First Eurotrip Itenerary Question

This might be too big of a bite of the apple, especially using just trains. If you are using Croatia for some R&R, maybe cut CT, which really serves the same purpose. Are you taking the ferry to Croatia? I am having trouble visualizing the order of places.

Hey Landon, if I was going to either one, I probably would go to Germany, even though, I would like to see Croatia some time. This is only a suggestion, but you could go from Paris, to Strasbourg, Fr, then to the Rhine, then down to Baden-Baden or Freiburg on your way to Italy. Then as you tour Italy's Cinque Terre, Rome and Venice, you then work your way from Venice, through Austria, stay either in Innsbruck or Hall in Tirol, and then onto Prague. Whatever you do enjoy your trip and have fun.

Just to give you a general idea of the itinerary, we will be starting in Paris and ending in Prague. Basically Making a Big "V" from Paris down to Italy then up to Prague. Another option I could look at would be somewhere to relax in Slovenia, which is less out of the way, or Austria. Are there any low key places, perhaps on the coast to relax around there?

Landon, I do not think you will have any time to relax anywhere on this itinerary, except maybe on trains. You and yours will have a better trip if you can spend more time in fewer places.

Landon, To begin with, as this is your first trip to Europe I would highly recommend pre-reading Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip. That will provide you with a lot of information on travels in Europe, including Itinerary planning and rail skills. Could you clarify whether your 19-days includes your travel days? Keep in mind that you'll arrive in Europe the day after you depart and the last day will be spent on the flight home. If that's the case, you'll have 17-days for touring, or about 2.8 days per city with NO allowances for travel times which in some cases will be a half day or more. I have to agree with Adam that this Itinerary is a bit "ambitious". You might consider dropping at least one of the places on your list. I'd suggest leaving Croatia for a future trip, as Munich fits in better with your overall route. Rail travel from Munich to Prague is relatively easy. I assume you've purchased Railpasses for both your Wife and yourself? One point to mention about the passes is that these DO NOT include the reservation fees which are compulsory on some trains. You'll need to pay for those separately on those routes where they are required. Especially in Italy, DON'T be caught without a valid reservation or you'll be fined on the spot and it won't be cheap! Good luck with your planning!

Agree with others - there's too much here. How many full days do you really have? Don't count you arrival or departure days (no matter what time the flights come and go). You'll probably be jetlagged and half zonked out your first full day, too. Subtract anywhere from a half day to a full day every time you move, even if you're efficiently zipping along from one city center to another, without getting lost (you will) or having any trouble finding everything (you will). Paris to Cinque Terre will take a full, very long day regardless of how you travel. Other legs inside Italy will take less by rail, but the boring mechanics of survival (eating, checking out of a hotel, getting to the train, waiting for it, actual travel time, finding your way upon arrival, checking in, getting oriented, finding a meal, etc., etc.) easts up a lot more time than you think it will. Especially if this is your first trip to Europe. I would probably lop off Prague, and Croatia/Munich. Since you'll be in northern Italy, if you feel like you have more time to kill (I'm doubtful but maybe you will), then I'd add in someplace nearby - Florence or Siena come to mind. They're world-class places to visit, and getting to them would be much quicker/easier than heading off to Prague, Munich or Croatia.

Thank you to everyone for all of the helpful feedback. Just had few comments to add. I actually already read Europe through the back door and it was a wonderful book. I have also watched many of Rick's podcasts. I think that I agree with all of you that I am trying to tackle too much on one trip, its just hard not to go everywhere because its too exciting. I think that I will go ahead and skip both Munich and Croatia. I could save them for a different trip where i start in Munich and go down the Adriatic Coast. So my final itinerary will be: Paris Italy (Rome, Cinque, Venice)
Prague Spending 3 days is Paris and 4 days in Prague and the other 10 in Italy. I think that this will be doable and we are still hitting the main cities we both want to see. Plus two of the long train rides will be overnight trains. Any other comments or recommendations on those places or the itinerary?

Landon: Definitely too much for 19 days! I had tentatively planned a visit for my wife and me in early May to Paris, Barcelona, Naples/Pompeii/Paestrum, Sienna, Switzerland and Munichin 25 days. My wife took one look and said "no way". Now it's Paris, Lausanne to Munich via Montreux and Luzern, and Munich in 19 days. Lord willing, we'll take the southern leg next year. You might want to consider something similarParis, Munich Prague this year; Rome, Cinque Terre, Venice and Croatia next year (or the other way around). Depending on the type Eurail pass you have, as you travel from Venice to Rome, you might want to consider staying a few days in Bologna, with day trips to Florence, Siena, Ravenna, and Pisa. The Pass might also be used for marvelous day trips based from Paris and Munich, can't speak to Prague, never been theremaybe for us that'll be in 2013.
PS If you stay with your plan, invest in some intra-Europe flightsyou'll spend much of your time traveling even using air for parts of your journey.

Landon, it does sound better to do Paris, Italy (Rome, CT, Venice) and then Prague. This way you will have more time in Paris, and Prague and some time to go on day trips in Italy with the 10 days you will be there. I agree with the others, that you were trying to do so much in the 19 days. On what I suggested before, you could pick maybe one or two cities in the area that you are, not all of them of course. I try to stay in a city for 2 days, counting the day of arrival, so I will have time to relax and see it the next day. However, when I was in Arezzo for around 9 days, I day tripped to Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Assisi, Cortona, Rome, and locally. It was a lot of fun and I also used a rail pass. However, depending on which train you are using, there are sometimes a reservation fee for a seat that your pass will not cover. Now, one time I was going from Arezzo to Florence, about an hour train ride, and took a regional train instead by mistake and it took double the time. Not a good thing. I love Italy but sometimes the trains are really crowded depending on the time of year and where it is going. So if it is a really long trip, I would make a reservation for a seat. If it is a short trip, and you don't need a reservation, then I would sit anywhere. I am half Italian and it is always fun to go there, for the food, the scenery, the people and of course the "LA Dolce Vita". Take care and have fun.

Landon, I might suggest 4 days in Paris and 3 in Prague, I think there's much more to do in Paris than Prague. however, your choice.

Ditto Elaine, especially since you're (apparently) flying into Paris; that first day will be kinda rough at best - no matter how excited you are to be there! I basically don't even count the day of arrival as a real sight-seeing day.