10-week solo tour to Europe (Adviceand recommendations needed!)

Sounds like a dream trip. I count 73 days, more than ten weeks. It would be better to calculate nights rather than days.

I will address only the Italy portion of your trip.

You are moving around a lot (7 days in Italy with 7 stops listed). Travel between cities takes time, schedules can be thrown off by events out of your control (train or flight delays, strikes). Florence, Pisa and Siena can all be done with a base in Florence, but when will you have time to see Florence?

It will take you almost a full day of travel to get from Florence to the Amalfi Coast, and at least 4 hours to get from Amalfi to Rome IF every connection is perfectly timed, add another hour if you need to wait for connections. For Pompeii to Amalfi you are planning two full-day tours; I think you will need three nights to accomplish this since your travel time will take most of the first day.

You could go to Rome before Amalfi and then fly out of Naples to your next destination.

You have ten weeks and you are 23, so moving rapidly for a long period of time may work for you, but I would plan on at least two nights in each city.

Dear Zoe,

Thank you very much for your reply! Your suggestions are really useful to me =)
I was thinking of staying in Rome for 3 nights, then take a day for a guided tour to Pompeii and Amalfi Coast. The remaining 2 full days for Rome and Vatican city.
As for Florence, I thought of staying 3 night and then take a full-day guided tour to Pisa and Siena and the remaining 2 full day will be spent in Florence city.

justinaswteh,

Wow, 10 weeks? That's awesome. I'm doing research for my 2015 backpacking trip as well. I wish mine were going to be 10 weeks! Haha... The first thing that I'd ask about your trip is whether or not you are on any type of strict timeline. Do you have anywhere to be at a certain time by the end of your trip? I ask because with a 10 week trip, you may find yourself rushing and worrying too much if you plan everything in advance. Doing so also does not leave much, if any, room for error. A flight cancellation or something as simple as you missing a bus may throw off your entire itinerary. So in regards to question one, no you don't. However, it may be a good idea for certain things on your trip. As for question three, obviously something could happen regardless of age, gender, ethnic background, etc. I've met and seen dozens of solo female travellers in Europe, to include Asians. As I said, it doesn't matter who you are and being a little on the older side is better. Common sense and your gut instincts will serve you well. The best thing you can do to avoid a bad situation is to prevent the things that would be a catalyst to those situations, you know?

To add to the response above, I think that you have too much listed for only seven days in Italy. It depends on personal preference. If it were me, then I'd base in Florence and do day trips. You could also just spend the entire week in Rome and visit Pompeii. Have you considered visiting Cinque Terre? That's one of my favorites. Same thing with Spain, too many destinations for five days.

Just some food for thought, if time is on your side, then I would suggest maybe purchasing your round trip ticket and booking lodging for your first few destinations in advance and then take it from there once you're on the ground. Having a loose and flexible itinerary leaves room for error and most of all, gives you the freedom to plan as you go which many people don't have the luxury of doing. Of course, everybody is different and has their own preferences. Your trip will be awesome regardless!

Answer to questions and some thoughts on building an itinerary:

1. Prebook? Depends on you. Yes, prebook your flight to Europe. I start shopping for prices well ahead, shop for at least two months, book if I see a great deal, otherwise keep watching until about 12 weeks out.

Trains, some trains, particularly the high speed intercity trains, are way cheaper if they're prebooked (like 30 euro vs 160 euro for booking late) - so prebooking can help the budget. Other trains, like regional Bahn trains won't save you nearly as much. When you prebook a train ticket, it's only good for that specific train; you either catch that train or have to purchase another ticket (at last minute prices). On expensive trips, it's sometimes worth it to me to prebook and lock-in my itinerary. On less expensive trains, I'd rather have flexibility than save a little.

Buses are generally cheap and rarely sell out. For peace of mind, and planning my travel day, I like to buy my ticket the day before - but even that isn't necessary.

Prebooking entrances depends a lot on the place. Some places need prebooking to get in, most it's just about finding a way to avoid spending hours in line. Rick's guidebooks are good for both telling you which places need reservations and telling you how to get around lines (by buying your ticket elsewhere and going straight to the entrance). The Alhambra in Granada or Uffizi in Florence are places I'd really prefer to have reservations before arriving. Again you lose flexibility prebooking. I didn't have any problem booking Uffizi just a few days before arrival in Florence. I arrived in Granada without reservations for the Alhambra, Rick's guidebook helped me find a way to see it even though tickets were sold out.

1. My preference for a data plan in Europe is to make sure you have a phone/tablet that will work in Europe, then buy something locally. I normally pick one country or a swing through only a few countries - for your trip, buying a plan that covers all of Europe may be the better option.

