Backpacking Europe itinerary
Jun 27th, 2015, 11:04 AM
#1
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Backpacking Europe itinerary
Hey Everyone i wanted help planning my trip this is what i have so far
8/2 DC TO AMS
8/3 Arrive in Amsterdam
8/6 AMS to Paris vis train
8/9 Paris to milan via train
8/10 milan italy to Venice
8/12 Venice to ROME
8/14 rome to ATH VIA PLANE
8/17 ATH TO SAW VIA PLANE
8/20 HOME TO DC
ANY AND ALL ADVICE WOULD BE HELP-FULL
THANK YOU
8/2 DC TO AMS
8/3 Arrive in Amsterdam
8/6 AMS to Paris vis train
8/9 Paris to milan via train
8/10 milan italy to Venice
8/12 Venice to ROME
8/14 rome to ATH VIA PLANE
8/17 ATH TO SAW VIA PLANE
8/20 HOME TO DC
ANY AND ALL ADVICE WOULD BE HELP-FULL
THANK YOU
Jun 27th, 2015, 11:38 AM
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Depending on when you arrive and how much you want to see, you might be able to do your sightseeing in Milan without spending the night. Simply stow your luggage in the train station while you tour the town. (If you want to see the Last Supper, you need a reservation at the church.) That would enable you to add some time elsewhere.
I think there is also an overnight train from Paris to Milan which might work for you, and an overnight train from Paris to Venice if you were willing to skip Milan. You will be arriving in Milan on a Sunday in August, and while most tourist sights will be open on Sunday, the town will otherwise be very, very quiet, with most locals out by a lake. On Monday morning, many museums will be closed.
If you are backpacking on a budget, try not to skimp on air conditioning in August, especially in Venice where you will need it against mosquitoes at night.
You will be passing through a great many crowded train stations and bus terminals in August with your backpack. You probably already know this, but figure out a way to keep your essential valuables closely secured to your person or inaccessible in your pack, away from easily unzipped pockets. Twisty-ties, safety pins and other ways of fastening your zippers and clothes pockets shut are worth the extra effort, even if it makes you feel silly.
have a great time!
I think there is also an overnight train from Paris to Milan which might work for you, and an overnight train from Paris to Venice if you were willing to skip Milan. You will be arriving in Milan on a Sunday in August, and while most tourist sights will be open on Sunday, the town will otherwise be very, very quiet, with most locals out by a lake. On Monday morning, many museums will be closed.
If you are backpacking on a budget, try not to skimp on air conditioning in August, especially in Venice where you will need it against mosquitoes at night.
You will be passing through a great many crowded train stations and bus terminals in August with your backpack. You probably already know this, but figure out a way to keep your essential valuables closely secured to your person or inaccessible in your pack, away from easily unzipped pockets. Twisty-ties, safety pins and other ways of fastening your zippers and clothes pockets shut are worth the extra effort, even if it makes you feel silly.
have a great time!
Jun 27th, 2015, 12:29 PM
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Not counting arrival or departure days, you actually have only 16 days on the ground. With your itinerary, out of 16 days, you are traveling on 6 of those. Most of those are at least a half day, some much more, of travel. When travel time starts to approach 40-50% of the total sight seeing time, the sight seeing time becomes more and more expensive.
Your trip starts out OK, then becomes a rushed blur. IMHO and IME, one day in Rome (Stupidly, I actually did it once and it was awful) is not worth all the time and money to get there. A lot of time is spent getting from Paris to Venice. Do you have tickets for the Last Supper, so that is a priority for you? If not, fly from Paris to Venice. That gives you at least 1 & 1/2 days for someplace else. I would add it to Rome.
Two days in Istanbul is very, very little for the time and money spent to get there.
Still only my opinion, but besides Milan, I would cut at least one other city and add time to the others. The choice would be yours, but some pros and cons of cutting these.
Rome: easy to add to another trip. Lots of other areas to see there, making a more extended trip to Italy more logical.
Greece: cutting this would allow extra time in Turkey and/or Rome.
Istanbul: part of such a big, interesting and beautiful, country, spending all the money and time it takes to get there, it makes sense to do it with a longer trip when you can see more of the country.
Your trip starts out OK, then becomes a rushed blur. IMHO and IME, one day in Rome (Stupidly, I actually did it once and it was awful) is not worth all the time and money to get there. A lot of time is spent getting from Paris to Venice. Do you have tickets for the Last Supper, so that is a priority for you? If not, fly from Paris to Venice. That gives you at least 1 & 1/2 days for someplace else. I would add it to Rome.
Two days in Istanbul is very, very little for the time and money spent to get there.
Still only my opinion, but besides Milan, I would cut at least one other city and add time to the others. The choice would be yours, but some pros and cons of cutting these.
Rome: easy to add to another trip. Lots of other areas to see there, making a more extended trip to Italy more logical.
Greece: cutting this would allow extra time in Turkey and/or Rome.
Istanbul: part of such a big, interesting and beautiful, country, spending all the money and time it takes to get there, it makes sense to do it with a longer trip when you can see more of the country.
Jun 28th, 2015, 12:41 AM
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I think your time in Rome is too short, though. Apart from the travel days, you have only one day there.
If that's all the time you can spare for Rome, I strongly urge you not to try seeing the Colosseum (except from the outside) or the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, both of which tend to be insanely crowded. Trying to do those on a short trip, especially in the summer, will leave you exhausted and hating Rome. There are plenty of beautiful, peaceful, and uncrowded museums and archaeological sites in Rome, and those are much better suited to a summer trip, especially if it's very short.
If that's all the time you can spare for Rome, I strongly urge you not to try seeing the Colosseum (except from the outside) or the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, both of which tend to be insanely crowded. Trying to do those on a short trip, especially in the summer, will leave you exhausted and hating Rome. There are plenty of beautiful, peaceful, and uncrowded museums and archaeological sites in Rome, and those are much better suited to a summer trip, especially if it's very short.
