Itinerary Advice: 1 month, 7 countries

You have at least six one-nighters, eight two-nighters, and a couple of three-nighters. It's a lot of moving around. In addition to actual travel time, you need to consider getting to the station, getting to your hotel, packing and unpacking (probably 1.5-2 hours more for each overnight). Are your plans flexible enough for delays out of your control?

Having said that, you know your travel style best. It could be a happy whirlwind of a trip.

I'm exhausted just looking at this itinerary! For me, this is too much for 4 weeks with too many 1 and 2 night stays in too many locations. You don't say what your interests are. Architecture, museums, nature, etc. The more expert travelers on this site can help much more than I, but I would suggest a focus on one or two countries (at most three) and spend more time in each.

The con to switching hotels so many times is you lose SO much sightseeing time to travel and checking in, finding hotel, etc. I'd minimize one night stays, stay places for longer and do day trips if needed.

As you said you are pretty proud of this schedule so I don't if you will not take too kind to anyone saying this is a crazy schedule but it is. If you want to spend about 90% of your time traveling and driving by everything then it is a great schedule for that purpose. The posters on Fodor's are equally excited about your schedule.

I think your schedule says it all. On the days that you have "explore . . . " you will see things. On the days you don't, you won't. In addition to all the factors Zoe listed, take into account the time to rent a car - in my experience it's never less than an hour and sometimes more - and return it. I guess you're renting a car in Edinburgh and returning it in the Cotswolds - have you found a company that has rental offices in both places?

Just as an example: July 13. Get up in Bruges, pack up, have breakfast, get to the train station. 4 hours on the trains. Arrive in Amsterdam with luggage early in the afternoon and rent a car, then check in at hotel with car. Lunch?? You will have time for dinner and/or an evening canal cruise before getting to bed - remember, you want to be on the road by 7 the next morning. Then you want to return the car in Basel. Have you found a rental company that allows this? Have you checked if there are drop-off charges?

Thanks for your comments, Chani! Luckily Enterprise has many locations in the UK, and I have looked into it a bit. This itinerary is a first draft and fluid, and it might be possible to change a few things up and return the car in Oxford where we know some people instead. There is an enterprise near the Cotswolds area, but it's not ideal.

The transition in Amsterdam is one of the reasons I wrote in this forum -- any advice on car rentals across country borders would be helpful. The UK was easy but this is harder. I might just go to a travel agent for that portion unless someone on here can help. Amsterdam is not a highlight for this trip, so a simple canal ride and dinner will suffice. :)

Thanks for your good points!

So.. for example.. you actually have no desire to sightsee in London?? I can't see when you would have time what with getting from train station to hotel.. checking in.. having dinner,, then maybe a walk. Next day you will have to check out ( usually by 11 am) go to train station .. travel to Brugges.. so really you are giving London a total of maybe 6 hours of sightseeing. Harsh..

I think one night stays are basically only transit stops.. not sightseeing.. and really think they should be avoided or expanded to two nights( which is only one full day.. and if a place isn't worth a full day of sightseeing maybe its not worth stopping in at all)?

I want to show him as much as possible without rushing it.

I respect that you've put considerable work into this itinerary but it is about as rushed as it can be. As the others have said - including the Fodor's readers - you're going to spend so much of your time in transport, finding and checking in and out of hotels, packing and unpacking, that you'll see very little at all, and experience nothing: snap the quick photo and move on. Every move eats up more time than most travelers anticipate.

The day count works out to be closer to 3 weeks than 4 if subtracting first and last days, which are arrival/departure days and not considered part of the sightseeing plan…or shouldn't be, anyway. Getting off a long international flight, dealing with car rental and then a long drive (on the opposite side of the road) while jet-lagged is just not a great idea, IMHO. Take note of how much time one experienced reader estimates that drive will really take?

Additionally, any little snag is going to make an itinerary this tight go pear shaped in a big hurry. Air or train strikes/delays, road jams, weather complications, a car breakdown, a bad cold…

I realize that we all travel differently but I'll just say that we've spent about the amount of time you're allotting for 7 countries in just one - with no stay shorter than 3 nights - and desperately wished we'd had double the weeks. This schedule would completely exhaust both of us by the end of the first week.

Does anyone have any advice on places to see/do in the locations mentioned on my itinerary? Because getting lectured about how fast-paced it is isn't necessary, but thank you for your concern.

And I love London - I could live there if given the chance, but my husband just wants to use it as a travel hub and pass through. It's his trip, too.

Again, any tips about the locations on the itinerary would be great! It's still flexible and I'd love some feedback on that instead of the timing logistics. Thanks!

I dont understand why you give 3 nights to Lucca and only 2 nights each to Venice and Rome. You are spending too much time in transit getting to/from Venice and getting only 1 full day. Not the best use of time, IMHO. Either give Venice more time, or drop it entirely from the itinerary.

You asked for advice. Either add a couple weeks to your trip and add in more time to all these destinations, or drop about half of them if you cant stay longer. I've made your mistake, too many places in too short a time (6 cities in Italy in 12 nights). I didn't listen to the advice on this helpline. It was EXHAUSTING!!! The places I stayed only 1 night ended up being the places I loved the most and wished for more time. And now my next trip in a few weeks will have me going back for more time and fewer destinations (4 locations in 16 nights).

Stop and smell those roses.

allidah.benay,

i love reading these posts where poeple plan these types of trips. I would love it even more to read a trip report and how it all works out and if you would do it over again once youre back.

happy trails.

I've been to both Lucca and Venice, and I think that the day trips from Lucca are more along the lines of what we're looking for this time around. My husband doesn't really care about glass or lace, but rather wine & bike riding. However, I believe spending two nights in Venice is essential and very much worthwhile.

And people do these types of trips all the time, including both me and my husband, and love them. Thanks for your opinion, though. There is a time and a place for different types of trips, and this is the time for a whirlwind. We'll slow down once we're older and have a kid.

Again, any advice on the actual locations or sites to see in between (i.e. along the Rhine, through the UK) would be great. Thanks!

Hello,
I too agree your trip is very rushed, but you said you know that and what you really want is some information about what to see on your various stops. Here are some suggestions for you on Amsterdam - your July 13th destination. You could visit:
1) Rijksmuseum - 2 to 3 hours on a quick visit
2) Van Gogh Museum - another two hours, minimum
3) Anne Frank House - 90 minutes could do it
4) Canal Tour of City - most are 60 to 90 minutes, but they also offer dinner cruises
5) See some of the nightlife centers of the city - Dam Square, Rembrandt Square, Liedse Square, the Pipes, etc...
6) Just wander around the unique and enjoyable Jordan area
etc
Pick one of these, what with getting to your hotel from the station, checking in, and catching your breath,that is about all the time your schedule allows for Amsterdam. Oh, also remember you will be there in the peak of the tourist season, so you must takes crowds and waiting lines into account at many of these.

That's great info, thank you!!!! Advice like that will help me shape my trip a bit better. I really appreciate it.

Actually you did ask only for advice about your itinerary: "However, I'm all about asking for tips and advice -- let me know what you all think! Thank you!"

That's what the posters are responding to - they are letting you know what they think.

I don't see a question in your post asking for suggestions and/or recommendations for things to see and do. Now that people know that's what you want, you'll maybe get more actual sightseeing suggestions.

Good luck with your trip.

Hi,

It's good to know that some like your travel schedule. I would change it a bit by leaving out Switzerland, add those days to Italy or London. This type of pace I suggest you stay near the train stations so as not to waste time going to and fro station/hotel or arrival and departure days, relying on public transportation or paying the extra expense for a taxi.

Have you been to Edinburgh? It's my favorite city and it seems a shame not to see any of it. Even a day would give you time to see the castle and stroll down the Royal Mile. If that doesn't appeal to you, could you fly into Glasgow? It would save a little time driving to Oban. Regarding the day trip to Mull and Iona - you can literally do this as a day trip, even including the island of Staffa, which I highly recommend, then spend the night in Oban. It would save you from having to switch hotels. My only other comment is about Gimmwald - you've only got one full day. If the weather is bad, you'll have wasted your time, although you could hang around the next day before moving to Zurich, assuming the weather improves. It's a gamble. Good luck with the trip and let us know how it goes.

Thanks for your tips. I've made some adjustments based on the suggestions here and elsewhere.

I've made some adjustments, mostly to the beginning of the itinerary, cutting out bits of England and adding a whole bunch of time in Edinburgh. I cut out London completely and took the suggestion to do the overnight ferry from Hull to Brugge. The Rhine trip is a bit fuzzy but I'm convinced that we'll love it, and it seems like a nice way to get from Amsterdam to Switzerland. Rome is still a frustration because I wasn't able to go last time when I backpacked through Italy and I regretted it...I desperately want to see the Sistine Chapel because I have this fear it will be destroyed or something. Plus, it's easy to fly out of Rome. One day won't even begin to do it justice, I know.