2. Europe is generally safer than America, South America, Africa or Asia but common sense still prevails. If you use the same safety measures as you use at home, you should be okay.

Itinerary techniques:

1. Remember travel time. I break my days up into two broad categories, touring days and travel days. Touring days are when I wake up in a destination, have all day to look around/see sights, and plan to spend the night in the same destination. Travel days are when I wake up in one city and plan to spend the night in another city. One full touring day in a city means two nights (the night before and the night after my day), two days means three nights, etc.

Travel days start with getting up, packing, checking out of your lodging, getting to transportation, getting breakfast, getting on your train/plane/bus, making connections, getting off at the right place, getting to lodging, unpacking, getting dinner, etc. Travel days are full days. My rule of thumb is to plan only four hours of travel time. When you add the rest of the required activities, it's a very full day. You may see some sights on a travel day, but don't plan on much.

1. How much time to spend in one place? I start by researching a place and deciding on my "must-sees". I use a rule of thumb of two major sights per day, one in the morning - lunch - another in the afternoon. So divide your must-sees by two and that's how many days to plan. I also keep a list of "good to see if I have time" sights. I squeeze those in as I can, but might miss them if I don't have time or am just feeling too burned out to pack my schedule.

So when in your itinerary do you come up for air?

I'm all for trying to get the most out of your wonderful opportunity to see Europe but I suspect that your ambitious plan might turn into a blur by the time you hit Italy. Are you really going to be seeing Europe or traveling through it with quick drive-bys of some of the world's most important places/treasures? I'd add that some of my most cherished travel memories were unplanned.

In any case, I hope your travels are everything you are hoping them to be.

Hi,

Good itinerary and trip length. It reminds me of the 67 day trip in Europe I did in 2009. You have even more days...great! My suggestions are to streamline the destinations a little, such as dropping either Switzerland or Prague. How do you plan going from France to Britain? You qualify for Youth EuroStar ticket for the cross-Channel ride. Book early for that ticket.

Hi all l, thank you so much! I really appreciate your time and effort in leaving comments to my question! I had modified my itinerary based on the advice that you guys suggested.

*Another question is do I really need a Eurorail pass? It's kinda not worth it when I need to pay extra for reservation fee for some journeys.

Still 73 days but I added more days for cities that need more time!
Does it sound more doable?

• 7 days: Turkey (Istanbul-Pammukale-Cappadocia-Ephesus)
• 7 days: Greece (Athens-Delphi-Kafalonia-Santorini)
• 3 days: Romania (Sibiu-Brasov)
• 3 days: Bosnia and Herzegonia (Mostar-Blagaj)
• 3 days: Hungary (Budapest)
• 3 days: Czech (Prague)
• 4 days: Austria (Vienna-Hallstat-Salzburg)
• 10 days: Italy (1D Venice, 3D Florence, 1D Cinque Terre, 2D Rome, 1D Vatican, 1D Pompeii, 1D Amalfi Coast)
• 5 days: Portugal (Lisbon-Cascais-Porto)
• 7 days: Spain (Madrid-Serville-Barcelona)
• 6 days: France (Avignon-Paris-Versailles-Loire Valley) -
• 5 days: Britain (London-Bath-Oxford) --> plan to do full-day tour to Bath and Oxford
• 5 days: Scotland (Edinburg-Glenfinann-Inverness)
• 5 days: Ireland (Dublin-Galway-Iris Mor)
• Back to Kuala Lumpur

I would still be careful about trying to do too much on a trip that long. When you say "one day in Venice" do you mean one night, or you're just going for the day and then on to the next place? We like to think in terms of nights. If you spend two nights in Venice, that gives you one FULL day. But with only one night in Venice you have to remember to factor in the travel time it takes to get there and then the time it takes to get to the next destination. So, say you take the train to Venice from Interlaken, that's a 6+ hour train ride and you might get into Venice at 2 p.m. (assuming you got up really early to get there) then you would only have an afternoon to explore Venice before getting up and taking the train to Florence the next day. You would have no time to really enjoy Venice, linger around its backstreets, see some of the important sights, gorge on pizza and gelato. On a trip that long, too, you will be absolutely exhausted after a couple weeks of running around from place to place. You have to build in "rest days" to your trip where you literally do nothing, except maybe some laundry, re-organize your bag, read your guidebook, etc. It's so important for your peace of mind to give yourself those days. The more I've traveled, the more I've learned to sacrifice trying to see everything over staying a few days in the very top places on my list to really get to know them. It will be a much richer experience if you spend at least 2-3 nights in each place. I say quality over quantity. You can always go back to places you miss.

Use the German rail website, www.bahn.com, to look up train schedules for all of Europe. Even if two places look close to each other on a map, they might have terrible transportation connections. This will give you a more realistic idea of how much travel time to factor in. Also factor in once you get to a train station, how much time it will take for you to get to your hotel, check in, catch your breath, shower, etc. I would still cut a lot out of this itinerary so you can enjoy your time in each place rather than spending all your time on trains.

justinaswteh.. I will restrict my comments on your itinerary to this "too much too fast".. and leave it at that.

On the subject of safety .. in Europe you person is as safe if not safer then anywhere.. however.. you do have to watch your wallet and belonging VERY carefully.. pickpockets abound. Waiting for you to put your phone down on the café table ... ( where they will slip by and it will be gone in a second) Keep bulk of money and passport in a moneybelt worn under clothes. Do not access in public. .keep your daily spending money in a well closed purse worn cross body. Pay attention to yourself in crowds.. do not let distractions distract you from people getting too close to you.

Lastly. I am not Asian.. but my good friend is half Chinese, .. and when she and her husband ( white) travelled in Turkey.. she most definitely did not feel "approved of".. she wasn't sure if it was because they were inter-racial married.. or if it was just because she was Asian.. and a woman.. but she said people were much nicer to her husband, ignored her,, would not step aside to let her pass( but would for husband) .. but I see you are taking a tour there and I think that is a good idea in Turkey.

My 2 cents... Six days is barely enough time for Paris let alone Avignon-Paris-Versailles-Loire Valley.

I was sorry to see Switzerland gone. I was going to recommend staying in Murren instead of Interlaken and spending 3 nights there. It's amazingly beautiful and one of my favorite places.

Hi,

In regards to buying a rail pass s ince you don't reside in North America, you may qualify for Inter-Rail Youth Pass. I am not sure but have met those traveling with an Inter-Rail Pass. I would suggest checking on that.

Enlightening and a different story on Istanbul, contrary to the notion that every American tourist there would find visiting it a most pleasant and enjoyable experience. Maybe the wife still found it pleasant in spite of her treatment.

You can get to London-Heathrow, Paris-DeGaulle, Frankfort and Amsterdam Schiphol airports from your Kuala Lumpur International Airport. I would suggest your flight into one of these cities and depart from one of the others.

It's easy to plan for a very long trip for the first week or two, but it's very, very difficult to make travel plans for any longer. With a smart phone, you can easily make travel arrangements--hotel, train, etc.--on the fly. I suggest you just take your trip day by day after the first few days. You might have an idea of what you'd like to see, but you need to leave you options open. You never know who or what you run into that might slow down your trip.

I don't know what cell phone companies you have available at home. In the U.S., T Mobile has a $50 U.S. monthly rate for unlimited data and texting--and $.20 per minute voice calling--worldwide. T Mobile is also a big carrier in many European countries. You might could get an European calling plan if you're local companies don't have anything comparable.

I have not experienced an Asian having any travel difficulties in Europe when traveling. Any lady should think about getting out early and coming back to your hotel relatively early--and not put yourself in unpredictable places late at night. They have many nightlife tours that are very enjoyable in the larger cities.

After reading your revised itinerary, I'm going to echo what others have said . . . take into account how long it's going to take you to get from place to place. Look at train schedules - the German rail site bahn.de is the best for that - and be realistic about travel time. Unless you want to walk around all day with your luggage, you are going to have to park it somewhere on arrival before sightseeing. For most of us, that means getting off the train and going to your hotel to check in (or at least drop off the bag/s). It also means going back to the hotel to pick up the bag before going to the train station. While train stations usually are in city centers, it can still take a chunk of time to get to them, especially if there's traffic and you have to allow for that or maybe miss your train. If you are planning to stay in youth hostels, some of them may be closed during the day.

I can see the temptation to try this kind of trip. It may just be too ambitious. Are you prepared for cold, rainy weather? Northern Europe can have highs of only 15 degrees, or even less. Rain is common. Every new destination means finding your way around, changing money (many of these countries are not on the euro), learning how to use public transportation, figuring out the signs in a new language. Are you up to it for two and a half months?

Hi,

Starting the trip in May is what I would do too. You could encounter rain but as the days progress chances are the days will get warmer. I like going over in May, still cool enough to need a light jacket but also warm at times. You'll be in Paris, London, Salzburg, Vienna...in those cities I know of hostels and Pensionen located within walking distance from the train stations. Budapest has some very nice and popular hostels. If you get one near a subway line, you're in luck. It'll remind you of being in London and Vienna. Staying in hostels in some ways helps to keep the discipline, ie, regulate your schedule, in your traveling since they have a lock-out (Reinigungssperre) starting at 0900 or 0930. That forces you get up, get to breakfast, pack up and get to the train station, which is best when you don't have to rely on public transpotation to arrive at.

For a long trip such as yours. the temptation is to pack too much, thinking you'll need this and that. That's both true and untrue. Keep in mind that hostels (the big ones) have laundry facilities, ie in Budapest and Vienna. Keep the luggage weight under 30 pounds max.

"Are you up to it for two and a half months?" A very good point. Think of it also in this way. If the others (of your age or older) can do it, solo or not, so can you. It's all matter of determination, priority, agenda, and planning, assuming the finances are there in the first place.

Hi Justina,

You have a packed trip!
Don't be discouraged about the advice from others telling you to streamline your plans. They are just trying to assist you as there are so many factors that could come into play on your trip as well as there is just so much to see in Europe!! Each country is so different and have so much to offer on just their own.

I'm originally from the southern region of the States and currently living in London, UK.

I've been to Prague for 3 days a few years back and I felt that 3 days was just right to explore the city.I'm happy to see that Prague has made the cut for you! It's incredibly beautiful. The food is hearty and the Pilsner beer is delicious. Not only that, the architecture so stunning. Try to stay as central as you can as you will then be able to walk and get around very easily. We stayed at a hotel called The Iron Gate, http://www.irongate.cz/ , which is beautiful and I would highly recommend it if you need a break from hostels. There is a little antique store called Bric a Brac Antiques near the town square that could have some great souvenirs. Address: Týnská 627/7, 110 00 Praha, Czech Republic.

As for travelling the UK:
3 days in London sounds perfect. What do you plan to do here?
1 day in Bath - perfect. You can catch a train easily out of London and be there for a full, amazing day. It's an easy town to walk about in 1 day. You won't really need to use public transport here if you want to save a little money and explore by foot, Bath is a great city to do that! It's very safe and easy on the eyes in Bath ;)

1 day in Oxford - perfect also. Beautiful town!

I've done that and both day trips from London and both were absolutely amazing. I think that both Both and Oxford will give you a great idea of English culture. London is an amazing place that's more of a melting pot of cultures. Pre booking the trains to Bath and Oxford is my recommendation to you once you know a rough idea of when you will be heading to each. I wouldn't say you necessarily need to book them before flying out to Europe. I would start browsing when you are wrapping up in Spain or in France. This way, you'll get the best deal for your money and maybe you can spend those saves ££'s on a nice steak and ale pie or a few more pints of lager.

Public transport around London will be necessary for you as it's so spread out! It's unbelieveable.
It can get expensive! I would recommend the Oyster Card for you as it's the easiest to use. You can also use it to pay the bus fares for the double decker buses as well as the tube.
Outside of the underground, buses are everywhere and can get you just about anywhere. You will walk a ton in London as well. Alternatively, you can also rent a Barclay's bike with a debit card in many central areas to get from A > B. Be careful because the roads are nuts here when you're on a bike. It's perfect if you want to cruise around Hyde Park though!
I would also recommend that you download the Uber taxi app when you arrive.
It will save you a fortune as an alternative to the black cabs.

As far as Scotland travel:
Scotland and the Scottish are amazing! The only thing that concerns me about Scotland for you is the rural locations! They are some of the most beautiful locations in the UK! But they can be difficult to get to. If you're going to do it in 5 days, I would recommend taking early trains between cities so you can explore as much as possible.
Edinburgh --> Glenfinann = 3.5 hours roughly by train.
Glenfinann --> Inverness = 3-4 hours roughly by train.

If you need further advice about London or the UK, please let me know!

I hope you enjoy every minute of your trip!

justinaswteh,

it appears that you have one heck of a trip lined up.

it would be interesting to hear your thoughts after its all and done.

good luck and happy trails.

It will be a blur.

My concern is your logistics. You really should start looking at travel times as about half of your time will be in transit. Italy to Portugal - will you fly? Trains are out if the question, for example, on that route. While I am on Portugal, that portion of your itinerary is really out of the way. I would cut Spain and Portugal and add some rural location in another location.

Hi,

Your comment above on train reservations: Reservations are not mandatory in Central Europe ( Austria, Hungary, Czech Rep. Slovenia, Croatia) and Romania as long as you travel by day. The last time I traveled for (close to) 2 and a half months, ie 67 days, was in 2009. At your age it's even easier, just know when to pace yourself.

I would just point out that the OP posted in September and hasn't been back since.