Need feedback on trip basic structure Euro 2019 (aug/sept) 15-17 days

Yes, your first thought is quite a bit of jumping around, although EasyJet does have flights Amsterdam to Prague and Prague to Basel (to Bern). My thought is for you to cut down the geographic area and travel by train. Amsterdam to Paris to Normandy to London (via Paris) would be a good trip. that would give you a reasonable amount of time for London and Paris. They are big cities and need 4 to 5 days each at a minimum.

It has been my experience that London Heathrow has the highest taxes and fees. (We use air miles, and it is ridiculous if American tries to put us on a British Air flight...they are the most expensive) You could try to go out of Gatwick.

I also think it makes more sense to fly into Prague and then make your way to Bern. From there, you would have to research if you should do Amsterdam or Paris next. Paris has the Eurostar and you can get inexpensive tickets if you book as early as possible. (Not sure how far out they are booking at this time) You do have good options going from Amsterdam to London too. You could take a train or bus to Lille (You can actually take the bus all the way to London, but it takes 6 hours just to get to Lille so will burn up a full day). From Lille, you can transfer to the Eurostar. If you decide on the bus, it will drop you right outside the train station. You could also look at some of the smaller airlines to fly between Amsterdam and London.

When researching this, look at both cost and time. On a 2 week trip, time is precious. I have taken a couple of trips where it was actually faster and cheaper for me take a train. Airline flights have come down, but some the less expensive fares will charge you if you check a bag (and some the airlines have smaller carry on rules than what we have here in the states). Also, figure in the time to get to the airport early enough to make your flight. (I just came home and allowed 21/2 hours....and almost missed my flight our of Munich). Also include the cost and time to ride into London from the airports.

Have a great trip

I, too, like to plan my trips with an eye to the historical weather patterns. However, your revised target list for this year covers more ground than I would want to tackle in 15 or even 17 days. London and Paris are monumental cities with nearly endless sights. I would prefer to spend more time in them (certainly not less than 4 days, meaning 5 nights, and really that's not long enough). That would mean further reducing the geographical extent of the trip.

Prague and Amsterdam would both be 3-day (4-night) minimums for me. I think Prague's location screams "flight" (or "two flights"), and I really do not like having to deal with airports in the middle of a trip, especially a trip this short. Furthermore, the city can be quite hot in the summer, so I don't think it necessarily has to be tackled on this trip.

I like Bern, but most people go to Switzerland for the mountains, not for the cities. The usual recommendation is the area around Lauterbrunnen, and it's best to schedule enough time there that you have a reasonable chance of a good day or two for outdoor activities; Swiss weather is extremely unpredictable. So this, for me, would be another 4-day/5-night stop. Swiss rail fares (along with everything else in that country) are quite expensive, so traveling into the country and back out again for a very short visit will not produce a great deal of sightseeing time per $100 spent.

Bottom line: The trip will still be much more rushed than I would like, but dropping Prague and Bern and substituting the Italian Dolomites would probably save some money and allow a bit more time for the big cities. However, travel time between Bolzano and Paris/Amsterdam is considerable: Bolzano is over 10 hours from Paris by train, and you still need a bus to take you from Bolzano into the Dolomites. Flying from Paris to Munich, Milan or Venice might save a couple of hours (or not), but now we're back to dealing with airports. Much as I like the Dolomites and think they are a great summer destination, there's no way I'd be willing to give up two days of a two-week vacation to travel there and back. That area works much, much better as part of a trip that includes other destinations in northern Italy.

I think three of London/Amsterdam/Paris/Normandy (or even two of those) would make for a better two-week trip. There's be a lot less time wasted on traveling between stops, so you'd be able to see a lot more. There's lots to do in Normandy, and there are attractive towns easily visited from Amsterdam, London and Paris.

So my thought for this 1st trip is: Amsterdam, Prague, Bern, Paris
(Normandy), London and out (back to US). 2 days London, 3 days in each
city, 2 travel days Normandy.

Could skip Prague and go to Bern/Italian Alps. Could skip London and
leave out of Paris, though thinking that would be more expensive
flight wise. Could drop Normandy and trade out for a mid trip relax
day.

Any thoughts?

My first thought is that aside from wanting to see places in Europe within specific dates, you really don't know what you want. Even this trip is scattered about, and you don't know what you would give up, should you need to. So I would recommend watching some videos and checking a few guidebooks. Until you know what you actually want to see and do in each place, how can you estimate the time you need in each place? You also need to find out how you will get from place to place, the time that travel will take, and what it will cost. For example, flying into LHR isn't nearly as expensive as flying out of it; but flying into and out of other European cities on an open jaw ticket may be significantly less. Trains may be cheaper than planes on some routes, but flying can make more logistical sense on others. Long story short (too late! I know), you need to do a lot more research on your own first.

And acraven's comments may put a pin in your bubble, but it's very common sense advice from someone very well versed in European travel.

No problem with your choice of dates, ie last week in Aug/first week of Sept, roughly, in light of the places you intend to go.. regardless.

How many days will you actually have on the ground? The first day there is lost to jet lag and getting to your accommodation and the last day is spent getting to the airport. Does that leave you with 13 days?

If so, you are trying to cover too much ground. (You are trying to cover too much even with 15 days on the ground). The suggestion of London and Paris is a good one, as there is plenty in both locations to fill several weeks, not just the week you would have in each. You could add Normandy or Amsterdam and cover these by train. Fly open jaw to avoid losing a day back tracking.

Schools will still be on their long summer holidays for most of your trip, so places will be busier.