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Itinerary review: Thanksgiving

I am heading to Europe over thanksgiving 2015. This will be my sixth trip to Europe and will be traveling solo. I got a great deal from Oakland to Stockholm for $435.00. I am using Stockholm as a jumping off point. My current itinerary is as follows:

Nov 20/21: Flight OAK to ARN arriving at 2:00 pm
Nov 21: ARN to VIE at 8:00 PM arriving at 10:20 PM. I know this is a long layover but I have preferred to just kill a full travel day then a second travel day.

Nov 22: Vienna
Nov 23: Vienna
Nov 24: Vienna ->Prague (rail or bus?)
Nov 25: Prague
Nov 26: Prague->Dresden ->Berlin (train)
Nov 27: Berlin
Nov 28: Berlin
Nov 29: Berlin
Nov 30: flight from Berlin to Stockholm arriving at 12:30. Flight from Stockholm to Oakland at 3:30 PM

I am booked on my flight to Stockholm already and would like to add my intra-Europe flights soon.
Any suggestions?

Posted by
15576 posts

It looks like a fine plan to me, into Vienna and out of Berlin. I'd book the flights today.

I went by train from Vienna to Prague. The metro station is in the train station, so it's easy and convenient. I got some local currency at an ATM in the station and also got travel cards at the TI there. Unless you have to prepay your Prague hotel, you can use any leftover currency toward the room bill.

I especially like Dresden in the evening. I stayed overnight. In November you will be able to see it after dark and then get a train to Berlin. It's easy to get to/from the train station by tram.

As for time allocations, I would probably choose an evening train (to maximize sightseeing time) from Vienna to Prague on the 23rd, to have 2 full days in Prague. Other than that, I really like your plan.

Posted by
1717 posts

Hello Janine. The day you fly from Berlin to Stockholm to Oakland, will you have enough time at the Stockholm airport ? At the Stockholm airport will you check-in for your next flight at an airline's flight check-in place ? And will you have check-in baggage (your bag put in the airplanes' baggage compartment) ? I think your destinations are good choices. I guess : you being at Dresden a few hours could be satisfactory because you are very experienced in travelling in Europe. I like the suggestion from Chani : an evening train from Vienna to Prague on November 23. That would give you two whole days at Prague. I do NOT suggest that you delete any of the days from Vienna or from Berlin, in your itinerary. I guess you know : being at Prague is not pleasant when the weather there is very cold and snowy.

Posted by
8124 posts

Janine: You are indeed brave to go solo that far north at the end of November.

Did you try to book the flight Oakland-Stockholm-Vienna all on Norwegian Air Shuttle?
I'd suggest you go from Vienna to Prague on the train. It's a pretty flat, somewhat slow and uneventful trip along a river delta.
When you get into Prague, take one of the Nightlife Tours where you link up with a bunch of lively people from all over the world and they show you where the great bars and reasonably priced restaurants are. Prague in no longer an inexpensive city--except for beer.
Have you considered stopping in Dresden to spend the night? It's an incredible museum city, and home to some of my relatives.
You're going to some very lively and great cities. Have a wonderful trip.

Posted by
10 posts

Thanks for all the feedback.

To follow up regarding the questions. I am not planning on checking bags. I have a backpack that fits the Norweign requirements that I have used before and love.

I am looking at Ethopian air from Stockholm to Vienna as it is a direct flight. (It does not look like Norweign Flies to Vienna). I am flying Norweign from Berlin to Stockholm. Currently I have just booked the Oakland to Stockholm flight and now building the itinerary around it. Between the thanksgiving holiday and the weekends I am also able to only spend 4 PTO days for a 10 day trip plus less than $500 to Europe from the west coast I just jump on the tickets.

I will definitely look into the prauge tours as something to do at night.

Regarding Dresden is to take an AM train from prauge then do the Green Vault in the afternoon making it to Berlin in the evening.

Any other suggestions would be appricated. Thanks Janine