10 Days in Europe (Location choice)

liamsimpsonjr01,
Well, you have been to two of the big three (Paris, London, Rome), so I would go to Rome for the whole ten days. It is chock full of art, history, great food, interesting neighborhoods and walks, and vibrant and charming people! May won't be too hot yet. Don't let the fear of crowds deter you. Mid-May shouldn't be too bad. You will love Rome! It's personality is different from Paris and different from London and Amsterdam. London is a dignified duchess, Amsterdam a rebellious youngster, Paris is a coquette and Rome is a grand operatic diva who is full of herself, but with every good reason to be!
Have fund wherever you decide to go!

Thank you so much! You think the whole 10 days should be in Rome or is exploring other Italian cities worth it?

How about some Nordish culture, events and beauty?

Start in Hamburg (HAM) on the weekend of port anniversary (May 9-12) with a lot of classic sailing ships. The world-famous Miniatur Wonderland in world heritage Speicherstadt is a must-visit. Do not miss a day trip to Lübeck with its world heritage old town and the Hanseatic League museum. WIth enough time you can also explore classic sailing ship Passat in Travemünde.

Travel on by train or plane to Copenhagen and enjoy Danish architecture, design, food and lifestyle. Do not forget day trips to Hamlet's castle Kronborg Slot in Helsingør and the Viking museum in Roskilde.

Take the overnight ferry to Oslo and get familiar with the Norwegian culture at Folkemuseum. Do not miss to hike Holmenkollen. Art lovers visit also the Munch museum.

Travel on by marvelous train ride (Norway in a Nutshell, aka NiN) via Flam to Bergen. Be there from May 16 to 18 to celebrate their costitution day on May 17 with traditional festivities and clothing. Floi mountain gives a wonderful overview over the town of Bergen. End your stay by visiting Tyske Bryggen, a world culture heritage from Hanseatic League times. Fly out of Bergen (BGO).

Days left? Spend more time in the Norwegian fjords e. g. by a car round trip around Hardangerfjord.

All three countries are part of Schengen zone. So, easy traveling across borders. And you will find enough English speaking people.

10 days. That’s always tough to guess if it’s the total trip time or …..

You can change out the Budapest for another city if you can find the connections. Prague and Vienna for instance (boring).

The other European Empire
1 depart
2 arrive Vienna
4 Vienna
5 Vienna
6 Vienna to Gyor (there are other options for this, but a small town to break up the cities)
7 Gyor to Budapest
8 Budapest
9 Budapest
10 Budapest
11 go home

More Adventurous. The Turkish Air flight with several days of “layover” in Istanbul is generally the same price as straight thru.
1 depart
2 arrive Istanbul
3 Istanbul
4 Istanbul
5 Istanbul
6 Flight to Budapest (you will probably arrive late afternoon)
7 Budapest
8 Budapest
9 Budapest
10 Budapest (sort of optional)
11 go home

City + Landmark + Under Explored Europe
1 depart
2 arrive Dubrovnik
3 Dubrovnik
4 Dubrovnik to Perast to Kotor to Ostrog Monastery (driven guide – relatively cheap in Montenegro)
5 Ostrog Monastery to Tara River Canyon (driven guide)
6 Tara River Canyon
7 Tara River Canyon to Podgorica (driven guide) to Budapest (discount airline flight, about 90 minutes about $100)
8 Budapest
9 Budapest
10 Budapest
11 Budapest

East meets West
1 depart
2 arrive Dubrovnik
3 Dubrovnik
4 Dubrovnik to Mostar (you can find package trips for this)
5 Mostar to Sarajevo (driven guide – cheap in Bosnia)
6 Sarajevo
7 Sarajevo to Budapest https://youtu.be/1nd5AtZIrTk?feature=shared
8 Budapest
9 Budapest
10 Budapest

11 go home

Thank you all so much! Is Bosnia safe? It looks beautiful.

Bosnia is very safe [EDIT thanks to MarkK. Very safe if you use good judgment and read the advisories] ..... now ..... in a few years you might not have this opportunity. And it is very beautiful and the people kind and generous. I return from time to time for Sarajevo and the fly fishing about 3 hours west of Sarajevo ... and that trip has a few unique sights along the way and a wonderful little hotel on a river at the end. You pretty much have to use a car but rates for a driver are low. Last trip in the early summer this year, the 3 hour transfer was $110 including a few of the drivers favorite stops for food and nature and views.

There is no back door to Western Europe any longer. This is the back door to Europe now.

Is Bosnia safe?

I recommend to look into the travel and safety advices of your country's foreign ministry regarding the destination. In this case avoid "off-beaten-path" because in some non-touristy areas there is still a high contermination with unmarked landmines.

