Your plan is just about impossible -whether you substitute Venice or not. This is not a honeymoon -

Pick 3 places - enjoy them and each other - fly home

Pick 3 places . . . 4 at most

I would do:

Santorini - 4 nights (this is the relaxing honeymoon part)
Athens - 1 night is OK as long as you're just using it for a transport hub and not expecting to see much of Athens.
Rome - 4 nights
Venice - 3 nights
Interlaken - 3 nights (options in Switzerland may be limited in February)
Paris - 4 nights

Leave Germany for another trip.

Hi Mayank,

Congrats for ur Honeymoon plan,Note Austria will be much better option then Germany.Even I'm going in Feb'13 for 15N/16D & visitng Italy(Rome,Amalfi cost,Florance,Venice),Switzerland(Lucerne,Interlaken) &France( Paris),staying 2n at each place and 3N in Paris.

"I would do:

Santorini - 4 nights (this is the relaxing honeymoon part)

Santorini - really? In February?

Bhavin_Trivedi: "Note Austria will be much better option then Germany"

Since you haven't yet taken your trip, how do you know that is so? Many folks tried to explain how difficult your plan is.

Santorini in February won't be very appealing....
Most hotels, shops cafes and restaurants will be closed.. and it will be absolutely boring.....

Spending 1 day in Athens won't give you the chance to see anything from the city ( Acropolis New Museum of the Acropolis etc)

Have you calculated any traveling time between the places that you want to visit?
Checking out from your hotel, getting to the airport on time, flying, getting to the new hotel and checking in, will take at least half day of your time.....

Thanks janisj for noting ,,,,,,,,friend of mine staying in Germany from last 4 year so i have discussed with him in a detail which countries to explore in Europe

And if u see on the various website Austria carries more wattage then Germany ,at the end of the day its ur personal preference & choices

You are travelling in February, which is winter no matter where in Europe you go. I don't see the point of 4 nights in Santorini that time of year, nor 1 night in Athens for that matter.

I have stayed in Interlaken in February, and it is a wonderful time to be there, especially if you are a skier. Even if not, you can take the train up to Wengen, Kleine Sheidegg and Jungfraujoch for wonderful views of the Bernese Oberland.

Since weather is unlikely to be warm, suggest you focus your trip on the larger cities, e.g. Rome and Paris, where there are lots of things to do indoors (apart from the obvious).

WIth 20 days in the coldest part of winter, I would skip Santorini and Athens, fly directly to Rome and then:

Rome 5 days
Venice 4 days
Switzerland 5 days
Paris 5 days

Much more relaxing and you will have winter in Switzerland where it is beautiful and scenic and spend the rest of the time in cities where you can be inside.

Have a lovely honeymoon - Congratulations.

I plan to skip berlin and do 4 nights in Munich or Salzburg...as me and my fiancee have interest in WW II sites. We would like to see the eagles nest(Hitler's retreat) and the castle in Neuchwantein/Hohenchwangau which is in Fussen.

Eagle's Nest is closed during winter from late October until mid May, and that includes the bus line up.

You have to adjust your plans to the season if you travel in deep winter, as the others have already tried to tell you. This is a season for either skiing and winter sports in the mountains or culture-oriented city trips - or, in case you hit the carnival week, the festivals in those cities/regions where it is celebrated.

Could not agree more about skipping Greece. What is the point of a summer resort - with most things closed - in the dead of winter?

Definitely make your choices between outdoor winter or larger cities (where things will not be closed). Definitely check on the hours that Ludwig's Castles are open(there are several) and also when tours in English are given - unless you are fluent in German.

But - do check major sights to make sure they are open - and what hours (often shorter hours than in summer). Also be sure you have checked the average weather - so you have clothing/footwear for the cold and snow you will encounter.

Along with others, I suggest skipping places that are best visited in warm weather and look for places that are special in winter. I would certainly skip Santorini in winter.

Now, I am going to throw out an idea that is not on your plan, but might be one of the most exciting things you could do in winter. Take in Fasnacht in Basel Switzerland. It begins, Monday, Feb 18. I've been to many festivals, etc. This is by far one of the most interesting, exciting and beautiful events I've ever seen.

