First trip to Europe...Itinerary help?

We need more info, are you sharing rooms with someone, what type of hotels do you want, what do you want to see, museums, countryside. Your budget works about to about $3000 a month if staying 3 months. If you stay in a hotel for $100 a night there goes your $3000.00 for just one month. I am sure many will log in with advice. This trip is also allowing only one week per country without travel between countries. I suggest you pare this down but wait for more replies and good luck.

You need to reassess your destinations. For one thing you can't do ALL the UK- not realisticly (I've been more than 40 times and still have lots to see and do)- but you can cover some major portions of it. I'd suggesst UK, Ireland, and maybe 2 or 3 other destinations. Look at a map- UK/Ireland and France with maybe Belgium and/or Netherlands would work. Or Italy, Spain and France. Geography is important- it can save you money if you plan well. No requirement to do a full circle- plan to fly 'open jaw' or 'multi-city'. Your other choice would be to do a "highlights" trip such as London, Paris, Rome, Barcellona and plan day trips/short trips from each (try to rent an apartment or use university lodgeings to save money). The less you move around, the more you have to spend on rooms, sightseeing, food, etc.

Amanda, The first suggestion I have is to read Europe Through The Back Door if you haven't already. That will provide you with LOTS of good information including budget issues and Itinerary planning. You'll need to be sure that you don't spend more than 90-days in the Schengen zone, as severe penalties can result! That shouldn't be a problem if you're spending a portion of your 3-months in the U.K. Regarding your plan to see "ALL of UK", one thought that comes to mind is that it's expensive to travel there (current exchange rate is about 1.6) so that will deplete your budget faster. Of course, your choice of lodgings and "dining" might help to minimize your expenses in the UK. Switzerland also tends to be expensive. Note that with Railpasses, these DO NOT include the reservation fees that are compulsory on some trains (usually the "fast" trains such as the TGV in France). You'll have to pay separately for those. It would also be a good idea to read some country or city-specific Guidebooks, to get some ideas on what sightseeing you might want to do in each city. That will help you to budget for admission fees, day tours, etc. Using open-jaw flights would be the best idea (even if they do cost a bit more). Once you have a list of cities in each of the countries you mentioned, it will be easier to plan a logical and cost efficient travel route. Good luck with your planning!

I guess I should clarify when I say all of uk....I mean just a sampling of N.Ireland, Scotland and England... I'm mose interested in spending time in Ireland, France, Spain and Italy. A few of the other countries are almost take it or leave it at this point for me...but I keep hearing how great they are....and am unsure if I should visit them and if so how much time to spend. I am very very interested in seeing Castles and Chateaux. I would also like to check out a few beaches in the warmer places. And since I am a HUGE Disney fan, I have to check out Disneyland Paris for a day. I am going alone...only because I can't find someone else that wants to go. And I am planning in staying in hostels as much as possible. I have read Europe Through The Back Door, and Lonely Planet's Europe on a Shoe..I feel almost with no one to talk it over with I am almost overwhelmed with information! Thank you for your replies, I am going to look into Open-Jaw flights =) -Amanda

Hi Amanda, You sound like you are relatively young (guessing 20s). Your time in Europe and your budget are awesome. In my twenties, I lived in Germany and have traveled to Europe multiple times since. I would suggest determining what are your "must see" spots (limit them) and plot out a loose itinerary from there. Are you hoping to get ot a specific festival at a specific time? With train/air connections so frequent, you can really fly by the seat of your pants to areas you have heard about from other travelers. Traveling single is a bit more of an adventure than traveling with someone else. Since you did not specify when you would be in Europe, the weather may help determine your plans. My suggestions on what not to miss are: Berlin Cinque Terre Florence Rome London
Otherwise, hop the train and get off where it looks interesting. You could fly into London, see the UK and go south from there.

Hey Amanda, I'm about to embark on my own 3 month trip and am also budgeting $8500-$9000 staying in hostels and using the rails.
I would probably recommend starting in Ireland and working your way south through the UK and then into France, through Spain, and into Italy. Depending on how long you plan to stay in those places, you may have some time to get to some cities like Budapest in the East. As of right now, on your "most important country" list, I have only been to Italy and would suggest Rome (lots of time), the Cinque Terre, Pompeii, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, and Venice. I did not get to Sicily but I've heard it's beautiful as well. Best of luck in your planning!