MarkK has a good point. Always best to check with the State Department. They have the thankless task of assigning risk levels. No matter what they come up with someone is going to be critical of it. But I assume they take their job seriously and know things we don’t; and better a little overly cautious than sorry.

The risk levels are: 1: Exercise Normal Precautions, Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution, Level 3 - Reconsider Travel and Level 4 – Whats you thinking man!

Bosnia & Herzegovina is currently at Level 2. For some context as to what that means, also at Level 2 are Germany (https://www.dw.com/en/germany-wwii-bomb-defused-in-hamburgs-nightlife-district/a-70479704), Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium (https://news.sky.com/video/second-world-war-era-bomb-safely-detonated-after-being-found-on-belgian-beach-13083363). So apparently the State Department sees the risk to tourists pretty much the same in each; but each requiring differing precautions and awareness.

Hungary (https://dailynewshungary.com/one-tonne-us-made-ww2-bomb-found-in-budapest/) , and Croatia and Austria; other countries that I suggested are at Level 1.

I’ve been there quite a few times, and while I am comfortable there, I recognize that there are limits. Stick to the better developed areas. The highways between Sarajevo and Zagreb and Mostar and most of the other places you would want to visit are modern, wide, well paved and well-traveled. I sort of think, but am absolutely no expert, that you would have to get way out into the boonies to find a mine field these days.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is comprised of three semi-autonomous states. The current situation, from my novice perspective is that the semi-autonomous state of Republika Srpska is upsetting the apple cart. With Serbian and russian backing they are not making things easy for the nation as a whole. The other two states are fairly placid. I did a quick google search and can not find anything on any tourist, American or otherwise having an issue because of the way things are. I do check from time to time, because it’s a place I enjoy visiting.

You wont be using a lot of public transportation in Bosnia & Herzegovina and don’t have to because private transfers are so reasonable. Here is who I turn to when I visit. She does a good job of setting things up for me.
Dijana Krkotic Guide & Tour Designer Doclea Travel
+382 69 277 749
[email protected] www.docleatravel.com

Here are some travel videos of some of my favorite places. The last is my fishing hotel and there is a chance you will find me there in mid-May.

Sarajevo https://youtu.be/WhwnkXvmrRA?si=suCZjUs84vJOE4EA
Travnik https://youtu.be/NBna529LNSk?si=E6Yx7ULUb2UXUx6O
Jajce https://youtu.be/hWVj5BmpQWI?si=XLWNtAb_a7QSYeG9
Mostar https://youtu.be/vhwYVhLjr2E?si=ATXLNazcKe6IDbhe
Kraljevac Hotel near Jajce https://youtu.be/QNpUWXV3RkI?si=ebreyQRsqSap2tSg

A personal note. One of the things I enjoy most about Sarajevo is that the cultures coexist so well. They held together during the war and continue to. My last night in Sarajevo a few months ago I went to dinner with an aquaintance. She was Orthodox Catholic and I presume 75% of the others in the restaurant were some sort of Christian. Sitting on one side was a a Jewish family and behind us was a Muslim family. Lovely outdoor place with excelelnt food, wine (or tea) and apparently a good vegitarian menu as well.

Let me add one more thing. A lot of the reason to visit Sarajevo is to meet the people who endured the on endurable ... the longest seige of a city in the last 100 years. https://youtu.be/51DMGjup6h4?si=iW0W2M7hfDLS1ZkA This is good but if you are like me, you will need to do a lot of research before you go ....

Italy is celebrating the Jubilee all of 2025, so I would avoid Rome next year. There are predictions of thousands -if not millions - of more tourists. Plus, Rome isn't underrated.
Have a great trip!

Pat, I am the opposite. Jubilee is when I would want to be there. Magnificent life experience. But maybe just a few days in Rome., then move on.

Thank you all so much for the wonderful replies!!
We have narrowed it to. 10 day trip (with some wiggle room)
1. Budapest, Prague, Krakow.
2. Dubrovnik, Mostar, Sarajevo, and Kotor.
3. Seville, Marrakech, Rabat

I know they are very different options but happy to have gotten down to three! Any opinions would be great! Thanks!

Budapest, Prague, Krakow.
This is a day short in Budapest, a lot of travel days, but otherwise … doable.
1 Depart
2 Arrive Budapest
3 Budapest
4 Budapest
5 Flight to Prague
6 Prague
7 Prague
8 Train or flight to Krakow
9 Krakow
10 Krakow
11 Depart.

