Our itinerary- give it to me straight!!

WOW! Quite the trip you have planned.

first, can you sleep at gatwick? I'd look that up to make sure.

Trip is super packed...impressive... I think it's a bit too fast to start..maybe add a day or so somewhere...and in Florence, you could do that in a day and still feel like you saw it all (give yourself more time elsewhere.)

I agree with the first response. Too much too fast. Splurge and get more rest on day one or 2 otherwise you'll be too tired to enjoy the rest of your trip. Even if you've done lots of travelling before, it's easy to forget to give yourself a rest day after every 6 days or so, especially if you're over 35! btw if you've been to Nice before, why not stop elsewhere in the south of France. Montpellier is a nice slower-paced university town, as is Toulouse. Toulouse if much bigger than Montpellier. Bon voyage!

We are pretty young so we might be able to keep up with the fast pace, but I wanted some feedback nonetheless. Actually I haven't been to Nice but just was disappointed I couldn't get a night train from there to Barcelona.

I've done several trips by blitz and found that I skimped on time in the earlier cities on my itinerary and then discarded the schedule at the end. Just because it becomes so tiresome to pack up and get on another train. Don't push it. Assume you'll return.

" I'm kind of stubborn because I REALLY want to see as much as possible,"

It's your trip, but to me, it seems like a train wreck.One half the quantity will double the quality. Whatever the case, have fun!

First, I must say I'm heartbroken that you're only staying one day in lovely London. And yes, it's perfectly fine to sleep at Gatwick. I've stayed at Stansted, Luton, and Munich and never had a problem. You won't sleep well, but you'll save some $$ (which is more important to me too).

Second - holy cow!! You WILL be exhausted, cranky, and see more airports and train stations than you will sights.

You say you're young and will be able to keep up - well, I'm 24 and have tried doing the "city in a day" and it's not fun. I promise. Especially your first few days. London is wonderful, but it is big and hectic and overwhelming. You will be jet-lagged and that makes everything worse.

You could save a ton of time by flying from Athens to Rome. The ferry is dreadful - we took it from Ancona to Patras. Plus, there is nothing to see in Patras. Keep in mind that things happen - flights are delayed, ferries are cancelled due to weather, Italy is very well-known for it's train strikes.

Cont.
I would say cut Nice and Barcelona and spend more time in Greece (you're going all the way there - you might as well see it!) and Italy (VENICE!). In a five week trip we spent about 4 days in a city, then 2-3 days in a small town or countryside. Rome-Florence-Nice-Barcelona-Paris-Munich-Berlin will be exhausting and you'll be sick of the hustle and bustle. There is SO much to see in the smaller towns and you'll get real feel for the country and it's people.

You have a lot of night trains - which is fine, we used them too, (only once a week) but so many so close to each other is a bad idea. You won't sleep well. Most of them get in very early, so you can't check in to your hotel for several hours, can't lay down and rest, can't shower, have to check your luggage. It's a pain, and I don't take them anymore. (they've gotten too expensive anyway)

If you must take the ferry from Greece, consider stopping for a night or two in Nafplion, which is halfway to Patras from Athens. It's lovely and quiet, with a nice beach - one of my favorite spots in Greece.

Wow that is really packed, are you sure you want to squeeze all of that in? Are you going this June or next June? Have you already made reservations? Many places are already booked for this June. I would be so exhausted with this. Consider how much traveling you will be doing, it will eat up a lot of your time.

I got tired just reading through your proposed trip. I don't see much time to just relax and people watch, sit on the grass in a park having a picnic and chatting. Why don't you rethink about the things you MUST SEE and do and try to cut out what you don't have to? That way you'll really enjoy your time there instead of moving in fast forward?

I had planned to see more countries: England, Italy, France, Germany, Holland, and Switzerland for this summer but realised we wouldn't have "time" to take in anything and relax a bit. We have cut down the countries to three (England, France and Italy) and are now cutting back on the number of cities/towns were were going to "hit" for a day. I started to feel less stresssed immediately.

Personally I think Kent gives some of the most sound advice & suggestions in the most polite manner. Sometimes I read these posts asking for help & I just want to reply "why bother". I am going to try & follow Kent's lead & just suggest you slow way down. I've been there done that with seeing everything & have finally learned to slow down myself. And Jennifer is so right about Italian train strikes as that messed up our 2 days in Florence a couple of years ago. So this May we are headed back to Florence to pick up where we left off & to continue a leisurely trip thru Tuscany & the Amalfi Coast for a total of 14 nights & it still won't allow us to see everything we would like.

Well, if you NEVER plan to go back to Europe, that's probably the way to do it, but, with that agenda, you probably won't ever want to go back. My advice is to pick a smaller area (like Italy) and try to see as much there in the time you have. Then come back another time and see,say, Greece. You will see more thing and enjoy it more that way.

all I can say (AND ADD) is.. HOLY SMOKES! That's not a vacation but a checklist of countries I want to see.

I can bet you won't remember half of the places you "flew" through when you get home. Chances are, those travel channel shows will give more highlight of your trip than you can.

SLOW DOWN girls!! The places will still be there on your next visit. Thats the whole point of going to Europe... to see the places you've always wanted to see, and return back to the places you have yet to see.

Lee.. never say never!! In my husband's first trip there 4 years ago, we did the 5 countries in 7 days. Boy were we exhausted!

4 years later, I've been back to Europe 5 times!

This time we are going to London and Paris (for the 2nd time) because we missed out on so many things the first time.

We are renting an apartment for 1.5 weeks, and taking day trips outside Paris.

So to Kelleen and Nicole, you wanted our "expert" 2 cents. I think you are nuts trying to cram it all in.

