5 week European Vacation May 2015... Ideas/ HELP!

Brussels is certainly worth a visit, but Bruges also has some top spots for seeing on a Grand Tour, and would be very worthwhile.

Some hotels can be pretty cheap, but this is often a case of you get what you pay for, in cleanliness and other ways. Haven't hostelled in years, but as a couple we used private rooms whenever possible, for privacy and/or having our own bathroom or sink - but that's us.

One way to stretch your travel dollar (or euro) is to gather cheese, bread, etc. at a Spar supermarket or outdoor farmer's market and use that for picnic lunches. Some cafes charge more if you sit than if you stand, or more for an outdoor table than inside. The cheapest (but usually really delicious) can be middle eastern falafel/kebab/hummus places - especially in Paris and other cities that are known for their great cuisine but can be pricey.

Railpasses for adult Americans are for First Class travel -- forced luxury with forced prices.

If you think Vienna is VERY VERY expensive, then Switzerland is VERY VERY VERY expensive. If you do decide on Switzerland, forget Zürich, its just a city, and cities are not what you go to Switzerland for, use Luzern as a base, or one of the small places past Interlaken (Lauterbrunnen etc.). Not Vienna either. This leg is about mountains, a break between all the cities.

You need to price up all your train trips as individual tickets second class. This means a lot of research on a lot of different railway company sites. But in many cases if you book 2-3 months in advance this includes the reservation, and is relatively cheap. For short hops (like your day trip to Brugge), there is no price advantage in booking in advance and it only costs €14.10 per person each way.

Also, consider a cut-price airline between Amsterdam and Berlin.

Pity you couldn't fly into Amsterdam, for the first few days from Paris you are heading North, they you turn to gfo aouth.

I have no comments on your proposed itinerary other than to say that I think you'll probably want at least 4 days in both Rome and Berlin. I think a mix of hostels and budget hotels can bring your accommodations cost down. I didn't find Vienna any more expensive than several other cities in Europe. I had a very nice hotel in a good location for <$100/night (for a single) and that was in the middle of high season (July).

Regarding the rail pass, I don't think it's a particularly good deal. If you stick to your proposed itinerary, then you're moving between major locations 9 times, I presume by rail. Some of these routes if purchased well ahead of time will be <$50, others could be around $100 or so, say an average of $70 x 9 = $630. Even if you choose to use a budget flight between some locations instead of the train to save time, you'll still be well under the cost of a rail pass. You'll have to do the research to get more exact costs to compare. Luckily you have the time to purchase tickets early for best prices as long as you know your dates. If you need total flexibility so will be purchasing train tickets at full prices then you might come out ahead with a rail pass but it's highly doubtful.

You don't need a one-month continuous pass. A Eurail Global pass in 1st class covering 10 days of travel within 2 months currently costs $743 per person. Passholder reservations are expensive on the Thalys train from Paris to Brussels, about the same price as buying a discounted ticket 3 months in advance of travel. On your other proposed routes, seat reservations are either not required or max $15 per leg. By the time of your trip, direct InterCity trains will resume between Brussels and Amsterdam, so you don't have to take Thalys for that portion.

There are affordable B&Bs in Vienna. I can think of no reason to expect it to be any more expensive than the other big cities on your list. The same budget strategies work all over Europe, such as enjoying more picnics and fewer sit-down restaurants. The price comparison of hostel vs. B&B will vary in each city. Rick's guidebooks, such as Best of Europe, can help you quickly compare the cost of the convenient, centrally-located accommodations he has identified.

cf,

Your proposed Itinerary is reasonably well organized, but I'd suggest some "fine tuning". You might consider something along these lines.....

