First time in Europe: Thoughts on this itinerary (Berlin, Prague, Budapest)?

I think you've done well. Decent amount of time, also well proportioned. Don't miss the Soviet war memorial in Berlin Treptower Park.

If you are interested in WW2 and the Cold War, I wonder if you might not swap 3 nights in Berlin for 3 nights in Warsaw. The Warsaw Uprising Museum is very good, also Warsaw has some great Stalinist architecture as well as a lovely Old Town. Warsaw is six hours by direct train from Berlin, and you could get an overnight train from Warsaw to Prague.

On the overnight trains be sure to book a couchette (4-berth couchette if possible, rather than 6-berth), or even better a sleeping car. Sitting up all night is not great, or indeed safe, as stuff gets stolen easily in the seated cars at night and you'll be a wreck the next morning.

Have you traveled abroad before? Or just not to Europe? Do you have a sense of your travel style?

I would not recommend the first night stop-over. You're likely going to be exhausted after the flight to Iceland - jetlagged that first day...and then you're going to have to get up the next morning and fly out again? I'd try to avoid it and just get on to the continent. Or, spend a few days in Iceland instead of just that first night. Otherwise, personally, I try to get to my destination the very first day (or at least close to it), stay up all day (even if sometimes I can barely stay awake), go to bed at the normal time locally, then get up whenever the next morning - not have to worry about setting an alarm.

Also, spending a week in Berlin seems like a long time for a first visit. I know people who love Berlin and like to spend a lot of time there, but that's because they've been before and know they love it. (I personally didn't care much for Berlin. It's big and spread out and, in my opinion, not particularly picturesque. But I confess, this may be a minority opinion around here.) If you are a World War II buff, you might be disappointed at how little of Nazi Berlin remains (most of it was flattened by bombs at the end of the war). There is some - but there is even more Cold War stuff (not much of the Wall either - most of that is gone).

I might recommend adding Krakow and taking a few days from Berlin for that. Krakow is lovely and was spared from much damage during the war and retains an old-world charm. Plus, there is a lot of World War II history there - Auschwitz nearby obviously is the biggie, but the museum of the Nazi Occupation of Krakow (in the old Oscar Schindler factory - so sometimes referred to as the "Schindler Museum") - is outstanding, one of the best World War II museums I've been to.

If not, I think your original impulse to add some time in Dresden might make sense in favor of a few nights in Berlin. And if you wish to add a small town (because everything on your list is big cities otherwise, and I've come to appreciate a lot of European charm in smaller towns in recent years), consider a night in the town of Görlitz, the eastern most town in Germany, which can be done as a day trip from Dresden...or makes an even better overnight, really. It's small and there isn't much to do there, but it's a neat town, a nice contrast to the big cities and intense museums you'll likely visit otherwise. Görlitz was originally a whole town before the war, but after the war Stalin insisted on "moving" Poland about a thousand miles west, giving territory to Ukraine in the east and taking former German territory for Poland. The new German-Polish border was the river going right down the middle of Görlitz, so the town was split in two during the Cold War. In recent years, the border has been completely removed, and now you can walk across a pedestrian bridge to the Polish side - which is kind of run down compared to the charming German side. A neat experience, anyway.

I agree with Andrew about Berlin. It is an exciting city with a lot to see but not very walkable - too spread, not picturesque at all, mishmash of architecture new and old (not too much of old) and I would also move some days to Prague and Budapest or add Vienna instead. Especially Prague and Budapest are eye candies, picturesque, gorgeous views across the river in both, old architecture, with Prague having two medieval neighborhoods. Vienna is kind of grandiose, well, it was a capital of a big empire.

Thanks for the thoughtful replies, guys. A lot of worthwhile suggestions worth considering. I have never been beyond the United States and Canada in my travels, but I have done longer solo trips before (last summer spent 10 days traveling Boston and New England solo). My thinking behind the itinerary was to do enough without cramming in too much and not appreciating the time I have in each place. I want to spend long enough in each of these places to get a real taste of them and not just brush over the highlights.

Berlin, to me at least, seems fascinating and worthy of a week of exploration with all of its museums, history and distinct neighborhoods, markets, food, nightlife, walks, parks, and day trek to Potsdam, etc. I do a lot of walking and tend to make the most of my time. Prague seems like it could be done easily in 3-4 days. And Budapest looks a little meatier, being worth at least 4-5 days.

