2 Month European "Sampler Tour"

I'm giving this a bump as it endured a technical issue. All fixed. Here's hoping you get some good responses.

so glad you got your post back, Crystal

Since you are a novice (and I assume have not been to Europe) I would start with London and the surrounding sites of the Cotswold, Stonehenge, Bath, etc.
The reason is: Traveling to a foreign country is different than traveling in the US. Since English is the spoken language in the UK, you will at least be able to communicate, read the signs, etc. So it's a good country to start with. And believe it or not, they do things differently there, as in all of Europe.
With two months, I would do 5 days in London, and a week in the UK countryside, then back to London

Then take the Chunnel train over to Paris.

Paris for a week with day trips to Versaille, Giverny, Fontainebleau Then a week in the French countryside visiting Normandy, Mont St. Michel. Back to Paris. Possibly visiting some Chateaus in the Loire Valley.
Train up to Amsterdam, (3-4 days) 5-6 days if doing day trips.
Then train or fly to Germany. Start north in Berlin and travel south via Rothenburg, Munich and Bavaria
then train to Austria, then train to Switzerland, then train south to Venice, (3 days) train to Florence, (3 days) then train to Rome.
Spend a 4-5 days in Rome itself, more time if you do day trips outside of Rome, fly to Barcelona, 3-4 days in Barcelona or 5-6 days in Barcelona, if you do day trips to Montserrat, Girona, Figueres, etc.
Then train to Madrid for 4-5 days with day trips to Toledo, day trip to Avila and Segovia.
If you have more time, train south to Cordoba and Seville, before taking the train back to Madrid to fly home (or fly home from Seville)

But my main advice is do the UK and England First to ease in the cultural differences.

I would maybe start with some education and inspiration. I will be the shill that mentions "Rick Steves Europe Through The Back Door". It is one of the few books that covers the how and practicalities of travel, addressing transport, money, planning, cultural differences, and also includes some information on many areas.

Two months sounds like a long time, but when you break it down, you are talking about a week in each of the countries you mentioned, with maybe 2 or 3 stops in each.

As for order, I think what you want is doable, start in Spain, then Rome, move North, head into Austria, then to Southern Germany/Switzerland, moving north in Germany, through the Netherlands and Belgium, onto Paris and Northern France, then onto England. Some legs might be better by plane (Barcelona to Rome for example) but train should get you most everywhere.

Start listing your stops and what you want to see, then try to assign a realistic timeframe to see those things in that city. Rome was not built in a day, and you are not going to see the Vatican Museums, St. Peters, the Colosseum, the Forum, the sights in central Rome, all in a day.

Resist the urge to keep adding things, quickly get to the point that to add Prague (for example) means eliminating another stop, not squeezing it in.

From there, it is just slowly fleshing things out, dealing with details of rooms, what tickets for sights ahead, train tickets, etc.

Have Fun.

Okay, I'm breaking down your list into the following itinerary.

England: London, Cotswold, Stonehenge, Bath (if doable on itinerary)
France: Paris for sure, Versailles, Normandy/Mont St. Michel (if doable on the itinerary);
Spain: Barcelona;
Italy: Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Dolomites;
Switzerland: whichever cities are suggested for Alpine views & one or two-day hikes; spot for paragliding;
Austria: whichever cities that are highly recommended;
Germany: Frankfurt (my old home), Bavaria, Munich, Berlin, Rothenburg;

As was mentioned above, that's approximately one week per country, as you have to include travel time in there. You mentioned using whatever mode of transport is move effective; but really, using trains comes to mind. All of the countries you are visiting have good train systems.

Keep in mind that it's easier to count your nights, rather than days, as that gives you a more accurate perspective of how much time you have. For example, 5 nights in one place will actually give you 4 days (and maybe a little bit extra).

So here are my thoughts:
England: You're from Virginia, so could probably get a non-stop to London, and I would make that my first stop. As noted above, it's a bit easier to break the cultural barrier there, and London is very easy to get around in. You could spend 4-5 nights in London and then take a train to Bath for a few days, which has the wonderful Mad Max tours to the Cotswolds and Stonehenge.

