Potential backpacking europe trip.

I think it's overly ambitious. If I counted right you have 25 cities and let's call it 60 days. That's 2.4 days per city. But the conventional wisdom here is that you lose a half day or so when moving locations. So that means you're going to spend 12 days just traveling from place to place. That's roughly 20% of your time. Just off the top of my head I would probably pair back by one third. So for 60 days maybe 15 to 18 cities?

I will suggest that you examine each city listed and determine what you want to see there and why. Once you've done that then go through your list and pick out high priority cities and lower priority ones. From that list try to think of a trip that makes sense. Make up a budget to see what you can afford.

Oh and plan on flying open jaw. Into one city than out of another so you don't have to backtrack. So in your case into Dublin and then home from Warsaw.

There's a wealth of information on this site in the watch, read, listen section. For instance this one on travel skills.

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/travel-talks/trip-planning

Since it's your first trip I'm sure you want to see everything,. I assume your young so you'll probably be able to get back there.

I assume this projected trip is from 8 to 10 weeks. First, I would drop 3-4 places, set your priorities first before planning the trip.

I would choose certain region and try to avoid to be all over the map. Europe is comparatively small so people especially in America don't realize that distances to cover take a substantial amount of time. Even if you fly: getting to the airport two hours ahead, flight, getting from the airport and more than half day is gone. I would try to divide it into western Europe, or central Europe, Balkan and so on.

Do you want to actually spend any quality time in these cities or just say you've been there? If you just want to say you've been there and don't mind spending 20-30% of your 2 months traveling from one place to another, then sure go ahead. Personally I don't think it would be much of a trip, more of what some people here call a 'death march'. Another question is what is your budget, this could turn out to be a more expensive trip than you are prepared for, especially considering all of the transportation costs. Sure you can stay in hostels and eat on the cheap but some of your places are a long, possibly costly, transport from each other.

What I would do is take your list and do some research. First research all of the cities and get an idea of how much time you would need in each to see what you want to see, write the number of days next to each location. After adding up your days, this alone may encourage you to eliminate some of your cities. Then research the transportation options and how long it might take between locations. Add these amounts (days, 1/2 days, etc) to your total number of days you want to spend in all of your locations. If this goes over your allotted time, then you need to prioritize and cut if necessary.

Add'l considerations: 1. expect to need a 'down' day every 7-10 days, you can't spend every day from morning to night traveling or sightseeing, you need to rest now and then on such an extended trip. 2. most people who plan a grand tour of Europe such as this usually expect to spend 4-6 months doing it, squeezing it into 2 months will definitely short change some of your bigger destinations - London, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Budapest, Amsterdam all need several days to really enjoy.

Good luck with your planning. Glad to see you are starting early.

You have already been given good advice. There is more to Europe than just the major capital cities, which is what you have listed.

Plan on at least 5 days for the big hitters such as London, Berlin and Paris and add on for day trips.

It is for you, not us to decide what is or isn't worth visiting, as your priorities and interests will be different from ours. Personally, I would drop Athens, Brussels, Belgrade, Bucharest, Monaco, Sofia, Luxembourg and Zurich/Berne, but that is my personal taste. Others will disagree. You don't state what your interests are to give us any help.

You will be travelling at a busy time when all the European schools and universities are on holiday. It would be cheaper if you could travel May and June, not into late July/August when travel and accommodation prices rocket.

Is budget a consideration? Dublin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Monaco, Zurich and Rome are the most expensive locations you have stated. Much of your budget will be consumed by travel costs.

Rome2rio.com will help with route planning. Some places that look close on a map aren't well connected by public transport e.g. northern Italy or Slovenia and Croatia. Flights within Europe would best be booked say January 2018 for the best prices. Use the value airlines such as Easyjet. Heed their baggage allowance limits.

