Europe trip itinerary suggestions

Hi,
Thanks for sharing.
Your itinerary looks rushed to me, with long distances to cover. it's bordeline impossible, even. You would spend about 36 hours on trains and planes alone if you do what you list. In 19 days, I would suggest you visit no more than 6-7 cities: pick what matters most to you, and come back to us!
As a guide, solely based on my opinion:
- Paris, Berlin, Vienna deserve 4 nights
- Amsterdam, Munich deserve 3 nights
- Not quite sure about Prague & Budapest : I'd say 3 nights as well
- Dubrovnik is no more than 2 nights, but it's so far away that i would skip it.
- Brussels, Cologne and Frankfurt are skippable - however, the Rhine valley between Cologne and Frankfurt deserves 2 nights

There will be a lot of travel days here between distant destinations. Changing towns takes a half day with check out, travel, check in, etc. Dubrovnik, in particular, is not very easy to access except by air. You list days in places, but it works best for me to designate where I will spend each night, subtract the travel between destinations (assuming an early morning start in each case), and then see what time is left to sightsee.

Plot out you travel times using Bahn.com to decide.

https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml

You can do the whirlwind tour if that is what you want, but I would recommend dropping Dubrovnik and spread that time out in the other destinations.

You would do much better to cut back on your itinerary greatly. What you have here is a whirlwind trip to Europe, and the whole trip will essentially be a blur. It's simply impossible to see it all in 19 days.
Remember that your first and last days in Europe will be wasted going to and from the airport. And every time you move from city to city will also be a wasted day.
Great cities of Europe are worthy of more than just one or two days. And unless you already have accommodations reserved in Munich, you may have difficulty finding some place to stay during Oktoberfest.
Since you're young, hostels are the place to stay if you're on a tight budget. Few people these days use Eurail passes--electing to buy individual tickets, but there again they're not trying to go everywhere in so short of time. Today, budget European airlines are so cheap that the longer distances are easier flown.
Try this: Visit Paris then take train directly to Amsterdam. Fly EasyJet to Prague or Budapest. Take train to Vienna and fly
Level Airline back to Paris. You would get a much better experience allowing more time in these very Bohemian cities. Note: Budapest is one of the great bar cities of the world with their Ruin Bars and I'm more comfortable there than in Prague..
We often take Free Walking Tours on our first day in a city. Then take their nightlife tour that night to figure out where the best bars and places to go are.

oh God - this gives me flashbacks to the crazy trip my husband and I did in 2010...we had 21 nights and made 12 different stops. After the trip, we were looking at photos and my husband didn't even remember being in Munich! (we had a whole 2/3rds of a day there by the time we arrived the evening before and left the next day for Salzburg). And when we got back, we said never again.

It's not something I'd recommend, because people really do underestimate (as we did) the time to move between cities...but you are young and if you want whirlwind, you have it. Personally, I'd take out Brussels and as someone else mentioned, Dubrovnik. Can't speak for Cologne and Frankfurt, but one night in each really isn't much time (as someone who spent one night in Spiez, Bern and Zurich on that 2010 trip - we barely had time to do anything in these places).

Very much cities only. A lot of sights are not in cities.

In my opinion too much to very much rushed through. You have less than 1,5 days for Berlin which is really short to get into any sights little deeper.

Strike out Dubrovnik, really way out.

In general you will travel in one of the most expensive times and to the most crowdd places. Two nights in Munich will cost more than 50% of your rail pass. Your planning is extremely late.

In Berlin and Munich avoid strictly airbnb (very high ratio of illegal operated apartments), better choose hostels.

Most of all: in your own interest travel slowly, being at more places does not mean to see or experience more. Do not make that mistake a lot of fast traveling tourists regret later on. A photo will not last long, only a memory does but this needs time.

A few questions, if you don't mind, that will help us help you with the planning:
1) What has already been purchased? Have you already bought round-trip tickets to Paris? If you haven't, I strongly recommend you fly open-jaw: into Paris, and home from your last city. You will save time and money by not having to backtrack to Paris.

2) What are your priorities for this trip? Do you want to see museums? Castles and palaces? Simply soak up the cities? Nightlife? What do you want to do with your (less than) 48 hours in Amsterdam? That will help us in understanding what you want to see and do.

