Itinerary Help/Suggestions

If i was to do my three week trip to europe again I would always stay at least three nights at every major centre. One day to arrive, get adjusted, figure out how to get around and see at least one site, the next to see several sites and the last to pack up, see one more thing and then travel to the next place! And on the first stop i would stay four nights to get over the jet lag.

I agree with Liz. Good stops along the way.

I'd cut Salzburg one day, and move down to Innsbruck for the incredible mountain scenery. The train ride down to Venice is a breeze from there.

You seem to have an attraction for Germany, but I'd rather be in Vienna than Munich.
Salzburg is delightful.

Some people don't like Venice because you really are easy prey as a tourist.

Florence is my favorite city in the world, so I'd spend more time there if you're willing to give up Venice. The art and architecture and history of Florence are simply un-matched anywhere. Check out the Palazzo Guadagni (hotel) in Florence. Tripadvisor is full of stellar reviews and we stayed there last year. Don't miss the Uffizi and get your tickets in advance.
When in Rome, let me recommend the Forum, the Palatine Hill, the Coliseum and the Pantheon. Get tickets in advance for the Coliseum.

You will have a wonderful time regardless of what you do. Your first time in Europe is always magical. Have fun.

Thanks, everyone. Re my "attraction" for Germany. My father was born in Stralsund and lived in Berlin. I have family in Berlin. I also majored in German and learned about a lot of the culture and sights. Hence, my attraction. Munich, well, I grew up with Oom-pah music, lederhosen, Schuhplatteln dancing and Oktoberfest will be going on while we are there. So why not go? Hubby wants to go to Dachau, too, so it made sense. Salzburg is where many of my ancestors were from. They were expelled from Salzburg in the 1700's because they refused to convert from Lutheran to Catholic. They wound up in East Prussia. We are going to use Salzburg as one of those places to wind down a bit, just sit and relax, soak up the atmosphere and "be." I think I've allowed a little bit of leeway just to "be" in every city.

I also studied Italian for 3 years and learned a lot about the sights there. I wish we could spend more time in Italy because there is so much to see. I know what I want to see in each city. I've been planning this trip ever since I was a child. Hubby is planning on making my childhood dream come true for our 20th anniversary.

Munich, well, I grew up with Oom-pah music, lederhosen, Schuhplatteln dancing and Oktoberfest will be going on while we are there. So why not go?

Well, one could argue that the culture of your ancestors had absolutely nothing to do with these Bavarian traditions, which represent maybe 5% of Germany. ;-)
Sounds like they were Protestant North Germans, which have more in common with Scandinavians than with Bavarians.

Stralsund is a wonderful town btw.. The centre is completely preserved and a World Heritage Site today. One of the best examples of a Hanseatic town. And the region around Stralsund is Germanys most popular summer destination.

Your itinerary looks good. Are you not going to Neuschwanstein Castle while in Munich? Rome needs another day but there's only so much time.

With only one day, you really don't have time, but if you decide to give Stralsund more time, consider crossing over the bridge to the island of Rügen. As Mark noted, this region has a completely different feel and look from the German cultural stereotypes, which are mostly Bavarian.

While in Stralsund, look for Störtebeker beer. In a country that produces almost nothing but lagers, this is one of the only brewery I know of that specializes in ales.

The thought of two night trains makes me want to gag. Fly from Berlin to Munich, at least.

Lee, I don't think we will have time for Neuschwanstein. I would love to spend more time in Rome, but there are time constraints. I had originally planned on 5 days in every city except for Venice (3). Plans had to change. There's even a chance now that we will have to shave off a few more days which I would hate to do.

Tom, I already looked at Rügen. I would love to go. I don't know if we can, but I am considering it. My only agenda for Stralsund is to find my father's birthplace, eat at a seaside restaurant, walk around a bit and maybe meet up with a family friend. If we have time, then a quick trip to Rügen may be possible. I know we won't be doing either place justice, but I would be thankful just to be there.

Emily, hubby has never been on trains before (except for one subway trip in New York City in 2001) and really, really wants to do the train thing. Time and frustration-wise, and taking the cost into consideration, plus hubby's preference, there's not much difference between train and plane. Just MHO.

Everyone has been so helpful. I do appreciate the comments and suggestions.

IMHO. One night train is fun for the experience but I agree with Emily - two is too much! The only other thing I noticed is that all of your destinations are cities and crowded. I personally like to mix it up with small towns and cities. Other than that it looks perfect given all your responses to previous responses.

"There's not much difference between train and plane" says someone who has admittedly never been to Europe and, assumedly, not on a night train either.

Trust me - you won't sleep on the train and you will be useless the next day. The train's charm will wear off in an hour. There is a reason why air travel is more popular than train travel in Europe for longer distances.

BTW- You'll need at least two days to do Rügen any justice. It's not well served by public transportation at all, and even with a car, it still takes a long time to get around.

Tom, I had no idea that Rügen didn't have much public transportation. That kind of changes things, maybe. Will play that one by ear. I really would like to go there.

As for the criticism of planes vs. trains, another reason for train over plane is that I have a deep-seated fear of flying/heights, especially after 9/11. The last time I flew was 2 months before that day. Just to go TATL is a big deal for me. I have confronted my fears. I have flown in the co-pilot's seat of a 4-seater plane twice. It did nothing to erase this fear nor make it worse. All in all, there are many considerations for our decision. We put a lot of thought and discussion on trains vs. planes over the past year. We could be wrong with our decision. Nothing is set in stone at this point, but this is how we see it right now.

As for visiting big cities. Yes, you are right. This isn't exactly the trip to Europe that I had dreamed of as a child. I always dreamed of avoiding the big cities and driving wherever I wanted to go. I wanted to avoid the tourist traps. I envisioned a month or two in Europe. I had that trip all planned out. But life's circumstances took over. I will be 62 when we go next year and my health isn't the best. I don't think we will have the opportunity to do this again, so we really need to make sure we see the things we want to see as much as we can. That means we probably will do some of the clichéd touristy things. Sometimes we have to compromise and adapt.

Hi,

Great that your major was in German, and a good itinerary for the time frame of 3.5 weeks.

On taking the night train from Berlin to Munich, that's a very doable option since it is a CNL night train. . I've done the night train route to Munich from Hamburg twice, very satisfactory, no problems, also a CNL. I wouldn't hesitate taking the CNL from Berlin either. You arrive at Munich Hbf shortly after 07:00.

Hi,

One other note...these expelled people wound up in East Prussia from Salzburg because as the Salzburg Protestants they were denied religious toleration in Catholic Salzburg, which the Great Elector ( der Große Kurfürst) had granted them in Brandenburg-Preußen prior to his death in 1688, ...a very interesting family background.

Hi! I think your itinerary sounds wonderful and it certainly sounds like you have put a lot of thought and planning into your much anticipated trip. Since you feel that this may be your only chance for a European trip, do not give up your days in Venice. It is a beautiful city and will be so different from any other place on your journey. Regarding the two overnight trains, yes, you will probably be tired the day after, but you know what, you will look back on those train rides and be glad for the experience. So you end the next day a little early and get a good nights sleep, no big deal. Have a wonderful trip, soak it all up and remember to keep some sort of journal. In spite of your best efforts (at least for me), when you are moving around that much, the days will tend to become a blur once you return home.

Thanks for your help, everyone! I do appreciate it.

Here's a description of the various options for the City Night Line (CNL) train that you'd take from Berlin to Munich

http://www.seat61.com/citynightline.htm#.VDjWDfmSzTo

If you don't take a 2-bed compartment, you will either have to buy all the beds in a larger one or share with strangers. Be sure to take a train without changes! The German rail site is the best for planning; it shows trains in other countries, not just Germany. bahn.de

I think your trip looks great. It doesn't look like you overbooked as many people are tempted to do on their first trip. Have fun.