probably just spend all of day 5 in Venice and then morning of day 6 head to Rome. Is it better to go by train or to fly? Not sure yet where we'll stay in Rome. Having difficulty finding any place that will allow you to book a room for 4 with points, so wondering if we're going to need to book 2 rooms, or pay cash for a double or a suite. Advice on that would be great. Will likely fly home AA because we'll have a lot of points with them.
Points we'll need: Virgin Atlantic 200,000 (UR/MR)/ Marriot approx 120,000-160,000 depending on 3 or 4 nights/ IHG 15,000-30,000 depending on 1 or 2 nights/ AA not sure what we'll need. Also need to figure out flights Paris>Venice>Rome.
Other questions- is there any need for renting a car or will shuttles/trains be enough? Also, when you travel to multiple cities, where do you keep your luggage on those in-between days when you've checked out of one place but not into the next yet?
Appreciate any advice!! This is the best plan I've been able to come up with but if anyone with experience sees something that doesn't sound right or make sense I'm open to suggestions. Thanks in advance!

I was playing around with a somewhat similar itinerary before the pandemic hit. Paris to Venice airfare should be fairly cheap. We seem to always end up on Easyjet for the short within Europe hops. Their flights are usually cheapest when first released. The cheapest fares only allow 1 carry on item. A backpack would count as 1, so you can't do that plus a carry on suitcase. Venice to Rome by train makes sense since it takes less than 4 hours on the high speed.

You won't need (or want) a car unless you want to drive to DLP from Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France or if you want to drive from there to more rural places. No cars allowed in Venice proper and driving in Paris or Rome would just be a nightmare.

For luggage storage, if the hotel doesn't work, then look into one of the luggage storage services. There seem to be a lot of them now, some with cute names like BagBnB lol. I looked into one for our London trip, but didn't end up using it. A location might just be a convenience store that has some extra space. Plan on keeping your valuables with you.

Crowne Plaza Venice East looks far from Venice proper. I would rather stay in Venice proper even if I had to pay cash.

Funny off topic story - there's a Crowne Plaza near our old house. First it was Crowne Plaza Oakland South (it's 20 miles from Oakland), then it was Crowne Plaza Silicon Valley North (also some 20 miles from Silicon Valley).

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

I need to spend my $5 Amex credits. I just pulled up the places I can use them. Looks like I'm about to hit 3 liquor stores and grab dinner. Then probably hit them again on my way back home, LOL. Restocking for my BF and I guess grabbing some things for me too. I tried to use them at a pizza place and the credits never posted. So I guess I'll just get liquor and dinner, LOL.

 

[platamama]

