I've got three weeks. Give me some Grand Tour expansion possibilities with or without a car.
Where can you go if you have three weeks and wanted to extend your journey from the same basic Grand Tour?
Other cities easily accessible along the route (cities in parenthesis are cities not along the route but within 5 hours train ride):
From London
From Paris
- Lyon (Food Capital)
- Dijon (Burgundy)
- Avignon (in Provence)
- Cities in Switzerland (Basel is easiest, Geneva, Lucern, Bern)
From Venice
- (Salzberg, Vienna, Austria)
- (Munich, Germany)
- Padua (an easy day trip from Venice)
- Ferrara
- Bologna (Food Capital)
From Florence
From Rome
What can I do with a car?
Here's an interesting thing: Rail and Drive Passes. For example, the France (or Italy) rail and drive pass allows you 6 days of travel in a month, four unlimited rail days and two days car rental. You could easily expand one country out of the list and stay another week using this pass. See the links on the right for more.
You can also rent a car for as many days as you'd like. Paris is pretty easy to navigate out of (avoid the rush hours), so I'd recommend the car there. Italian trains are cheaper than the rest of Europe and the lines pretty extensive, so a car will be less of a bargain. Still, a car offers you the promise of a countryside excursion that you can't always get on the train.
Other Options along the Grand Tour
Hotels often offer tours with companies that pick you up at the hotel. In Paris you might tour some castles of the Loire or go wine tasting in the Champagne region. In Rome you might visit Villa d'este, Pompeii, or Hadrian's Villa. Check at your hotel desk.