"...not worth visiting?" That's pretty subjective. You'll need to decide on that. You have numerous places listed which I consider not worth visiting, certainly not the first time....Berne, Bratislava, Monaco, Montengro, Amsterdam, Zurich. If you're under 26, consider all means of transport,...buses, the Youth 2nd class rail pass, using a discount carrier, taking night trains to add more days to the trip.

I took two night trains on the trip just ended, should have been three but I just lazied out. In central Europe and Italy, Austrian Nat. Rail has a booklet/brochure detailing every night train route that it offers, ie, a wealth of info in planning your night train routes and options.

In two months time your trip is very doable after a bit of streamlining, some detailed planning, and knowing what you are doing.

This reads like an expedition to see how many European countries you can hit in two months versus a trip for fun, education, or enlightenment. Ask yourself what is in each location you want to visit and why? How long will it take in a place (London, Rome, Paris) to see or experience what you want to?

I'll call out a few that confuse me in particular.

• Frankfurt and not Berlin or Munich?
• Zurich or Bern and not iconic Swiss mountain scenery?
• Monaco and not Nice or perhaps a taste of Provence?

Also, FYI, the transportation cost in money and time is enormous. For two months, I would pick 3 or 4 countries, maximum.

My first trip was with a backpack, a Lets Go guidebook, a rail pass, and youthful energy. I wanted to see all of UK and Ireland. I was exhausted after the first few days and ended up seeing fewer places than hoped, but enjoying them more. A classic backpacking trip through Europe would be picking the places you fly into, and out of, xx days later. Then figuring out where you want to go when you're on the ground. If you plan it all ahead of time, you can lock yourself into a grueling marathon, not an experience. 2¢.

You'll need to cut down on your number of destinations somewhat. I did 11 overnight destinations in 55 days this year, which I wouldn't change as I did each for my own reasons, but I will caution that this pace isn't for everyone. I would have liked more time in both of my one-night stops and in two of my two-night stops. That being said, I am still in favor of your moving around as much as you would like; I found the time spent on transportation, which many here seem to regard as unproductive, to be generally delightful in that train trips served as my down time. I didn't need any days of vacation from my vacation.

Immediately I would cut Luxembourg, Montenegro, and Bratislava, but as others have said that's just personal preference. You could recharacterize Monaco as Nice/Monaco/French Riviera for now, and you could call Zurich or Bern the Swiss Alps experience, whether you actually stay overnight in the mountains or merely get out of the train for a few hours at a time to hike some trails.

You should definitely consider plane travel from Zagreb to Athens, and also from Rome to Ljubljana. The others look possible on the train but still you have some long rides, such as Athens-Sofia at about 12 hours. Look for the Rick Steves time-money rail drawing, which should be somewhere on this website. If you don't find the railpass to pay off for you, you may want more budget plane rides.

Just two other thoughts: (1) All of this but nothing in Spain, which is wonderful? (2) Since you're going from Milan to Rome, you'll pass through Florence, which is worth a stop. (Wonderful hostel there: Archi Rossi)

Hello guys, I've read your feedback, and I am really thankful for all the replies and support. I realized I didn't state my interests in the original post. I am really interested in knowing about each country (or city) culture and history, Get to know the architecture of each city, the food, see landscapes, take good pictures, go to museums. It's more of a cultural trip. I relized that my previous list is very large, so I dropped beach places like the west coast ot Croatia and Athens, and I narrowed my list to cities in central and western europe. Let me know what you think guys, if it's still too long. As for the budget, I wouldn't want to spend a ton of money, so I would prefer to stay in hostels and take trains instead of flights (unless for destinations that require a flight). As for the order, I ordered the countries in the most reasonable order I could think of (guiding myself with a map). Let me know if something should be changed.

The new list is:

Dublin

Belfast

Edinburg

London

Paris

Luxembourg

Frankfurt

Berlin

Warsaw

Prague

Vienna or Salzburg

Ljubljana

Northern italy (venice, verona, milan)

Swiss alps

Munich

Back to Dublin

I was thinking that if it's still too large I could remove Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland, and start directly in London.

Thank you guys for the support.