The Dresden option existed in part because of the idea of possible day excursions to Gorlitz and Saxony Switzerland Nat'l Park. Still on the table, but shelved in favor of the Budapest itinerary for the time being. And Dresden itself appears to be worth spending a day or two. And I really am intrigued by the idea of Krakow, and considered it as well (though it isn't exactly convenient from Berlin or Prague). I want to see Auschwitz, and the Oscar Schindler Museum sounds like a must.

Sadly, I just want to see everything. Difficult choices will need to be made. Dresden, Krakow, Warsaw, Gorlitz, all places I'd like to visit. But will the 2-3 days seeing one of them short-change my experience in another place? That's what I want to avoid.

The stopover in Iceland is happening, as I've already booked my flight. I've flown enough red-eyes to the east coast from Portland to know what awaits me. Just the thrill of traveling and seeing a new place gives me enough adrenaline to power through the exhaustion. At least I'll find out whether or not it was a wise choice. ;)

Any further ideas or suggestions are welcome. Since I don't travel until October, I have time to consider some things. Cheers!

See, that's why I asked about your travel style. It could well be that you are the type of traveler who would enjoy spending an entire week in a city like Berlin. (and maybe you'll LOVE it). But I'm not sure you know your style yet (and I'd say overseas travel is different than domestic travel). I learned after my first few trips to Europe that "slow travel" is not my travel style - I prefer to move faster and see more things...and then come back to places I've loved on future trips. I've been to Paris five times (I'm sure around here some have been there many more times than that), Venice four times, Prague twice - but never for a week solid to any of them.

On an early trip, after five nights in Paris to start a trip (I had been once before and loved it), I made the error of booking five nights in Amsterdam at the end, assuming I would love it too. But...I just didn't. I had prepaid my hotels, so I was kind of stuck there. Three nights would have been plenty. Now, I hate the idea of locking myself into a long stay in a place I just might not like. I may eventually go for a week to a place I've been before and loved - but probably not a new city.

Let me make this suggestion: if you do wind up spending the first week in Berlin, make contingency plans - day trips you can take (many options by train and even bus) or even an option to say leave Berlin early and stop in Dresden for a few nights. It's easy to book things last minute, but it's even easier if you've done some homework ahead of time so you don't have to think too much about how to do it while you're already there. But if you love Berlin when you get there, you can stay the whole time.

Why does a city have to be walkable? Berlin has a great Metro system that I used to get around when I stayed there for 6 nights last December. It’s good value for a week pass compared to many European cities.

I had never been before and there was certainly enough to keep me occupied for the entire trip and I didn’t have time to see everything. It’s not pretty, but that’s part of its appeal.

I wouldn’t enjoy the timing of your Icelandic stopover not the overnight train, as I wouldn’t get any sleep and this would wipe me out for 2 days. I would be nervous of not staying in Berlin the night before my flight, unless you are booked through on one ticket.

It sounds like a balanced trip that I wouldn’t tinker with much save for the night train and Iceland.

I don't see a problem with a day in Reykjavik. It gives you a little breather after the long flight from PDX and a chance to get a taste and possibly add it to your list for a future trip. I do think that's a lot of time in Berlin. Since Dresden is not out of the way to Prague, I'd spend a night or two there . . . maybe an afternoon train from Berlin, one full day in Dresden, then a morning train to Prague. Of the cities you plan to visit, Budapest is my favorite, so I'd encourage you to add a night there as well. And unless you are a very sound sleeper, consider flying to Budapest instead of the train. According to the Bahn website, the night train makes a stop every half hour to an hour and a half (total of 8 stops) between Prague and Vac, where you change to the Budapest train.

I spent 7 nights in Berlin in 2015, using one day to go to the Spreewald. I didn't have time for Potsdam, and I didn't have time for all the museums I wanted to see in Berlin. I, too, am a big Cold War geek. I think you'll be happy with the timing, and I commend the Spreewald to your attention should you get all urbaned-out before the end of the week.

Don't miss the Berlin-Hohenschoenhausen Memorial.

I think you'll regret the night train, but maybe you won't, and at least you'll know whether to consider them in the future.

Flying back to Berlin on the same day as your return flight home is risky if that flight is on a separate ticket. If the Budapest-Texel flight is canceled or significantly delayed, you're going to be buying a new transatlantic ticket.

I spent 5 nights in Berlin and it was enough for me, but I didn't do any day trips. Be very cautious about AirBnB there, they have cracked down on regulations and owners are supposed to register their apartments with the city (I learned that my host had not done this about half way in to my trip...thankfully nothing happened!) I liked staying in the Prenzlauer Berg area - it felt like a real neighborhood and the transit was easy and fast. As noted above, there are many excellent free museums focused on the wall - the main wall memorial was great, and I really liked the tiny Tränenpalast museum. I'd get the museum pass if you're planning to visit any of the biggies (Pergamon) and go about half hour before they open before the tour buses get there.