Anyway:

4-Jul Arrive in Glasgow
Drive to Oban with car or possibly by train
Overnight in Oban

5-Jul Bus tour to Duart & Iona
Overnight in Oban

6-Jul Oban to Edinburgh, possibly by train
Overnight in Edinburgh

7-Jul Explore Edinburgh

8-Jul Explore Edinburgh

9-Jul Edinburgh to Durham by car, or by train (if possible)
Overnight in Durham

10-Jul Explore Durham
Overnight in Durham

11-Jul Durham to Hull, Hull to Bruges on overnight ferry
Overnight on Ferry

12-Jul Explore Brugge
Overnight in Brugge

13-Jul Brugge to Amsterdam (4 hr by train)
Overnight in Amsterdam

14-Jul Explore Amsterdam
Overnight in Amsterdam

July 15-18 Rhine Trip - Some fuzziness here.
Overnight in Bacharach possibly 2 or 3 nights.
Want to see Eltz Castle (3hrs30min from Amsterdam, 1 from Bacharach). Possibly take a train from Amsterdam to Bacharach, then take day tours/buses to Eltz and St. Goar

18-Jul Travel from Bacharach to Basel, possibly by train (5 hrs)
Evening and overnight in Basel

19-Jul Breakfast in Basel with friend, then on to Gimmelwald (4 hrs by train & gondola)
Overnight in Gimmelwald

20-Jul Explore Gimmelwald area
Overnight in Gimmelwald

21-Jul Gimmelwald to Venice (full day)
Overnight on Train? In Venice?

22-Jul Explore Venice
Overnight in Venice

23-Jul Explore Venice
Overnight in Venice

24-Jul Venice to Lucca (by car 4 hrs)
Overnight in Lucca

25-Jul Explore Lucca
Overnight in Lucca

26-Jul Trip along SS222, Chianti Road (possible tour)
Overnight in Lucca, possibly Chianti

27-Jul Lucca to Rome by train (4 hours)
Overnight in Rome

28-Jul Rome (Vatican - Just Sistine Chapel if I can get in)
Overnight in Rome

19-Jul Rome back to USA

Your itinerary is better for sure! I was sweating just reading the original...your route makes more sense and there isn't as much jumping around. Your trip is certainly a good overview that meets your goal of showing him as much as possible. As other posters have said, don't underestimate how much time checking in/out, renting cars, getting gas, travel time, etc., will take. Be liberal with the time you allow for this because European travel often doesn't go as smoothly as you might hope. That said, I think you will have a wonderful time!
You've already received some great advice on what to see so I will just add that when you are in Venice, take time to just wander and get lost on the back streets. It is a beautiful city when you get out of the tourist crowds and the only way to do that is to get lost! You can only wander so far in any one direction because of the lagoon and there is good signage you will run into eventually that will point you back towards the main tourist areas. One of my favorite things to do is to ride on a vaparetto up and down the Grand Canal at night. There is nothing more romantic in the world! It's too bad you will really only have one day there...the outer islands in the lagoon are magical and easy to get to but you won't have time with just one day.

Hi,

In the past say back in the '70s and '80s, I did your style of traveling at times. If you are moving with luggage every 2-3 days, two factors must be kept in consideration: 1. take the early train so you arrive no later than noon. That gives you 2.5 days.

2: If you stay in the station area, you don't waste time going back and forth on arrival/departure day. Since you're going in the summer, arriving at noon still gives you enough day hrs, unless there is a museum to see before it closes at 17:00. Keeping to the itinerary requires real determination and going after the set priorities.

You're itinerary revision looks much better! the only thing that confuses me is spending so much time in Scotland and skipping London, but it is your trip and I'm sure you have your reasons.

When I read the first draft I thought you were driving from Amsterdam to the Rhine so thought you might be able to fit in Burg Eltz and St. Goar / Rheinfels in one day. Since you will be traveling by train I suggest after checking in at your hotel in Bacharach head straight to St Goar and save Burg Eltz for the full day you have in the area. If you have time you might also check out Cochem on the Mosel. It has a "newer" but very nice castle also. If you plan on training and hiking to Burg Eltz that in itself is a pretty full day (fun, but full).

In Gimmelwald I would give your husband a taste of both sides of the valley. You could do the Northface trail (assuming you are in reasonable shape) one day, then take the gondola up from Wengen the next day and hike from Mannlichen to Klein Schiedegg and take the train the rest of the way up to the top of the Jungfrau. (if you are in really good shape - consider doing the "ridge hike" Rick talks about in his Switzerland book - between first and schynigge platt. It's a very long hike, but well worth it.)
Since you have limited time in Rome you might arrange a tour of the Forum / Colloseum for the afternoon you arrive, spend the evening strolling and seeing the Trevi Fountain / spanish steps and save St. Peters and the Vatican museum for the full day you have there.
Those are my suggestions. Have a great trip!

Thanks for the additional advice! Jill, we're skipping London because my Aussie husband has a grudge against it -- I need a holiday dedicated to just London and the surrounding towns so I can show him how nice it truly is. So we'll return in a few years and do a two week trip.

The advice about Gimmelwald, the Rhine, Venice, and timing is much appreciated. I'll add it all to my notes! Thanks for your help, everyone!

On the 26, stay in Chianti...you're almost a third of the way to Rome. Why backtrack to Lucca.

Stay in Castellina in Chianti, Siena, Montalcino or Orvieto.