Itinerary & your thoughts, please

If you are just wanting to sample Europe, your itinerary is fine as long as you review it and include the travel time. I would also suggest that you get hard-core about researching what you want to see/do and what is feasible to see/do - usually dependent on time.

My daughter and I did a 27 day backpack through Europe to sample it, including the British Isles but excluding Scandinavia and the Benelux countries. We found that two nights in a location equated to one full day sightseeing and not much else.

About Flying Pig Hostel, I would suggest you check sites with reviews to see if you want to stay there. Look for clues that indicate the "party" level which will give you the noise level.

Have a great trip!

Isadora, 2 days per city is such a waste. Visually in your head you'll think you can do it (and you probably can) but to me, its just a "why bother"?

I would take out 1 or 2 cities and extend your visit to 3 days per city.

Plus on May 25 you will arrive in Munich on a Sunday. All the shops will be closed, so you won't see much on that day. Why not extend that portion to leave on the 27th, and maybe take out Switzerland for another visit? That way you can include MORE of Italy.

Isadora, I sympathize with your lack of vacation time. However, especially since you are young and have so many travelling years ahead of you(!!) I'd agree with the previous poster and say spend more time each place, go fewer places. As a new traveller its easy to pencil in "2 days" and think that means you actually have 2 days to do stuff. I suggest making a calendar for your trip and making enough space to list what you're doing in 2 hour blocks. You'll find that you're waking up May 7th and spending a good part of the day getting to Interlaken and checking into the hotel; maybe you have part of the afternoon left, one more day, then a bunch of travel. My suggestion is to spend 3 nites in each place; you'll leave a lot on the table, that's why you'll be back!

Hello Isadora. I think your first mistake is planning too many days for your trip. You said you get two weeks of vacation, that is 14 days. In your tentative itinerary, I count a total of 16 days, including the day you begin traveling from the U.S.A., and the day you fly back to the U.S.A. And, I recommend that travelers plan to be back at home for three whole days before going back to work, for them to have time to rest and become adjusted to the different time zone. (Most people need six days to become adjusted to the different time zone when they are back in the U.S.A.). What will be your transportation from ROME to AMSTERDAM ? And, I think planning to do major sightseeing the day you arrive at the Munich airport at 8 a.m. is a mistake. And I do not see a day for a day trip to King Ludwig's castle. I agree with other repliers here : go to less destinations. I suggest this route : Munich ->Italy ->Interlaken ->Amsterdam.

Thanks so much for your input (we are traveling over a holiday so I get a little extra time--hence the 16 days not exactly 14...)

I'm the heaviest sleeper on the planet, so we plan on taking several night trains to different countries. From Rome>Amst. we are flying Rianair (15 Euro!) I also have family in Alkmaar.

We sat down yesterday with the Steves' book of each country and yes, it seems like a lot but I'd rather have a quick view of everything, you know? And I don't know when I'd be able to go back and see everything (this trip is cleaning me out, as is!)

Thanks again!!!

Isadora,
Time to get busy with a more refined plan. Two weeks (incl. family visit) is pretty tight, but that's the American Way. You need to organize the intinerary so you don't backtrack.

Remember, Pentecost (Pfingsten)is an official holiday (3-day weekend) at the end of May, just like Memorial Day, at least in Catholic countries. All stores closed, but tourist services available. Transportation on holiday schedule and crowded that weekend. I don't know how you are traveling, but that will affect your choices.

Munich has wonderful churches, downtown, Schwabing entertainment dist., English Garden, and great transportation. Dachau, Andechs monastery/brewery, and which Ludwig's castle? are worth visiting.

Interlaken - take train up to Ballenberg outdoor museum. Entire area is outstanding for hiking.

Cinque Terre is a RS must (there are other picturesque Italian towns, but for RS fans there is no other). Look in other travel guides for great towns to visit.

I tend to agree that it will be much more rewarding to have a more intimate experience in fewer cities, rather than cramming in too many. They all become a blur.

I have relatives who travel to Europe regularly and they constantly say "I 'think' I was in such-and-such city." I always wondered to myself - why bother going to a city if you can't remember if you were even IN that city a year from then????

Isadora, you have clearly thought about this and done your homework. So I am reluctant to offer even the mildest criticism. But since that's all I've got, and you asked, here are just a few things to think about.

Munich, and indeed every place on your itinerary except for Rome and Amsterdam, would not make most people's A list of what to see the first time in Europe on a fast schedule.

If that is the product of thought, I say good for you for knowing what you want.

There is a potential problem with two days in Interlaken. One day of bad weather could do you in--a shame to go all that way to be indoors. Even supposing good weather you are traveling far to spend a very short time in a fabulous place.

If you were going to tinker I'd think about shifting a day from the Cinque Terre to Interlaken, and maybe basing your time there actually in the mountains.