I generally like a combination of train and rental car. I think you will enjoy having a car around Como and Monaco, however renting in Italy and returning in France may be very expensive. Compare cost to 2 separate rentals and perhaps train from Como (or turn the car in at Milan) to Monaco. I’d probably stay in France and visit Monaco as a day trip since Monaco is more expensive. Also, if you don’t intend to spend more time along the Riviera it may be faster and easier to get around by train. The advantage of a car in this area is if you want to get away frim the glitz of the coastline to some interesting villages, art museums, etc. 2 days isn’t much time to do that, so the car may be an inconvenient waste. Having a car in Rome will be an expensive nightmare, so don’t pick it up until you’re ready to leave the city.

I would look a for a cheap flight from Monaco or Nice (or perhaps Cannes or another Riviera airport) to Barcelona as there isn’t a great option for an overnight train on this route. I think The route is scenic, so driving would be an option if you had more time.

Train from Paris to Amsterdam is faster and probably more convenient than driving. You won’t want a car in Paris and the parts of Amsterdam you’re likely to visit are on canals, not streets, so you can’t drive there. I would not Rent a car for this trip unless I had several places I wanted to see between. If you have a single place to visit in mind, look at a stopover on the train instead.

The big issue with renting a car for two people is the additional expense. Rick Steves uses the rule of thumb of $150 US per person per week to take the train from city to city and $250
each ($500 total) per week for 2 people to share a rental car.

Put your itinerary in the trip planner for a recommendation on a railpass. A less comprehensive pass and some point to point tickets may be a better deal. Renting a car may mean you don’t need as many days on the pass.

OK, first of all…. WOW! thanks for the advise!

I agree about the whole 2 days in monaco isnt enough, initially i planned 3 days each day in a differnt place (cannes, Nice, and monaco) but i dont want to end up packing and unpack every day (its a honeymoon afterall, not a backbacking trip)

Should i rent a car when i leave from rome to como then drive to milan, i would miss the whole scenic route of driving on the french riveria …

still undecided,

as for the paris to A’dam ill prolly end up taking the train. if i had more time id take the car to pass by brussels.

thanks though,

and if you have any idea on where to stay and what to do, feel free to help me out.

Packing up and moving on every day, or even every other day makes for a tiring trip. Stay in Nice for 3 days and visit Cannes and Monaco as day trips. They’re minutes away, city center to city center, by train and you won’t be lugging your gear or going through the process of finding, checking into and getting oriented to a new hostel/hotel and new neighborhood every day.

Spend 1/2 day or so in Brussels as a stopover on your way from Paris to Amsterdam.
The medieval square is an easy walk from Centraale train station and there are plenty of places to grab a beer, some chocolate and a waffle in the area — thus experiencing a fairly high percentage of what Brussels has to offer a tourist, in a few hours.

once again i am baffled by the advice.

I will probably stay in Nice and do as you said, same goes for Brussels.

any advice on chic honeymooner hotels in these locations?

Try the “hostels” forum for advice on lodging. We liked the Domus Aurea hotel, near Termini in Rome. It’s convenient, nice, air-conditioned (September will still be scorching in Rome) and windows are double glazed and double draped to cut down on street noise. Breakfast is served in a roof garden dining area, but there’s no on-site restaurant. I think it’s been renovated recently. It’s on Via Volturno, and referred to as Euostars Domus Aurea. Don’t confuse it with the nearby Domus Aurora Roma on Via Milazzo, a decent hostel from the reviews, but not the same.

For Paris, I’d spend some time with a guidebook to figure out what neighborhood fits your style and check there. The Rue Cler area has a lot to offer, but since Rick Steves “discovered” it, it’s increasingly difficult to find a reasonably priced room in the area.

We stayed at one of the airport area hotels in Amsterdam and took their shuttle to the airport to catch the train for the short trip to Amsterdam — worked well for us on this particular trip as our small group arrived individually over a period of 2 days, so an airport location was handy. We intended to move to a more centrally located hotel once everyone arrived, but decided to stay put. The hotels actually connected to the airport (Sheraton is closest, Hilton a bit longer indoor hike) are pretty pricy but luxurious and really handy for catching an early morning flight home.