Two Weeks. Europe. Where should I go?

I am really interested in arts, culture, and beautiful sights.

Unfortunately that's not a great differentiator because Europe is chock full of all three. Any other criteria? Budget or otherwise? Surely there must be some places that spark your interest or stand out somehow for you. Otherwise, it's like throwing darts on a map randomly by strangers.

Ok, since you asked, if it were me, given you'll be so close by, I would go to Turkey. It's very easy on the budget and it's more exotic, for lack of better terms. Plus, Istanbul is really a city without equal, and you can get there very cheaply from Athens via Turkish Air. There are a lot of things to see there and side trips as well. I easily spent two weeks there alone.

There are literally infinite combinations of cities to see in two weeks, it really depends on your interests, budget, etc. The main guidance I would give is to pick places that are relatively close together and not too expensive to get to, so that you can save time in transit and save your wallet as well.

The "Explore Europe" link on this website will take you to a lot of good information about what there is to see in Greece and elsewhere in Europe. You'll get more out of this forum if you ask specific questions on the boards devoted to specific countries and topics.

If your internship gives you enough free time, like weekends, you can see and do a lot in Greece before mid-July. You may want to spend more time there after that, but it will be the hottest part of the year. Unless you prefer the heat, you may want to head north to other countries in the remaining three weeks. A flight on a budget airline may be the best way to do this, as land connections between Greece and other parts of Europe are relatively slow. You can learn more about getting around under "Travel Tips" on this website. Amsterdam isn't a place to spend three weeks, but it might be a good place for the last few days of your trip so you can make your flight home without difficulty.

You have to get a travel guide book; the most comprehensive is Lonely Planet Europe; read it to see what your interests are and then go to those places

Since I am ending in Amsterdam, I am playing around with two itinerary ideas.

1) Fly from Greece to Rome, then to Venice, then to Zurich, then to Paris, then to Brussels, then to Amsterdam.
2) Train from Greece to Budapest, then to Vienna, then to Prague, then to Frankfurt, then to Paris, then to Brussels, then to Amsterdam.

Are these too ambitious? I want to see as much as I can, but I realize two weeks is barely any time. Now that you mention Turkey, I am interested. Did you go anywhere else after or before?

There are lovely museums, culture and sights in Paris and London. We loved Rome and Venice but Italy might be a little hot in mid-July. Our travel philosophy has been to do a "Whitman's Sampler" itinerary when we first go to a country and then come back later for a deeper experience when we know what really intrigues us.

Rick Steves' advice is really true for us - assume you will return.

I might add...we found that going back to our ancestral roots gave us a closer appreciation of the area. My wife found a little town in Suffolk where her ancestors from the 1500s were listed in the census books. If you can trace your ancestry back to the "old country", we recommend considering the area if only for a day. It's nice to know where you're from.

Personally, I think both of your proposed itineraries are way too packed. You need to do some guide-book reading to figure out what there is of interest to you in each place. That will be your guide to how long you need to stay in each city. Then you need to add in travel time, which on a trip like yours (covering vast territory) is going to cost you more than a half-day, on average, every time you change hotels. I think you'll soon see that you don't have time for more than 3 or 4 places (assuming you hit major cities), including Amsterdam (assuming you want to see something there).

I would not go to (extremely expensive) Switzerland just to see Zurich. You need a few days to get up into the mountains.

Sounds like Bulgaria to me. Enjoy!

For two whole weeks I suggest three cities max, including a night train...Budapest, Vienna and Berlin. Vienna to Berlin by night train. Fly to Amsterdam from Berlin.

In the two months you will be in Greece you may very well get on-the-ground information from people your age -- maybe leaving things fluid is the way to go ??

At that time of year, the whole of Europe will be on holiday, so that will have a significant impact on flight prices and accommodation price and availability. Flight prices only head one way, so will be cheaper if booked ASAP.

Europe has a good rail network, so check out seat61.com for assistance. Would a rail pass work for you?

Do you like heat? At that time of year, Turkey and some parts of Europe will be very hot. I don’t sleep on night trains, so personally, I wouldn’t recommend that option, as the lack of sleep would make me cranky for 2 days.

You lose about half a day every time you change location, so I would plan on 3 or max 4 locations given your timescale and only 3 if one of your options is Paris.

Where in Greece do you end up? Check the nearest airport website to see where you can fly to direct that interests you. Prague/Budapest etc could keep you occupied at least 4 days each as a minimum.

As you fly from Amsterdam, spend the last 4 nights/3 days there.

Now that you mention Turkey, I am interested. Did you go anywhere else
after or before?

I went to Malta on one trip. Istanbul has cheap short flights just about anywhere to Europe. Turkey is huge and has tons to do, I just saw the southwest region which was beautiful and full of world-class archeological sites.

Turkey is very interesting but if Renaissance art is your thing, you must go to Florence and Rome. Brussels would not be on my list ever. I have been there on our way to Ypres, but Brussels was about the most forgettable place I've been to on any of my 10 trips to Europe. We combined Turkey with a trip to Salzburg, Fussen and Rothenburg Germany(because my husband had a meeting in Germany).

Sorry, but that itinerary will result in 'tick box travel'. Too many destinations will lead you to treat Europe as a theme park, with exhibits that one merely has to visit in sequence.

The time spent staying 'in situ' should be at least 75% of your total. I just made that number up, but you know what I mean. Anything significantly less means you won't really 'see' the places or connect with them. You will also spend way too much time in transit, travelling, checking in, checking out, unpacking, and packing again.

I'm afraid we have to acknowledge that Europe is a BIG place. Not only that, but highly 'detailed', intricate and diverse, worthy of meaningful engagement. If we accept that, we also have to accept that 'doing Europe' means making multiple trips. Consequently, a far better use of your two weeks would be visiting just one country, two at the most.

My 2c :-)

I would head to Venice for a few days, then Florence as Italy is a great place
to start a European adventure and both cities are compact and walkable with amazing sights...found Florence to be reasonable on prices with Venice more expensive but worth it. Then the Dolomites for a walk in the Aips. Off to the Imperial city of Salzburg...another walkable and reasonable on prices city. Take a boat ride on the Rhine and relax in St Goar then work your way to Amsterdam.

Thinking to hit some art museum hot spots ...

July
15. Fly to Vienna (3 nights)
18. Train to Munich (3 nights)
21. Train to Basel (2 nights)
23. Train to Paris (5 nights)
28. Train to Brussels (3 nights)
31. Train to Amsterdam (3 nights)
August
3. Depart Amsterdam

Some train timings ...

RJ 60
Dep 10:30 WIEN HBF (Austria)
Arr 14:59 MUENCHEN HBF (Germany)

ICE 610
Dep 09:28 MUENCHEN HBF (Germany)
Arr 12:28 MANNHEIM HBF (Germany)
ICE 255
Dep 12:36 MANNHEIM HBF (Germany)
Arr 14:34 BASEL BAD BF (Germany)

TGV 9210
Dep 10:34 BASEL SBB (Switzerland)
Arr 13:37 PARIS GARE DE LYON (France)

THA 9437
Dep 11:55 PARIS NORD (France)
Arr 13:17 BRUXELLES-MIDI (Belgium)

THA 9327
Dep 11:52 BRUXELLES-MIDI (Belgium)
Arr 13:42 AMSTERDAM CENTRAAL (Netherlands)