Is it necessary to take a round-trip flight to Dublin, rather than a "multi-city" flight into Dublin and out of Munich? It is a pain, and far from free, to have to go all the way back to Ireland at the end of your trip. You'll be on a separate ticket for the Munich-Dublin leg. If that is canceled, you'll be left really scrambling ts avoid missing your flight out of Dublin. If you can't get back to Dublin on time, your transatlantic airline isn't going to nelp you out; it's just going to sell you a replacement one-way ticket home.

I agree with a craven. It would make more sense to get a multicity (open jaw) ticket to Dublin and from Munich ( or whatever ends up being your last city).

Not sure where you are coming from, but it wouldn't hurt to check what European cities have direct flights to your home airport / closest major hub, and finish your trip at one of those.

A much more doable list you have in the revision. I would take out the Swiss Alps (don't interest me at all) and Luxembourg. I also used Let's Go not for my first trip but the second one two years after the first. The Austrian Rail booklet referred above on night trains is called "Nightjet" Your list includes several places served by the EN night train. You have therefore all these options.

camilo,

A few thoughts on your most recent Itinerary.....

• Dublin (lots to see - you might want to take some day trips with some of the local tour firms - here's one example - https://www.paddywagontours.com/ - lots of hostels in Dublin, try to get one close to the Temple Bar area).
• Belfast (take train from Dublin - it's a nice trip - you might want to obtain a membership in HI Hostels as they have a nice property in Belfast - http://www.hini.org.uk/hostels/Belfast-International - HI Hostels has numerous hostels all over Europe and elsewhere, so you'd be able to use the membership throughout your trip).
• Edinburgh (as I recall, easyJet has flights from Belfast and that would be your best option - if you decide to book with them, there are a few points to be aware of).
• London (take East Coat Rail / Virgin to London - it's a pleasant trip).
• Paris (take the EuroStar - check https://www.seat61.com/ for details on booking).
• Luxembourg (is there a particular reason you chose that? You might consider Brussels/Bruges or Amsterdam instead. Amsterdam is a good choice as it makes the ongoing trip easier).
• Frankfurt (if you change the Luxembourg stop, I'd suggest a different order).
• Berlin (again, a different order would work better).
• Warsaw (will comment further on the following destinations later if you change the order).
• Prague
  
• Vienna or Salzburg
• Ljubljana
• Northern Italy (I'd skip Milan and pick another destination - Florence, Siena, Cinque Terre, etc.)
• Swiss Alps (good choice! The Lauterbrunnen Valley outside of Interlaken is a big favourite with many here, and there are some good Hostels available there - https://www.mountainhostel.com/ (there's also one in Lauterbrunnen). However for travel anywhere in Switzerland, be sure to budget accordingly as it's not cheap!).
• Munich (Lots to see in Munich and surrounding area. Be sure to allow adequate time).
• Back to Dublin (I agree with an earlier comment that it would be wiser to use open jaw flights and depart from your final city.

Have you travelled in Europe before? There are lots of things to keep in mind, and the group here can offer suggestions if needed. Have you stayed in Hostels before? Again, there are a few things to be aware of such as packing a towel, soap, flip-flops and a small but robust Padlock.

It's late and I'm not focusing well, so that's all I can think of at the moment.

It would help to know where you're flying from? Do you need a Visa for any of the countries you'll be visiting?

Thanks for the extra support. I've read the mutli-city ticket, but what about ordering the destinations in such way that I go like in a circle and end up again in my first destination? I thought of this order, which I think is far mor attainable than the first one. I am travelling from Colombia, hence I am reconsidering bisiting Northern Ireland, Ireland and Scotland, since it's easier to buy a direct flight from bogotá to london. Anyway, the order is

Possibly:
Dublin
Belfast
Edinburgh

Definitely:
London

Paris

Lyon

Geneve

Interlaken (swiss alps)

Milan

Verona

Venice

Ljubljana

(Possibly Zagreb if it is easy it to go from Ljubljana to Zagreb and then from Zagreb to Vienna)

Vienna

Prague

Berlin

Hamburg

Amsterdam

Brussels

Finally back to Paris and thus, back to London.

