First Europe Trip Itinerary - Any Thoughts or Recommendations?

Have you looked into the cost of renting a car in one country and dropping it off in another? This usually comes with a very high drop-off fee.

You are covering a lot of ground and have some long distances to travel on this itinerary. You might be better off taking some flights and then renting a car locally if you feel you need one.

You also really haven't allowed enough time to do justice to Rome, Florence, or Paris. If you really want to include Italy on this trip, then skip Paris and London. Or include Paris and London and skip Italy.

Or better yet, save Italy, France, and England for a future trip. If the Czech Republic and Switzerland are your highest priorities, maybe consider an itinerary that links them effectively, including some destinations in Germany and Austria and a few nights in Prague. You could fly into Prague and out of Zurich.

I hope this gives you some food for thought.

You're not going to like this answer, but your itinerary doesn't make your priorities (Czech Rep & Switzerland) clear - rather it's a whirlwind trip of Europe that will surely leave you really tired (and the driving will bust the wallet too - considering gas and drop off fees, parking fees, etc). Why not concentrate on doing the Czech Rep & Switzerland justice? Meaning, picking more than one city/ area in both countries and really seeing them more thoroughly. Just those two countries could easily take up all three weeks. Since you're only in your early 30s, you will be back ....it's up to you but I'd rather spend more time seeing less places than shortchanging "blockbuster-type" cities with 2-3 day stints (especially Paris and London..and Rome, Venice and Florence too).

This trip sounds like a blast! The Italian trains can be a bit crowded and overbooked, so I would recommend making reservations. Two days in Venice is perfect amount of time. I really enjoyed Florence and I get the impression that most people seem to think of it as the highlight of Italy. Rome on the other hand, often has mixed reviews. I really enjoy it for the liveliness of an urban capital, while others find it dirty, chaotic, and stressful. But the time allocated to Italy seems perfect and you will be able to develop your own opinions on the chaos of Rome.

Leaving from Venice I would highly recommend staying in Austria for a night or two. I have backpacked Europe every year since my first time going in 2007. I am not trying to brag, just stating that I have experienced almost every European country. And Austria, a country I doubted has become my favorite. Everything from the culture, to the beautiful landscape, and the rich history of the Austrian Empire. I would recommend staying Hallstatt or Salzburg.

-Hallstatt one of the most picturesque towns and has beautiful German baroque architecture.

Český Krumlov area is beautiful part of Bohemia. I would be tempted to recommend a full day trip to Prague(amazing) But I believe the czech trains aren’t as efficient as much of Europe. Something to consider though.

Switzerland I would recommend Interlaken. Great waterfalls,activities, and mountains to explore. But I would recommend staying up in the mountain. Maybe Murren or one of the other picturesque towns in the Alps. But you really can’t go wrong with Swiss Alps.

Finally recommendation.... London is a big sprawl, so you will need all of those days to see it. Yes its the cultural, business, and population capital of the UK. But think LA in terms of getting around and less NYC. While Paris is smashed together London is spread thin. With that said it is very easy to navigate and has a great underground. Something to consider over London. Brussels with a side trip to Brugge. If you like the smaller towns. Or maybe Brussels and Amsterdam...

Willie

Instead of Rome>Florence>Venice, look at Vienna>Salzburg>Munich.
Make a detour from Salzburg to Linz for a hire car across the border to Cesky Krumlov.

Vienna - 3 nts
(Linz for hire car to) Cesky Krumlov - 4 nts
(Return hire car in) Salzburg - 2 nts
Munich - 3 nts
Zurich (for Glarus) - 4 nts
Paris - 3 nts
London - 3 nts (better still would be to finish with a longer stay in Paris)

Have you already booked your flights into Rome and out of London, and are they non-refundable? If so, here is my suggestion:

Rome 4 nights
Fly Rome to Czech Republic (not familar with airports near Cesky, but why not visit Prague?)
Czech Republic 5+/- nights with car
Switzerland 5+/- nights with car
Fly Zurich to Paris
Paris 4 nights
Fly to London
London 4 nights

This gives you one extra night to add to one of those cities or allow you some adjustments. If you opt to take trains to Paris or London or both, that extra day and additional time will be eaten up by the train travel time.

Forget Florence and Venice. Your original itinerary does not make those visits very worthwhile at all. Just relish Rome as your Italian experience.

I also think that you should concentrate on those two countries your ancestors came from. If you can find town(s) they came from and visit them. Maybe you will even find some distant relatives as we did in Italy - just by chance. Fly open jaw to Prague and back from Zurich or vice versa. Get Rick Steves books about Switzerland and Prague & the Czech Republic. Lot of good suggestions there. Then read posts under Switzerland and Czech Republic. You got three weeks. I would not dilute it with all these other destinations. You want to experience and little digest countries of your ancestors. Even three weeks is too little but what can you do.

The Italian trains can be a bit crowded and overbooked, so I would recommend making reservations.

The reason to book in advance is to get reservations, which are compulsory, and discounts on the high-speed trains. They are not necessarily crowded (everyone gets a seat) and very rarely sell out. If one sells out on a route such as Rome to Florence, there's another train within the hour. If your plans are solid, book ahead to save Euros.