France: After that, just take the Eurostar from London to Paris, spend 6-7 nights in Paris (including a day trip to Versailles by train). I would leave Normandy/Mont St. Michel for another trip, as it would be difficult to get that in, imo. But there are some other wonderful day trips and tours you could take from Paris.

Spain: Next, take the train to Barcelona, and spend 5-6 nights there. Now, if I was going to urge you to drop a place, it would be Barcelona. This city will be incredibly crowded and you will be there in the summer. It's become a difficult and controversial area for travel for a variety of reasons, so unless you have a really compelling wish to visit there, I would leave it off and use that time to spend in your other destinations.

Italy: Either way, after that, I would fly to Italy (probably Rome) from Barcelona (or Paris, if you forego B) and spend at least 5-6 nights in Rome, at least 3 in Florence. Italy is pretty easy to get around using public transportation; at least to the places you want to see. If you're going to visit the Dolomites, then I would skip Switzerland. Or keep Switzerland and forego the Dolomites.

Switzerland: After Italy, Switzerland where you could spend another week (but see notes above).

Austria and Germany: After Switzerland, head for Austria for a week. I would recommend visiting Vienna and Salzburg, but would save Salzburg for the end as it's easy to then take the train from Salzburg to Munich. After you've seen Munich, head to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, then go to Frankfurt and after that, Berlin, for the flight home. OR you could visit Berlin after Rothenburg and then fly home from Frankfurt. Both Berlin and Frankfurt have good airports with frequent US flights. In fact, it might make more sense to see what flights you can get before deciding which cities to fly home from. Regardless, Germany and Austria are both very easy to get around by train.

Obviously all of the above is one option and certainly this is your trip so ultimately that is what counts. These are just my thoughts based on your comments above. Whatever you do, I'm sure it will be an incredible trip.

It is getting very late here in England so I can only pop a couple of thoughts in today.

Since it appears that food is less important than travel and sightseeing (is that right?) as I think what to suggest, are either of you vegan or have particular allergies or dislikes?

Were you and your family in the Frankfurt area courtesy of Uncle Sam? If so, one of our regulars knows all about the various places around Frankfurt previously used by the Army and can tour you around them. She also has YouTubes of some.

I love the Frankfurt area - if you have questions about particular areas, ask away.

Good luck with the planning

I don't see anything about the timing of this trip (did I miss it?), but I'm assuming it's a summer trip since you mention having spent many summers RVing in the US. If my supposition is correct, I would absolutely factor weather into the itinerary, meaning I'd probably start in Rome. I'd leave Alpine destinations and England (plus Belgium and the Netherlands in the unlikely event you have time for them) toward the end of the trip, to the extent I could from the logistical standpoint. Spain is sort of an outlier, but you'll survive the warm months there if you don't go to Andalucia or Madrid.

Although it might be easier not to think about summer temperatures, you may pay a heavy price for ignoring them.

I agree with Paul that starting with "Europe through the back door" is a great idea! The longest trip we've done is 6 weeks after a college graduation. We hit most of the places you are considering with the exception of Spain. I think you should be able to go to most of your desired locations in 2 months!

You might want to consider a rail pass since you'll be doing so much moving around. Don't feel like you need to train everywhere though - it might make sense to fly between some of your outlying destinations or consider night trains. Since you're going to Frankfurt I would say you might want to add a few nights on the Rhine to explore some castles.

There are a few considerations as far as timing goes. It will be hot in the southern countries - Spain and Italy during July and August. If you want to do some real hiking in Switzerland it's best to do that July or later to ensure trails will be open. Mont St. Michel is amazing to see at high tide.

Since it's a "sampler tour" don't feel like you have to see everything in every city./ country. Assume you'll come back!

Have a blast!

I count about 17 places on your list. With a 40 day trip, that equates to 2-2.5 days in each location without taking travel distances into account. I think you should consider the pace of your trip and how you'd like to enjoy the time with your son. For me, I'd probably pick two countries and do a deep dive, staying 2 weeks in 4 places total. But that's me, not you.

