Eurail? Or better option?

Eurail passes are passe, as they say. If you can plan ahead just a little bit, you will travel cheaper with point to point tickets. The key is to plan where you want to go and in one week, limit yourself to 2 places so you have time to actually see them. Munich and Paris are winners. Buy your return ticket from the city you end up in so that you do not have to spend time and money backtracking.

If you can carry three changes of clothing in whatever piece of luggage that is all you need. I cannot think there is much else which is bulky.

Re: trains and passes - http://www.seat61.com/Railpass-and-Eurail-pass-guide.htm#Should - the bold print.

I do not understand how a pass or your ticket on whatever transport relates to safety.

If you get directly to Paris after your trekking, spend the week there as a base and maybe take the Eurostar over to London for an easy day trip. Trying for 5 cities in 4 countries in one week is foolhardy. Check out www.seat61.com for all you'll need to know about train tickets throughout Europe. You might also try www.tripadvisor.com, Paris forum for example, where specific cities are featured rather than countries. Much more detailed information on that site. Don't try to see all of Europe in one trip. You'll be back, many times if you are like most of us. Oh, and travel light, wear one set of clothes and pack two along with extra socks and undies. You'll never regret packing light.

you may have left out a word or two when you say in para 2, " I'm traveling with for course at my university". Are you traveling around with a group for that time?

To visit 5 major cities in 7 days is not only nearly impossible but if you flew over them with a checklist and checked them off as you flew over you would probably see as much.

If you will be there that short a time you could use Google Street View and save the time. It sounds harsh but it is true.

All of those cities are at least half a day apart by train, often a whole day. So 4 days or more inside trains, where's the time to see 5 major cities in the other 3?

I'd follow my instructor's guidelines about packing light. Italy in summer is H-O-T hot. Think sun dress or shorts, a cover up for the churches, maybe a halter or light top and a cover up for the churches and evenings.

And if you are rollicking all over every ounce you pack you will be carrying. Every ounce you leave behind your body will thank you for.

Some countries have cheaper point-to-point tickets (like Italy), but if you are under a certain age (26, I think), a Pass might be a good option. You would probably not need the pass in Italy.

You could fly from Milano to Berlin and train around Germany from there (a pass may be good for this). Keep in mind there are reservation fees for a pass.

You might want to fly from Frankfurt to Paris for the last days of your trip and fly home from there. Or, depending on where in Italy your course is being held, you might fit Munich or Milano in on a weekend.

Backpack should be fine.. my daughter is doing 11 weeks with one.. and she is just borrowing the same one her friend took to back pack around Thailand /Cambodia for 3 months..

And no.. I do not think its a great idea to see 5 cities in 7 days.. all you will be actually seeing is train stations.
If someone was visiting States what would you say if they asked about visiting Miami, Orlando, New York, Richmond Virginia and Boston, in 7 days.

I think that you will end up cutting your itinerary considerably, and only then can you really compare point-to-point ticket prices versus the price of a pass that matches your shorter list. A flight certainly may be an appropriate choice, or for just one or two train rides, look at advance discount tickets.

At a minimum, you probably don't need Italy on the pass, if that travel is covered by the group. Note that all Eurail-brand passes purchased between Feb. 2 and April 29 online will come with one extra travel day for the same price (or up to three days extra on the Eurail Global pass). See more at https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains.