Itinerary Help

I would be worried too. You are hop-scotching all over the place with no apparent course. You start east, then go north then west, then south for a bit, then north, then south and then north. If you were to pin a map on the wall and chart your itinerary, you will see how jumbled this trip appears. Though I do not have the travel creds of many of the folks on this site, I would suggest you make a big "U", start in Prague but then head to Venice, then Florence, Rome and then back north. Berlin is kind of out of the way. Skipping Berlin would give you 4 more nights to add somewhere else. Not knowing what your interests are makes it difficult to recommend where to spend the time, but if you are looking to relax I would split the nights between the CT and Gimmelwald. Can't answer the hostel question.

Thanks for the reply! The reason I start out by heading north is because it gets me to London for Wimbledon. I'm not sure how Berlin is really out of the way as it is pretty much on the way to Amsterdam. I then fly to Rome and do what you suggest by going through Florence and Venice up to Gimmelwald. The only "out of the way place" would be Cinque Terre but I'm not really sure how that would not be out of the way with any shuffling of cities. But to answer your questions about my interests, I am interested by nature and hikes but also wanted to see the big cities of Europe.

You mentioned that you like nature & hiking. Cinque Terre & Gimmelwald will be great. But, otherwise, I'm just seeing a long list of major cities.

Check out rome2rio.com with your plan and see how much transportation time is spent going between places. For instance, it takes 7 hours to get from Venice to Gimmelwald, so you're really only at Gimmelwald for one day of activity time. And, you're not going to want to leave if you love gorgeous scenery & hiking. Personally, I'd drop Brussels and add that time to Gimmelwald/Murren.

Any chance you would rather do a "My Way" RS tour to at least be around some people for part of your trip?

Thanks Jean! I agree with you that the Venice to Gimmelwald travel time is long but I think it will be just as long from anywhere else I am visiting. I like your suggestion about cutting Brussels to give me more time there. I know that I have a lot of major cities but I am just struggling with going to Europe for the first time and not seeing these places. If you have any suggestions that would be similar to Cinque Terre or Gimmelwald in terms of hiking/nature I would love to hear them.

I'm sure you'll find like-minded people at your hostels. And if they're fun but doing something not on your plan, be flexible. Go with the flow. Be spontaneous and enjoy. Travel is all about having great experiences. What you don't see this time will be there next time. Remember, you'll never see it all.

I think your plan is too busy. Let me explain. It's like sampling from an appetizer buffet instead of having a 4-5 course meal. You'll get a taste of a lot of places, but you won't have time to delve into any one. You use up 1/2 day or more every time you move. Remember, it's not just xx number of hours on the train, it's packing your bag and getting to the station, then from the next station to the next room and checking in and dropping the bag. It takes time to get oriented to each new place, where things are, how to get around, where to eat . . . You're on the go for about 30 days, you'll need to take time out to shop for supplies as they run out and to do laundry.

So I would pare it down. It only hurts for a little bit. Once you're in Europe, you'll be having so much fun wherever you are that you won't miss the places you aren't. Skip Belgium, skip Florence (unless you are seriously interested in Renaissance art). Spend more time in London. For outdoors (hiking, scenery) spend more time in the Cinque Terre and in Gimmelwald. After that, you decide what king of a "meal" you want.

I don't know the transportation options to/from Gimmelwald. I assume you're planning to fly from London to your next spot. Rome seems like a good choice, then northward. It's easier to go from Rome to the CT and then through Florence (with or without a stop) to Venice. The CT takes a long time to get to/from because of slow trains and connection times. In the summer it's going to be crowded. Try to find a substitute or just drop it.

Hello connermcqueen. I recommend : delete Venice from your itinerary. Travelling from Rome to Paris, go from Rome to a Cinque Terre village. Ride in trains from Rome to Pisa (coastal route), and to La Spezia, and to a village in the Cinque Terre.(Be at Cinque Terre 3 nights)
Florence. (trains).
Gimmelwald (be there 3 nights).
Paris.

You've gotten good advice.

Repeat after me: On my trip, I will see what I will see, I will miss everything else, and I will be OK with that, because it's all good.

Rule number 2: As Chani says, it always takes longer, and takes more out of you than you anticipate, to get from point A to point B. I find this even after many trips; for your first, it goes double.

I agree that if the Cinque Terre and Gimmelwald are your priorities (and they're fine ones), then cut other destinations to make sure you enjoy them. Particularly for Gimmelwald, you want 3-4 nights. Sightseeing there is very weather dependent, and mountains make their own weather, which changes constantly. If you have a cloudy or rainy day, and you're only there a short time, you miss out.

I agree that Brussels should be the first thing to go. Not only are you less interested in cities, but as cities go, Brussels is definitely third-tier. For Italy, all of the cities are very rich and can be overwhelming, so (as hard as it is), I'd pick just one or two of the Big Three (Venice, Florence, Rome), depending on your interests.

Otherwise, you have indeed picked fine places, and everyone will have a different opinion of what to cut and what to keep. Maybe use price or availability of accommodation as a tie-breaker. You should never go to a place just because it's cheap, but since you have to cut something, this is a good way to do it for a first trip. Remember, as Rick (and everyone else here) says, assume you will return.

Thanks everybody for the help. I think I am going to drop Brussels and then either Florence or Venice. It is tough but I know I am going to be back so I just need to enjoy where I go and not worry about what I am missing. I will see it all (probably more than once) someday.

Ah, Conner. How naive a young lad you are. When you get to Europe and start to see what's there, you'll realize that you'll never ever be able to see it all. Yet you are indeed wise beyond your years to grasp that the object is to enjoy where you are and what you are able to do . . no regrets, just a constantly growing list of things to do next time.

For more practical stuff, go to Hostel World's website to start a list of hostels. The site includes descriptions and some reviews. There's at least one other good site for hostels, but I can't remember the name. Google!! Some popular hostels may fill up. You can make bookings with free cancellation most of the time. Before you commit, read the terms carefully to make sure you can cancel and make yourself a reminder of the cancel-by date.

The German rail site, bahn.de, is the best place to find train schedules. For prices you need to go to each country's website. Since you're doing a lot of traveling in a short time, a rail pass may be a good idea. I don't know much about them, but they may allow you to save money and be flexible with your itinerary at the same time. Try starting a new thread specific to rail travel. To get cheap European flights (if you need any), you should book early. The longer you wait, the more expensive they get. Watch out for extra fees when comparing costs. If you're thinking of flying, post a separate thread for that too.