Hey guys, It's official now... I have my flight booked and I'm heading to my first Eurotrip! I'll have 5 weeks in total next May-June. I would really appreciate it if you could take a look at my itinerary so far and make any comments you might have. Some comments about me: I'm 25 years old, traveling solo, not a big party-every-night guy, not so interested in going to every museum in town, really interested in photography, having a sampler of the culture and ambience of different places and meeting lots of people. Itinerary so far is as below. Initial idea was to go to Rome first and work my way north up to London, but I took advantage of a really good offer for flight ticket to/from London, so now I have to make it a round trip somehow. Arrive in London - 1 day (rest from flight) London - 4 full days London to Rome - 1 day (plane) Rome - 4 full days Rome to Florence - 1 day (train) Florence - 2 full days Florence to Cinque Terre - 1 day (train) Cinque Terre - 2 full days Cinque Terre to Venice - 1 day (train) Venice - 2 full days Venice to Berner Oberland - 1 day (train) Berner Oberland - 2 full days Berner Oberland to Munich - 1 day (train) Munich - 3 full days (taking night train from Munich to Amsterdam on the 3rd night) Amsterdam - 2 full days (counting the arrival day as a full day) Amsterdam to Paris - 1 day (train) Paris - 4 full days
Paris to London - 1 day (train) - Leaving for home this same day at night My biggest concern is: am I trying to pack too much? Many thanks in advance.
Posted by
2081 posts
hi, i havnt gone to all of the places you want to, yet, but here imo/ime. Paris - okay
Amsterdam - okay, but i spent 3 full days there. London - okay. this will all depend on what you like. since youre not into museums, you maybe able to cut it down, but w/o other info, its a guess. comment, its too bad youre not into museums since there are some really cool and nice ones where youre heading. fwiw, the train from Paris to London is about 2 hours. so you book/go early enough, you may have all day there. iirc, the train the Amsterdam to London is 4 hours non stop, if you can get that one. since this is your first trip, you will find out what yorue made of and if you decide to travel again, will make note of how much you want to do the next time. happy trails.
Posted by
southwest, Missouri, U.S.A.
1717 posts
Hello Andres. I think your Europe trip itinerary is very good. If it were my trip, I would plan to be at Venice one full day, and be at the Berner Oberland three full days. That is, subtract one day from Venice. Add one day at the Bernet Oberland. On a day when you intend to be at a good place for a view of the mountains, there might be clouds and rain that day. You might not see the mountains. I suggest : be at the Berner Oberland a few days, to increase the chance that there will be blue sky and sunshine on one of the days when you are there. I think it is good that you plan to be at the Cinque Terre two full days. That will give you some time for resting.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32345 posts
Andrés, Your Itinerary looks reasonably well organized, and it's great to see that you've allowed adequate travel times between destinations. However, I have a few comments and suggestions..... 1.) I'd suggest a more efficient route. You might consider travelling London > Rome > Florence > Venice > Cinque Terre > Berner Oberland > Munich > Amsterdam > Paris > London. 2.) As you have your flight booked, I'm assuming you'll be travelling THIS May/June (ie: in two months)? 3.) Have you got accommodations booked in any of the places you'll be visiting? May/June is spring shoulder season, and it could be busy. I'd suggest getting something booked in the Cinque Terre soon. Which of the five towns are you planning to stay in? 4.) Regarding your train journeys, not all will require a full day. For example: > Rome to Florence is only about 1.5 hours via Freccia or Italo high speed train. > Florence to Venice is only about 2 hours (again via high speed train) > Venice to Cinque Terre is about 4-6 hours (depending on which train you choose) > Cinque Terre to Berner Oberland is about 6-7 hours. Where are you planning to stay in the Berner Oberland? Happy travels!
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Congratulations! For once, someone has allowed enough time at each destination, and has realized that travel time does not count as time at a destination. You're certainly not packing in too much. Of course, some may take more or less time in each place, but that's more about personal preference. Ken's advice about the more logical route and about booking hotels now makes sense.
Posted by
OP
Montevideo, Uruguay
37 posts
Hey, thank you all for your answers! @ Ray: Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean I don't like museums; I just may not want to go to EVERY museum in town but rather hit the one or two most "relevant" and spend some more time outdoor. I know there are some of them I will really enjoy, such as the Deutsches Museum in Munich. @ Ron: I'll keep your tip on Berner Oberland in mind; thanks! @ Ken: 1) I have looked at that alternative route also, but for the particular dates I'll be travelling I have found the route I propose to be more efficient time-wise. I'll keep a close look at that though! 2) Yes, my trip is this May... is it too soon??? Oops... 3) No accommodations booked so far. I wanted to round up the itinerary first (this is why I posted this thread), then the transportation and finally the rooms (I'm planning to stay in hostels). In Cinque Terre, I think I would like Vernazza the most, but I'm open to any town as long as there is a good value hostel. 4) I know that, thanks. Still, I like to put it that way so I know that I can't leave any must-see for that particular day, but rather the leftovers. @ Harold:
Thanks for your encourage!