Itinerary - How does it look?

Yes .. I'll be flying into Paris and leaving the same day for Avignon .. saving my touring of Paris at the end of my trip when my mom flies in to meet me.

Thanks Kent .. I'll add on a day to fussen since as you said, castle hopping will take a full day.

Kent, In his books, Rick says both Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau can be visited in one morning. Is that not long enough?

During April, you can easily see the castles in one morning, but as you move closer to the summer, unless you arrive first thing in the morning, it could take longer. This all depends on what time you arrive at the ticket booth, however.

A question, are you driving, using the rails, or some combination of both? There are certainly some destinations were an automobile is more useful than others. For example, you really need a car to explore Normandy, and its handy for Interlaken as well. But for most of the cities on your list, a car is more hassle than benefit.

I will be using the train and other methods of public transportation while I'm in Europe. I will consider renting a car for Normandy as long as I can rent something on the outskirts of Paris (to avoid driving in the city). I would, however, prefer not to rent a car and see what I can using trains and buses.

Your itinerary looks perfectly doable. Now, about those extra days...

A little more of the South of France (Francophile here: I always suggest this). You're right on track with the Pont du Gard and Arles day trips. You can see even more, though. Consider the Luberon, some vineyards, Gorges du Verdun, Aix-en-Provence, the Alpilles area, Nimes...the list goes on forever.

More days in Paris (sorry, still a francophile). Add Versailles (half-day to full day). And since there are an infinite number of day trips from the capital, even if you end up hating the city, you can always escape ;) Just take the train.

There are tours of D-Day beaches (e.g. Cityrama )that depart from Paris if you need them.

Hostel Recommendation for Paris: Auberge Internationale des Jeunes / My review of the hostel on Student Universe

If you are in the Rhine River Valley - Rothenburg is worth a stop. Be sure to take the night watchman's tour. Vienna is a great city to visit. Allow several days. And Salzburg is one of my favorite cities.

Hey .. thanks for the suggestions :)

Now I have another question. I think I'm going to buy a rail pass, the 15 travel days in 2 months. The global pass doesn't seem to make much sense, since I'll be staying in cities for a few days each. I did my best to research the cost and the train trips moving from city to city appear to cost about $40 each and I like the idea of being able to hop on the train when I want (subject to mandatory reservations and the like) .. does this rail pass seem reasonable according to my itinerary?

Shauna, if you don't mind me asking, are you under 26 years old? I can run your itinerary through Rail Saver, but I need to know if you qualify for a Youth Rail Pass.

Also, which 15 days in 2 months Rail Pass are you considering? The Global Pass, Flexi Pass or a Select Pass?

I'm 25 so I'll qualify for this trip.

I'm looking at the select pass for France, Italy, Switzerland, Germanry and Benelux

Great! That's the one I was going to recommend. The convenience of having a rail pass is truly unparalleled. Be sure to buy reservations for long trips as early as possible. You can buy them in the states via Rail Europe or purchase them at train stations in Europe. Also, please read the Travel Guide that comes with your Rail Pass. It has important information on how to use your pass properly and handy bonuses as well.

Thanks for confirming .. I think it'll be convienent to have those longer trips prepaid :)