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30 day Multi-Country Europe Trip in June- PLEASE HELP WITH ITINERARY!!!

30 day Multi-Country Europe Trip in June- PLEASE HELP WITH ITINERARY!!!

Old Sep 20th, 2014, 10:33 AM
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30 day Multi-Country Europe Trip in June- PLEASE HELP WITH ITINERARY!!!

I am planning a 30-40 day trip around Europe next summer (dates around second week of June to second week of July). The countries/cities I want to visit include:
London
Barcelona
Paris
Brussels
Croatia
Prague
Amsterdam
Berlin
Budapest
Rome
Zadar, Vis Island, Croatia
Ljubljana, Slovenia

The plan is:
London to Paris;
Paris to Barcelona;
Barcelona to Rome;
Rome to Croatia;
Croatia to Slovenia;
Slovenia to Budapest;
Budapest to Prague;
Prague to Berlin;
Berlin to Amsterdam;
then home.

We are planning on starting in London, were we have a free place to stay, and do day trips around England, maybe into Ireland if we have time. Then from there go to Paris, Barcelona, and Rome (with any side trips if we have time, also). In Amsterdam, we will make that home base and do a day trip to Brussels.

I know I have too many places in too short a time to visit them all, unfortunately. I do not know which to cut out, because I want to visit them all. I could really use some advise on places to visit in each place (especially the not as well known places that are amazing). I would like to narrow the list down to closer to 6 or 7 instead of 10, because I want to stay for longer than 3 days in Paris, London, and Barcelona.

The plan is to travel by plane if it is in a similar price range to train, or train if it is way cheaper. Going to be staying in dorm room hostels and maybe couch surfing, if we find trusting places. We are 21/22 and students, so planning on discounts there, also.

Also, what beaches would you suggest? I plan on going to the beach in Barcelona, but where else? Also, know of a good place to kayak?

If the order of countries is better off in another order, feel free to move them around.

I just need advice, so anything is greatly appreciated!! THANKS
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 10:47 AM
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Some of the places I have done preliminary researching on are below. If I spent 5 days in London, Paris, Barcelona, Budapest, 4 days in Rome and Amsterdam, and 4 days in Croatia/Slovenia? Then do either Prague or Berlin for 4 days? Does that sound reasonable or too rushed?

Belgium
Brussels:
Cantillon Brewery (7)
http://www.cantillon.be/br/3_2
Mini Europe- if still open (14,30)
Peeing Statues- three, girl, boy, dog
Royal Palace (July)


Croatia
Dubrovnik:
Dubrovnik- beach
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Vis Island:
Blue Cave (Bisevo)
Kayaking- http://www.alternatura.hr/offer/sea-kayaking/
Zagreb:
Zadar:

Ferries for Islands (Bac): http://www.bracinfo.com/brac-ferries/
http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel...pping-croatia/

Czech Republic
Prague:


France
Paris:
Eiffel Tower (5-15)
http://www.toureiffel.paris/en/prepa...onditions.html
Arc de Triomphe (5)
http://www.arcdetriompheparis.com/visitor-information
The Louvre (Fri 6-9:45, free; 12)
http://www.louvre.fr/en/hours-admission/admission#tabs
Notre Dame
Versailles
Champs de Elysees
Catacombs of Paris (8)
http://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/vi...seum-admission
Musee d’Orsay (8,50)
http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/visit/a...sion-fees.html
Shakespeare and Company Bookstore


England
London:
Big Ben
Tower of London (17,60) -includes much more!
http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/...ondonadmission
Buckingham Palace
London Eye (20,95)
http://www.londoneye.com/TicketsAndP...s/Default.aspx
Natural History Museum (0)


Germany
Berlin:
Berlin Zoo and Aquarium (15 both, 10 zoo)
http://www.zoo-berlin.de/zoo/visit-t...ssion.html?L=1
Berlin Wall


Hungary
Budapest:
Szechenyi Baths (40 min massage 5450 ft, $22)
http://www.szechenyibath.hu/prices
Budapest Zoo (1900 HUF, $8)
http://www.zoobudapest.com/en/plan-y...it/buy-tickets
Thermal Springs
Cave Church
Wine Labyrinth
House of Terror
Central Market
Margaret Island
Opera House (~10)
http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel...st-what-to-do/
Miscolc:

Italy
Capri:
Blue Grotto
Baunei:
Cala Goloritze- beach
Cala Mariolu- beach
Rome:
Colosseum (12)
http://archeoroma.beniculturali.it/e...ite/colosseum#
Trevi Fountain
Sistine Chapel
Catacombs (8)
http://www.catacombe.roma.it/en/info_biglietti.php
Pantheon


Netherlands
Amsterdam:
Reg Light District
Anne Frank Museum (9,50)
http://www.annefrank.org/en/Museum/P...-ticket-sales/
Sex Museum (4)
http://www.sexmuseumamsterdam.nl/index2.html


Slovenia
Waterfall Savica (2,50)
http://www.slovenia.info/?vintgar=1734
Skocjan Cave (12)
http://www.park-skocjanske-jame.si/e...t_tours.shtmlc
Triple Bridge
Postojna Cave (18)
http://www.postojnska-jama.eu/en/visitors/individuals/
Ljubljana:
Dragon Bridge
Lake Bohinj
Bled Castle (7)
http://www.blejski-grad.si/en/price-list
Rappelling in Bled, Slovenia

