itzavious

Hi!! I am planning on traveling to Europe and I have no time constraints!! I have, what I call, 3 legs to my trip, the first one being Europe (then Asia and then Southeast Asia). I have never traveled overseas so I have NO idea on where to start. I have no time constraints at all, but I will have a budget of $20 - $25K for all 3 legs of my trip. What would be your DREAM itinerary way of seeing Europe with these parameters?!? My only MUST see's (which might not even be possible, I have no idea) are Switzerland, Ireland, Tuscany and Greece. I would also like to see Istanbul, but can live without it. I need help with an itinerary listed in a way that makes sense of traveling from each place to each place. Remember: I've never been anywhere so list anything you think a first timer must see! I need SO much help and am open to any/all suggestions.

Does this girl's itinerary look good?? Or would you do Europe differently?? (I will have way more time of course to see all of these places): http://www.blondechicktravels.com/2-...es-in-49-days/

Might be helpful to keep in mind is that I will be starting in California and heading to Asia after I see Europe. I also am very into adventures, sightseeing, hiking, exploring, etc. I am not interested in drinking, partying or seeing night clubs. Thank you SO much in advance!!

hetismij2

You will have a time constraint - you are only allowed 90 in 180 days in the Schengen zone without a visa.
If you don't know which countries are in Schengen look it up!

Michael

I think that the itinerary that you quote is good for that person. The map is an excellent idea, and I would pay for a paper map of Europe to try to rough out the entire itinerary you choose.

Get guide books and decide what you will want to focus on within your existing "musts". Plot out the estimated time in Ireland, Switzerland and Greece. Then fill in the remaining time according to what attracted your interest in the guidebooks you read. I do not think that the Michelin Green Guides would be the best for you since you express more interest in nature than historical sights.

travelhorizons

I would NOT see 30 cities in 49 days.

The classic first time European trip would include London + Paris + Rome, so building off of that:

You can start in Dublin, Ireland — there are non-stops from San Francisco. See Dublin and head west out into the country to experience the "40 shades of green." You might enjoy the Ring of Kerry or Ring of Dingle ... and County Clare.

Then fly Shannon to London. So much to experience here! Give yourself a good five days.

Take the Eurostar to Paris, good for another five days.

Take the train to Geneva, Switzerland. A beautiful city, but get out into the country. Spend some time at an Alpine resort, enjoying the scenery.

Take the train to Florence. You can explore this city and the surrounding Tuscan countryside.

Continue by train to Rome, where there is so much history on display.

Fly to Athens. You can see the historic sights of the city, then take the Ferry to one (or more) of the islands, such as Santorini or Mykonos.

By all means, visit Istanbul, another fabulous city with so much to see.

This hits all the spots you've mentioned, and I think the order makes sense.

janisj

$20-$25K for an unlimited around the world trip is not all that much money really. Your flights alone could cost half of that unless you plan very carefully and probably w/ an RTW ticket through one of the alliances.

Kathie

We all travel differently, but since this is your first trip, you may not know your own preferences. The itinerary you link to looks like a nightmare to me! If it was my trip, I'd plan 2 weeks each in London, Paris and Rome with some day trips and add in secondary city stays of 4-8 days each. As noted, you can only have 90 days in the Schengen zone.

Asia is a really big place, so with no info at all about what you are thinking, I'd note that India is more difficult travel than other places in Asia (not to discourage you going, but to forward you that you may need extra support there). SE Asia is my favorite part of the world, but which countries to choose depends on your interests. I'd skip China with its polluted air and just visit Hong Kong. And I'd finish in Japan.

In general, Europe is more expensive than Asia, though some Asian cities are pretty expensive, especially for lodging (Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo).

Take a year to plan this trip. Good planning makes for the best trips!

