December in Europe- itinerary check

That feels like a good amount of time at those destinations. I could do that trip!

I suggest checking into some potential day-trips that will get you out to smaller towns or into the countryside to break up the string of big cities. No need to make any specific plans; you can base you daily itinerary on how you feel and what the weather is like. If it's wintery everywhere, you can stick to home base.

Love your itinerary for a winter trip! I wouldn't change a thing.

My overall criticism is your selection of cities. Many are geographically far apart required the dreaded air travel and delays accompanied with that.

Also, Barcelona is a great city, but not even my favorite in Spain (Seville and Madrid win out). Why spend six days there? You can see that city well in 3-4 days.

Also, Vienna, Prague and Krakow you could cut one day from each of these cities.

Also, going to Central Europe in December, your days are short, it is cold (I hope you like cold weather).

It sounds like a wonderful trip. Is it your first to Europe? My only concern is the 2 flights in 5 days. Would Amsterdam be of appeal in place of Krakow, then it's an easy and quick train ride to Belgium.

I think six days in Barcelona would be just grand. I was there 10 days and skipped some significant stuff. But it doesn't look like 6 days to me. It's five days, one of which is jet lag day (and not a full day), plus at most a few hours before the flight to Budapest.

The weather in Barcelona will probably be more pleasant than what Brett encounters in his other destinations. Granted, Andalucia would be even nicer, weather-wise.

Great trip and nice pacing!

We had a wonderful Christmas in London a couple of years ago, but be aware that few sites are open on the 24th and NONE on the 25th. (I am not sure about the 26th as we went to the countryside that day.) To add to the fun, there is no public transport on the 25th and 26th (Boxing Day): no buses, no Tube, and no trains. So you will be on foot or using taxis. Choose your lodging carefully with this info. I'd recommend staying central: Soho, Covent Garden, even Westminster, which is where we stayed. We walked all over a very quiet London on Christmas Day and saw a movie that evening. Oh, and you should make dinner reservations well in advance for the 24th and 25th.

I am not going to try and rework your schedule but i will make a couple of recommendations.

Beginging in November there will be direct flights for about $100 from Budapest to Lviv. Lviv is apparently one of the great wonders at Orthodox Christmas which is January 7th. Apparently the ideal days to be there are two days prior to two days post. From Lviv you can fly on to Krakow on Ryanair for under $100.

I have spent Christmas in London, and its not something I would want to do again. Not when Prague, Vienna and Budapest are on your list. I have spent a couple of Christmas' in Budapest and love it. But i suspect that Prague and Vienna are pretty special too. Otherwise London is one of my favorite places. We stay at the The Sanctuary House Hotel when in town.

Cesky Krumlov i think is best gotten to on Bean or CK shuttle rather than a bus. I like the Dvoark Hotel.

Barcelona? Sort of like playing U2 in the middle of a Mozart Concert.

Thanks all for the advice so far.

I'll just respond to a couple of comments. Someone suggested about doing some day trips to smaller towns to breakup all the large cities. I really like this idea (which is why I included Cesky Krumlov) but what would be some other good destinations to visit? Also plan on seeing Bratislava, although thats not exactly a small town.

I agree flying into and then out of Krakow for only 4 nights isnt ideal, but all the other cities on my shortlist which I didnt pick, such as Copenhagen, Lviv or Lisbon would have also required flying into and out of. I have been to Amsterdam and Paris before so was mostly wanting to visit Eastern Europe this trip, and from what I've read this is a good area to see over the month of December.

For London, I've picked the Premier Inn near Waterloo station for our hotel. This looks to be within easy walking distance of Central London so should have lots to do (including a nice lunch somewhere) on Christmas day when there is no public transport.

My preference is I would much rather be on a 1 hour flight than a 5 hour train. But thats just me. I also prefer the east to the west, particullarly in the holiday season. I liked Cesky Krumlov and its always worth a stop, but I hear its lost a lot of its small town feel due to too much tourism. Maybe the winter will be better. Basically, for my taste you have chosen some beautiful stops and you have provided enough time to get a decent appreciation so you can't really go wrong.

I will be in Lviv for Orthodox Christmas and see if all the hype is real.

