Is this too aggressive?

I would spend 3 days in Budapest, at least 3 days in Vienna, 4-5- or more days in Munich. There is a factory tour at BMW and the museum itself, and the Welt which is a cool building. Three days in Prague was enough for me, but 3 times to Munich is still not quite enough. I thought 12 days in Egypt was enough to see most but not all I wanted to see.

Really? Only 3 days in Budapest? Is there more in Munich to see? As for Egypt, we are hopefully doing a 8 day tour. Just want to see the main sights, don't care too much for Cairo and the beach cities.

Since we don't know what your interests are nor why you have picked these cities to visit, it is difficult to say if you are staying too long or not long enough. Haven't been to many of these cities, but I don't think 7 days in Berlin is too long, especially when you add in day trips if desired. 2 days for Munich seems a bit short. The city does have more than a beer garden and the BMW factory. If it all is worth seeing though is up to you and what you like to see and do. If it is cars you are interested in, then plan a stop over in Stuttgart too.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions which have got me thinking... Been to Europe numerous times in the last 7 years (this trip would be our 5th). We're hoping to make this our last trip to Europe for a while so we want to see as much as we can. We've made these countries our priorities as we've been to every other Europe country, except for a few Baltic and Eastern Europe countries. My husband likes art museums and cars, I enjoy just walking around and people watching in a cafe, listening to live music. Last year we spent a week in each city (Florence, Lisbon, Venice) and 2 weeks each in Barcelona and Paris. It was a lot of time which was great, but we've got more to see in roughly the same amount of time. Will def check out the other car museums near Munich. Didn't realize there's others to see nearby. Already been to Dachau, don't wish to return. Sounds like we can shave off a day or two in Budapest and spend it in Munich instead. As for Scandinavia, still trying to figure out how to get there from Berlin, if flying/train/boat is best? I've been to Scandinavia already (have relatives there). Ideally would like to start in Helsinki and make our way via ferry to Stockholm, rent a car, drive around Sweden, and then train to Copenhagen. From copenhagen we'll fly to Greece or Turkey.

For 11 weeks this sounds like a good trip. I would add at least 2 more days to Vienna and also 2 more to Munich. Berlin...7 days is good, use one of them as a day trip, say an afternoon for Potsdam. Get to the other districts in Berlin aside from Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg. See Karlshorst, Treptow, Charlottenburg for more historical sites as well as Spandau and Wannsee. A month in Scandinavia...does this include Helsinki? By ferry or plane? How are getting to Scandinavia from Germany? Train or ferry...from Kiel to Oslo is a ferry connection if you want to avoid the train, Berlin-Malmö.

Agree with Jo. If cars are your things. Stuttgart is a must. Especially the Mercedes Benz Museum. We did the Porsche Museum and factory tour in the morning and the Mercedes Museum in the afternoon (now that's real love!!!!) My husband, who is beyond being a 'car nut', thought the Mercedes Benz museum was a stand out. I agree with him.

You ask if one night in Munich is enough and what else there is to see. I would say one night is not enough.
You could do one day in Dachau visiting the concentration camp which is very moving, another travelling to one of the nearby lakes, such as Tegernsee or Chiemsee, another enjoying the English Garden with a stop for a beer and a wander around Schwabing, one afternoon sitting in the Viktualien Markt having another beer and watching the world go by (2 mins walk from the central Marienplatz). A guided tour of Munich that I particulary enjoyed was the National Socialism Tour which you can do at your own pace with an audio version that you can download from the internet free of charge. There are wonderful museums and art galleries of course if you like that sort of thing. As for Athens I would say you've got it just right. Many people are disappointed with Athens. Noisy, dirty, hot and for the most part not 'ancient'. I loved the bustle though. Find a nice tavern in the old quarter. Easily an afternoon in the antiquity museum. Obviously the Acropolis is on the agenda. I hope you're not disappointed. I am getting cold feet now and wanting to suggest that you may find one night enough. So hard to say not knowing your interests. In short I suppose, spending an extra night in Munich and one less in Athens might be my suggestion, which I know contradicts my last paragraph! Of no help whatsoever!

I think 7 days on Hvar would be too long. Instead, I'd fly into Dubrovnik and spend 5 or 6 nights in Cavtat (a little fishing village near the Dubrovnik airport). From there, you can take day trips to Montenegro and Mostar, and into Dubrovnik. I'd add that extra night or two to Korcula.

Hi, There are two routes by ferry from Germany to Helsinki. Take the train from Berlin to Rostock, where you catch the ferry to Helsinki. Or, if you are closer to the Holstein area, not far from Lübeck, take the ferry at Travemünde to Helsinki. The travel time difference in arrival at Helsinki between the two, Rostock or Travemünde, is about half an hour. You need to check with the two ferry companies as to how often these routes run during the week. Since you're going in the summer, you'll have maximum choice. The flying option would be with Air Berlin or German Wings from Berlin-Tegel to Helsinki, from there go to Stockholm by ferry. From Rostock to Helsinki by ferry would be my choice, approx. 22 hrs crossing the Baltic.