The evening before, there is also a smaller, but also interesting event (the Fire Parade) in the nearby town of Liestal. Go to that first. Get a short nap at your hotel. Then go to the beginning of Fasnacht in Basel at 4:00AM. You would need to check that time. The entire center of town is dark, with only the huge, painted lanterns glowing.

These events are not at all like Octoberfest. Look them up on line for a glimpse of the costumes, etc. I've made the trip to Europe just for these events and hope to be able to do it again sometime. The city is expensive, but worth it for these events. You can even stay on the outskirts of the city and take the bus/train to the events.

Well, I guess I'm in the minority, but to me off-season travel to Santorini (February likely to be about 55 degrees and dry) sound like a good honeymoon idea. It's a beautiful island; how great to have it mostly to yourselves! (Of course, I live near Seattle where in February it's probably 40 degrees and raining.)

But how much fun if most places are closed. And 55 during the day - but how cold at night? With what heating arrangements?

azzure
Not sure you have been to Santorini during the winter.. i have...
Most hotels are closed.... shops cafes and restaurants too....
It is not fun, believe me...... it is not that much the weather, which can be warmer than elsewhere, it is the fact that there is not much to do.....

No, I've only been to Santorini in the summer, when it was mobbed with tourists and not at all romantic. But I see your point, if everything is closed...

Hello mayank_katoch1158 !
First of all February is a rainy month in Greece not a dry one. I have been a few times off season to Santorini and specifically on February years ago and it was simply miserable. On my February visit I remember that something like 4 out of 5 days was raining or partly raining. Of course this means nothing,I may have simply been unlucky... But even on dry days, there was not much to do other than a few walks... I remember once staying in Kamari,I think that was early March, and I was struggling to find a cafe to have a morning coffee. One day I took bus to Fira where I found only one place that looked like kafeteria outside but seemed to served as a local kafenion (frequented only by older men when a young female would feel uncomfortable) and an other small place that seemed to serve mostly local kids skipping going to school. An other day I took morning bus to Oia and I found nothing open, next bus back to Fira was hours later and after walking and walking around, a lady came out of a closed shop who she seemed to renovate or clean and tide up...I think actually she was just going there to kill some hours rather than do real work...Anyway, she asked me if I need some help and we started to chat, she offered me a coffee and thanks god her son waked up after a while to go to a Fira bank and gave me a lift!
Now you may ask, why the hell I was there at this time of the year at first place! This is a long and complicated story that includes a girl who I was studying with in Glyfada, who was originally coming from Kamari, her boyfriend, my then boyfriend and this girl's paranoid mother... lol

Now, I strongly believe that Athens is underrated by many... You can very pleasantly spend at least 5 nights/4 full days there even on February. You seemed to include it just a transit point on your original plan which was quite fast paced, so I will not insist on that one... but honestly you may want to have a closer look before ruling Athens out...

Whatever you end up doing, have a great honeymoon : )

Santorini in February 2008:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L91zvHMR41o

lol Heimdall..... this is not the typical winter of Santorini...
Snowfalls on Santorini are very very rare....
I remember the February of 2008, because i had just moved to a new house in the eastern suburbs of Athens.... and we couldn't move around for 3 days due to very heavy snowfall....
Buses did not run at all.... there was ice everywhere... not very typical for Athens

How often does that happen? Once every five years or so, or less often than that? I remember another occasion about 10-12 years ago when friends on Antiparos sent photos of a a big snowstorm there, which would have also hit Santorini. Let's see now...how many years ago was 2008?

It snows in Athens every year, especially in the north and north east where i live... not that much by the sea
The mountains of Parnitha and Penteli are covered with snow every year.

Snowstorms on the Cyclades are rare.....
North Aegean islands often have snow though, so does Crete in the mountains sometimes even till late May.

To the OP, how are you traveling from place to place? Have you looked up flight times and train schedules? Allowed the time to get out to the airport 2 hours before the flight?

Cities are better places to visit in the winter. Hotels and restaurants are open. Several of your destinations are pretty far north so the hours of daylight are short in the winter. Indoor sights are better (and warmer and drier).