Edward2005

With about $9,000 available for the Euro-leg of your trip, you could afford about 60 days in Europe @ $150 per day. Not counting flights. And $150 per day is a shoestring budget, really. Most of your lodging would have to be hostels (unless you want to try couchsurf). A 30-day trip @ $300 per day would get you a comfortable hotel and nice meals several nights a week.

itzavious

90 days! Check! Good to know! I have no preference on seeing places other than my MUST's so that helps. I can create a shell itinerary of my MUSTS and then fill in from there. Does it make sense to only plan my "must sees" and wing the in betweens or do you not recommend doing that??

@travelhorizons I like that itinerary! Thank you!

@Kathie I'm definitely not visiting any countries in the middle east other than Istanbul. I would jump over to Japan/Hong Kong and the like after Europe... and yes, I am definitely planning this WAY in advance, I probably won't be able to leave for about 10-12 months so I'm starting the research now!

HappyTrvlr

Check Round the World tickets offered by the various airline alliances.
Also be aware of possible Visa requirements such as in VietNam. Your stay in SE Asia will cost much less than Europe.

thursdaysd

I think $150 day is quite generous. It all depends on how much comfort and how many restaurant meals you want, and how much time you spend in the most expensive places. And how fast you travel - the more you move the more it costs.

Note that Lonely Planet's website has suggested budgets for different countries at different comfort levels.

justineparis

Well note in your timing.. that winter is still winter in the Greek islands.. they have an off season, where on the islands many places will be closed and it will be cool and possibly rainy or windy.. so if envisioning that beautiful vision most of us have of the Greek islands.. they come alive around May and die down around beginning of October. So perhaps plan on leaving home (USA) in early spring of 2018 instead of Fall/Winter of 2017. Espeically since you want to enjoy some outdoor activities like hiking etc.. Ireland is cold and wet in winter and early spring ( heck we were cold one year in Dublin in August.. lol )

itzavious

@thursdaysd true! I don't need to stay in fancy places or eat fancy meals. I'm used to camping and traveling cheap so I won't need to spend a lot. Splurging here and there might just be "fun", but not necessary for me. Noted! I will check that out.

itzavious

@justineparis good thought! I will keep that in mind for sure!

dwdvagamundo

I'm confused: you tag your post with France, Greece, Hungary and Ireland, but list Switzerland, Ireland, Tuscany (in Italy) and Greece as your must sees.

I think you have sufficient time to see all these in 60 to 90 days. If you want to have a very nice and compact vacation, consider starting in Ireland--for about a week--and then spend the rest of your time in Italy (most time--add Rome and Venice to Tuscany), Greece and Switzerland.

Keep in mind that Switzerland and Italy are relatively expensive. Greece not so much.

Buon Viaggio and keep us informed.

itzavious

@dwdvagamundo There weren't many options on the list it gave me to tag so I just tagged what seemed relevant or similar.

michelhuebeli

itzavious, may I ask a basic question that hasn't come up? Do you know your own capacity for travel? For being in unfamiliar surroundings, day after day, having to make decisions - where to go, what to do, how to ask for something, whom to ask? Often translating, unsure what means what?

There is considerable stress involved - some people thrive on that, some wilt and want to just curl up somewhere for a while and regroup mentally.

Do you know your own stamina, your limitations before burn-out sets in?

How well do you deal with being on your own, week after week, with nobody alongside to share the exciting and the dull moments?

Your itinerary would challenge even many seasoned travelers who have the experiences that you lack, so how do you know this won't turn into a disaster after a few weeks?

Let me suggest baby steps - take a three-week trip to Europe, mixing up countryside locations with important big cities. Make it easy on yourself by starting where English is spoken - the UK.

Maybe ten days total, including the Cotswolds, Bath, Stonehenge, and then on to France. Maybe a ferry from the south coast of England, and work your way over to Paris. Then fly home and regroup. What went well? What didn't? When were you happy? When were you bummed out and why?

That will be a great apprenticeship for further and more stressful overseas travel - very easy when compared to what you'll encounter further afield when you get back to your BIG PLAN.