Budapest - 5 days sounds lovely. Time to see a lot, enjoy the baths, not too rushed. If you like wine, go to the Hilton next to Fisherman's Bastion, down to the wine tasting. Really excellent. In fact, take advantage of the cheap prices to sample lots. Vienna - 3 days is too short. Definitely Schonbrun, not Hofburg (the few rooms in Hofburg are much like some of the rooms you will see at Schonbrun - the rest of Hofburg is dull - a whole museum about the life of Sissy, more china than in the rest of Austria put together) Prague - it's hard to say. Some folks love it, others not so much. I recommend a day trip to Terezin. It was much different from the other concentration camps and there is a lot of information on the political prisoners and daily life. If Egypt doesn't work out, come visit Israel - just as close and amazing.

Kudos for traveling all over Euope! I am envious of your 11 weeks there! I do feel that if you enjoyed your stay last year spending a week in each destination, you may not enjoy the Eastern European portion of this year's trip. My particular concern is the following portion of you trip: Korcula 2 days, 1 night Zadar or Split 1 day/1 night (just a layover between the coast and the park) Lake Plitvice 2 days, 1 night
Zagreb 2 days, 1 night This is 4 nights in a row staying only 1 night at each destination followed by a 2 night stay! I am not familiar with this part of Eastern Europe. Wonder if you can do day trips from one of these places to some of the others on your list. Otherwise, I would drop one or 2 of these 1 night stands! Or cut some days from the one month in Scandanavia. IMHO you will be very dissatisified and tired and disoriented while doing this leg of your trip. Be sure to add in your travel time also. As you know, you will be checking into the hotel about 3 pm unless you have a kindly hotelier and checking out around 12. Lots of packing and unpacking. I would add a day or 2 to Vienna, drop a day in Budapest, add a day in Munich, drop a day in Berlin. If you adjust your itineary, let us know. You are well travelled in Europe so I am sure you will come up with a great itinerary!

Kudos for traveling all over Euope! I am envious of your 11 weeks there! I do feel that if you enjoyed your stay last year spending a week in each destination, you may not enjoy the Eastern European portion of this year's trip. My particular concern is the following portion of you trip: Korcula 2 days, 1 night Zadar or Split 1 day/1 night (just a layover between the coast and the park) Lake Plitvice 2 days, 1 night
Zagreb 2 days, 1 night This is 4 nights in a row staying only 1 night at each destination followed by a 2 night stay! I am not familiar with this part of Eastern Europe. Wonder if you can do day trips from one of these places to some of the others on your list. Otherwise, I would drop one or 2 of these 1 night stands! Or cut some days from the one month in Scandanavia. IMHO you will be very dissatisified and tired and disoriented while doing this leg of your trip. Be sure to add in your travel time also. As you know, you will be checking into the hotel about 3 pm unless you have a kindly hotelier and checking out around 12. Lots of packing and unpacking. I would add a day or 2 to Vienna, drop a day in Budapest, add a day in Munich, drop a day in Berlin. If you adjust your itineary, let us know. You are well travelled in Europe so I am sure you will come up with a great itinerary!

I think you're trip is very doable especially since you're no newbie/ rookie at travelling in Europe. The number of days set aside for the beach may be excessive, but then I am not a beach person. I would suggest adding a day to both Zagreb and Ljubliana (Laibach) taken from the 7 beach days. Do you plan on flying from Copenhagen to Athens? Add another day to Athens from the beach/islands total. Until this part of the trip, I have no problems with the itinerary, since you have at your disposal the long and short train rides and the ferry routes from Kiel, Travemünde, Rostock to connect to Scandinavia. From Budapest to Berlin your train rides are not long, Vienna-Munich used to be 6 hrs day, it's 4 now as is Prague to Berlin. As for hotels making you wait until 1500 to check in, my experience has been that it varies from hotel to hotel regardless of its official policy. In Berlin, Vienna, and Paris, Hamburg etc., I have been able to check in regardless when I showed up, whether it was 09:20 or 20:00. If I was going to be later than 19:00, I would call the place, especially if it was a Pension out of courtesy. The only city where the various B&Bs had me wait until official check in time was London, even though the B&B allowed the guests to leave their luggage on the premises...just no check in.

Comments on the liking cars part: Stuttgart is a short few hour hop on the train from Munich. It has the Porsche and Mercedes museums. They are really fabulous, there's historic cars, modern cars, race cars, unique cars, all sorts of neat stuff. You can visit the Mercedes factory in the area as well. Porsche has a factory tour here, but right now just the engine part of the factory is open to the public (here's their e-mail: [email protected]). It's free and you have to be over 16. The museums both cost to get into. Secondly, from Munich, or between Vienna and Munich, stop in Salzburg. From Prague, visit the spa town of Karlovy Vary, great shopping for chandeliers and garnet jewelry, as well as spas.