Those with experience in Europe- I'm looking for some advice on planning a Europe trip with me, DH, DD21 and DD18. The cities we're most interested in are Paris, Venice, and Rome. Paris is for me I really really want to go to Disneyland Paris. Venice is on the list because of DD. It's a city she's wanted to see for as long as I can remember. And Rome is for DH. (DS wants Israel and that's a whole other trip for another time). Not sure if those cities are ideal to pair together, but it will likely be the only time the 4 of us go to Europe together as my kids are getting older and will be doing their own things soon, so we want to hit those cities. Here are my thoughts- I'm hoping for some advice as I have no experience in this area...
Planning to fly from US to Paris on Virgin Atlantic hopefully transferring UR/MR and finding Delta One flights for 50,000 miles per person. I'm seeing some availability for that now, so hopefully it'll be there when the time comes. We are looking to stay at Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France. I like that place because of the space we'll have with the 4 of us. Hoping to fly into Paris and take shuttle to hotel and get settled in. Looks like train into Pairs from the hotel isn't too long or too much $, so thinking we'd spend late afternoon/evening of first day and the full second day in the city. Then spending day 3 and 4 at DL Paris. Either that night or the next morning (which is better?) fly from Paris to Venice. Recommended airline? Take shuttle to hotel- looking at Crowne Plaza Venice East - Quarto d'Altino because it is bookable for a family of 4 on points with IHG. Location says it's right across from a train station and reviews seem to indicate it's an ok location for getting to the main areas of Venice. If we fly into Venice on night 4 we'll probably just spend all of day 5 in Venice and then morning of day 6 head to Rome. Is it better to go by train or to fly? Not sure yet where we'll stay in Rome. Having difficulty finding any place that will allow you to book a room for 4 with points, so wondering if we're going to need to book 2 rooms, or pay cash for a double or a suite. Advice on that would be great. Will likely fly home AA because we'll have a lot of points with them.
Points we'll need: Virgin Atlantic 200,000 (UR/MR)/ Marriot approx 120,000-160,000 depending on 3 or 4 nights/ IHG 15,000-30,000 depending on 1 or 2 nights/ AA not sure what we'll need. Also need to figure out flights Paris>Venice>Rome.
Other questions- is there any need for renting a car or will shuttles/trains be enough? Also, when you travel to multiple cities, where do you keep your luggage on those in-between days when you've checked out of one place but not into the next yet?
Appreciate any advice!! This is the best plan I've been able to come up with but if anyone with experience sees something that doesn't sound right or make sense I'm open to suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Those are great cities to visit in Europe, but I would plan on it taking at least half a day to get from one city to the next when you take in the time that you need to arrive at the transportation hub beforehand (15-30 min at a train station; 1-2 hours at an airport), the actual travel time, and the packing/unpacking at each destination. If you're trying to squeeze it all into 8 days (?) it's going to feel like a lot of your vacation is spent just in transit. I find Fodor's forums a helpful place to read advice from other travelers, some people will ask for advice on their itineraries there.

It is challenging to find hotels in Europe that take more than two people in a room. VRBO or AirBnB or Booking .com might work out better (and often there are choices available right in the middle of the city), just pay close attention to the cancelation policy. I like to book places that have a washing machine available, during the middle of a trip, so that I don't have to pack quite so many clothes. It's a pain to travel with luggage bigger than a carry-on when you're going from city to city. I've not had a problem with asking hotels to hold onto luggage after we've checked out, but there are luggage storage places near train stations where you can rent a locker for several hours if need be.

Enjoy your planning! That's a big part of the fun for me.

 

[IFlossU]

@Minnie368
I’ve done Paris to Rome. We had 8 nights. 5 in Paris 3 in Rome and it felt like a FAST PACED trip. We were going non-stop just to see the basics and by the 8th night we were too tired to even go get food. I loved every minute, but if given the option I would definitely give us more breathing room next time. We flew EasyJet to Rome super inexpensive. Not fancy, but got the job done.

 

[georgina]

This is my concern with trying to use this offer. Amazon so often splits up your purchase of several items and ships them all separate, or at least they do this with almost everything that we personally buy. Please let us know if the credit comes through!

So I placed another order today over $50. There are 3 pending charges, $34, $52, and $32, and we got an email that he was getting $20 credit, so I guess it worked.

 

[mmmears]

