Planning a trip to europe

Old Aug 7th, 2015, 06:35 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Planning a trip to europe

Hi everyone,
My husband and I just decided to visit Europe for the first time in a few days. Sorry I know we should have planned our trip months in advance, but we just found that my husband has a month off work :/
I am 27 and interested in food, wine, beautiful sceneries, adventures and all luxury and exciting things to do.
Our budget is flexible and we'd like to depart from Melbourne on 13th August. We plan to visit Hungary (or Germany), Switzerland, Italy,France and Netherlands in 23 days.
Please help me to find the best cities and the specific areas of those cities that suit a first time visitor to stay. How many days are needed to visit each city. Can you recommend any interesting event or show that is better to be booked in advance.

Thanks a million
Merda
soude is offline  
Old Aug 7th, 2015, 07:04 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 22,939
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You give the name of countries, not cities. Pick up a guidebook that covers Europe and see what interests you. For 23 days I would pick three cities and do day trips from them if you get tired of the city.
Michael is offline  
Old Aug 7th, 2015, 07:08 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,624
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You were given some advice nearly a month ago, but it seems you are starting over:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-to-europe.cfm
elberko is offline  
Old Aug 7th, 2015, 07:10 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,549
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
If your 23 days includes travel time from/to OZ you will really only have about 20.5 days free 'on the ground' after flying/jetlag etc. And you want to visit 5 countries from a menu of 6 . . .

Too may, too little time, and your questions are FAR too broad to even start . . .

Buy some guidebooks.
janisj is offline  
Old Aug 7th, 2015, 07:12 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,549
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
oh -- didn't see elberko's post. Read your original thread . . . and then get some guidebooks
janisj is offline  
Old Aug 7th, 2015, 11:26 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,713
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I think that in your case, considering that :
- it gives you a lot of stress to plan a trip
- you don't seem to listen to what people tell you here
- it seems you cannot organize it yourself
- you have a flexible budget

a travel agent would be the best solution.
He will have itineraries, and will accomodate for tour preferences.

Best regards.
pariswat is offline  
Old Aug 7th, 2015, 11:47 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Going by train? For such am ambitious itinerary I would - renting a car in one country and returning it in another usually entails prodigous drop-off fees for doing so. Trains are fantastic and if going to the mega tourist cities you've dreamt about going to for years then cars and cities are not just a good mix - public transportation is so so good.

Anyone to plan a European rail trip check these superb sites: www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com. If taking several long train trips consider some kind of Eurailpass - first class if over 25 and that has its perks.
PalenQ is offline  
Old Aug 7th, 2015, 01:55 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We plan to visit Hungary (or Germany), Switzerland, Italy,France and Netherlands in 23 days.> 5 base countries in 23 days means about 4 days in each place - counting travel time between them.

Which is OK if you just stick to one city in each country and are content with rather long train rides or flights.

How about landing in Amsterdam

taking train to Paris

then train to Switzerland - Alps are the most awesome thing for first-time visitors - head to the Jungfrau Region near Interlaken for IMO the best of the Swiss Alps

then take train to Italy - say Venice and end up in Rome and fly back from there.

Very ambitious though - have to cut something and Germany is a bit of an outlier on that route - or substitute some place for it.
PalenQ is offline  
Old Aug 7th, 2015, 03:20 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 37,415
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Your first post was almost a month ago. Have you any kind of a plan going at all? Today is the 7th and you want to leave on the 13th with no reservations anywhere, what about flights?
crefloors is offline  
Old Aug 7th, 2015, 03:50 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,549
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
>>Please help me to find the best cities and the specific areas of those cities that suit a first time visitor to stay. How many days are needed to visit each city. Can you recommend any interesting event or show that is better to be booked in advance.
janisj is offline  
Old Aug 7th, 2015, 05:24 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I agree that I think in this case you should get to a travel agent NOW - since they will be able to quickly determine which very limited hotels are available that meet your criteria (luxury) and budget (be prepared for very high prices for luxury places).

Since you seem not to want to do any work yourself - much better to get a quality agent and pay them whatever they want to charge to give you at least a fighting chance of a decent trip. (For us to really answer your questions with a lot of detail would take hours and I can't imagine that any of us has the time or inclination to do so.)

Do not underestimate how late you are in planning and how many places will be full. And be prepared to spend twice as much money as you planned.
nytraveler is offline  
Old Aug 8th, 2015, 02:17 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 428
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Good luck - you will need it, because nobody will hold your hand for you while you're in these foreign countries. Better see if the travel agent can come along.
manouche is offline  
Old Aug 8th, 2015, 07:20 AM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 37,415
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I have a hard time thinking this is real. Who would plan a 23 day trip to Europe, never having been to Europe, and only have a week to make plane and lodging reservations, plan transport from one place to another, and so on. They also haven't returned since yesterday and if I was running that tight a schedule, I'd be on the thread all day yesterday and off to the travel agent today.

I could be wrong and if so my sincere apologies, but this just doesn't feel right.
crefloors is offline  
Old Aug 8th, 2015, 07:38 AM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
taking several long train trips without advance discounted tickets which are probably sold out long ago means paying full fare - thus look at a Eurail Select Pass as being a good deal if taking several longer train rides.
PalenQ is offline  
Old Aug 8th, 2015, 10:04 AM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,549
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
>>I have a hard time thinking this is real. Who would plan a 23 day trip to Europe, never having been to Europe, and only have a week to make plane and lodging reservations, plan transport from one place to another, and so on.drive to Ireland, then drive to Scotland, then drive back through England to the Cotswolds and to London to stay for a week and then fly to JNB to meet up w/ a safari. And except for the flights to/from LHR and JNB -- they have not booked/planned ANYTHING . . . except a tour of Buckingham Palace (?). Not car, not flat, not ferries - and had no ideas what to see/where to go in Ireland, Scotland or England (other than London)

And they don't seem like nitwits - well spoken sensible sounding. Just totally clueless
janisj is offline  
Old Aug 8th, 2015, 10:10 AM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 37,415
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well see, that's where the tour comes in. My first trip was a 16 day tour and it was the best thing I ever did. I absolutely had no clue about anything, including how tours worked. My SIL and her travel agent made all the arrangements. Anyway, had a great time. learned so much, saw a lot, had loads of free time if we wanted, and I'm so glad I did that.

I have since been back on my own and that trip gave me a lot of know how (still a lot to learn), eliminated my fears, and personally, I think more people should to that for a first trip, especially if they want to cover a fair amount of ground. In some cases it can be just what they need to get their feet wet. JMHO
crefloors is offline  
Old Aug 8th, 2015, 11:36 AM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There is no shame in taking a tour though many Fodorgarchs hair raise up stiff at mention of a tour. Tours are oft fast-paced at a speed you could not duplicate on your own - see a lot but nothing in depth but yes then come back again with your feet wet.
PalenQ is offline  
Old Aug 8th, 2015, 07:44 PM
  #18  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I planned my trip within two days and surprisingly booked the best hotels with up to 75% discount (on booking.com). The trip starts from Rome, Then to Florence,Venice, Munich, Zurich, Jungfrau, Paris( and visit Versailles and Normandy) then fly back home from Amsterdam.
I feel so goood.

Thank you all,
Merda
soude is offline  
Old Aug 9th, 2015, 07:45 AM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 37,415
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Congratulations, so you didn't need any input from here at all. Good for you. Enjoy your trip, you will love Europe.
crefloors is offline  
Old Aug 9th, 2015, 09:11 AM
  #20  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Please share a trip report with us when you return - it will be fascinating to see what you actually see/do.
nytraveler is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -