Europe June 2022 (5 Countries, 8 Hotels, 32 days)

I would not pay for anything before the trip that isn't absolutely required. If we're still struggling with COVID-19 next year, you don't want to be dealing with unused sightseeing passes. I do realize you'll need to book some sights ahead of time, but I'd stay away from city passes unless I stood to save a significant amount of money from them. Most don't save a lot of money, and you're potentially risking every penny you pay in advance. You have the option of just buying sight-entry tickets ahead of time for the few sights that are likely to be booked up before you arrive in that city.

You are leaving London 2 June, which is a Bank Holiday for the long weekend to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. London is likely to be busy either side of this weekend and prices are probably going to be higher than usual. Many people will be making the most of the extra time off, so I would imagine that the Eurostar is going to be busy.

You are visiting some big hitters (London, Paris, Rome) and IMO you are short changing all of them, allowing for your day trips elsewhere. Two full days for Venice in June is also rushed. Athens doesn’t need as long as London or Paris to see the highlights. Santorini is my least favourite Greek island - far too Disneyfied and it doesn’t really feel like Greece, but that’s just my view.

You need one or two down days, otherwise a tour of this pace is going to be a blur.

You are visiting the hottest places at the end of the trip- I would reverse the order and end in London.

Having regard to what’s happening this year, I hope I am wrong, but I think the chances of you pulling off such a trip is small. You have no slippage in your timescale for flights being changed or cancelled due to Covid, which isn’t going to have disappeared next year. Good luck.

Reversing the order of the trip is a great suggestion!
Otherwise, besides the very good comments you already got, I would strongly discourage day trips to Stonehenge and Pompeii from respectively London and Rome. In my opinion, there are plenty of places far more interesting than Stonehenge that are closer to London (Oxford or Cambridge, for instance), and Ostia Antica near Rome will give you a very insightful view of a ruined Roman town.

Stonehenge is a complete waste of time. You don't have time for any days trips from London anyway - but practically anywhere else is more worthwhile.

Why are you flying "home" (I'm assuming the US?) before Africa - you're most of the way to Africa already - keep on going! That said I think you're being opimistic to include Africa in a 2022 trip- most countries won't be close to being vaccinated

Stonehenge is a complete waste of time.

That's completely subjective. I find Stonehenge to be a very worthwhile visit, it's an incredible site but it's only worthwhile if you have a genuine interest in Neolithic structures and the culture. Too many people visit and find themselves wondering what all the fuss is about but far too often they're just looking at a pile of stones and not really appreciating the history and significance. My advice has always been to visit if you have a genuine interest not solely because it's regarded as a "must see".

Haha I always hear that about Stonehenge. It’s a little different with my situation. My great grandfather went to Europe during WW2 and there’s a photo of him and all of his buddies in front of it. Then his son (my grandfather) went to the same spot and photographed it, and my mom (his daughter) got to go. So I’m like a 4th generation keeping it going.

In terms of not enough time in London, Paris, and Rome, you’re probably not wrong. They are like the big 3 of Europe after all and you can spend weeks doing each of them. There’s only so much time I can spend in one place though. Unfortunately I’m American and not retired, so I have to make the most of what limited time is available to me currently.

I can take Santorini off making the day total 29, and then add back a day to Paris so it’s at least 5 nights as well as London and Rome...bringing the trip to a round 30 day period. I think I’m good on days for Venice, Florence, Athens, and Istanbul. None of them have day trips (besides maybe Pisa) which means they each have 3 full days (Venice gets two full days) in each of those cities.

As it relates to Africa, I was supposed to go last year so I have credit with a company. I’m going for the Great Migration in Tanzania (going to Kenya too). It should be fine (I think) because it was canceled due to covid but I’ve had friends since covid started in Africa doing safaris. It makes me think that July of 2022 should be promising. PLUS I’ll be so tired from Europe, I need a small break haha. AND after Africa, I’m waiting another week or two and going to Peru for the Inca Trail. BUSY summer. That’s if these places are open.

Not a bad itinerary, however, I would scale back the number of countries and spend more time in London, Paris and the Italian cities.
I have been to all these places and 4 days in London, Paris and Rome are not enough. Been to Rome twice, once for 6 days and another for 4 and I still haven't seen all that I wanted to see.

Santorini is great, but I would do a cruise of the Greek islands instead, where you see more ports. You can do the entire island of Santorini in one full day.

Also, the more countries, the more issues you might have crossing borders with COVID19 restrictions.

By the way, you can do Stonehenge in half a day. Don't miss Windsor Castle. You could probably do both in one day if you plan well. Stonehenge is well worth a visit.

You clearly don't have enough time in London. Don't miss Westminster Abbey.

“You clearly don't have enough time in London. Don't miss Westminster Abbey.“

That’s probably true haha. I figured two full days of exploring was a good start to see all of the outdoor monuments like Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and all of the sights along the Thames. And I had enough time to see 2-3 sights like Tower of London and Westminster Abbey (of course! duh :) ). I have a whole day for the British Museum but I could kinda start early and use the rest of the day (if I decide I’m “museum-ed out”) to do some further exploring.

The point (for this trip) isn’t to see these cities in their entirety. It’s to take in the spirit of each place so I can hold on to it til my next visit back :)

Crash course on the most historic cities in Europe over the span of a month. (No disrespect to every other gorgeous and historic city in Europe)

You’ve put in lots of planning, and have laid out locations and general ways to spend your days. This is months away, and it’ll be months before you’re going to start your bookings, so changes in countries’ situations can be dealt with if they develop. With that much time, Pandemic policies and requirement might change, and change again. Maybe this’ll be over, but if new quarantines or other requirements are put in place in one location or another, don’t be surprised if that could affect your itinerary.

the scaffolding may - or may not - be off the Elizabeth Tower (often, but incorrectly, called Big Ben - that is actually the name of one of the bells inside) and / or the Houses of Parliament by the time you arrive at the end of May.

If I were a betting man (I'm not) I would not be betting on the double.

I haven‘t been to Istanbul ( a friend who is very well travelled, thinks it is the most interesting city in the world ) or Santorini. I think you have plenty of time at all the other places, not rushed at all.

What if I went to Cape Sounion as a day trip from Athens? Instead of an island I can just check out the sunset over the cliffs from a Cape Sounion and get a glimpse of that gorgeous blue Greek water.

Another idea could be Delphi. I believe there’s even a tour that has The Parthenon and Cape Sounion in one day so theoretically I could do both day tours since I was gonna spend at least one day exploring the Acropolis and the Agora (and all the things within each of the sights). Or should I lean towards rest and no real plans except wandering with an Athens Pass?