12 Days in Europe in May

Are you joining her? And that's why she is leaving the planning to you? I would do some research and look at a map. If the starting point is Basel, I would trace an itinerary from there and go to cities or towns you want to see. Your local library probably has copies of Europe Through the Back Door by Rick Steves, use that as a guide to designing an itinerary. Rick Steves guidebooks for Austria, Germany and the Netherlands are all filled with information, too.

Amsterdam and Austria are in opposite directions, so you are best heading in the one direction. I’d go up the Rhine and through Belgium to Amsterdam.

May
10 •Train to Heidelberg (1 night)
11 •Train to Koblenz-Rhine (3 nights)
- Day trips to Trier & taking a Rhine boat
14 •Train via Cologne to Aachen (1 night)
15 •Train to Ghent-Belgium (3 nights)
- Day trips to Bruges & Antwerp
18 •Train to Amsterdam (3 nights)
21 •Fly to Basel (1 night)
22 •Depart Basel

Would she willing to miss Berlin? She could go there via Leipzig (6 hrs from Basel with an hourly train). A more interesting city than many assume, a nice hostel just across the railway station, and with famous Dresden as a possible day trip.

Not really answering the question, just posing another.
I find it strange she is travelling from Florence to Basel in order to go home. Your profile says "Location: Tucson", but the only transatlantic destination from Basel is Air Transat to Montréal–Trudeau, otherwise it is all European flights.

Has she got a place in Basel to store her "big" luggage?

djp_syd's plan is good, it ends up in Amsterdam, from which she could fly home direct.
Does she want to see the Alps? If yes, include a loop south from Basel to either Luzern or the Berner Oberland.

The reference to hostels suggests to me that this is a budget-level trip, so I'm thinking it might be a good idea to avoid Switzerland.

I, too, thought of Berlin. It's such a lively city, and with magnificent museums and historical sights. Not particularly pretty, though, unless she makes time for Potsdam.

I agree that Austria, Germany, and Amsterdam are quite spread out but if the budget is there for flights my suggestion would be to do the places she expressed an interest in. Fly Basel to Vienna (3-4 nights), fly to Berlin (4-5 nights), fly to Amsterdam (3 nights) then train or fly back to Basel. I might do some of these by train instead of flights myself (personal aversion to airports and flying) but with her short time, budget flights do make sense.

Nancy’s suggestion is good if you are prepared to find some good flight deals. Hannover is a Possible stopover to break the otherwise 6.5 hours by train from Berlin to Amsterdam.

May
10 •Fly to Vienna (3 nights)
13 •Fly to Berlin (4 nights)
17 •Train to Hannover (1 night)
18 •Train to Amsterdam (3 nights)
21 •Fly to Basel (1 night)
22 •Depart Basel

Thanks so much!
Yes, there's a family friend in Basel. She is flying home Basel-London-Phx, all on points. Works out great.

I really appreciate the itinerary ideas. I've plotted your ideas out on the map, and am thoroughly jealous for her trip :)

She WILL be able to fly around a bit if needed. That's why we are dropping her bag off with friends in Basel - to avoid all the crazy charges the european cheap airlines charge.

This forum has helped me plan two trips to London, my eldest daughter's study-abroad trip to Spain, and a trip to Italy. I value all of your opinions and time in responding!

Thank you again

From your posts, I am still not quite sure if she is going to be traveling by herself or if you are going to be joining her. If the latter, I see the point of your planning with her, or even you planning the whole trip, and her just joining in.

If the former, however, please excuse the question: How old is your daughter?

If she is old enough to study abroad by herself, I find it very strange that she leaves the planning of her trip to you. My first question, therefore, in this case, would not be "What is she interested in", but rather, "Why hasn't she signed up on this forum and asked her questions for herself?"

Please don't feel offended by me speaking so openly. Actually, I feel that you may be putting yourself in a difficult spot. If anything at all goes wrong on that trip, or if she doesn't enjoy it as much as she hoped, you will have to take all the blame. Not to mention the fact that making her own decisions and taking responsibility for her own plans is part of growing up.

I think the travel plan suggested by David at Brisbane is good. The Rhine and Mosel river valleys in Germany is one of the best parts of Germany, in my opinion. I recommend having overnight accomodation at either St. Goar or Bacharach at the Rhine River in Germany. And one day : ride in a K-D ship on the Rhine River from Bacharach to St. Goar (that direction). And one day : go to the medieval castle Marksburg (ride in a bus or train from Koblenz to Braubach). I did not like the castle Burg Eltz (near the Mosel River) much, and transportation to it is complicated and difficult. I recommend, from Basel, ride in trains to St. Goar or Bacharach (she would change trains at either Mainz or Koblenz). Not enough time for Heidelburg. Be at a hotel at St. Goar or Bacharach, a minimum of three nights. I guess she could find a relatively low cost flight from the airport of Amsterdam to Basel.

I agree with Anna. Your daughter should be able to plan her trip by herself. She knows what she likes and doesn't better than anyone and these are important skills. I planned a month long European trip by myself-before the Internet even existed (1993)! If I can do that, she should have no trouble.