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3 Weeks in Europe Itinerary Help

Posted by (Atlanta, GA) on

Hi everyone! So I'm going to be traveling through Europe from July 11th-August 3rd. I'm currently based in Athens for an internship, which finishes the beginning of July. I am planning to fly into Budapest on July 11th to start my journey since it is the cheapest city to flight into from Athens from what I've seen (feel free to suggest a different location to start in).

From Budapest, I am thinking about traveling to Bratislava, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Prague, Berlin, and Amsterdam. I am planning to use a mix of busses and trains for my transportation between these cities. I looked at Eurail as an option, but it seems to be cheaper to just take busses between the closer towns and trains when absolutely necessary. Let me know what you think of this idea.

I am flying out of Amsterdam to the US on August 3rd, and have already booked that flight, so that's the only hard requirement. Everything else is pretty flexible. Here's what I've planned so far:

  • Budapest (7/11-7/14)
  • Bratislava (7/14-7/15)
  • Vienna (7/15-7/18)
  • Salzberg (7/18-7/20)
  • Munich (7/20-7/23)
  • Prague (7/23-7/26)
  • Berlin (7/26-7/30)
  • Amsterdam (7/30-8/3)

This is just a rough estimate. I know it's a lot to squeeze in. I am thinking about removing Berlin or Munich and only having 1 Germany destination. If you had to choose, would you choose Berlin or Munich? Or both and remove something else? Or neither and add someplace else?

I would appreciate all thoughts and opinions. What would you get rid of and/or add? What's a must-see that's not in this plan? And what do you recommend seeing that's in these destinations?

(Note: I've traveled to Istanbul, Santorini, and Mykonos, and am planning to travel to Genoa, Italy and Sophia, Bulgaria on a weekend that I have free in Athens)

Thanks so much!

Posted by
7850 posts

I would remove definitely Munich and/or Berlin (though I like Berlin ok for the Neus Museum to see the Egyptian Nefertiti bust) and Bratislava which you can maybe squeeze in as a day trip from Vienna

Posted by
936 posts

If you plan on doing the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam - highly recommend, it's one of the best things we have done in ALL OF EUROPE, get your tickets online NOW. It is spectacular, but the lines are terrible and if you have your ticket, you get in a different line with minimal wait. Grab an English brochure as you enter and read it as you go thru each room - it is a very good self guided tour.

We stayed at a great B&B in Amsterdam. Take a canal tour if you have time.

Posted by
1221 posts

I would keep Munich for sure, probably Berlin as well. Remove Bratislava and I'm not as big of a fan of Vienna.

Posted by
3391 posts

I think your trip is realistic and a nice overview of each of these places! No my style of travel but if you are just wanting to hit most of the highlights in each of these places then it's totally doable.

Posted by
27122 posts

I agree with the idea of trying Bratislava as a day-trip so you have one less hotel change.

I think listing the same date for two cities every time you move makes it look like you will have a lot more time than will actually be the case. You are giving yourself just two full days in the large cities of Budapest, Vienna and Munich, and if you're interested in its museums and 20th-century historical sites, 3 days in Berlin will be painfully short. I would drop one of the German cities to provide more time elsewhere. I much prefer Berlin, but for me it requires a lot more time than Munich, so I'd be inclined to skip Berlin on this trip. I hope you can find time to have a rural experience of two rather than hopping between large cities (Salzburg being an exception). I think you will appreciate a quieter environment for a day-trip here or there.

Posted by
15585 posts

So it's clearer to us: Budapest (3N), Bratislava (1N), Vienna (3N), Salzberg (2N), Munich (3N), Prague (3N), Berlin (4N), A'dam (4N). That's a reasonable pace, but if you haven't taken a trip this long and at this pace before, consider slowing it down a little. You are including countries with different languages and different currencies, so there's the stress of orientation in each new country.

As for your choices, everyone has their likes and dislikes. You won't know until you've been there. I do agree with acraven to go straight to Vienna from Budapest and then while you're in Vienna you can decide if you want to take a day trip to Bratislava or stay in Vienna for one more day.

Posted by
15 posts

Thank you so much everyone for your responses! After looking at plane tickets again this morning, plans have changed. I have instead opted to fly into Brussels instead of Budapest and start my journey there July 7th. My flight lands in Belgium at 8:45AM, so I will hopefully have the day to look at the city a bit. Here's my plan I think:

  • Brussels (7/7-7/8)
  • Paris (7/8-7/12)
  • Munich (7/13-7/16)
  • Salzburg (7/16-7/18)
  • Vienna (7/18-7/22) ((and day trip to Bratislava))
  • Budapest (7/22-7/25)
  • Prague (7/26-7/29)
  • Amsterdam (7/30-8/3)

What do y'all think?

Posted by
597 posts

tvinbw,
Did you already checked prices for flying from Athens to Budapest? They start at $36. That would make it easier to travel in a straight line to Amsterdam. Paris seems to be the only outlier city which you might want to leave for your next trip. You might want to consider doing Budapest - Vienna (day trip to Bratislava) - Salzburg (day trip to Munich) - Prague - Berlin - Amsterdam (day trip to Haarlem, Delft, The Hague,...). That's 6 cities in 21 days which is about 3 1/2 days per city. This cuts down on your travel days. Have fun!

Posted by
7850 posts

Salzburg (7/16-7/18) ((and day trip to Bratislava))

I think you meant to put this as from Vienna

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