3) Along these lines, why did you pick THESE cities? What calls you to them? I think others have mentioned these already - but why Brussels? Cologne? Frankfurt? I haven't been to the last two (save the airport), but I did spend a week in Brussels on an EU student trip and it was....Fine. It was fine. But I wouldn't return, especially on a trip like the one you are planning.

4) Do you own 19 pairs of underwear? 19 shirts? And are you willing to lug them around Europe for 19 days? I'm guessing the answer is no to both. In which case, you'll need to do laundry, even if that's just washing them with liquid detergent in the hotel sink. You'll need breaks to do things like this on a long trip, and to give yourself a break. There is nothing worse than packing wet clothes.

Personally, if it was me, I'd limit to Amsterdam, Paris, and I'd do Bruges instead of Brussels. Spend 1 night in Paris and prebook a ticket to Bruges on Thalys for the next day. Then spend 2-3 nights there, then train to Amsterdam for a few nights, then back to Paris for the rest. You can day trip from Paris and Amsterdam to see more of the country, but the benefit will be not having to pack up and bring your stuff.

Can't comment on whether or not a Rail Pass is smart. DO your own research checking the cost of travel without the pass for where you plan to visit.

I have been to all the places that you list in your proposed itinerary. You need to reduce your number or places by half.

Two days in Paris will only give you the tip of the iceberg of things to see there. I recommend 5 days for a city like Paris.
Brussels is OK, but nearby Bruges is far more interesting.
Two days in Amsterdam is another mistake, I suggest 3-4 days there.

Further, you don't account for the travel time between your cities. Travel will eat up much of your time, especially if you only have one day there.

Cologne is good, you can see the amazing cathedral in short order, then move on to your next city.
Frankly, I would skip Frankfurt. Before you plan to visit a place, do some research on what there is to see there. You would probably enjoy Heidelberg more.

Munich needs more than two days. Also, Oktoberfest ends very early in October. Based on the dates you provided, you won't be there during the fest. I suggest 3-4 days in Munich and more if you take trips to Fussen, Garmisch or Berchtesgaden and Salzburg.

Same with Prague, you need 3-4 days there. Berlin for two days, no way.
Vienna, you have three days, that might work for that city, but you want to visit Budapest as well. Forget that.
Also, just getting to Dubrovnik will take much time via rail.

I say, skip the portion of the trip to Belgium, Netherlands, Cologne and Frankfurt. Also, skip the Dubrovnik part. That might give you enough time to take care of Paris, Munich, Prague, Vienna and Budapest.

Based on everyone's suggestions, I have cut down on the number of places.

Also, now I plan to land in paris and leave from prague (works out cheapest for our dates). I dont intend to see too much in paris (as I have been here before), but see only a few important places here as my friend who accompanies me hasn't seen paris before (he isn't much interested in paris as well). So would spend a fewer days here.

Germany: Munich, Berlin, Rhine valley/black forest

Netherlands: Amsterdam

Czech republic: Prague

Hungary: Budapest

Austria: Vienna

France: Paris

Cannot miss Oktoberfest in Munich.

So, the plan is to do the above in around 18-20 days. Please suggest an itinerary to travel all these places. Also, please suggest any scenic mountains and any other good nature spots close to these cities which I will try to accommodate if time permits. If needed, I'm ready to drop out on one more city from the above list if it still looks undoable.

I want to party the most , see some good scenic spots and also see a bit of European architecture.

The second itinerary is an improvement but really still needs trimming. Those cities are large, world-class destinations. That means two things: A lot of stuff to see (including interesting architecture) and substantial walks between those sights. To spend less than 3 nights in any of those cities (meaning a maximum of 2.5 days) is really not sensible. Three days is already too little. Pick fewer places so you can see more by spending less time on trains and buses.

I suspect as a young person whose must-see experience is the Oktoberfest, you will like Budapest a great deal. Consider dropping Vienna, Prague, Berlin or Amsterdam and distributing that time among the remaining destinations. But don't add to Munich because of the cost during Oktoberfest.

It's not that Vienna, Prague, Berlin and Amsterdam are not great places; so are Rome, Barcelona, London, etc. You simply don't have time for all those places if you want to enjoy them. Particularly if you plan to spend your evenings bar-hopping and will need to sleep in the next morning.

The Oktoberfest ends on October 6. You need to search now for lodging.