I agree with the suggestion you not do the overnight train since there are plentiful cheap flights between Prague and Budapest (a quick search shows a Ryan Air flight one way $60, departs 9:00 p.m.). Even with the hassle of getting to airport/security/etc. you'd still save many hours of travel time and sleep in a real bed in Budapest. I also echo the caution about flying back to Berlin the same day as your Iceland Air departure - better to be safe than sorry and reconfigure one (or two) of your Berlin days to the end of your trip.

Your trip plan looks good. I could spend multiple weeks in Berlin (not unlike other big cities like NYC, Paris, London, etc). One week is hardly a lot, especially for a first-time traveler. There is so much to do in Berlin that I'm surprised folks are saying that one week is too long. I think it's just a preference people have with other cities and some need to keep moving, but I don't see anything wrong with staying put for a while in a large city with tons of attractions. There's no way you'll get bored in Berlin in one week. I flew Iceland Air with a stopover once and I loved it so much I ended up coming back to Iceland. Too bad you only have one day there but at least it will give you a small sample of what the country has to offer. If you elect to go to Poland in late October, just be prepared for some dreary, cold weather...(I'm from Poland and wouldn't recommend going in late October unless bad weather doesn't bother you).

If you have not yet booked your travel I would suggest that you reverse the order of cities, fly from Iceland to Budapest, take time from Berlin and add Vienna ( Iceland, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Berlin). This will put you in Berlin days before you have to fly home and you would not be rushed to get to the airport on the 23rd. For me that would give me peace of mind. Have fun!

If you love flea markets you'll want to visit the Ecseri piac in Budapest if you're there on a Saturday, though some stalls are open during the week it's really more worthwhile to go Saturday. Try to go early because the outdoor stalls start packing up around 1 pm. I got lost the first time I tried to go, then last year I straightened out my instructions and here you go:

Take tram #2 in the direction of Kozvagohid and exit at Haller utca (I stayed near Fovam ter and caught it there, it runs along the Danube for a bit)

Cross the tracks to the bus stop, you're still heading in the same direction, catch #54 or 55 and ride approx. 25 minutes to the Naszod utca stop

Cross the highway bridge and there it is, return bus stops right in front.

This market is a mix of outdoor sellers and some with more permanent spaces indoors, depending on how thoroughly you go through a market I'd say allow 2-3 hours--it's not huge but there's a lot to see. The dealers are open to bargaining, and many take credit cards, decent amount of English spoken. It's all vintage stuff. I'm counting the days until I get to go again in mid-May!

Cesium Crumlov is a delightful fairy tale town about an hour south of Prague.

Also enjoyed Dresden, which has been rebuilt since the war.

Cesium Crumlov is a delightful fairy tale town about an hour south of Prague.

Also enjoyed Dresden, which has been rebuilt since the war.

Cesium Crumlov is a delightful fairy tale town about an hour south of Prague.

Also enjoyed Dresden, which has been rebuilt since the war.

This sounds like a great trip, and you'll find out so much about what you like to do and how you like to travel. There's been some suggestions to add another city. I wouldn't. Berlin is awesome. There is so much to do. This past summer we were there for our third visit, and once again ran out of time. Since you're into WWII, There's really informative underground bunker tours Berliner Unterwelten . I highly recommend one of those. I'm more of a Budapest guy than Prague, so I would shave a day off Prague and add it on to Budapest. Either way, you're going to have a great time. I also like that you have a stopover in Iceland. Heck, why not?!? If you love it, you'll go back. If not, been there, done that. Plus, it will shorten your transatlantic flight time.

Have a great trip!

Thanks to everyone's insightful responses and travel wisdom. Great information and suggestions that give me some ideas to ponder and work with as I plan this out. Based on my more limited travel experience, what I do know is that I'm more of a slow traveler. I spend time absorbing what I'm seeing and doing, and want to get to know a place.

