Looking for advice on my summer 2012 backpacking trip! Thanks!

Whew! Even just reading that made my head spin a little :-). I haven't been to every place you're planning, but I really would recommend slowing down a bit. First of all, when are you arriving? Do you have three full days in London, or are you arriving on the 29th? Consider how your body does with jet lag-some people are fine and can get right into sightseeing, but others need a little more time. Don't cut your time short in London! If it was me, I'd personally cut Edinburgh and spend more time in London. There's so much to see in the city that you probably won't get to Cambridge with the time you have. But you have allotted for the travel days, even if it's a bit crunched. Three days in Paris can give you a good intro, unless you were hoping to hit Verseilles, which is a good half-day at least. I really can't comment on Switzerland or Germany since I haven't been there. Personally, around 6/17 is when your trip starts feeling rushed to me. Unlike in the first half, you haven't allotted for adequate travel time, and you're practically moving every day. Like others on this board, I recommend trying to stay in each place at least two nights. Salzburg has so much charm and character, and you're giving it less than a day! The Italy portion looks ok, again it's a little more rushed than I'd suggest, but you have allowed for a day of travel in between many of your sites, which is good. I guess if I had to make one suggestion on a section to cut in order to give more time in other places, it would be the Slovenia portion. It's the place you're heaviest on one-night stays, and in order to make them longer you'd probably have to completely cut one if not two other major cities. You're on the right track-it takes awhile to plan a trip of this length!

Thanks so much Linnae! I actually used to live in Paris and my boyfriend has already been there as well, so I am not too worried on spending that much time there. Otherwise, I agree with you! The 29th is the day we get there, so we would have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as whole days in London. That weekend is actually the Diamond Jubilee which I initially thought would be fun to stay for, but am now thinking it may make the city a bit of a madhouse. I can't cut Edinburgh since my boyfriend really wants to go there, but I am thinking we will not go to Cambridge at all. I am hoping to find a way to make Slovenia easier to handle travel-wise. It seems that most trips use Ljubljana as a hub or transfer point (by bus or train). I wouldn't mind cutting out Ljubljana and just going from Salzburg to Bled and then Bled to Divaca, but I can't seem to find a good way to do this. Perhaps I should cut out either Bled or Divaca entirely, but they both seem great! You seem to have been to Salzburg. Can you speak to how expensive it is for budget travelers? I am a little worried since I have read it is very expensive. Again, thank you for your advice!

Hello Ellie. I think your trip itinerary is very good. I think you are planning for enough time in each place. The only advice that I can think of to add to it, is : I recommend planning for a totally unscheduled day, approximately one day each week. On your unscheduled day (no plans for that day), if you awaken in the morning feeling tired, you could stay in bed that morning. Or you could have time to "smell the roses", or go for a swim in the Olympic pool at Munich, or lay down on the grass at the Englisher Garden at Munich and enjoy feeling the warm sunlight on your face (and body). Or you might need extra time for washing your clothes at a public laundry. To have those unscheduled days in Europe, may require eliminating one or two destinations from your itinerary. And, if you will be at Europe that many days, I recommend not having a rigid schedule. I think it is not necessary to have reservations for rooms at hotels for every night, before you leave your home in the U.S.A. Bring information about many hotels and hostels and B & Bs in Europe (address, phone number, E-mail address).
What travel guide books did you read, on the countries that you want to travel in ? And, I highly recommend reading the book "Rick Steves' EUROPE THROUGH THE BACK DOOR, 2012". The first half of that book - it has excellent and important advice and information and wisdom on how to travel in Europe, including a chapter on railroad train travel.

Ellie, While it may be feasible, that's a VERY busy Itinerary and one which will probably be somewhat tiring. There are a considerable number of short stays and changes in location. I'd need to spend some time looking at it, but I have a few initial impressions..... > Drrop the trip to Cambridge. You're going to be jet-lagged and there's more than enough to keep busy with in London for a few days. > I'd suggest changing the order of the Italy portion, and travel Venice > Florence > Rome > Riomaggiore. There's a direct train from Roma Termini to La Spezia Centrale with a travel time of about 3H:45M. From there, it's only about 10-minutes to Riomaggiore via the local train. You might find it helpful to have a look at the HI Hostels website, as they likely have properties in many of the places you'll be visiting. It would be a good idea to purchase an inexpensive membership, as that provides cheaper rates and preferred booking. If you need a Hostel in Rome, you might consider Alessandro Palace. It's not an HI property but is a great place to stay (about 8 minutes walk from Termini, in a nice neighborhood). It appears you're planning to travel by train most of the time? Are you planning to buy P-P tickets or use a Railpass? I'm assuming this is your first trip to Europe? If so, I'd recommend reading the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door, as it provides lots of good information on "how" to travel in Europe. Good luck with your planning!