For Austria, I recommend Salzburg, Wolfgangsee and Vienna given that you will likely focus on the big mountains in Switzerland. I would suggest at least a week in Vienna to get a flavor, but 10 days if you really want to remember it.

What order of travel makes the most sense for our trip? I would like
to begin in the southern countries and end in England. We are open to
flights and trains as cost is not a deciding factor this trip.

Just avoid back tracking.

So, start in Rome, then Florence, the Dolomites and Switzerland. On to Vienna, Salzberg, Rothenberg, Frankfurt and Berlin. Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and on to Paris and finally Caen for Normandy and a day trip to Mont St Michel--fabulous!. You can do this all by train or add a couple of flights to cover longer distances (e.g. Switzerland to Vienna and Frankfurt to Berlin). I sometimes schedule in a longer train trip (e.g. Frankfurt to Berlin) to just chill, rather than dealing with airports. From Caen, fly to Madrid and train to Barcellona and then fly to London. You have 60 nights...I think you can sample all of this.

Big Picture comments:
You have a fairly good plan, but you have listed 6 major countries and 3 others (Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg).
I suggest paring back your countries a bit. Consider eliminating Spain, since you only plan to see Barcelona. The places you plan to visit are farther away than your other places.

1) England: London, Cotswold, Stonehenge, Bath (if doable on itinerary)

We did four weeks driving around England and South Wales (not even visiting London) in 2017 and still missed a lot.
I would recommend Bath for at least 2 nights. For the Cotswolds you will need to rent a car. We stayed at the Volunteer Inn in Chipping Campden for six nights and used two to see the Cotswolds and the others to do day trips to Oxford, Blenheim Palace and Stratford Upon Avon.

Other great places to see in southern England are Winchester and Salisbury. Stonehenge is good for a couple of hours, also go to see Windsor Castle. You will need at least 4-5 days for London.

2) France: Paris for sure, Versailles, Normandy/Mont St. Michel (if doable on the itinerary);

Normandy is great and you can do it in one full day, don't miss the D-Day Beaches, American Cemetery and Bayeux (The 900 year old Bayeux Tapestry is amazing, it tells the story of the Norman conquest of England in 1066). Mt. Saint Michel is on the border with Britany, but doable, but you might need an extra day for that.

If you start in England and then move to Paris, you might be able to Normandy on your way to Paris, but might need to spend one night before you head to Paris.

You will need 4-5 days for Paris.

Spain: Barcelona;
I suggest you skip for this trip.

Switzerland: whichever cities are suggested for Alpine views & one or two-day hikes; spot for paragliding;

Next, you should proceed to Switzerland, probably the most expensive country in Europe. Consider Geneva, than head toward central Switzerland. Interlakken is nice, don't miss Lucerne. Lugano is nice, it is near Milan, Italy.

You could either proceed to Bavaria in Germany and Austria and do Italy last, or do Italy, then do Austria and end in Bavaria.

Italy: Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Dolomites;

After a could of days in Milan, consider heading to Rome then back north to Florence and then Venice. You need two weeks for Italy.

Austria: whichever cities that are highly recommended;

Key places in Austria to consider are Vienna and Salzburg for sure, also, perhaps Innsbruck. Innsbruck is in the Alps and surround by mountains. Vienna is a cultural masterpiece. Go to all the tourist sites and go to a concert if possible. Salzburg is near the border with Germany and Mozart's house is there to see, as well as a massive castle on the hill overlooking the city. Also, do a Sound of Music Tour.

Germany: Frankfurt (my old home), Bavaria, Munich, Berlin, Rothenburg;

If you lived in Germany, I don't need to say more. I lived in Augsburg, working for the US Army and loved it.
For hiking, consider Garmish, Germany.
You probably should take trains, so you need to research some kind of pass. I never found a Euorail Pass to be that helpful, but you do have a lot of travel. If you rent a car in any country other than the UK, you will need an International Drivers Permit.