Andrew's idea of "moving faster to see more things...and then come back to places I've loved on future trips" is one way I could approach this. Sort of dipping my toes into the waters of traveling abroad on this trip. I do love and hate that idea at the same time. Let's say for a moment that I decided to see more places and spend less time in each place, and taking into consideration what people have suggested. What about this proposed itinerary:

Oct 5th: Fly from PDX to Iceland overnight
Oct 6th: Arrive in Reykjavik, Iceland at 6AM (my idea is a more relaxing day like a trip to the Blue Lagoon or a day trip out to Thingvellir Nat'l Park and getting back for a good night's rest before flying to Berlin early the following morning)
Oct 7th: Arrive at TXL Berlin at 1:05pm
Oct 8th: Berlin
Oct 9th: Berlin
Oct 10th: Berlin
Oct 11th: Berlin
(Fly to Krakow)
Oct 12th: Krakow
Oct 13th: Krakow
Oct 14th: Krakow
(Overnight Chopin train to Budapest)
Oct 15th: Budapest
Oct 16th: Budapest
Oct 17th: Budapest
Oct 18th: Prague
Oct 19th: Prague
Oct 20th: Prague
Oct 21st: Morning train to Dresden
Oct 22nd: Dresden - maybe day trip to Gorlitz
Oct 23rd: Morning train to Berlin - fly out of TXL at 2:05

If I do it this way, Dresden is close enough where I can book a train back the morning of and not worry. My concern then shifts to logistics and the most cost and time efficient ways to transfer between cities. And in this itinerary I would strongly consider flipping Prague and Budapest and going to Prague first, since I would like to be in Budapest on Saturday to see the flea markets in all their glory and Prague seems like a place that's overrun with hordes of tourists on the weekends. And while not really exploring each of the cities in depth, I get a sense of what I like and want to return and see, and what I can scratch off my list. Honestly, this itinerary seems crammed and hurried to me, but I think I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't consider alternatives. The more feedback and ideas the merrier. Thanks again for everyone's thoughtful responses so far!

Look, jebarney77, I don't want to pressure you into traveling my way. If you are pretty sure by now that you are a "slow traveler," then stick to your original itinerary. I don't think it's a mistake for you, even though it would be too slow for me. I learned from my first few trips to tweak my travel style. Maybe after this first trip you'll tweak yours - or find out your travel pace suits you just fine. The best thing you can do from your first trips, though, is learn from them.

I have learned over several trips to be flexible. I try to give myself leeway to change and add a few days here or there and change it up as I desire, based on how things are going. I think one mistake too many people make - one that I've made - is to fix themselves to a rigid itinerary and then be afraid to deviate from it. I hate the idea that I have to be stuck in a place I don't really like for too long - or to have leave a place I really loved too early.

So I would repeat one thing from above: make contingency plans. Give yourself an option to leave Berlin early and stop in Dresden. Do some planning so you can just fall into it instead of spending a lot of time while in Berlin figuring it out. But if you love Berlin, just spend all your time there as planned. Plan day trips from most of these places and put them on your list - but take them only if you've run out of things to do in the cities on your list.

I would add, though, that your revised itinerary would be just right for me. For others here, it would be too quick.

Thanks for your response. I don't feel pressured to travel a certain way. More like exploring options, like kneading a mound of clay until you get the shape you're looking for. My itinerary will probably end up looking similar to the original one I proposed.

As far as flexibility is concerned, what are some of the things you do when planning a trip to allow for that flexibility, such as how you book accommodations and transportation logistics that can be amended to suit your needs without incurring cancellation or change fees?

One sacrifice I sometimes make in being flexible is not booking hotels (that I can't cancel) until the last minute - so sometimes I pay a little more or settle for a less desirable place. Same with trains and buses. But I check my options. German trains can be really expensive at the last minute - so I like to know what I'm in for if I say wait too long. Most hotels or lodgings I book have free cancellation until a day or two before check-in and I do frequently change them up.

Example: last May I started a trip in Slovenia and wasn't sure I wanted to spend three nights there or five, partly based on the weather. I booked my first three hotel nights in Ljubljana but nothing else (was headed on to Venice and eventually, Nice and Paris). Weather was rainy in Slovenia so I left for Italy after the third night. I had to book the bus ticket at the last minute, and I had to settle for an overpriced, kind of dumpy hotel in Trieste. (Though I did luck into a nice last-minute find in Venice.) Then I either had to pay top fare for an express train from Venice to the Italian Riviera...or take regional trains (no extra cost but a little slower). However, I had done a lot of homework on this stuff ahead of time and wasn't really surprised at any of it. I wasn't even planning to stop in Trieste, but I had researched it enough to know where to stay in town. I had hotels picked in most towns I might stay in or at least looked at areas or how booked up a town might be on the nights i might stay there, so I wouldn't have to start from scratch at the last minute.