Just curious as to what you REALLY want to see. I've seen some "tourists" snap pictures of a fountain or building in Europe while walking--they don't even stop to have a good look. Previous posters have mentioned a checklist type of itinerary--been there, seen that, next! For some people, this is what they want to do.

Over the years, I have realized that I want to "experience" the culture in small ways--hiking in the Alps and coming across an impromptu yodelling session or sitting on a bench in Vernazza licking gelato. But to do this, I need time to get lost and have an "adventure"--which makes the best travel stories once I get home!

When your itinerary says "two days in Florence" hopefully that doesn't include the train ride in the morning and the time to "find" your accommodation? If so, you probably have less time than you think. It's easy to burn up an extra hour or two finding your way around or waiting for the train. Give yourself some extra "minutes", decide what you REALLY want and go for it!

Ok, so after the many people I have frightened from my itinerary I might have to go back to the drawing board. My fear is just that I'm never going to get to go back! I'm young so this is probably not even close to true but still, that's my fear. And as to the last comment, no, the "days" do not include train times, those mean two FULL days in Florence etc. So now that I know this is WAY to much, what should I cut out? I know cities change like personalities, but what might you advise to skip out on or spend more time? I am set on my itinerary of flying because I bought the tickets already. So starting in London/Athens in non negotiable, same with flying out of Berlin. I also bought a 5 country rail pass, so it would really be a bummer to not use at least 4 of the 5 countries we can see.
Eurail pass: Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Germany

I am most likely considering cutting Spain. I learned my lesson! I will post on Rick Steve's boards FIRST before I buy my tickets next time!

There's nothing wrong with having a checklist mentality, we have them as we enter a new place...

because quite frankly we would end up forgetting something....

I print out a word doc with place, hours open/closed and entrance fee.

BUT...we do factor in time to sit on a bench and just observe....

and that's what people forget to do!

Since train connections from Italy across southern France to Spain are very long, cut out Nice and (I hate to say it) Spain. As others have suggested, split up this saved time among your other major stops...Naxos, Rome, Paris, and Munich. And I agree that you should consider flying from Athens to save time, money, and wear and tear on your bodies. Check www.whichbudget.com, and if you book enough in advance, you'll probably find airfares that'll be even cheaper than the 30% savings you get with your Eurail pass on the ferries. With that schedule, you'll still get to use 4 out of the 5 countries on your pass.

I have read many trip reports by YOUNG( under 25's) travellers, and most of them seemed to enjoy Nice, so I wouldn't jump to cut that out,, but Barcelona , I would cut that out for sure( just too out of the way) .
I have not been to Naxos, but I have been to Mykonos and Paros and LOVED both of them, I hear Naxos is really nice, so definately do NOT cut Naxos( plus it seems to be one of the few place you could actually relax in,, LOL ) .

I went to Florence when I was 23,, um, it was boring to me,, but I would enjoy it alot more now( I am going there again this July, yeah!) .

You WILL return, so don't ruin this trip by spazzing out all over europe.

Be aware, too, that even with a rail pass, you will end up paying extra for reservations and/or overnight trips on trains....something else to toss into the mix.

Kellen and Nicole, as a senior citizen with years and years of travel, I can tell you that there is no such thing as a "trip of a lifetime". Or, "I'll never see it again". What may occur is that you may never return as a young couple with no children (I'm making an assumption). Maybe yes - maybe no. If travel is important to you, make that a priority. I just love travelling with my wife.

I would suggest cutting back your itinerary a bit and go for it. I would really suggest cutting out Barcelona. Geographically, it's really a stretch.

Thanks for the great advice. Looks like we will be cutting Barcelona. Too bad I paid extra for that country, oh well, I learned. Also, the ferry from Patras to Bari is free for the type of eurail pass we have despite some minimal charges. We probably couldn't afford a flight (from athens to rome) as that adds another 200 dollars on travel. Great advice though! And yes I know I will come back, this is actually Kellen and I's one year anniversary (we got married in July) trip. Just hoping we might get another chance before we are blessed with a little one. Wow this post is getting very personal!Thanks for all the feedback. Still accepting suggestions!!

if you're interested in Renaissance art AND great shopping, don't miss Florence. I spent 2 months there when I was 25, have been back twice since then and can't wait to go back. As previous people have mentioned, be sure to factor in a rest day here and there; you need to re-energize to enjoy the rest of your trip. most of all, be flexible; you might decide that you want to stay longer in some places than previously planned. Enjoy!

Glad to hear you're cutting back; I did a trip like this a couple years ago at 21 and, though I love traveling by train, by the time it was over I never wanted to see another one. Of course, I did get over that fairly quickly after I was home and sitting in Seattle traffic... however, the main point is at the time I was so tired and cranky I wasn't able to fully apreciate where I was and what I was seeing.
Something I've learned (by doing the opposite) is having the first day (or even a second or third day if schedule is tight at the beginning as yours is) being a slow relaxing one to allow for jet lag recoup can have an amazing effect on your energy levels through the rest of the trip.

Laundry reminder - Don't forget to plan for laundry days every week, especially if you are packing light for this month long trip and are only taking a week's worth of clothes.

With one month, you will really feel like you're on vacation but it does take a few days to adjust to the new time zone and I agree with the others who have posted that it is difficult to sleep on a train.

Good luck with your exciting trip! With the Eurail pass, you have unlimited travel during each of the travel days you purchased so keep than in mind in case you want to maximize usage of your pass. I am not sure if overnight travel counts as two days or one. For example, you can actually have lunch in Munich and dinner in another town 2 hours away via high speed train. Enjoy your trip and try not to spend most of it in the train station.

Give yourselves at least two nights in each destination, or you will be exhausted.