• PARIS - 4-5 days is good. Does that time include your flight day? I assume you're flying from the U.S., so you'll generally arrive in Europe the day after you departed, and will be jet lagged for a few days so touring will be a bit "slower". At that time of year, Paris Museum Passes would be a good idea, as they will minimize your time waiting in queues. In addition to Versailles, what other sights are you planning to see in Paris?
• BRUSSELS - as you want to take some day trips, I'd suggest dropping one day from Amsterdam and adding to Brussels. Both Bruges and Ghent are beautiful cities. As I recall, Ghent is a university town, so if you're younger you'll probably enjoy the "vibe".
• AMSTERDAM - you might consider getting a two day (or whatever) transit pass for the Trams, as it's a very easy way to get around. They have a chip and have to be scanned when both entering and leaving the tram. One other point to note is that if buying tickets at Amsterdam Central, you'll need a "Chip & PIN" credit card. If you don't have that, keep cash on hand.
• BERLIN - that's a good time frame for a first visit to Berlin. I've done the trip from Amsterdam, and it's very easy. There are direct (no changes) departures from Amsterdam Central at 07:01 and 09:01 with a travel time of ~6H:15M and that's what I'd use. Which part of Berlin are you planning to stay?
• PRAGUE - again, that's a good time frame. I've also done that trip from Berlin and it's very easy (direct trains 4H:41M to Praha hl.n station). Be vigilant for pickpockets in Prague, especially on the Charles Bridge. Although I haven't had any problems in that regard, the city has a bit of a reputation.
• VIENNA OR WHATEVER - I probably wouldn't bother with a stop in Vienna. Use a budget airline from Prague to either Milan or Venice. If you fly inbound to Milan, it's relatively easy to get to Venice. EasyJet has flights to MXP with flights currently listed as low as ~€50 PP (plus a few fees of course). That will be cheaper than by train and will save on hotels and other expenses of stopping in Vienna.
• VENICE - 2-3 days is about right.
• FLORENCE - it would be more efficient to visit Florence on the way to the C.T. If possible, at least three days would be a good idea. Were you planning on taking any day trips while there (ie: Siena)? If you're planning on visiting the Uffizi or Accademia, reservations would be a very good idea.
• ITALIAN RIVIERA - are you planning to stay in Manarola and day trip to Portofino? Did you consider other C.T. towns to stay in? Is there any way you could add a day to that part of the trip? There's not really a lot to see in Portofino, and you could also consider a day trip to Porto Venere.
• ROME - at least one more day in Rome would be good, as there's so MUCH to see. Using a Roma Pass or similar may save you some money. What sights are you planning to see there?

A few other points to mention.....

• If this is your first trip to Europe, reading Europe Through The Back Door would be a good idea. Use the country or city-specific guidebooks to plan touring in more detail.
• Are you taking any electronic gadgets on your trip? There are a few things to be aware of.
• Are you planning to use ATM cards to obtain cash? Again, a few things to be aware of.
• Especially in Italy, there are some potentially expensive "caveats" when using public transit there. Have you looked into that?
• I agree with others to look carefully at the Railpass question, as it may or may not be the best value (I'd have to spend some time looking more closely at the rail trips you'll be making).
• Most cities in Europe have multiple rail stations, so you'll have to be aware of that when buying tickets.

Good luck with your planning!

Thank you so much for all your suggestions! @cyn @Chris F @Nancy @Laura @Ken

PARIS - Does that time include your flight day? -- we arrive in Paris at 8am so we would sleep on the plane and (hopefully) get checked in and have the afternoon/ rest of the day to explore.
Other sights are you planning to see in Paris? -- just basics (Eiffel tower, Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomph, Notre Dame)

BERLIN - Which part of Berlin are you planning to stay? -- have no idea! What parts would you suggest?

ITALIAN RIVIERA - are you planning to stay in Manarola and day trip to Portofino? Did you consider other C.T. towns to stay in? Is there any way you could add a day to that part of the trip? -- yes for sure! I am just trying to decide to "plan everything" to a T or have more of a rough schedule and "go with the flow" a little.

ROME - What sights are you planning to see there? -- also want to go to Vatican City -- that would be a 1/2 day at least.

cf,

Regarding your last post......

"we would sleep on the plane and (hopefully) get checked in and have the afternoon/ rest of the day to explore."

Hopefully you will be able to sleep on the plane? I've never been too successful with that. Even with sleep, don't underestimate the effects of jet lag. I'd suggest planning for some mid-day rest time for the first few days.

"just basics (Eiffel tower, Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomph, Notre Dame)"

With such a short visit, don't plan to see all of the Louvre, as it's HUGE! Most people tend to focus mostly on the Denon Wing, where the Mona Lisa is located (and some great Italian masters). I've done some touring in the Sully Wing as well, but haven't made it to the Richelieu Wing yet. Be sure to be vigilant for pickpockets there. For the Eiffel Tower visit, you can book appointments online.

"Which part of Berlin are you planning to stay? -- have no idea! What parts would you suggest?"

The two basic choices are either the former western part of the eastern part. I've only stayed in the western part but I've heard a lot of good comments about the former "East Berlin". There's a lot of construction happening, and it's apparently quite a lively area now. Which part to stay may depend to some extent on where your Hostel is located. I stayed at Pension Peters and would highly recommend them.

"yes for sure! I am just trying to decide to "plan everything" to a T or have more of a rough schedule and "go with the flow" a little."