Be sure to have guidebooks to help you, but do lots of research using TripAdvisor.com for things to do in places you visit.
Also, that site can assist you to find good day tours or even short multi-day tours.

Other options are to find guided tours for your trip.
Check out Gate 1 Travel, we have done four great tours with them. Their prices are great and quality is excellent.

We did a trip to Paris and UK last summer with our teens. A couple of thoughts:

We did do a day trip from Paris to Normandy/Bayeux and found it easy. We chose a half-day guided afternoon tour of the American D-day sights that started in Bayeux and were able to take an early-ish train in time to see the Bayeux tapestry prior to the tour. Made the American Cemetery in time for the taps ceremony and had time for dinner in Bayeux before taking an evening train back to Paris. Yes, the tour misses the museums and focuses on only a couple of sights but we found it perfect for us as we only had one day available and this was a priority.

I do believe that the Bayeux tapestry museum has possibly closed for a lengthy restoration though? If that is of interest, definitely check the museum website.

Eurostar London to Paris (and the reverse) was fun and easy.

In the UK, we personally prefer northern Wales (Conwy area) over the areas around London but our kids love old castles/abbey ruins and we were comfortable with driving a rental car.

Hi all! Thank you very much for taking the time to respond. I've waited some time to respond to several at once so as to not fill up the thread with my responses.

Derek--I do know that Rick does suggest starting in the UK first if you're a newbie as you've also suggested. But I balanced doing that with wanting to do the warmer southern countries first, and I think that it would be best for us to do the warmer southern countries first. I know we will have challenges jumping right into non-English speaking countries first, but we'll be prepped for it. I do appreciate the inclusion of when to take trains versus flights in your details...very helpful! Thank you!

Paul--Thank you for the reminder about my RS Europe Through the Back Door. I've read it once through, but have pulled it out again for a reread and note taking. In my planning, I was thinking roughly a week per country, give or take. Glad to hear you think my plans are doable! I do like your suggestions of the order of countries, too. Might you have suggestions for either trains vs. flights in between those legs? I LOVE your suggestion to list our stops and what we'd like to do there and then assign it a fair number of days. That's my next step. Some places may need 2-3 days, while others might need 5-7 accordingly. And, yes, I am going to be strong and firm to NOT add in stops, but rather eliminate instead as in your example of Prague. Thank you!I

Mardee--Good point about counting nights, not days. That will give me a more realistic picture of the time we have in each spot. I do know that Rick suggests starting as a newbie in England, but I really want to get the warmer southern countries out of the way before it gets too hot. That's why I am choosing to begin south and more north--hoping the cultural acclimation will be less traumatic than the heat would be. :-) I appreciate your well-laid-out thoughts on our itinerary, though, and I can still use the suggestions in reverse. Thank you!

Nigel--Thank you! YES! My dad did three tours in Germany, all in the same general vicinity. I would love to connect with the tour guide who gives tours of the installations in Frankfurt. I graduated from the American high school there. As I lay out more specifically each city, I'll reach out if I have Frankfurt-specific questions. Thank you!

acraven--Yes, summer trip end of May-end of July, give or take some days, if needed. And, you're right--the weather is definitely the reason I will be beginning in the warmer southern countries. I want to get them out of the way before it's the heat of summer! Thank you for the reassurance that my gut about starting south was spot on!

Jill--Thanks--both you and Paul have reminded me to pull my copy back out of RS' Europe Through the Back Door Out. Got it and will be doing a reread and note taking! So glad you think my plan is doable, too! Need to spend time understanding the rail pass--I know Rick mentions it heavily in the book, so will be really focusing on that. I'll be looking to which destinations will be more feasible to take flights to as I lay out the itinerary more specifically. I really don't want to leave Mont St. Michel off so am looking at day trips from Paris for that and then Normandy (WWII history) as they're both high on our lists. Love that you get our "sampler tour" idea! Yes, hoping that it will be easier in the future to then choose places we want to linger in again! Thank you!

Emily--Our hope is to scoot through the various locations on this trip and save time for lingering for a return trip. I know it might be quicker than most seasoned travelers might prefer, but he and I have discussed what this trip will look like, and we're both on board with a sampling of each place. So wish we had much more time, but we'll take what we have! Thank you!

