I am planning a 5 week trip to Europe where the countries I would like to see is Spain( Madrid, Barcelona), France(Paris), Italy(Rome, Cinque Terre), Switzerland(Zurich, Swiss Alps), Croatia(Zagreb, Plivitce National Park, Hvar) and Bosnia (Mostar, Sarajevo). I am trying to plan this in a very fluid flow and spend just about 1 week in each country but only a few days in Bosnia. I was wondering if I could get your professional advice on where it would make the most logical sense to fly into and fly out of with regards to those places I would like to go see. I was thinking of flying into Spain, working my way up to France, then Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia and then flying back to America (NYC) from Zagreb. I was also planning on taking the eurail from each country to country but would consider taking a few flights if that would save me money or made more sense. What are your recommendations? I would appreciate your help and opinion. Thank you very much.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
The order in which you've arranged those countries and open-jaw flights is logical if you do want to see this whole list in one trip. The trip seems heavy on big cities and light on smaller towns that will have a more local, laid-back vibe. If you reduce the number of countries, e.g., cutting the eastern area of Croatia and Bosnia, you still will have plenty to see, and probably cheaper a cheaper flight home. Flying between each country is often faster and cheaper than train tickets, assuming you can book ahead - see www.skyscanner.com. From Italy to Switzerland is not bad by train if you want to see some scenery on the way, but it does take all day; for instance about 7 hours travel time with 2 - 4 connections from Monterosso to Interlaken, plus additional connections to other destinations in the Lauterbrunnen valley.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I know you want a fast-paced trip, but don't forget to account for the time that it will take to get between places. The rule of thumb is that you lose half a day connecting even close places (like Madrid and Barcelona). Sure the train is under three hours, but you have to check out of your first hotel, get to the train station, take the train, get from the station to your new hotel, check in... And if you're connecting further-flung places (like Italy adn Switzerland), you lose most of a sightseeing day. It also gets tiring doing this every day or two (which is what your schedule will require). And it adds expense. I'm not saying you can't do this, but be prepared.
To find train times, use the Bahn (German rail) website, following Rick's tutorial: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/db_tips.htm. To find prices, you need to check the website of the train operator: http://tinyurl.com/bo8x6o6. Note that Rail Europe and Eurail are marketing entities and do not actually run trains; so, tickets bought through them are usually more expensive.
To find flight schedules, use http://www.skyscanner.com. Flights and many (but not all) trains are inexpensive if bought in advance, and very expensive if bought at the last minute (if they're not sold out, as flights often can be).
Once you see some of the time and money it will take to accomplish your itinerary in 5 weeks, you may want to cut some destinations (not because they're not worthwhile; just leave them for your next trip - and there will be one!)