Hello Ellie, again. I agree with Ken's advice pertaining to your travel route in ITALY. When I first read your proposed trip itinerary, I did not remember where Riommagiore is. (But I was there. It is in my favorite part of Italy, at the Mediteranean Sea coast). I think Ken's advice to travel in an Express railroad train from Rome, north to La Spezia (the coastal route), and then a quick train ride to Riommagiore, is very good advice.

Ron: That is a great idea to have an unscheduled day every week. I am also hesitant to have a rigid schedule, but am feeling uneasy since we are traveling in the summer and I am worried good hostels will be booked. So far, I have been using "Europe Through the Back Door," Let's Go: Western Europe," and Rough Guide's "First Time Europe." I would love to know specifically what you like so much about Ljubljana and the things you liked doing there! Ken: I've definitely decided to drop Cambridge. Thanks for your advice on Italy transportation as well! I didn't realize that there was a direct train from Rome to La Spezia, and that is much more simple! I have been looking into getting an HI card, though most of the hostels I have found have not been members. Thanks for the suggestion on Alessandro Palace! I am planning on traveling by train for the majority of the trip (except from Edinburgh to Paris and Slovenia to Venice and probably transportation to and from Cesky Krumlov) and will probably buy a Railpass as soon as I figure out which pass option is best. I actually lived in Paris for two years previously and have previously traveled to Spain, Italy, Ireland and Turkey before. I am planning on returning to Paris, Florence and Rome on this trip since I'd like to spend some time in Paris and my boyfriend has not been to Florence or Rome (and I don't mind returning!). It is my first "backpacking" trip to Europe however! Most of my previous trips have been with my mother, so will probably not be too similar to this one! I'm a little nervous about logistics and picking the right places but am very excited nonetheless! Thank you both for your advice! It's very appreciated.

Ellie, I was in Salzburg for a long weekend this November. The most significant expense I had was the train tickets, but that's mainly because I bought them last minute and paid a lot more than I had planned for the high speed train from Vienna to Salzburg. You're taking a bus so that expense won't be there. I'm definitely a budget traveler (volunteering teaching English in Poland with only a small-ish living stipend) and I found Salzburg doable. Take advantage of the food stands scattered around town, do combo tickets when you can (for example, if you do an organized tour, you can often get a combined ticket for one or two museums at a reduced price), and check out hostels to stay in. I'd definitely try and give this city at least two nights, especially if you're interested in either Mozart or "The Sound of Music" :-)

Ellie, Regarding Railpasses...... They're not the bargain they once were, but given the area you're covering it may be a good option to consider. However, keep in mind that Railpasses DO NOT include the reservation fees which are compulsory on the "premium" trains such as the TGV or EuroStar Italia / Alta Velocita. You'll have to pay those separately so be sure to budget accordingly. One word of warning - be ABSOLUTELY sure that you have a valid reservation for trains in Italy (where required) as without a valid reservation you'll be fined on the spot, and it won't be cheap! That also applies if you're travelling with a ticket for a Regionale, and you don't validate it. You might find it helpful to download the free PDF Rail Guide from this website. Click the "Railpasses" tab at the top and then look in the lower right corner. Also, in order to sort through the huge number of Railpass options, you also might give Rick's Railpass department a call. There may be a small charge, but they'll ensure that you get the most appropriate pass for your trip. Cheers!

When I visited Slovenia, I stayed in Ljubljana and made day trips to Lake Bled and the Skocjan caves. That worked out well. The distances are relatively short, so it's not a big deal if you have to do a bit of backtracking past Divaca, for instance. Ljubljana is a great little city, but not a place of "must see" tourist sights. Even if you just have the evening hours, you can have a great time strolling through the center and lounging in the cafes. I didn't make it to the Slovenian coast- do you have a handle on the ferry schedules? If that complicates your schedule, you can always get a bus to Trieste and a train from there to Venice, around a four hour trip. Overall, I'm sure you'll have a blast with this itinerary. I take it you're in your twenties- a few years ago, at the age of 26, I did a month-long trip at a similar pace and was still ready to keep going by the end. Good luck!

By the way, apparently there are only three large luggage lockers in the Divaca train station, so if you do want to stop there on the way to the coast, that could potentially be a big headache (there could be a dozen or more backpackers wanting to do the same thing on any given day in the summer). You could think about daytripping from Koper or Piran. Also, though I haven't been to either, from what I understand Piran is a good deal nicer a place than Koper, which is quite industrial in parts.