Do keep in mind that a rapid pace is easier to maintain for two weeks than for two months. There's a real possibility of crashing and burning if you try to go at the fastest possible pace every day.

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments about our plan.

jkh--Love your plan for the order of our trip! Thank you for the specific cities you suggest to fly versus train...very helpful!! I wasn't sure which ones made sense! Also, think the idea of planning a longer train trip on purpose is brilliant! I may do that mid-way for a time of rest or for a change of pace (enjoy scenery, slow down). Great idea that I never thought of! I also appreciate that you also believe our plan is doable!! Thank you!

geovagriifith--Thank you for your detailed notes on each of the locations I listed. Very helpful. Will be taking them into consideration as I move onto the next part of my planning. Have written down your suggestion, too, of the travel company you mentioned. Thanks!

Jimbo--Oh, a half-day guided tour of the American D-Day sights is exactly what we'd love! We know we can't see it all and aren't trying to in the least, but seeing some is better than none for us on this trip, like you mentioned in missing some of the museums. I'm including your suggestions for my planning of that section. Thank you!

I'd definitely plan several days specifically as down days to rest, reflect, do laundry, etc. (that is a LONG time to be on the road). You'll also appreciate a little give in your itinerary if something goes awry (train strikes, weather problems, flight cancellations, illness). If it does, having too many one or two night stops with set reservations will significantly amp up anxiety and reduce enjoyment. Even if everything is going swimmingly, you won't have to use it as a down day, it will be a bonus.

Once you land on your overall itinerary, since this is such a huge trip I'd suggest posting your future specific questions in the relevant country forums or transportation, not under general Europe. There are forum experts in specific areas and you'll get better and focused answers that way.

Best of luck, and what a lucky kiddo to have such an adventure to look forward to.

Do keep in mind that a rapid pace is easier to maintain for two weeks than for two months. There's a real possibility of crashing and burning if you try to go at the fastest possible pace every day.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. I spent almost 6 weeks in England earlier this year and found myself more inclined to take "days off" especially towards the end of my trip. These would mostly just be days where I slept in, had a long lunch someplace and took some long walks. Or go out and run around in the morning but decide to quit after lunch and just head back to the hotel or B&B for kick-back time. :-)

Crystal have a look at Frankfurt on Foot https://frankfurtonfoot.com/ and get hold of Ms Jo who knows everything that can be known about the American bases and locations in and around Frankfurt. She will take you down memory lane.

Hi Crystal, and welcome to the forum! Great first stab at what sounds like a wonderful HS graduation trip with your son. You've told us a bit about what you like about travel -

We LOVE unique guided tours, VIP tours, factory tours, food tours,
walking tours, boat tours, behind-the-scenes tours—tours of ALL kinds!
For example, I saw that Steve just posted about the Night Watchman
Tour in Rothenburg which will be a must for us. We also love history,
museums, off-the-beaten-path stops, and all things outdoors,
especially hiking and adventurous physical activities. We love quick
food stops, local performances and artisans, and spending time with
locals.

My concern with your itinerary is how little time you're leaving for quirky, off the beaten track trips, hikes and serendipitous spur of the moment diversions! You mentioned a few places that were less important - Belgium, Luxembourg & the Netherlands so I'd like to suggest you remove those 3 from your list, as others have said we're talking 2-3 days in each location, not counting travel time between cities. And that excludes some larger cities like Rome which needs at least 4-5, Paris could easily be a week, Berlin 5 nights. I would also leave Barcelona off, as it's an outlier on this 'sample trip', & others have mentioned the heat & issues with crowds. You mentioned a great travel style with your son by RV in the US, that's great you travel so well together. Now you'll need to add some time for laundry, a day off here and there, some time perhaps to do things more slowly, and getting to grips with all this travel by public transport and hunting up meals!

Thus you'd be left with something like this sample itinerary from what you'd suggested above.