There's lots to see in places like Athens and Rome. Two nights in Rome is basically one day. One night in Athens gives you less than a day. Research the sights to see in these places as well as Berlin and Munich. Look at Fodors' Destinations above. Do you have access to guidebooks? The Michelin Green Guides rate sights in cities.

Consider cutting several destinations. I love Venice, consider it the most romantic of cities, perfect for a honeymoon, but not crammed into an itinerary like yours. In fact, I see a honeymoon as a relatively leisurely trip, with fewer stops.

I guess a good trip will be 4 nights in santorini then 6 nights in rome followed by 4 nights in interlaken( in which there will be day trips to lot of places and glacier) and finally 4 nights in paris. i think this is fair enough and comfortable. Though i will miss the castle in Neuschwanstein which i think looks faboulous in snow. also i cant help it but i gotta go in feb.

I agree that your new plan is much better but I still think you will be disappointed in Santorini in Feb. Most things will be closed, including alot of restaurants and hotels. There will be next to nothing to do but sit and look at the view for 3 days and it will eat up a lot of time getting there and then to Italy.

Well you do seem stuck on Santorini. With most places closed and average highs of 55 and lows in the mid 40s - I hope you take a lot of books with you to read.

And when you book your hotel I would definitely get detailed info on what type of heat they have - how warm they keep it at night. (Here indoor places are required to be at least 55 degrees between 10 pm and 7 am.)

"I guess a good trip will be 4 nights in santorini"

Most of your new plan is fine . . . but have you missed allthe comments about the Greek Isles/Santorini in Feb? It is not a good place to visit in February

"There will be next to nothing to do but sit and look at the view for 3 days" and that view could be covered by rain.

If we can't convince you maybe this will. http://weatherspark.com/averages/32207/2/Santorini-Thira-South-Aegean-Greece

It shows everything about the weather and temps are almost entirely in the 50'sF (12/14F) with the chance of rain on any day around 35%+. Combine that with everything being closed - it won't be what you are expecting of a 'Greek Isle honeymoon'.

problem is that my fiancee wants to go to santorini...how would it be if i replace santorini with athens and spend 4 nights there and then go to rome?

Well, it's your honeymoon, and if your fiancee really wants to go to Santorini then why not? Will she ever forgive you if you don't go? The scenery will still be there, but you won't likely be sitting on a balcony in the warm sunshine gazing out at the caldera. At least you won't be encountering the hordes of tourists that are there during the summer.

How about a compromise? Fly straight out to Santorini upon arrival in Athens and spend two nights there, then go back to Athens for the other two nights.

yeah even that sounds g8...only thing is that i have to rebook my flight in aegan....apart from that is it good 2 spend 6 nights in rome or shall i split it up with venice and do 3 each

Does your fiancee understand that it wont be like spending time there in the summer and she wont be sitting on balconies enjoying the view? If you explain this she may decide that your time is better spent elsewhere...

Has your fiancee read the replies above? And still wants to go to Santorini? This will be the first stop on your honeymoon and should be what you most want to see and do but is unlikely to be what she dreams of.

how is this

A) 14-18 santorini, 18-21 athens,21-25 rome and so on ( Involves one flight rebooking)
B) Plan A, replace rome by munich or berlin ( Involves one flight rebooking)
C) 14-19th athens,19th-25 rome and so on ( Involves two flight rebooking)
D) 14-18 santorini, 18-19 athens,19-22 rome,22-25th venice (old plan) and so on
E) Plan D, replace venice also by rome

I guess Plan A is good only if there is a lot to c in athens

also- so on is 4 days in switzerland and 4 days in paris which i feel is good.

There are tonnes of things to see in Athens - with your 1 full day you will barely be able to scrath the surface.

Have you done your homework for this trip?
Have a look at various sites and travel guides first, before you ask if there's a lot to see in Athens....

This is the official website of the city of Athens :
http://www.breathtakingathens.com

As for Santorini, why are you insisting on going there, even though there won't be anything to do?

i am insisting because my fiancee really wants to go

Well, all right, go to Santorini, but only stay 2 nights. Fly there and back to Athens. Add the rest of the days to Athens, where there's lots to see, including nice, dry, warm museums.