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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for your feedback on my holiday itinerary for next year?

109 replies

ThatCyanSheep · 20/09/2025 22:47

I'm bored, and fed up of the weather so I've fully planned my holiday next year.

Any opinions of what more I can fit in/what I should take out are welcome!

NICE, France

Hotel: Ibis Budget Californie Lenval

Saturday 29th August

  • Fly to Nice - land at 11:30am (ish)
  • Tram to Hotel - 20 minutes by bus/9 minutes by tram
  • Store bag at hotel/check in (I am an ALL member so I have free early check in) and sort daypack/change to explore
  • 12:00 - about 3pm
  • Explore Nice old town & get lunch
  • 3pm - 5:30pm
  • Head back to Promenade des Anglais, get gelato, explore beach, coffee
  • 5:30-6:45
  • Head back to hotel, shower, freshen up, change
  • Dinner - find restaurant along Promenade
  • After dinner - sunset stroll then head back to hotel

Sunday 29th August

  • Breakfast in Nice
  • Nice ➡️ Vilefranche-sur-Mer
  • Walk around - visit harbour & town centre
  • Coffee & walk
  • Villefranche-sur-Mer ➡️ Antibes
  • Lunch on train or Antibes
  • Explore Antibes
  • Picasso Museum
  • Visit the port
  • Antibes ➡️ Nice
  • Relaxed afternoon - read on beach, try to catch some of the F1
  • Stroll back to hotel
  • Freshen up
  • Dinner

Monday 30th August

  • Monaco day trip
  • Breakfast in Nice
  • Nice ➡️ Monaco
  • Coffee & explore old town
  • Lunch
  • Walk the track (or at least some of it)
  • Visit the harbour, stroll along and eat
  • Monaco ➡️ Nice
  • Dinner

Tuesday 1st September

  • Beach club day

MILAN, Italy

Hotel: Ibis Milano Centrale

Wednesday 2nd September

  • Nice ➡️ Milan (early train, aim to arrive in Milan by midday)
  • Head to hotel, store bag and sort daypack
  • Explore, head to Duomo for fan event (or wherever the fan event is, it has not been announced yet)
  • Find somewhere for dinner
  • Back to hotel

Thursday 3rd September

  • Breakfast around hotel, explore the area
  • Head to Monza for the fan stage and other events
  • Back to Milan around midafternoon
  • Find lunch and explore
  • Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Brera
  • Dinner

Friday 4th September

  • Day trip to Lake Como
  • Train Milan ➡️ Como Lago
  • Breakfast in Como
  • Explore, visit the cathedral, funicular ride?
  • Como ➡️ Bellagio
  • Explore Bellagio
  • Bellagio ➡️ Varenna
  • Villa Monastero gardens
  • Varenna ➡️ Como
  • Como Lago ➡️ Milan
  • Dinner around the hotel

On Friday, visit grocery store to get water and snacks for the race weekend

Saturday 5th September

QUALI DAY - day in Monza

Dinner near hotel after qualifying

Sunday 6th September

RACE DAY

Dinner near hotel after qualifying
Pack bags
Full body shower to prepare for flight

Monday 7th September

  • Breakfast at hotel
  • Head to airport at 8am
  • Flight home around 11:30
OP posts:
Silverbirchleaf · 21/09/2025 08:32

Can I come? Sounds fab.

Don’t know the areas. However, not sure you’ve accommodated enough time for travel and time to look around.

MiddleAgedDread · 21/09/2025 08:32

Can I come?

HollyGolightly4 · 21/09/2025 08:30

I think planning is good 🤷🏻‍♀️ you don't have to stick to the timings exactly, but it's good to have an understanding!

If it were me, I wouldn't go to the town of lake Como. I'd get the train directly to Varenna (it's really easy from Milan central) and I'd split my time (boat trips) between Varenna and Bellagio. I think you'd get the most out of them that way, rather than including Como as well, which is much further down.

Original poster
ThatCyanSheep · 21/09/2025 08:26

SnowFrogJelly · 21/09/2025 00:33

Why would anyone plan their holiday down the the last second.. what happened to relaxing

If I’m doing a beach holiday I wouldn’t plan it at all, but this is very much a get up and go holiday

OP posts:
Original poster
ThatCyanSheep · 21/09/2025 08:26

OriginalUsername2 · 21/09/2025 00:19

Alone? Now I’m even more jealous. This trip sounds amazing.