France: Paris for sure, Versailles, Normandy/Mont St. Michel (if doable on the itinerary); Italy: Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Dolomites; Switzerland: whichever cities are suggested for Alpine views & one or two-day hikes; spot for paragliding; Austria: whichever cities that are highly recommended; Germany: Frankfurt (my old home), Bavaria, Munich, Berlin, Rothenburg; England: London, Cotswold, Stonehenge, Bath (if doable on itinerary)

So here are just some broad stroke ideas - Week 1 & part of week 2- Rome (5 nights) , Florence (3 nights) & Dolomites (3 nights) is more than a week, and of course you need time to stop and enjoy a few gelatos & sidewalk cafes!

Week 2.5 & week 3 - Traveling hopefully on one of the scenic trains to Switzerland, (that takes a day) I would give it at least 5 days to relax perhaps maximum in 2 places in the Alps for some walking.

Week 3.5 - 4.5 - Then onto Austria, others have commented on places, would give Vienna & Salzburg a week between the 2 but you might prefer less time so you could take a bike ride along a river, go hiking, whatever.

Weeks 4.5-6 maybe to cover Germany well and revisit old haunts.

Week 7 France (Maybe fly from Berlin to Paris?)

Weeks 8 - England

If you update your itinerary below in the thread as you look more at specifics (and train travel times!) and add dates, it would be easier for people to help with what you asked about "tours, stops, Airbnb's, hotels, must-eats, quirky things to see, especially history-related, etc., (specific companies/names would be fantastic and appreciated!) that YOU recommend that would ‘fit’ us in the above cities."

Crystal,

It was late when I spotted this post and I'm not focusing too well, so I'll only add a few brief comments tonight. I've done two month trips and they required a lot of planning and organizing, but they were some of the best holiday experiences I've ever had. On one of them, I incorporated a Rick Steves tour into the Itinerary, along with some self guided travel. Here are a few thoughts.....

• In addition to Europe Through The Back Door, the RS country guidebooks are enormously helpful for information on good hotels, restaurants, transportation and most of all, sightseeing guides. You should be able to find reasonably current editions at your local library or book stores.
• For alpine scenery and paragliding, I can't think of a better location than the Berner Oberland of Switzerland (a short train ride from Interlaken). You could stay either in Lauterbrunnen or Mürren (which is where the paragliders often launch from.
• Travel by train is the easiest and often the quickest method. However it's important to be aware of the train specifics in each country, especially Italy where there are some potentially expensive caveats.
• I only glanced over your post, but didn't note when this trip will be taking place.
• I've found that allowing some unplanned time in the trip allows for serendipitous experiences, and those have been some of my best memories.
• As this will be a very special once only trip, I've found that it's a good idea to have more than one camera. As photography and remembering my trips is important for me, I typically travel with a dSLR, a backup P&S and an iPhone. They are all used frequently on trips.
• It's a good idea to get at least travel medical insurance for both of you. I sometimes get baggage and trip cancellation insurance as well.
• I always use a money belt to keep cash, credit cards and important documents. You likely will encounter scammers at some point during your trip.

I'll try to have another look at this when I'm not tired.

Good luck with your planning!

You use terms like:

off-the-beaten-path
and all things outdoors
adventurous physical activities
open to flights
quirky

Then you list:

Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and England, Belgium, Luxembourg

Since its a sampler tour (excellent idea by the way), why not pick one stop, even a short stop, not in Western Europe so you get a tiny sample of part of the 40% of Europe that is quite a bit different? Or lay over in Istanbul on the way. That way your son gets a little larger understandig of the world.

Please be aware that the Pope's Jubilee will be celebrated in 2025, which is expected to bring in thousands, if not millions , more tourists to Rome (who knows the spillover to the rest of Italy?) So how well do you tolerate heat and shoulder to shoulder crowds? Only you can answer this. So just be prepared for the realities on the ground.

You have lots of planning time, so enjoy the process. I do encourage taking "vacation from the vacation" days- plan nothing, sleep in , let the day evolve. Remember at home you're not up and out of the house early seven days a week, for two months straight. Is your son a morning person, or does he like a slow start to the day? The slower you go, the more you'll experience the culture . Rushing to the train station every few days gets old after awhile, and there's the inevitable cold with which to deal.

