Planning a Trip to Southern Europe

Just the must-see sights in Italy, Spain, Greece or Portugal can take more time than your vacation plans allow. Here are some tips to help you plan your sightseeing.

Begin planning your trip to southern Europe by realizing that you probably won't see all your must-see sights. You simply can't go everywhere, even within a single country. At some point, you'll have to make decisions.

But first, make a list of the things you most want to see in each country, forgetting about practical matters of time and distance. Circle the most important ones. If most of your top choices are in one country, that tells you where to go.

Think about what kind of itinerary makes sense for you. The temptation is to flit about and cover as much ground as possible. It costs so much to get there, you might as well make the most of it. True, but how much can you see if you spend all your time racing between cities?

Some of the best trips are those where you go only one place and see it well, get to know it, and begin to feel at home. Staying longer in one place avoids the constant culture shock of the traveler who moves around too much. You really can begin to forget where you are.

But if you've never been to southern Europe, how do you know what you'll like? A quick look around will give you a taste so you can plan future trips. Just remember that the taste you get in a quick stopover may not be an accurate one, and a place you brush off quickly may later turn out to be your favorite city.

The bottom line is that as long as you don't try to cram in too much, you will probably have a good time whatever course you choose. A rule of thumb is a week in one culture, but we break it as often as we keep it.