Holiday in Italy

[phil06]

I want to go a holiday to Italy next year but don’t like flying or long train journeys. Like I hate having to go to a toilet on a train so I avoid that but it would be around 7 hours from Paris to Milan. Flying I hate but I did fly to Spain s few months back but I stress for months before it so I don’t like booking flights but it is quicker.

What should I Do? Train wise it’s easy to go to France and Belgium ect but when you want Spain or Italy it takes longer by train

[MyNameIsTerry]

Not considering the anxiety side of this for a minute, Phil, is there any options where you could travel in two parts and see two or more places as your holiday?

[phil06]

Not considering the anxiety side of this for a minute, Phil, is there any options where you could travel in two parts and see two or more places as your holiday?

It’s for a honeymoon but I have a few issues not just travel time the heat is likely to be 30 degrees or more if I go in summer so that’s not ideal.

Flying I would give Milan a miss and see Venice and Rome. I could do this in 4 days with the flights I’ve never really had a holiday longer than 5 days as I like my home comforts. The train may take around 7 days off my time.

I could go later in the year to avoid stressing at the wedding about flying. Also another issue is food I can’t eat much abroad so all my other holidays have been a few days or max of 5 days.

So my options are fly - 3 hours
Train from Paris 7 hours
Take a London to Basel train and stay over there and the journey is only 4 hours to Milan.

---------- Post added at 17:33 ---------- Previous post was at 17:26 ----------

The past year I’ve put a lot of pressure on travelling lots as I may have a family after getting married so worried I won’t be as flexiable to do this ..but the pressure brings anxiety.

[Scass]

Hi Phil,
I think it’s great that you’re traveling when it causes you so much anxiety. I assume it’s your honeymoon? Is your soon-to-be- wife happy to follow your lead or does she have a preference.

Could this be a target for you? Book a flight and work really really hard on conquering those parts of your anxiety that could potentially ruin the greatest holiday of your lives?
I


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[phil06]

So getting the train may not be a good option?

[pulisa]

How strong is your bladder? I suppose it depends on how much time you have but train journeys can let you see more of the various countries you travel through and would avoid the anticipatory anxiety of air travel when you have all the wedding preparation to think of too? What does your partner think?

[phil06]

How strong is your bladder? I suppose it depends on how much time you have but train journeys can let you see more of the various countries you travel through and would avoid the anticipatory anxiety of air travel when you have all the wedding preparation to think of too? What does your partner think?

That’s true. Rome and New York are places I really want to see but obviously I can give it a year or two to try and get my anxiety lower for New York.

My partner is ok with either she is laid back and will let me choose. She probably prefers plane but will do train too. I usually get train in Europe however my anxiety has been stuck on a train for say longer than 4 hours and also the worry I have to use the toilet on train or airplane which is one of my worries with long distance journeys. It would shake about also I spend ages on toilet

Obviously train seems more expensive too. But yes it would avoid the air travel anxiety which is great if I was say going 2 hours to Paris by train however the long journey to Italy possible changing trains is a bit more hectic..I’ve done train journeys round Uk and only in last year decided to explore Europe by train and most of my trips have been 2 hours between countries..perhaps the more I explore the next step is the long flights to the US or long train journey?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Is there no way to break the journey up further, if you feel you have no choice? For instance, is there an in-between after Paris? Paris would be good for the honeymoon so a day there seems a winner but is there anywhere after that before you get to Italy/Spain?

[phil06]

Is there no way to break the journey up further, if you feel you have no choice? For instance, is there an in-between after Paris? Paris would be good for the honeymoon so a day there seems a winner but is there anywhere after that before you get to Italy/Spain?

Switzerland is possible but I was hoping to visit this place get to know it rather than go first time and travel to Italy. Staying in Lyon France works too as it’s about 5 hours however bad news is I have to take a metro across the city..

I think flying seems likely as I did fly to Germany and Spain. The anxiety isn’t great before it so I wish I could get some help from the theripst for this.

I hate being shut in so i fear long train journeys or flying to the US also I fear using toilets when travelling too.

I go to Paris quite often so was hoping to push myself to reach Italy.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Switzerland sounds like nice. I guess you could always use it as a taster?

What are your concerns about using the Metro?

Do you feel that you could push yourself for the sake of your wife? Sometimes it's harder to push ourselves for us and easier for others. I find that quite a lot with myself.