Show quote history

It’s my first ever solo trip, I’m so excited. I decided to go after going this year with my family and realising I was the only one who understood the public transport systems in Italy 🤣 it made me realise I could go it alone

OP posts:
Original poster
ThatCyanSheep · 21/09/2025 08:25

CountryQueen · 21/09/2025 00:16

Why would you have a shower for an hour and a half on race day? Seems a huge waste of time.

What stands out to me is that you’ve planned your shower regime, given yourself very tight turnarounds for some things but not planned exactly where to eat.

“Find somewhere for dinner” is not as easy as you’d think in Nice. Places get booked up etc and if you want to enjoy a decent meal you should be researching that and have a list of potential dinner spots.

It’ll be after the race, so in prep for the flight home the next day haha

next on my list is researching places to eat!

OP posts:
Original poster
ThatCyanSheep · 21/09/2025 08:24

ZestyBear · 21/09/2025 00:22

I’ve been to Monza for the F1 and I found it utterly chaotic. So be prepared for your plans for the F1 weekend to go out of the window. It’s a great experience, but bloody hell, it was frustrating!

Edited

I went this year and thought it was amazing - far better than Silverstone!

OP posts:
kinkiskarma · 21/09/2025 00:36

Looks lovely! My only comment as someone who goes to the south of France a lot is either turn up promptly for the opening of the first sitting of the restaurants or book a couple of days in advance. As the good places will be full in the season!

SaveItTillTheMorningAfter · 21/09/2025 00:35

I get it OP as I enjoy this kind of planning for trips too. You can always depart from the plan but it gives you something to go by! @CountryQueen makes a good point about planning places to eat and I like that aspect of it too. You can use Google maps and see what looks nice in the area you're planning to be. I also think the 29th, the day including the Picasso museum, looks over full and I'll cut some of this down.

SnowFrogJelly · 21/09/2025 00:33

Why would anyone plan their holiday down the the last second.. what happened to relaxing

CoastalCalm · 21/09/2025 00:25

The Friday sounds dreadful , we love a train journey but that’s taking things too far I think is miss one town out

ZestyBear · 21/09/2025 00:22

I’ve been to Monza for the F1 and I found it utterly chaotic. So be prepared for your plans for the F1 weekend to go out of the window. It’s a great experience, but bloody hell, it was frustrating!

OriginalUsername2 · 21/09/2025 00:19

ThatCyanSheep · 21/09/2025 00:10

I’m happy to be on the go from 7am till 9pm! I’m going alone so don’t have anyone else to worry about!

Show quote history

Alone? Now I’m even more jealous. This trip sounds amazing.

CountryQueen · 21/09/2025 00:17

Also the Sunday is ridiculous 🤣

OriginalUsername2 · 21/09/2025 00:16

ThatCyanSheep · 20/09/2025 23:03

Oh and a bull body shower is like - scrub, oil, hair wash etc etc - not just to clean my body or wash my hair!

I call this the Everything Shower.

CountryQueen · 21/09/2025 00:16

Why would you have a shower for an hour and a half on race day? Seems a huge waste of time.

What stands out to me is that you’ve planned your shower regime, given yourself very tight turnarounds for some things but not planned exactly where to eat.

“Find somewhere for dinner” is not as easy as you’d think in Nice. Places get booked up etc and if you want to enjoy a decent meal you should be researching that and have a list of potential dinner spots.

Original poster
ThatCyanSheep · 21/09/2025 00:10

stickybear · 21/09/2025 00:07

I only got as far as Sunday 29th and I don't understand how you're going to have time to actually look at anything in the Picasso museum?! I always find that museums / galleries end up taking way longer than you expect, so I'd definitely build in more time there. Sounds like an amazing trip though!

I’m happy to be on the go from 7am till 9pm! I’m going alone so don’t have anyone else to worry about!