I haven't been to central Europe recently, and of course for a December trip you need to be sure you don't day-trip to small towns thst are totally dead. From Barceloba you have the option of the smaller city of Girona with its large and lovely medieval district. It has 2 old cathedrals and a nice art museum if you happen to hit a chilly, wet day.

I missed the Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres, but other people loved it. I don't know anything about the attractiveness of the city itself.

What I really like about your itinerary is the time you are taking for each destination.

What I don't like quite as much is the itinerary itself. Too much jumping around between East and West for my taste. Having a month to go between Barcelona and London, I'd probably take a map and draw a straight line between those two cities and look what's worthwhile seeing roughly along that line, that is: staying in Western Europe. Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam... or maybe not only the big cities but also some countryside. I'd save Eastern Europe for another trip.

My preference is I would much rather be on a 1 hour flight than a 5
hour train.

You have every right to make that your preference, but one should keep in mind that a 1 hour flight often is much more than a 1 hour flight: you have to get to the airport in the first place (many airports are way outside of the cities vs. the main train stations usually being right downtown), because of security, you have to be there a lot earlier than you would for a train, and then you may encounter delays, especially in winter. A 1 hour flight can easily turn into 5 hours or more that way.

James:

That's why I said "You have every right to make that your preference". For whatever reason. Maybe you feel the seats are more comfortable. Or the breakfast is better (less kale). Or the flight attendants are nicer than the train conductors. Or maybe you just like being up in the air.

Having said that, the reason that it's supposed to save time (1 vs. 5 hours, or 4.5 vs. 7.5 hours in your most recent post) is one I remain skeptical about. It is a common illusion that people somehow tend to think 1 hour flight = 1 hour travel time. And in Europe there are high speed trains on many routes that will certainly not take 7.5 hours where a plane takes 1 hour (or 4.5 hours total, rather).

Dresden & Berlin ??

Nov-29 Arrive Barcelona (5N)
Dec-04 Fly to Budapest (4N)
Dec-08 Train to Vienna (4N)
Dec-12 Bus to Cesky Krumlov (1N)
Dec-13 Bus to Prague (4N)
Dec-17 Train to Dresden (2N)
Dec-19 Train to Berlin (4N)
Dec-23 Fly to London (6N)
Dec-29 Depart London

Thanks again for all the responses, it's been interesting reading. I had a couple more general questions I was hoping to ask here, rather than starting a new thread.

Just wondering, other than accommodation and transport (flights, train, shuttle transfers between Cesky Krumlov), which I will probably book within the next month or so, is there anything else I should be pre-booking. Normally I like the idea of being flexible and not locking in any specific activities, but just not sure if some of the more popular attractions like the Gaudi sights in Bareclona, or anything else, I should pre book for? I'm hoping that most places I visit shouldn't be too busy as December is a lot quieter than peak season, from what I've read.

Also, has anyone done any really fantastic tours or activities they would recommend? I've never really been one to do tours before, preferring to just do things on my own, though after some reading I wouldnt mind doing a segway, walking or cycling tour or maybe even a food / pub tour in one of the cities.

Booking the big sights in Barcelona, but then keeping the rest of the day flexible ...

Day 1
BOOK a first up visit to ...
•Sagrada Familia
Then get lost exploring ...
Eixample (Passeig de Gracia, Casa Mila & Casa Batllo)

Day 2
BOOK a first up visit to ...
•Palau de la Musica Catalana
Then get lost exploring ...
Bari Gotico (Cathedral) and walking the Ramblas (Boqueria markets & Placa Real)

Day 3
BOOK a first up visit to ...
•Picasso Museum
Then get lost exploring ...
El Born (Basilica Santa Maria del Mar), Parc de la Ciutadella & Barceloneta

Day 4
BOOK a first up visit to ...
•Park Guell
Then get lost exploring ...
Montjuic (MNAC & Miro Museum)

I don't think anyone's mentioned the Christmas markets which will be in full swing throughout your time in "central" Europe. They attract a lot of regional tourism which increases demand for lodgings. Being flexible may come at the price of more expensive and/or less desirable rooms.

chani is correct, and because of winter weather you might benefit to a greater degree from well located accommodation. Also, if you want to attend any concerts, theater, etc in Central Europe then book as soon ad the season program is published.