England is a great place to just amble around, easier by car, but can be done by train and country bus. Pick somewhere, and after seeing that area, see where you can get by local bus or train. (I use something like a good pub guide, or a guide to scenic villages. It is very convenient to do the areas south of London this way. There are some castles-and country houses - unfortunaetely, no chateus, and no (warm) beaches. I have tried ocean swimming there and almost froze. About the fastest I ever got out of the ocean

Amanda, Thanks for the additional information. Try not to feel "overwhelmed" as I'm sure the group here can help you get your trip sorted. Don't assume that you have to visit absolutely every city that you have on your list. As Rick frequently says "assume you will return" Even 2-3 months is not really that long, and the time will pass quickly, so you'll need to prioritize. Plan to spend longer in the major cities, and try to eliminate "one night stops". Once you've decided somewhat on which cities you want to visit, it will be easier to plan a logical and efficient route. As you're planning to stay primarily in Hostels, you might consider getting a membership in HI Hostels. The facilities are fairly consistent from one location to the next, and I've always found them to be good. Your profile doesn't indicate where you're located in B.C., so it's difficult to provide more specific information on flights. It would help to know what time of year will the trip will be? At the beginning of your trip, you could (for example): > Start in Dublin - day trips? > Rail to Belfast - day trips to Giant's Causeway or whatever > Flight to Edinburgh ( EasyJet flights currently priced at about £28) > York > Bath / Cotswolds > London > Paris & Euro Disneyland, possibly Versailles Your route after Paris will depend on which cities you choose. You could go north to Bruge and Amsterdam and then work towards Berlin and Prague OR go south towards Nice and Monaco, possibly Gimmelwald or Lucerne or to the Cinque Terre and down to Rome. There are LOTS of different ways this could be arranged. I can provide more specific comments once your trip starts to take shape. Cheers!

Re Ken's suggestion.
York is on the East side of England. No need to go to Bath (quite far West) or the Cotswolds. Stay on the East- via Lincoln (another great cathedral) ; maybe Norwich; Cambridge; to London. Bath is not a major sire in my opinion.

Amanda, "No need to go to Bath (quite far West) or the Cotswolds" A few comments to clarify the reasons I suggested Bath / Cotswolds in my previous reply. Given the three month time frame and the fact that your criteria stated "most important countries, all of UK", I felt that it would be worthwhile to include Bath in the Itinerary. There are numerous worthwhile sites to visit in the U.K. but these are the highlights (IMHO). Both York and Bath have somewhat different "characters" and both have interesting histories. A visit to Bath would also allow a day trip to Stonehenge, which is "on the list" for many people visiting England. There are day trips (Mad Max Tours) which would allow a glimpse of the Cotswolds or perhaps Lacock and other scenic locations. Check the Guidebook to get an idea of the historic and other sightseeing options in those areas. Leaving London as the last stop facilitates the onward trip to the continent. Cheers!

Sounds like a great trip, Amanda. Hard to say if $9000 will do it. It depends so much on where you spend your time. Major destinations like London, Paris, Rome, Florence and Venice are likely to push you well over $100/day. Take Ken's advice seriously. A lot of eager first-timers find themselves stretched thin not just financially but culturally, physically, and emotionally by a 3-month trip that covers everything. Focus on what's most important to you: "I am very very interested in seeing Castles and Chateaux. I would also like to check out a few beaches in the warmer places. And since I am a HUGE Disney fan, I have to check out Disneyland Paris for a day."..."I'm mose interested in spending time in Ireland, France, Spain and Italy." What about this reduced "loop"? Start in Dublin. Do Ireland by rail. Fly Ryanair (cheap) to Spain. Do Spain by rail. Follow the coast (beaches!) by train to Italy. Do Italy by rail. Fly Ryanair or other cheapie to Germany for two days to see castles. Rail to Paris. Do France, Paris Disney. Fly home from Paris. If you traveled for 2 months, this trip would give you a comfortable 10-12 days each for Ireland, France, Spain and Italy and a couple days for a peek at Germany. You'll pay maybe 50-60 Euros or less for each flight (if you buy in advance.) A 15-day-in-2-months youth selectpass would give you 3-4 rail days per country in Ireland, France, Spain and Italy and would cost about half of the 3-month global pass, giving you an extra cushion if accommodations in Rome are pricey, if the exchange rate worsens, or if you just want to treat yourself to a little splurge here and there. And on your flight home, plan your next trip to see the UK, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, the Benelux countries, and the Czech Republic.

Sounds like it's going to be a great trip. You really need to sit down and map out a general travel plan. Your plans may be adjusted as you go. My first trip was 4 weeks long and I only visited Paris and some nearby towns with cathedrals, like Chartre and St Denis, then to Florence and Rome, then to Amsterdam, then London. Doesn't seem like much for 4 weeks, does it. I was primarily interested in hitting art museums due to my interest in art and architecture. My subsequent trips were more localized: 10 days in England/Scotland, 10 days in Italy, 7 days in Austria (and 10 days in Australia). On these trips I had more time to really take in the culture and some additional art and cathedrals. This summer I will be doing 10 days in The Netherlands and it's the first time I'm actually planning out my hotels and rail journeys. Believe it or not, this trip is planned around dog shows! LOL!