Berlin and ????where else????

Yes, the ride fro Berlin-Amsterdam is worth it, especially if you want to revisit the place. I agree with Lübeck but for places a bit closer, aside from Dresden, I would suggest Rostock, Schwerin, and Magdeburg, another city where you can walk across the Elbe, just as in Dresden. While in Berlin, do the day trip to Potsdam, if you're interested in Prussian history...especially see Neues Palais, accessible by the tram across from the Potsdam Hbf. If you do go to Lübeck, a great walking city, stay in the city itself or in Hamburg.

Have you considered northern Germany, along the Baltic (Ostsee) and North Seas and maybe even into Denmark? That will take you in the opposite direction of the places you mentioned, but there are many beautiful and interesting places in the North. The lack of tourists in Schleswig-Holstein is not an indication of its lack of simple beauty. And you could end up in Hamburg, a very vibrant city in its own right. Just another train of thought...

Since I'll be on my own, no car, schlepping luggage from place to place, I need to stay in cities, potentially with day trips by bus or train. Would that work along the northern coast - for 10 days? Then of course, I would still have to get from wherever to one of the cities I can fly home from. . . or go back to Berlin?

Without a car, and as you're starting in Berlin, what about traveling around Germany & Austria by train? That's what I did some yrs back. Started in Berlin and essentially did a loop around Germany, including the Rhine, Baden-Baden, Rothenburh, Munich, S. Bavaria, then into Austria (Salzburg and Vienna). My 1st stop, from NY, was actually Prague (trained it to Berlin, then started my "loop" around Germany.). All really easy. If you get the Rick Steves Guidebook to Germany (includes Austria, too), he spells everything out clearly and easily. Or, you can very easily combine Switzerland w/ Germany (and still include parts of Austria, say Salzburg, as Salzburg's super close to Munich, around 2 hrs by train.) BTW, I see you're from Tel Aviv, a city I know well and love. Spent a semster during college at Tel Aviv Univ, so I know Ramat Aviv well (I lived in the dorms on Richov Einstein). And I've since been back to Israel several times (vi, ani midaber kitzat evrit!)

Twelve days in Paris or 3 nights in Amsterdam and 9 in Paris! I love Paris too!

How long is the train ride from Berlin to Amsterdam? Then maybe a few days in Belgium. Is there someplace worth a stop between Berlin and Amsterdam. Berlin just looks so far from everywhere else on the map, so it's hard to judge. Lawrence - I'm glad you love Tel Aviv, I don't :-) In fact, I live in Petach Tikvah and only go into Tel Aviv when I absolutely have to - last time was in October! On the other hand, I go to Jerusalem at least once a week (I am so lucky to be able to do that) and get around the rest of the country too. . . Dead Sea last week, Eilat in December, Galilee/Golan 3 weeks ago.

cool! I'm jealous. Haven't been back to Israel in some time; I'm def due for a return. Yes, I do love Tel Aviv, I think b/c I lived there, spent so much time there, etc. One facinating part (and fitting, in light of fact that you may go to Germany) is the "White City," biggest concentration of Bauhaus design buildings in the world, even more than Germany! And Hayarcon, on the beach, spent a great deal of time there, too....... Enjoy your planning for Europe and have a great time. Another great + of being in Israel; just a few hrs by plane to pretty much any major European city.

Nope, AL, Hamburg isn't one of my FF miles options (see the list).

You might want to day trip from Berlin to a few places, like Dresden, or Lübeck. A town well worth visiting is Quedlinberg. Then train down along the Rhine, see all the castles, stop somewhere if you like. Perhaps a visit to Mainz, Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg, or Idstein, and then finish up in Frankfurt before you have to fly home.