Those with experience in Europe- I'm looking for some advice on planning a Europe trip with me, DH, DD21 and DD18. The cities we're most interested in are Paris, Venice, and Rome. Paris is for me I really really want to go to Disneyland Paris. Venice is on the list because of DD. It's a city she's wanted to see for as long as I can remember. And Rome is for DH. (DS wants Israel and that's a whole other trip for another time). Not sure if those cities are ideal to pair together, but it will likely be the only time the 4 of us go to Europe together as my kids are getting older and will be doing their own things soon, so we want to hit those cities. Here are my thoughts- I'm hoping for some advice as I have no experience in this area...
Planning to fly from US to Paris on Virgin Atlantic hopefully transferring UR/MR and finding Delta One flights for 50,000 miles per person. I'm seeing some availability for that now, so hopefully it'll be there when the time comes. We are looking to stay at Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France. I like that place because of the space we'll have with the 4 of us. Hoping to fly into Paris and take shuttle to hotel and get settled in. Looks like train into Pairs from the hotel isn't too long or too much $, so thinking we'd spend late afternoon/evening of first day and the full second day in the city. Then spending day 3 and 4 at DL Paris. Either that night or the next morning (which is better?) fly from Paris to Venice. Recommended airline? Take shuttle to hotel- looking at Crowne Plaza Venice East - Quarto d'Altino because it is bookable for a family of 4 on points with IHG. Location says it's right across from a train station and reviews seem to indicate it's an ok location for getting to the main areas of Venice. If we fly into Venice on night 4 we'll probably just spend all of day 5 in Venice and then morning of day 6 head to Rome. Is it better to go by train or to fly? Not sure yet where we'll stay in Rome. Having difficulty finding any place that will allow you to book a room for 4 with points, so wondering if we're going to need to book 2 rooms, or pay cash for a double or a suite. Advice on that would be great. Will likely fly home AA because we'll have a lot of points with them.
Points we'll need: Virgin Atlantic 200,000 (UR/MR)/ Marriot approx 120,000-160,000 depending on 3 or 4 nights/ IHG 15,000-30,000 depending on 1 or 2 nights/ AA not sure what we'll need. Also need to figure out flights Paris>Venice>Rome.
Other questions- is there any need for renting a car or will shuttles/trains be enough? Also, when you travel to multiple cities, where do you keep your luggage on those in-between days when you've checked out of one place but not into the next yet?
Appreciate any advice!! This is the best plan I've been able to come up with but if anyone with experience sees something that doesn't sound right or make sense I'm open to suggestions. Thanks in advance!

We did London, Paris, Rome and Israel (couldn't fit Venice into that trip) all in one but were gone for a month. I think this is a lot for one week. Don't forget that those travel days mean you don't get to see a lot or do much. My minimum for any city is 3 nights, but I prefer at least 4-5 TBH. It takes a long time to get to the airports, too.

It's hard to find hotels that sleep 3 let alone 4, so it looks like you're doing a good job at that. We travel with carry-ons only and if we have to check out before we need to leave (doesn't happen much) we would leave them with bell services.

If I had 2-3 days in Paris I would spend more time seeing the sights and less at DLP (just my personal preference). We went to DLP one afternoon and I didn't regret not leaving more time for it.

Flights inside Europe have been very easy and inexpensive to book in the last few years (I don't know what the future will bring, of course). I was able to book first class to Rome with AA but had to book seats on the day they were made available and then check back later for the third seat.

None of us want to rent a car or drive when abroad, and we haven't ever felt the need to. Most cities have excellent public transportation. If you aren't staying in the center of Paris and Rome, make sure to leave time each day to get where you need to be for your tours. I book with convenient locations as a top priority, but it's hard to find things once you need to put more than 2 people in a room.

Sorry for the ramble. I hope this helps a bit. These are all beautiful places to visit and there is so much to see in all of them.

 

[afan]

I haven't used the UR shopping portal before and I'm a bit confused. I looked up fanatics on cashbackmonitor because I'm thinking of using my amex offer. The best payout right now says 3 ur/$ with chase (freedom) it's only 2 with the saphhire. Does that just mean I need to access the portal through my freedom, all my cards are on the same log in and I don't even know how to get to the portal.

Also, can I use am amex if I'm shopping through chase's portal? Maybe I should just wait for a better offer. I'm not even sure if the sale I was looking at the other day is still going on.