Dubrovnik, Mostar, Sarajevo, and Kotor
I wouldn’t do Dubrovnik and Kotor if you are short on time. Kotor is just a small, less impressive version of Dubrovnik. I say this loving Montenegro.
1 depart
2 arrive Dubrovnik
3 Dubrovnik
4 Dubrovnik … a day trip into Montenegro isnt a bad idea but I would concentrate on Herceg Novi and Perast. I visited a nice olive farm on the last trip, that was sort of a highlight. I will see if I can find the name. Spend the night in Perast and return to Dubrovnik. Sure, if you want, go to Kotor for lunch.
5 Dubrovnik
6 Transfer to Mostar (you should be able to find a tour trip one way)
7 Mostar
8 Here I would do a little cross-country trip with a stop for a night on the way to Sarajevo. See some smaller towns. See the list with the videos. (or drop this to get back to 11 days)
9 Arrive Sarajevo
10 Sarajevo
11 Sarajevo
12 Depart

Seville, Marrakech, Rabat
No experience. I will let someone else tackle this one.

True, it is a difficult decision trying to set priorities regarding the itinerary. There are lots of underrated places, if you believe in such a thing but then so what. What is important is do such places lay in your area of interest and how much, to what extent?

Good, that you see yourselves as very adventurous. I suggest then if Germany ends up as part of the final itinerary, then focus on eastern and North Germany.

Lots of places to choose from....Weimar, Potsdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Lüneburg, Stralsund, Lübeck, Leipzig, Dresden, Rostock, Rheinsberg, Schleswig, Eutin/Holstein, Husum, Naumburg an der Saale, Greifswald, Werder an der Havel, and so many others.

We have narrowed it to. 10 day trip (with some wiggle room)
1. Budapest, Prague, Krakow.

That'd be my choice. Culture, natural and man-made beauty and exceptionally cost-effective. The old city square in Krakow is a nonstop party after dark, but not in a raucous way. Everyone just has fun.

The Budapest / Prague / Krakow tour is certainly the easiest to do. Sorry to hear Krakow has turned into a late-night party city. That is happening with a lot of locations these days.

In terms of time to see and enjoy the city I will never say avoid a place because you don’t have enough time to do it right. But, if the city speaks to you and you enjoy it, you might regret less than 2 or 3 full days in Prague (the tourist area is very compact) and 3 or 4 full days in Budapest (the tourist area is about half one of the larger cities in Europe – every inch of it interesting). Krakow, depends on what you want to see, but 2 to 4 days. When I say a full day, arrival and departure days don’t count.

Favorite Tourism Video of Budapest: https://youtu.be/1nd5AtZIrTk?feature=shared
Anthony Bourdain describing how visually pleasurable Budapest is: https://youtu.be/0nd9DuDGCz0?si=aa0c19KaJHEtabkX
Favorite Guide Book because its small and does the essentials: DK Eyewitness Budapest Top 10 https://a.co/d/6JD82mf

Well located convenient short-term rentals in Budapest are $50 to $100 while 4-star hotels can be had for under $150; or 3-star under $75. Get out of the city center and prices go lower, but why do that? Plenty of advice to be had for where to stay in all three cities.

The total cost of transportation in the city of Budapest for up to a two-week stay will not exceed $14.50. Or if you are over 65 it’s free.

Ryan flies from Budapest to Prague most days of the week and rates start at $40. The airports at both ends are easy to navigate. Budapest has a direct bus to the airport that is about $6 a taxi is about $30. Prague I think the taxi ride will be closer to $40 but not certain.

Support on the forum for all of the details is pretty good for all three cities too.

1 Depart (the US I assume)
2 Arrive Budapest (usually between noon and 2pm). Stop at the BKK office in the arrivals hall and get your 15 day travel pass (I know, but its cheaper in the long run). Then take the taxi to your hotel in District VI near Andrassy ut. (ut = avenue).
3 Budapest (Half of Pest Day)
4 Budapest (Other half of Pest Day)
5 Budapest (Buda day and things you missed in Pest or run up river to Szentendre)
6 Regret you didn’t stay longer, then head to the airport for an afternoon flight to Prague.
7 Prague
8 Prague (there is a Ryan evening flight to Krakow on Friday … I think there might be a night train too … but not certain.)
9 Morning flight to Krakow (you have a fast trip and this will save you some time Mon and Wed Ryan has morning non-stop flights. If you can’t make one of those, then the train will be faster.)
10 Krakow
11 Krakow
12 Depart

If you decide to do the Balkans trip, a bit less support on the forum. I can give you the route I would take through Montenegro and Bosnia and where I would stop and what I would see. But I would strongly suggest that you hire the person I posted to plan the trip and all of the connections for you. Will be worth the few hundred dollars she will charge

Rome, Florence and Venice.
Italy is special with all its history, art and great food.

geovagriffith, even with the Jubilee next year ... no especially with the Jubilee next year, Italy is always a special place. The Jubilee, despite the fear of crowds would make for a great memory but I think I would be sure of more time than usual in smaller stops to hide from the crowds.