OP posts:
stickybear · 21/09/2025 00:07

I only got as far as Sunday 29th and I don't understand how you're going to have time to actually look at anything in the Picasso museum?! I always find that museums / galleries end up taking way longer than you expect, so I'd definitely build in more time there. Sounds like an amazing trip though!

tara66 · 21/09/2025 00:07

Re Antibes - it's quite nice to go along from Juan les Pins to Cap d'Antibes beside the sea side. I don't know if there is a bus. Also the Hotel du Eden Roc where F Scot Fitzgerald stayed - down near there. The town itself has had a lot of post war flats put up in it - unfortunately.

Original poster
ThatCyanSheep · 21/09/2025 00:05

5foot5 · 21/09/2025 00:03

Couldn't agree more.
I am a lists person but even I find this a bit rigid.

And, yeah, 4th September, I have been to all those places. But not in one day. I would have thought 3 days to really appreciate and enjoy.

Frankly it sounds like your itinerary is more of a checklist of things to do rather than a plan to enjoy yourself and soak up the atmosphere

Show quote history

I’ve been to lake como before, did the lower basin and found it stunning but didn’t hit those two towns. I want to fit a lot in because I don’t know when I’ll be able to go back!

OP posts:
5foot5 · 21/09/2025 00:03

SparklyCardigan · 20/09/2025 23:00

Fuck me, I thought I was a planner but I've never thought about after dinner strolls and showers a whole year in advance. You need time for wandering and spontaneity. Time that's unplanned to actually relax which is the whole point of a holiday.

Couldn't agree more.
I am a lists person but even I find this a bit rigid.

And, yeah, 4th September, I have been to all those places. But not in one day. I would have thought 3 days to really appreciate and enjoy.

Frankly it sounds like your itinerary is more of a checklist of things to do rather than a plan to enjoy yourself and soak up the atmosphere

Original poster
ThatCyanSheep · 20/09/2025 23:51

avignon1234 · 20/09/2025 23:49

I'd agree Antibes is nice (again 5 years ago), also if you are walker, the train stops all of way along the coast and you can walk along the coast if you fancy a long walk, pebbly beach, but nice enough. x

That sounds right up my street! The train journeys all look absolutely incredible. I’d love to go back one day and interrail across the entire coast, from northern Portugal all the way down to northern Italy!

OP posts:
avignon1234 · 20/09/2025 23:49

I'd agree Antibes is nice (again 5 years ago), also if you are walker, the train stops all of way along the coast and you can walk along the coast if you fancy a long walk, pebbly beach, but nice enough. x

Original poster
ThatCyanSheep · 20/09/2025 23:46

avignon1234 · 20/09/2025 23:45

It sounds good in some respects, but if you do this schedule, it will be expensive, and possibly a bit unrealistic. I have been to all of the places, other than Lake Como. I don't particularly like Nice, and I almost cannot believe you can get to town from the airport in 9 minutes (although it is about 6 years since I have been there and things may have moved on). I've been to Milan 3 times in the last two years, and although there is plenty to like (the cemetery is particularly good), it is another big city, and traversing it takes time, and the cathedral is better looking from outside in. I think using AI is fine to give you an idea, but you probably need to do a bit more planning to work out if it is properly "do-able" and whether it will give you what you want. I'd also add that some of these places are not quite the "stroll down the promenade and have dinner while watching the sunset" as you think. Some have big city issues. I was in Marseille earlier this year - it was like the wild west in some parts, I'm a decent traveller, but I was glad to return to the hotel at 9pm. Admittedly, a different city, but be careful with AI romanticising how it will be. I'm a planner too, and it is great to see AI doing some of the work, plus you will have a better trip by planning. Hope this helps x

I’ve done quite a bit of research (lots from Reddit and blogs!), I’ve just used ai to sort of aggregate all of it into some form of list. I’m staying on the promenade, not in the old town :)

OP posts:
Original poster
ThatCyanSheep · 20/09/2025 23:45

Ihatemondays1962 · 20/09/2025 23:37

Villefrance-sur-mer is in the opposite direction to Antibes so thats quite a busy day if you also plan on spending a relaxing afternoon in Nice. Antibes is a lovely town so I'd spend a whole day there and then just quickly stop off at Vllefrance on the way to Monaco. I didn't find Nice itself that Nice to spend time in and much preferred Antibes.

By my calculations it’s about 15 minutes to Villefrance on the train, and then 45 across to Antibes?

OP posts: