Itinerary - Into Paris, out of Berlin, 15 days, 16 nights

Hi,

One way to maximize travel time is to take a night train if available, if you preclude that option. While it's true that no Paris-Berlin direct night connection is available, you can still do it. Take the TGV Paris Est to Strasbourg, then the S-Bahn to Offenburg, where there is night connection to Berlin Hbf.

Hello i.am.ehead,
I think both of those travel plans are good. My first thought about it is : because you will be at Paris, you might want to go also go to another place in France, in this trip. Riding in a train from Paris to Strasbourg is easy. Do not go to Amsterdam, in this trip.

I have never taken a trip that long. My MO is to book 4-5 days in one city. I did once do four days in Amsterdam, followed by two in Dublin, but only because of the price break I got on tickets that connected through Dublin. I've never been to Ghent, but a dear friend has been and she adores it. It's much more laid-back, with fewer famous things to do. But I think you could still enjoy the three main cities on your plan. The way I do it is to pick one big and one minor attraction for each day. I might choose a few key things I want to see at the Louvre (or plan to see everything at a smaller museum), break for lunch, then spend the rest of the day exploring the passage couverts. (I travel alone and usually in the off season when museums have shorter hours, so my evenings tend to be quiet as I need to get up early to keep to my plan.) For Berlin, which doesn't have a museum as massive as the Met or the Louvre, that might be two museums that are near each other, followed by lunch and then walking around Helmholzkiez (check out the Kulturbrauerei!)

In planning your itinerary, make a chart of all museums you are interested in and map out which ones have late hours on which days--there's always a museum with late hours, and they're never as crowded as you'd think. Then just tick off your highlights. You won't see "everything," but by mixing your top few sights with plenty of walking and wandering around time, you'll really get to know the city and fall in love.

Have an awesome trip!

Your current plan looks good to me. There's a nice mix of cultures, classic destinations, and plenty for each of you to enjoy if you choose to split up for a few hours once in a while. All the cities are connected by train, though you may save a couple hours by flying from A'dam to Berlin. I'd take the train to avoid the hassles and discomfort of air travel. I'd save Strasbourg for another trip when you can spend more time exploring Alsace.

Bonus - European Heritage Days (Les Journees du Patrimoine) is celebrated this year in France on Sept. 16-17. This gives you the opportunity to visit some of Paris's most historic, opulent palaces - Hotel de Ville (city hall), Luxembourg Palace (senate), Elysee Palace (presidential residence), and others.