Europe in 2 Weeks

Well, you obviously can't hit those three or four spots unless you want to waste a whole lot of time and money to get from one to the other. I would suggest you each pick five places you most want to go. Assign 5 points for your first choice, 4 for your second choice, etc. Add them all up and see what comes out on top. Realistically, you can only hit two places if they are far apart. You could do three if they were close. Also, look at a map when you are narrowing down the list. If Paris is number one, Greece is number two, and Amsterdam is number three, it would make more sense to go to Paris and Amsterdam then Paris and Greece because they are so close. You really want to minimize travel time when you only have two weeks. It helps keep the cost down too.

It is usually more fun to travel with companions, however there is no rule that says you must be joined at the hip. See a couple of places together and then you can each go off and see a place on your own.

Is the $2300 over and above the airfare? If so that would allow some comfort. If not, it might be a little tight. My wife and I have been to Europe ten times but not yet to Greece (though it's on the list).. which I mention to point out that it's not the first or second place I would go to. For a first trip, on a two week trip I would stick to the London-Paris-Rome corridor. Check into overnight trains, and on a budget do not shy away from six-person sleeping compartments. Add in Florence and Venice if you can, Edinburgh also is worth a few days since it's your interest. Seriously, you could do worse that just going to Italy, or France, or the U.K. Most of all, think about what you are trying to accomplish - spend time with your friends or experience Europe. And try to strike the appropriate balance between the two. This will not be your last trip, keep that in mind. And it won't be the last time you see your friends (at least probably not!) I know how hard that is, I struggle with the itinerary every time. But you must believe, as RS says, that you will return.

It is essential that you're happy with the result. The idea of assigning pts is a good start but you have to realistically evaluate whether you'd be happy if the places to visit don't include yours. Our college-graduating daughter planned a trip like yours but had the opposite result-her friends were unable to go-so she went alone (10 years ago). The result was a wonderful experience she'll never forget and new friends with whom she's still in contact. She travelled by train and stayed in hostels from Paris to French Riviera and Interlacken. I think you'll be happiest if you decide.

I would do London and Paris, or Paris and Amsterdam.
You will return!

OK so we have been brainstorming. How will the travel time affect seeing Paris, France; Italy and Greece? Thank you for the suggestions.

Well, you could of course do all three- but Greece is still fairly difficult/ time consuming/ expensive to get to from Italy. Because of your limited time, you would need to fly from Italy to Athens. If you want to see scenery similar to Greece, stick to Italy and go south to maybe the Amalfi coast. No, it is not Greece and is certainly different, but it is similar and much closer to your other spots. With only 2 weeks (really 12 days once travel is removed) it will be a huge stretch to do more than France and Italy.

Paestum south of Naples is real genuine Greek ruins in
Italy. You get Greek architecture at a much lower price. Just down the road a couple of hours from Pompeii.

Hi Bisi, I would recommend checking into low cost airlines like Easy Jet to connect some of the farther-flung places. I am doing a trip next month with three companions and we were similarly split. Found an Easyjet flight from Prague to Paris for $32 per person! Even with the charge for luggage it still only came to $65 or so and much faster than taking the train! Have a great trip and enjoy the travel!

Hi Bisi. With 2 weeks, I would recommend 2 countries - either France and Italy or Italy and Greece. As another poster said, don't be afraid to split up if your heart is set on Greece and someone else wants to go to Italy. I learned this lesson during my last trip to Europe - I wanted to go to Salzburg from Germany to see a friend but the German friend I was traveling with wanted to go to Luxembourg to visit someone else. I said okay, against my better judgment, and had a terrible time (we stayed with the Luxembourg friend whose parents who spoke no English and everyone was very comfortable speaking German except me, who understood almost nothing). I should have gone to Salzburg.

Thank you all for the great suggestions and warnings! We are having a hard time deciding whether to stay in the North or venture south. As of now our deciding factor is the price of travel. We would also like to inquire about the best sites to find cheap tickets to Europe. We haven't been having much luck on that. We would like to keep Paris, France as a definitive yes. We are all so very flexible as to where to visit. The point of this travel is to enjoy the best of these countries and not so much an educational tour. It is a very short trip so we would like to be spontaneous with our time, but sure of the main destinations. Italy is a great idea, has been on our list. It sounds as if Greece might be a major problem to the budget. It just might be a destinations left for another time. Thank you all for the suggestions.