 

[Minnie368]

Paris, Venice, and Rome are fabulous! How much time are you planning to spend total? If I'm reading your itinerary right, it looks like your schedule is:

Day 1: Fly into Paris
Day 2: Paris
Day 3: DLP
Day 4: DLP (or transfer to Venice in PM?)
Day 5: Transfer to Venice/Explore Venice
Day 6: Transfer to Rome
Days 7 - ?: Explore Rome
Day ? : Fly out of Rome back to US

That is not a lot of time in any one of those places if you have not been before. Any one of those cities could be a week-long vacation, easy, although IMO Venice is easiest to shave extra time off. Also, with four people, transferring from Paris -> Venice -> Rome will take most of each of your days. If you are unable to spend any more time on the trip then I would plan to leave DLP in the evening on Day 4 so you have at least one full day in Venice to soak up the atmosphere. I haven't been in years ( :'( ) but my understanding is that two days is more than enough time to do everything at DLP.

From the hotel you are looking at in Paris I would plan on 1.5 - 2 hours each way from leaving your hotel room to arriving in any of the central Paris tourist destinations, so just be aware of that. I don't have any particular recommendations on hotels or airlines, but you should definitely be fine with shuttles/trains and shouldn't need to rent a car. I would travel by train over air from Paris -> Venice -> Rome since train stations are more centrally located and the security process is easier. I would imagine if you are staying at major hotel chains you can leave your luggage with bell services until you are ready to check out. Since you are moving around so much, definitely try and pack as light as possible to minimize transfer headaches.

IMHO this is a very ambitious itinerary. You will most likely have jet lag on your first day in Paris and may not feel much like touring. One full day to tour Paris isn't nearly enough (and we've been there a few times). Train to and from Paris Disney is easy -- it's what we did and we didn't have any issues.

We took the express trains (first class) from Venice to Florence and Florence to Rome. The trains are very clean and easy to use. This was a trip where we were gone for 2 weeks and only had carry-ons (we shipped 2 boxes home along the way, which the hotel concierge did for us; Murano will ship to your home for you, which is what we had done -- no issues, items arrived intact). We use cable locks for our luggage on trains and have never had any issues.

I wouldn't personally rent a car in Europe for the reason that transit is very efficient.

If it were me, I would cut one of the cities off of your itinerary. Most likely either Venice or Rome. You can fly into Paris, fly to either Venice or Rome, then fly home from there. Or add more days to your trip. I prefer at least 3, usually 4 nights in each new city that I visit.

I was playing around with a somewhat similar itinerary before the pandemic hit. Paris to Venice airfare should be fairly cheap. We seem to always end up on Easyjet for the short within Europe hops. Their flights are usually cheapest when first released. The cheapest fares only allow 1 carry on item. A backpack would count as 1, so you can't do that plus a carry on suitcase. Venice to Rome by train makes sense since it takes less than 4 hours on the high speed.

You won't need (or want) a car unless you want to drive to DLP from Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France or if you want to drive from there to more rural places. No cars allowed in Venice proper and driving in Paris or Rome would just be a nightmare.

For luggage storage, if the hotel doesn't work, then look into one of the luggage storage services. There seem to be a lot of them now, some with cute names like BagBnB lol. I looked into one for our London trip, but didn't end up using it. A location might just be a convenience store that has some extra space. Plan on keeping your valuables with you.

Crowne Plaza Venice East looks far from Venice proper. I would rather stay in Venice proper even if I had to pay cash.

Funny off topic story - there's a Crowne Plaza near our old house. First it was Crowne Plaza Oakland South (it's 20 miles from Oakland), then it was Crowne Plaza Silicon Valley North (also some 20 miles from Silicon Valley).

Those are great cities to visit in Europe, but I would plan on it taking at least half a day to get from one city to the next when you take in the time that you need to arrive at the transportation hub beforehand (15-30 min at a train station; 1-2 hours at an airport), the actual travel time, and the packing/unpacking at each destination. If you're trying to squeeze it all into 8 days (?) it's going to feel like a lot of your vacation is spent just in transit. I find Fodor's forums a helpful place to read advice from other travelers, some people will ask for advice on their itineraries there.