In your case, with Berlin, your best bet might be just eating the last few days at your AirBnB (if that's what you had planned) if you decide to leave early for Dresden. Trains might be faster to Dresden but really expensive if you book them last minute - but buses might be cheap enough last minute. You still might save on a German train fare if you book it six days ahead (like the day you arrive in Berlin) instead of at the last minute; it's possible you'll know immediately when you arrive in Berlin that you love it or not and can decide on your next city (or to change your plans) about as soon as you arrive.

Maybe you are on a tight budget, and you really prefer not to book things last minute; you can save a lot booking some of the German trains way in advance or hotels or lodgings with no cancellation. Sometimes the flexibility costs money some people can't afford.

Hi,

How are you going from Budapest to Prague on the revised itinerary? Still the night train? Good. No problem with the night trains and this safety issue. That is a myth. It is safe. I take night trains on every recent trip, all since 2009, even on this upcoming trip at the end of April, 4 are planned and factored in. What I have seen on night trains (or don't see) is that basically only locals ride it. No Americans, you don't see/hear them on the platform waiting for the same night train as you're taking.

There is a flea market in Berlin near the Museum Island on Sunday. Every trip I go back to Berlin, a fascinating place, good food both in international cuisine and traditional German cuisine. Where are you staying in Berlin?

For 18 days your trip is very doable, taking advantage of both the flying and night train options in squeezing out more time.

My travel speed is more like your original plan, but I'm like Andrew in that I maintain as much flexibility as possible. I book my hotels on the road a few days in advance, mostly using booking.com. You have to be careful about cancelation policies, because they differ. It's rare to be able to cancel up until something like 3 PM on the day of arrival; three days in advance is all too common.

What helps me a lot is that I don't cover broad geographic territory quickly. Since I'm usually moving between places that aren't too far apart, a slower/cheaper train, or a bus, is often a reasonable option. Because my schedule is loose, I can take a later train if it will save me substantial money (which it sometimes does if you're buying tickets not long before departure). So my suggestion is to look now at the various train legs you may need. Trainline.eu is a convenient place to see all the fares in one place. See what each leg would cost for travel today or tomorrow, vs. what it would cost as far out as you can see fares. Which trips have large fare differences? Can you pin down any of those way in advance?

After a miserable, totally sleepless experience on an Italian night train to Sicily, I get twitchy when other people talk about traveling that way. I know the rail bed may be smoother farther north (and it was the constant jerking that kept me totally awake), but there's a real risk of getting little or no sleep, which makes the next day (for me) both unproductive and miserable. Crashing and sleeping away a chunk of the day after arrival can really mess up your sleep schedule going forward. The only night train I see on the Prague-Budapest run makes nine stops between midnight and its arrival in Budapest, every one of them accompanied by braking, station noise, and acceleration. The day trains between Prague and Budapest take only 6-1/2 hours. On weekdays there's a 3:51 PM departure that arrives at 10:19 PM. And you'd get to sleep in a real bed. Alternatively, there's a 5:51 AM departure arriving at 12:19 PM.

Looking over your revised itinerary, I could assume you are doing two night train rides since the Budapest to Prague connection is not specified. If so, getting in to Prague a little after 06:00 hrs is not bad, ideal if it were still summer. Budapest is one of the hubs for night trains in central Europe.

I liked your original itinerary much better. Maybe I'd consider adding one more short destination to it (Krakow perhaps?) but I've been to Berlin like, 7 times now and I would be happy as a pig in mud there for a week (or a month, or screw it, I'm just moving there!)

Berlin is very "neighborhoody" and spread out so it's great to just be able to take a day to thoroughly explore a neighborhood. Add in a day trip to Potsdam and your week there is spent.

One thing to really keep in mind with your second itinerary is the time involved in going to other places. Even after years of European travel, I consistently underestimate how time-consuming and tiring moving destinations is. It's not just the 4 hour train ride, it's the checking out of your hotel, getting on public transit to the train station, getting oriented in the new place, figuring out how to get to your lodging, figuring out how to contact your AirBnB host because they're not answering the door, etc. This is why I've come to really appreciate the "home base" style of travel, taking day trips to interesting places without moving lodging unless I have to. Just something to consider.

If you do decide to do a full week in Berlin and decide you'd like some company, the bar on the floating hostel "Eastern Comfort" has a Wednesday night expat meetup party. I mean, there are ton of international and english-speaking meetups in Berlin, but that one is an institution.

I like the revised itinerary. We spent one day in Berlin years ago on a whirlwind tour and have never gone back. We saw the Pergamon Museum and Checkpoint Charlie Museum and to me those were the most important sights.