Help with planning 2 month trip to Portugal Spain Greece Croatia Italy France England for solo woman

You have quite a list. I think you will find as you start to assign days that 2 months will seem like less and less time. You will have to really be strategic on what you choose to see and how you will get between your stops. We spent a bit over 3.5 weeks in Portugal this past April/May. The bigger cites were REALLY crowded in what we thought was shoulder season. I say that because, some might suggest restricting your time to Porto and Lisbon, but with the crowds, I found some of the smaller towns to be more pleasant.

You might just pick one region in Spain. Perhaps Andalusia because you could fly in and out of Sevilla. Perhaps its best to pick just one region to concentrate on in every country?

That time of year will be harvest in wine regions which might be something to keep in mind. The Douro River in Portugal was stunning in spring, I can only imagine how beautiful it would be in the fall.

So you intend to visit 6-8 countries in a month after spending a month in Greece? I think you need to edit the list. By a lot.

Hi Kristy,

Welcome to the forum. My best advice to you would be to get your hands on Rick Steve’s Europe Through the Back Door asap which has valuable advice on travel in Europe - planning, transportation, sleeping, eating, safety, etc. Your plan to see 7 or 8 countries in that time frame is way too ambitious. Can it be done? Yes. But you won’t see anything because you will be constantly on the move. You will come home frustrated and exhausted.

Thanks everyone. All your comments are very helpful. Keep them coming. I'm taking everyone's opinion into onsideration as I plan my trip next year.

Just like Indyhiker I don't understand this disproportion between a whole month in the Greek islands (which islands? there are about 200) and the 2nd month for at least 6 different countries.

I can't wait to see a draft itinerary

You want to see 7 countries possibly 8 in 2 months. That will give you less than a week in each country because you need to include time for traveling from country to country. I agree with the poster who said you will come home frustrated and exhausted. You will primarily see planes,trains , buses, and ferries.

I suggest a maximum of 4 countries. You will have a much better experience. Portugal, Spain and France will make a nice combination. Or Greece, Croatia and Italy.

We have traveled a lot, to 81 foreign countries and one thing that I have learned is MINIMIZE TRAVEL during your touring.

1) Strongly recommend picking places geographically closer together. Air travel within Europe can appear to be cheap, but the bargain carriers charge extra for luggage, etc. Also, you waste a lot of time in the airport. With rail travel, at least you get to see the countryside.
2) We did 4 weeks in Wales and England in 2017 in a car rental. We didn't even go to London. Trying to do Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Italy, France, Germany and the UK is WAY too much. You could spend a month in Spain and Portugal and not see all the key places.
3) We love the Greek Islands and I think find a cruise for that is the best way to see several islands.
4) September and October are good for travel, with smaller crowds, but you still should plan out your trip. Make up a calendar and decide what you want to see EACH Day. Plan your travel between locations, local tours, lodgings, etc. Many key places require you to book entrance in advance. Also, you will find when traveling in Europe that it will take longer than you think.

Use TripAdvisor (type in things to do in your cities).

If you know you are flying into Portugal, consider sticking with Portugal and Spain as well as Greece.

You could easily spend 2 months in each of those. Italy, for instance, or France.

What you have, if you already have scheduled a month, is 1 month. I'd pick 2 countries that are close together - Portugal-Spain, France -Italy.

There are several “discount” airlines for flying around within Europe. Don’t be surprised if you see low rates from the likes of Vueling, Ryanair, easyJet and more. Some have strict rules about carrying on luggage, and many don’t offer quite as much “deluxe” service as you’d get on some other airlines. There can be extra fees for carrying on bags, onboard food and drinks, and other things, so confirm the total cost. Overall, these can save money!

Welcome to the forum, Kristy. It’s great that you’re allowing yourself plenty of time to plan your trip.

Since you’re spending a lot of time in the Greek isles, I would skip Croatia for now, even though it’s geographically close. A good contrast to Greece would be France & Germany. But, the big initial question is, “What are you wanting to do in Europe?” because that will focus a lot of our answers into something helpful for you.

I agree with previous comments that it’s better to not try to tackle so many countries all at once - both from wasting time in transit but also ease in planning. And there’s so much to see in each country!

Come back & give us more info, so we can help. : )

Welcome to the forum Kristy. Start by writing a basic itinerary. Decide where you want to go in order of importance to you. Count nights in each place, not days. Allow a day for each change of location. Then start filling in what you want to see.
When you get a better idea what your itinerary will look like, we can help you. Right now it’s too vague; more like a wishlist than an itinerary.