It is challenging to find hotels in Europe that take more than two people in a room. VRBO or AirBnB or Booking .com might work out better (and often there are choices available right in the middle of the city), just pay close attention to the cancelation policy. I like to book places that have a washing machine available, during the middle of a trip, so that I don't have to pack quite so many clothes. It's a pain to travel with luggage bigger than a carry-on when you're going from city to city. I've not had a problem with asking hotels to hold onto luggage after we've checked out, but there are luggage storage places near train stations where you can rent a locker for several hours if need be.

Enjoy your planning! That's a big part of the fun for me.

@Minnie368
I’ve done Paris to Rome. We had 8 nights. 5 in Paris 3 in Rome and it felt like a FAST PACED trip. We were going non-stop just to see the basics and by the 8th night we were too tired to even go get food. I loved every minute, but if given the option I would definitely give us more breathing room next time. We flew EasyJet to Rome super inexpensive. Not fancy, but got the job done.

We did London, Paris, Rome and Israel (couldn't fit Venice into that trip) all in one but were gone for a month. I think this is a lot for one week. Don't forget that those travel days mean you don't get to see a lot or do much. My minimum for any city is 3 nights, but I prefer at least 4-5 TBH. It takes a long time to get to the airports, too.

It's hard to find hotels that sleep 3 let alone 4, so it looks like you're doing a good job at that. We travel with carry-ons only and if we have to check out before we need to leave (doesn't happen much) we would leave them with bell services.

If I had 2-3 days in Paris I would spend more time seeing the sights and less at DLP (just my personal preference). We went to DLP one afternoon and I didn't regret not leaving more time for it.

Flights inside Europe have been very easy and inexpensive to book in the last few years (I don't know what the future will bring, of course). I was able to book first class to Rome with AA but had to book seats on the day they were made available and then check back later for the third seat.

None of us want to rent a car or drive when abroad, and we haven't ever felt the need to. Most cities have excellent public transportation. If you aren't staying in the center of Paris and Rome, make sure to leave time each day to get where you need to be for your tours. I book with convenient locations as a top priority, but it's hard to find things once you need to put more than 2 people in a room.

Sorry for the ramble. I hope this helps a bit. These are all beautiful places to visit and there is so much to see in all of them.

Thank you all so much for critiquing my plans! That’s why I love this group! Looking forward to looking closer into all of your replies. Planning really is a lot of the fun for me. I know my itenerary is ambitious. I’m hoping to add a couple days once I find out everyone’s plans for the summer. It’s hard to work around 4 adult schedules. DS is in his third year of college so will have an internship next summer that we don’t have the schedule for yet and DD plays college softball so her season extends beyond the end of the spring semester. Hoping her season ends before his internship starts but who knows.

 

[ten6mom]

Some of you may recall that thanks to @Albort 's timely advice some time back, I was able to book my plane tickets to WDW on American Airlines but by transferring my Chase URs to... Avios? I honestly cannot remember. Anyway, I located nonstop (very important) flights for a fraction of the Chase URs it would have cost me to book through the Chase portal.

I am now wondering whether it would be possible to do the same thing for my sister and her family if I were not traveling with them. It's my sister, BIL, nephew (11 at time of travel), and 2 nieces (9 and about 15 months at time of travel).

So the first question is whether it's possible to book that for someone else or do I have to be with them, and then the second question is, are there any special things to worry about with a 15 month old? I guess I'd need to find out whether they want a seat for her or whether she would be a lap child, but that would be a long flight (PHX>MCO) to be on a lap... but then there are two adults so perhaps that would help?

What say my experts?

**EDITING to add: It may be moot. I am on the British Airways site under "book with Avios" and apparently there is zero award availability for their dates (October 2, October 9) for even 1 person, much less for 5 people. I do see the American website has award space but I guess BA doesn't necessarily always have the same thing that the actual airline has. It was a nice thought anyway!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Can someone remind me what my credit limits should be at with Chase before a new application? Like what % of total income? Planning to apply for the Marriott card and want to prepare.

I typically take my total limit with Chase to 30-35% of household income at least 2 weeks (or more) prior to applying for a new chase card.