You'll probably find that when you arrive in the relaxed atmosphere of the C.T., you slow down a bit so "going with the flow" is a good plan. It's doesn't really matter which of the five towns you stay in, as it's easy to get to all of them (and other towns in the area) using the local trains or boats. I'm assuming you're planning to stay in the Ostello 5-Terre in Manarola? From what I've seen, it's a clean and well run facility but a few points....

1. BOOK EARLY as it tends to be booked solid at times.
2. Be aware that they have a strict Lockout in the afternoons ( 13:00-16:00 as I recall), so you won't have access to your room or belongings during that period. You could also stay in any of the small B&B's in any of the towns (some don't provide breakfast though).

"also want to go to Vatican City -- that would be a 1/2 day at least."

Is Vatican City the only site you want to see in Rome? Also, have you decided where you'd like to stay there? I can suggest a good Hostel if you're interested (it's in the Termini station area).

Briefly, add a day to Rome. From Vienna to Venice by train is probably train/bus/train and takes most of a day. Rail passes are seldom worth the hassle of making extra reservations and can be expensive. In Berlin, stay in the eastern part. I like the area near Potsdamerplatz. Roma Pass is a good idea.

Hostels are fine.

Go to Rome2rio.com to plot your route, they will give you train/bus/taxi/car options with prices (prices are ballpark, you can buy super economy train tickets in advance for much less). R2R doesn't sell tickets but has links to transportation sites.

Have a great trip!

When planning to visit Venice with my family, I thought lodging there was very expensive, so we stayed in Padua and took the train (1/2 hour each way) to spend the days sightseeing in Venice. We had young teenagers and were not into night life. There was a great central market in Padua where we bought lunch ingredients before setting out each day. We were there on May 1, a national holiday, so decided not to try to travel that day, just stayed in Padua and got a better sense of that city. So we ended up "discovering" a place that hadn't been on our radar. (I don't remember the hotel we stayed in, and I wouldn't recommend it, but that doesn't detract from the overall experience.)

You could consider overnight trains with sleeping accommodations. We traveled Prague to Venice, changing trains in the evening in Vienna, then sleeping between Vienna and Venice/Padua.

When I was in my 20's it was easy to sleep on night flights. As I get older, it gets harder for me. One of the problems with getting sleep on long-haul flights is the amount of "quiet time" on the plane. The beverage service usually starts about an hour into the flight and then it's another hour or more until dinner is served and cleared away. Then the lights go on and the window shades go up an hour and a half or more before landing. On an 8-hour flight, you may get 5 hours of "quiet time."

If you don't book in advance, you aren't likely to snag private rooms in hostels. Those do get snapped up quickly. To save time on the ground, have a list of hostels prepared before you go. As soon as you know your arrival date in a new location, call or use internet to check availability and to book. You should probably book at least your Paris and Rome rooms in advance, since those dates are firm. If you aren't sure about the number of days, at least book the minimums. There are 2-3 websites for researching hostels, with descriptions, ratings and reviews. One is hostelworld.com (I never remember the other/s).

As mentioned above (Ken?), the better route in Italy is Venice-Florence-Cinque Terre-Rome because of the train connections. From Venice, you'd go through Florence to get to the CT, then back-track to Florence. You can go straight to Rome from the CT.

In Berlin, most of the tourist sites are nearer the eastern side, and it's a fine area to stay in.

Stay in "island" Venice (and not Mestre). This city is at it's best in the very early and very late hours. You'll lose that if you stay off the island and have to commute. Get up at first light one morning, and go to St. Mark's Square to watch the sunrise over the lagoon.

Do some "soul-searching" and decide which is more important, the freedom to wing it, or the savings that come with a set itinerary. I don't see one single place on your list that doesn't offer enough to keep you busy for the number of days you have (well, possibly Prague for 4 full days, if you don't have a day trip planned).

In Belgium, stay in Ghent. It's half-way between Bruges and Brussels, so you can easily day-trip. Lodgings are cheaper (though maybe not for hostels?), it's less touristy than Bruges but livelier in the evenings (university town).

I'd consider Salzburg rather than Vienna.

i have always gotten at least a good half a day activity on the first day.

Between Prague and Venice Italy we still cant decide what to do! I have done some research and it has been suggested to do Cesky Krumlov?

I don't know if we should go to Salzburg? Vienna? Or possibly Munich! I don't really want to be on a train for more than 4 hours. (we booked a EasyJet from Amsterdam to Berlin, because I don't want to be on a train for 6 hours)

Currently I have booked hotels/ apartments in this order:
Paris (4 nights)
Ghent (2 nights)
Bruges (2 nights)
Amsterdam (4 nights)
Berlin (4 nights)
Prague (5 nights)

And I decided to not get the rail pass. It didn't seem to me that it would be worth it. If anything I would break even.