Early Planning

Harold makes good points. I think you should reverse the order. Start in the north and end up in Spain (no Portugal). Is there no reasonable way for you to fly back from Spain? Sometimes routes like that just can't be done well on your own, given the website constraints. Try using a travel agent. They can manage multi-airline flight routes that you won't be able to on your own. Start your trip in Prague. The weather will usually be better in November than January. The Christmas markets start up at the end of November, along with the decorations and festivities, there and in Germany and Austria. You'll have milder weather in Italy as you go south and get further into winter, and even though there won't be as many Christmas markets as in the north, there will be some interesting ones and many Christmas decorations. Spain doesn't really do much for Christmas. Their big celebration is on Jan. 6 - the festival of the 3 kings. Also, in January Spain, especially Andalusia, is the warmest and driest climate in Europe.

Your plans are literally all over the map. And, not all countries have good connections. For example, although we think of Spain and Portugal as practically one country, it's not easy or fast to get between them. From Iberia to Italy, you'll want to fly, unless you want to stop off in France along the way. Cesky Krumlov (a lovely place) has been preserved partly because of its isolation; it's still a pain to get from there to other places. And the Alps mean that trips between there and Venice take a while. So, before you get too far, start looking at train schedules on the Bahn website, using Rick's tutorial: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/db_tips.htm If you don't like some of those times, you could fly some of your longer segments (and you may want or need to fly shorter ones too, like Madrid to Lisbon). Look for flights on Skyscanner: http://www.skyscanner.com/. Be aware that budget flights go up substantially in price as you get closer to travel, and flights can sell out. If you want to see Spain, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and Italy, you will probably want to start by flying to Spain, so you would only need one intra-European flight. If you start in Milan, you'll have to fly both to and from Spain, or endure long train rides (with multiple changes) in both directions. From Cesky Krumlov to other countries, it's easier (albeit somewhat more expensive) to use a shuttle service that takes you across the border to Austria, where you can pick up their rail network. Rick's Prague book has details. Here's one service, Shuttle Lobo (there are others): http://tinyurl.com/kzvb3qr

Thanks for your replys. Was thinking of flying from Spain to e.g. Prague using Easyjet ( aware you would need to book ahead). Alternatively we could fly to Venice and travel via Austria to Prague and fly out of Prague! Only early ideas. thanks
Leanne

The last time I considered spending time outside of Prague, I realized most of the cities I wanted to go to had the major attractions closed. So the town that has the large paintings by Mucha, well the museum was closed. Most of the castles, were closed (except for 1 and I forgot which one). I was traveling at the end of November. So my advice to you is that if you want more than Prague, get a guide book and see what is open at that time of year. This happened in 2009.