It will prepare you to make the most of the BIG PLAN, and that BIG PLAN should be re-organised into chapters, separated by breaks back home.

itzavious

@michelhuebeli That's understandable, but my capacity for change, lack of comfort, the unforeseen, etc. is very high. I have traveled quite a bit, just not overseas. I am also very self aware and mentally I thrive being alone. Hard to explain, but I'm not worried about being on the move and tbh what most people find stressful, I don't. It's just who I am, who I've always been. I'm certain there will be trying times, but I've not once had a hesitation on whether or not I can handle a trip like this - it sounds more exciting and thrilling than scary to me. Mind over matter all the way and my mind game is strong

CounterClifton

In Europe, I'd likely book budget apartments a couple weeks at a time in several cities and travel from those on day or overnight trips. But I like "daily life" probably more than queueing up and seeing attractions every day. Overnights may double up accommodation costs, but if I had my flights and apartment covered, then meals and any trips could be pretty manageable as far as costs.


ps - the 90 days only applies, as I understand it, in the Schengen visa zone. Not all your countries are in the zone, so for instance while you're in Ireland, that will have a separate max stay and won't be counting on your 90 days. Same with Istanbul and (I believe) the UK.

http://www.schengenvisainfo.com/sche...ountries-list/


I might be less inclined to do apartments in Asia and Southeast Asia portions, by the way. Bangkok is a great place to get a luxury serviced 1 bedroom apartment (including all hotel type amenities like room service and concierge) for a song, for instance, and it's also a transport hub. Many places though don't offer particularly more convenience as a long term hub and it might just be better to keep moving linearly for shorter stays.

marvelousmouse

Michelhuebeli pointed out something really important. When you say "you've never been anywhere" do you mean you haven't been out of North America? Or you haven't travelled anywhere solo even in North America? What is the longest trip you've been on- that you planned- and how long was it?

I can help you a lot more if I know that info. Right now I'm not sure where best to start.

What is your age? If you are under 26, Europe rail pass becomes much cheaper.

I wouldn't follow anyone's itinerary. What are YOU interested in seeing?

The U.K. Is not part of Schengen so the rules are different- you can stay 60 days in Schengen and still go to the UK.

Generally speaking....
Play with your dates a LOT. Play with where you fly in and out. It sounds weird, but certain Euro cities are much much more expensive to fly into than others.

Do a mix of cities and villages. Don't go too fast if you truly like to hike and explore. You find the best hiking and things to do if you stay in the place for more than a few nights.

If you haven't done hostels before, consider breaking up hostel stays once in a while with a nice hotel. Your sanity will thank you.

Hostels are great places to meet people. They're also great places to pick up nasty bugs. When you schedule your connections and day trips, keep in mind you can always get sick. So if there's a city you really, really want to see, book a few extra nights than you think you need. Same thing goes with weather. Not sure when you want to do this but if you're going somewhere you really want to hike a specific trail, schedule a few extra days. Longer you are there, the better chance you'll get one day of really ideal conditions.

I love your idea of a round the world trip. But given your budget, I think I'd do either Europe or Asia. Either can keep you busy for months and it'll likely give you a few thousand more than you would have if you did both.

Not sure if I agree with Michel's suggestion to do a trip to UK as break in. The tourist places I've been in Europe so far haven't been any more difficult than Chicago or LA or Boston, and in a lot of ways easier (and cheaper). But if you have NEVER stayed in a hostel before, I really think you should at least pick a North America city (my favorite hostels are probably HIs in DC and Chicago) and do 7-10 days in different sizes dorms. You really, really need to get a feel for what you can personally put up with and what is "normal", "exceptional" and "we have a problem" for a hostel. Most hostels are totally safe, but it's a very different thing than camping or being able to lock yourself in a motel room.

marvelousmouse

Meant 90 days in Schengen. And just saw your new post. Don't see it as being able to tolerate things- you sound a lot like me actually. See it as gathering more knowledge so the trip goes smoother. If you're in a good hostel that you like, you won't be sleep deprived, you won't have to focus on anything other than exploring. No matter how tough you are, you need time to recharge, and the less you have to recharge, the more you enjoy your trip.