Let me know what you guys think and if I should reconsider any location. As I said, my colombian visa allows me to travel to any EU country AND switzerland. I would need a visa for UK but that shoudn't be a problem. It is indeed my first europe trip. Thanks for all the support guys. Also, since I am travelling in summer next year, I believe the swiss alps are stilll worth visiting even though it's summer?

I feel like you know the names of capital cities in Europe and have decided to go there - to all of them. Why just cities? Europe's smaller towns and the countryside are equally - if not better - at giving you a feel for these countries. Basically, do not assume that the capitals represent their countries best.

Hey Emily. Indeed I know more cities than towns, since I haven't been in europe before. I like small towns and countryside areas, so which would you suggest within my itinerary?

London - Salisbury, Bath, Canterbury, Cornwall
Paris - all of France is great
Lyon - Why Lyon?
Geneve - Why Geneva?
Interlaken (swiss alps) - Don't make the mistake of staying in Interlaken.
Milan - Why Milan? Do Cinque Terre or the Italian Lakes
Verona - Better. Vicenza, Padua
Venice - fine
Ljubljana - Piran, Caves, Triglav National Park (Lakes Bled and Bohinj)
(Possibly Zagreb if it is easy it to go from Ljubljana to Zagreb and then from Zagreb to Vienna) - not really easy, you have to cross an international border.
Vienna - Wachau Valley, Salzburg
Prague - Telc, Olomouc
Berlin - Dresden,
Hamburg - Why?
Amsterdam - ok, but do research on other lovely towns like Gouda, Giethoorn
Brussels - Why? Lots of lovely villages in Belgium, do some research

Your itinerary is very "city heavy." It would be like someone coming to the United States and visiting LA , Las Vegas, and Orlando and saying that they had seen the US. If you want to experience a balanced perspective on the culture of a country, you have to move out of the city scene and into the country at least occasionally. I find myself enjoying the country aspects of my trips more and more.

If you still considering places in Germany for trip's itinerary, I would suggest: Frankfurt, Leipzig, Hamburg, Bremen, Munich , Lübeck, Schwerin, Cologne, Kiel, Heidelberg, Stralsund, etc.

For smaller towns...Eutin/Holstein, Meissen, Tübingen, Augsburg, Soest/Westfalen, Minden, Bamberg, Lüneburg, Celle, Ulm, Potsdam, Jena, Marburg an der Lahn, Weimar, Rüdesheim am Rhein,

All of the destinations on your latest list are on major train lines, though you might find a bus to be faster between Venice and Ljubljana. Looking Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the Deutsche Bahn train schedule link and tips for using it. This will help you plan the timing of your trip.

You should expect to reserve lodging somewhat ahead of arrival. See many tips at https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/sleeping-eating and discussions on this recent thread: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/no-room-for-the-night-what-to-do.

If you're still looking for smaller towns to mix in between the big cities, see the Explore Europe section of this web site and a guidebook.

Thanks for the additional information. As this is your first trip to Europe, I would highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip. That provides a lot of good information on how to travel well in Europe. You may be able to obtain that in your local Library or book stores but if not, you can download the E-book version in Kindle or other formats. You seem to have good English skills, so you should have no trouble with the book. After that use the country or city-specific versions of the guidebooks (preferably Rick Steves books) to plan in more detail.

I'll comment further on your most recent Itinerary later when I have more time. However as someone else commented, a few questions....

• Lyon - why?
• Geneva - why?
• Interlaken - it would be far better to stay further in the valley such as Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, etc.
• Milan - as I mentioned above, other destinations would be better
• Verona - why not Florence?
• Hamburg - for a first visit, Munich would be a better choice (IMO)
• Brussels - you might prefer Bruges or Ghent (the latter is a Uni town as I recall, so lots of younger people)

Later.....