Quick ideas- if you're going to the Alps, you probably could skip the Dolomites.
Sometimes air fare dictates which city you start in.
If you're in Edinburg in August, definitely visit the incredible Fringe Festival.

The RS Guides really do offer practical suggestion and routes. I would order a stack of them during the current sale.

I suggest joining Facebook city-specific groups, for on-the- ground , up-to-date info on various locations. These are similar to this Forum, but on steroids.

I know you'll enjoy this trip with your son, you'll make incredible memories, and soon he'll be off entirely on his own.
Enjoy!

Besides ETBD (Europe thru the Back Door), this website has a wealth of info beyond this forum! Check out Travel Tips and Watch Read Listen: Travel Talks, Travel Skills; and other topics!
If you are traveling next summer, it is possible that ETIAS will be implemented (keeps getting pushed back, but keep an eye out for whether the "go" date will affect your trip. If you need to apply, use only the official .eu site https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

Please be aware that the Pope's Jubilee will be celebrated in 2025,
which is expected to bring in thousands, if not millions , more
tourists to Rome

So you are lucky in that you get to be a part of something special. It is exactly when I would go.

Hi all! Just wanted to give a big thanks to all who took the time to share and comment suggestions and ideas for our big "European Sampler Tour" for next summer. I've adjusted accordingly, like skipping the Dolomites on this trip since we'll be in the Alps.

I've also sprinkled in a few quiet days with no itinerary where we can just relax, do laundry, sleep in, or just stay in the room, if needed. Keeping in mind that we have been accustomed to summer RV trips that lasted 3 months at a time, having a day here or there has been enough to give us the rest we've needed. We are just content being on the go :-) That's why we travel well together.

CL: Great suggestion to post specifically under each country! That I will definitely do! Thanks!

Mardee: Rest days have now been planted in our schedule. Good idea! Thanks!

Nigel: Thank you for her information! Have it saved and will be reaching out to her.

Sandancisco: Good food for thought. It's possible we might miss those serendipitous moments, but we are flexible enough that we can change on the fly, and I won't sweat the loss of a few bucks. We've have a few really good experiences like that in past summer travels together. Your sample itinerary was a helpful way to see it laid out and broken into smaller pieces. Thank you!!

Ken: You're right, two months is taking and will continue to take a long time to plan. And I'm here for it! :-) I can't wait to get this time with my almost-grown-flown-son! Time I won't get back with him. And, honestly, I don't care where we go!

1. Good reminder for me to pull my Europe Through the Back Door back out and reread and take notes this time. Check!
2. Yes!! That is exactly where we plan to paraglide...Murren! We'll be staying in Gimmelwald and our B & B host will organize it for us.
3. Once my accommodations are secured, train travel/passes is next to investigate.
4. Sorry--the trip is end of May to end of July 2025.

5. Those spur of the moment experiences we will allow to happen, even at the cost of a few bucks due to missed tours/days.

6. Never thought of having more than one camera, but good idea. My son will be bringing a special filming thing, too, so that should be fun to see/hear from his perspective.
7. Travel insurance is definitely on my mind and something I still need to sort out. Thanks for the suggestion!
8. Yes! I've us two money belts to wear under our clothes and will be noting what RS suggests to do for cards/cash/etc. Thanks!

Mr. E: Istanbul is definitely a bucket list trip for us, but due to its location, we're saving it for a special trip in a few years. Given that it is the Year of Jubilee, we'll just go with the flow, have tickets in hand, and not stress.