You said:
Germany: Munich, Berlin, Rhine valley/black forest
Netherlands: Amsterdam
Czech republic: Prague
Hungary: Budapest
Austria: Vienna
France: Paris
Cannot miss Oktoberfest in Munich.
So, the plan is to do the above in around 18-20 days. Please suggest an itinerary to travel all these places. Also, please suggest any scenic mountains and any other good nature spots close to these cities which I will try to accommodate if time permits. If needed, I'm ready to drop out on one more city from the above list if it still looks undoable.

First of all, Oktoberfest 2019 will begin at 12pm on Saturday 21st September and end on Sunday 6th October, 2019.

You plan to arrive 27 September and depart 15 October. Since the fest ends 6 October, you have until then to arrange for that event.
Since you will fly into Paris you will have 9 days until the fest ends. Assuming you spend 3 nights in Paris then 2 in Amsterdam, continuing down to Germany, spending 2 more days in the Rhine Valley before you arrive in Munich on 4 October.

Booking a hotel or place to stay in Munich or near Munich may be a problem at this late date. I lived in Augsburg, 50 miles away from Munich and during the fest, hotels in that city would be fully booked by now. Still, you may find a place. Also, are you planning to buy tickets in advance. I visited the fest when you didn't need to do that, but you probably do now.

Assuming you stay in Munich to see more of the city, if you depart on 7 October, you only have 8 days to see Berlin, Prague, Budapest and Vienna. I suggest that you eliminate Berlin (save it for another trip). You will need 3 days in Prague, 3 in Budapest and 2 in Vienna, assuming you schedule your trip back to Paris in time for your flight.

You are still missing the wonderful area in Southern Bavaria and nearby Austria like Berchtesgaden, Salzburg, Austria, then Garmish and Fussen Germany. These places alone will take a minimum of 4 days.

Think again about your plans.

Rick Steves' recommended cheaper hotels in Munich include:

Litty's Hotel - www.littyshotel.de
Helvetia Hotel - www.helvetia-hotel.com
CVHM - www.cvjm-muenchen.org
Wombat's hostel - www.wombats-hostels.com/munich
Euro Youth Hotel - www.euro-youth-hotel.de
Jaeger's Hostel - www.jaegershostel.de
The Tent - www.the-tent.com

As others have said, definitely get your Oktoberfest lodgings lined up, like, yesterday.

I had a few minutes of free time and I like making itineraries. Take or leave any of this.

I will only say that any itinerary you make is going to be dependent on what dates you can find lodging in Munich, so as others have said, do that NOW.

I don't know that you can still do all the cities you want to do, so here's two options, one going north, one going east.

OPTION 1
9/27: Arrive Paris
9/28: Paris (it seemed like this wasn't a priority so I only put one full day)
9/29: Paris to Munich (Train is 5.5-6.5 hours; plane is 90minutes in air)
9/30: Munich/Oktoberfest
10/1: Munich
10/2: Munich (This seemed like a high priority so I gave it three full days)
10/3: Head north via Rhine (I think you'd like Heidelberg which is a university town)
10/4: Rhine (Basically use these two days as you see fit to get to - )
10/5: Arrive Amsterdam
10/6: Amsterdam
10/7: Amsterdam
10/8: Head to Berlin
10/9: Berlin
10/10: Berlin
10/11: Berlin
10/12: Head to Prague
10/13: Prague
10/14: Prague
10/15: Fly home from Prague

This omits Budapest and Vienna. It's a variation of a plan already presented here, but I reversed Munich and Amsterdam to get you to Oktoberfest earlier.

OPTION 2:
9/27: Arrive Paris
9/28: Paris (it seemed like this wasn't a priority so I only put one full day)
9/29: Paris to Rhine
9/30: Rhine
10/1: Rhine/Black Forest/Bavaria
10/2: Arrive Munich
10/3: Munich
10/4: Munich
10/5: Munich
10/6: Fly to Budapest
10/7: Budapest
10/8: Budapest
10/9: Budapest
10/10: Vienna
10/11: Vienna
10/12: Head to Prague
10/13: Prague
10/14: Prague
10/15: Fly home from Prague

This omits Amsterdam and Berlin. You could also make your way to Vienna first, spending a day or two in the Salzkammergut, then to Prague, or to Budapest and then (probably fly?) to Prague. Just depends on what you want to do and see.

Please take a good look at Allison's suggestions. I think their pace gives you time to experience the places you are visiting rather than rushing to a train or bus station to move on to the next too-short stop.