Pat: You're so right! Air fare and ease has actually influenced where we are starting now. Barcelona is out and Madrid is in! Much easier and faster and better rates from our home airport. And then it's a direct flight to Rome. You're right that constant travel will get old quick, so I've planned in quiet, down days. Plus, I have us staying in places no less than 2 days (only 3 times) and the rest are stays of 3-9 days each, so less movement. And in traveling with a backpack only, less to keep up with and tote around. And just ordered all the countries we're going to of the RS countries guides. Carry them with me everywhere I might have down time now! Good idea to join some FB groups dedicated to the specific countries/cities. They have been helpful, albeit a tad overwhelming at first. I know I will cherish this--what will likely be our last BIG trip--before he's off on his own new adventures! I hope my planning will help things go smoothly, but if not, like in all things, there are lessons to be learned and skills to be gained. He'll be a better traveler on his own because of it.

SQ: Great! Thank you for that suggestion! I'll check it out!

Thanks again to all!

Crystal,
Thanks for all your comments. It's fun to watch a trip evolve, and it's nice that you shared your revisions.
I can relate to traveling with adult children before they are out on their own. In 2019, my daughter and I sat on the steps of the Salzburg Cathedral, during the Xmas markets, and she said it was time to try to start a family. That took awhile. She and I haven't had a trip to Europe together since, and my dream is a Xmas markets trip with my granddaughter and daughter while my body is still functional. So as much as I love every minute with my granddaughter at this age, I so hope that we all get that Xmas markets trip in the future. I do digress.....
I look forward to your updates and further questions.

Sounds like you all will have a great time this summer! Almost 40 years ago I flew People’s Express to London with a backpack and a train pass and spent a month visiting many of the same places. One thing to consider for a future trip - rent a European RV and drive around like you did in the US, probably avoiding large cities in favor of rural areas. Good luck!

When I was a teenager, so very long ago, my parents took me and my brother on a one-month sampler tour of Europe. I think their plan makes a lot of sense. We started in London, where everyone speaks English and it's very easy to get around. From there, to Amsterdam, where almost everyone speaks English, and you start to get the full flavor of the continent. Then we went to Switzerland, from there to Florence, Rome, Paris, and back to London. From Paris, I took my own side trip to Madrid.

I think that's a pretty logical way to go. It depends on how much energy you have, and what your interests are.

Hey Crystal, It's great you've asked questions, adjusting what you can and afterall, its YOUR trip so your own unique style will evolve! It's lovely you can take the RV trip experiences with you and develop a new, European travel style!!

I really liked what you said here, great attitude! Don't worry about over planning, as long as you leave time to stop along the way, some of those plans won't be realized but the adventure is going to be awesome!

You're right that constant travel will get old quick, so I've planned
in quiet, down days. Plus, I have us staying in places no less than 2
days (only 3 times) and the rest are stays of 3-9 days each, so less
movement. And in traveling with a backpack only, less to keep up with
and tote around.

Some resources for planning:
seat61.com for all things train-related
skyscanner.com for finding cheap flights
atlasobscura.com for interesting things to see
Since you are RVers, consider checking out some of Europe's luxurious campgrounds. My son and I had a camper van for two weeks out of Munich. We stayed in Stuttgart (for the car museums), Innsbruck, Lucerne, Salzburg (these three had great campgrounds with easy transit connections to the cities) and another location in Switzerland. I'm not sure it saved us a lot of money on lodging and transportation (especially after I broke the side mirror!), but it definitely added to our enjoyment of the trip.
You mentioned AirBnB. I'm a big fan. Also, a host. My son really enjoyed shopping for groceries (especially the snack, soda and candy aisles).
Near Frankfurt, be sure to check out the Mosel Valley. A car is best (they are not expensive when rented at the airport in Frankfurt). Beautiful, castle-studded valley. Just don't stay in Cochem or one of the other tourist towns. Too crowded.
Final thought. If you're having trouble narrowing your itinerary, think about picking a theme (Cold War, WWII, Roman Empire) to help you choose.

Crystal, relative to your itinerary, I have not been to Barcelona; it just doesn't appeal to me. But I loved Madrid. The Royal Palace there was one of the most interesting I've seen. If you won't see an aqueduct in France, Segovia is an easy train ride from Madrid. And our college-aged daughter loved a Secret Food Tours of Paris. If you like classical music, you can get a ticket to a concert at Sainte Chappelle in Paris.