Spain
Barcelona:
Guell Park (0)
Las Ramblas (0)
Basilica of the Sagrada Familia (18,50)
http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng...TarifesInd.php
Casa Batllo (18,50)
http://www.casabatllo.es/en/visit/prices/
Picasso Museum (7,50)
http://www.bcn.cat/museupicasso/en/museum/times.html
Beaches!
Ciutadella Park
Catalonia History Museum (0 Sun and Mon; 3,50)
http://www.en.mhcat.cat/content/view/full/83
Madrid:
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 11:07 AM
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You say 30-40 days. Which is it? It makes a big difference.

You have a list of twelve places/countries in your first post, then you add a few more in the next. That's a lot. They are of course not all equal in size. But it still looks like a bit too much.

Have you accounted for travel time between places? At least half a day will dissapear each time you move, unless you take night trains. And of course some distances are too short for night trains. Flying will be faster for some distances, but you have to add the waiting time at the airport, too.

Do you actually want to experience the places on your list or only do a quick 1-2 day highlight visit? Most people here will tell you to slow down. I think the trip sounds like a rushed whirlwind, but maybe you like that sort of thing. I'm feeling exhausted just looking at the list of places.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 11:10 AM
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30-40 days sounds like a lot - until you actually start to plan things out. As you already noted, you just have too much. You have listed more than 10 'places' and some of your places are entire countries (eg Croatia) which are not as tiny as they may look on a map!

Your biggies, and the ones you mention more than once are London, Paris, Barcelona and Spain. Seriously, you need a minimum of 4 days/nights for each. Because 4 nights really only gets you a little more than 3 days for actual sightseeing/being there. Travel time between places REALLY eats up a lot of time. There are various cheapo airlines to fly between places in Europe, but Easyjet has the most destinations. So I usually try to see where I can combine via Easyjet to determine the order I do things in. And you really just have to spend some time on the computer comparing and contrasting flights vs trains for price and time savings. The benefit to trains is they go city center to city center whereas the airports are always a ways out and you need to factor in the transportation into the city center - which can often be MORE than the flight itself - in both time and money. Not to mention that flight times are the time in the air, not counting getting to the airport two hours ahead.

One possible itinerary would be London - fly easyjet to Barcelona - fly easyjet to Paris - train to Brussels - train to Amsterdam - fly easyjet to Rome. I would allow a minimum of three weeks for that portion, assuming you don't want to do any day trips.

In your second list you have all kinds of places listed that are no where near the cities you originally mentioned. You cannot do Madrid as a side trip from Barcelona, or Capri as a side trip from Rome. If you want to see other places in Spain/Italy/France/England then you can - but then you'd need to forget about Croatia/Slovenia/etc. You could easily do the entire 30-40 days in England, Spain, Italy, France and Netherlands - and in fact that's what I would suggest. It will save you a LOT of money and time over going all the way to Eastern Europe. Save that for another trip.

If you really, really want to go to Croatia, etc then you will need to limit what you see in those first countries to just the one major city each. And even then I don't think you can fit in all of what you list - those areas are bigger than you think, transportation options a little more difficult.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 11:18 AM
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Several of the night trains have been removed with more to come it seems.

For budget airline flights look at www.whichbudget.com or www.skyscanner.com

With this much travel you need to consider the use of a multi-country rail pass, also.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 11:45 AM
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Isabel, the list of places I meant to take off some of those. The only side trips I am planning on is one or two at most from London, and maybe see somewhere in Belgium from Amsterdam, and Croatia and Slovenia will be covered by overnight trips (possibly, planning that part with a friend who went there last summer).

I only plan on going to Barcelona in Spain, Paris in France, and Rome in Italy.

Is this a little more reasonable:
Day 1: Fly into London
Day 2: London
Day 3: London
Day 4: London or day trip
Day 5: Travel to Paris
Day 6: Paris
Day 7: Paris
Day 8: Paris
Day 9: Travel to Barcelona
Day 10: Barcelona
Day 11: Barcelona
Day 12: Barcelona
Day 13: Barcelona
Day 14: Travel to Rome
Day 15: Rome
Day 16: Rome
Day 17: Rome
Day 18: Travel to Croatia
Day 19: Croatia
Day 20: Travel to Slovenia
Day 21: Slovenia
Day 22: Travel to Budapest
Day 23: Budapest
Day 24: Budapest
Day 25: Budapest
Day 26: Travel to Berlin
Day 27: Berlin
Day 28: Berlin
Day 29: Berlin
Day 30: Travel to Amsterdam
Day 31: Amsterdam
Day 32: Amsterdam
Day 33: Amsterdam
Day 34: Go home

I might take out Berlin and extend Croatia/Slovenia, just do either Croatia or Slovenia (talking to my friend before decision) or extend Paris or Barcelona.

Or does this still seem to rushed for people who have been to these places? Ignore the first comment where I put the list of places, didn't meant to put everything.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 11:59 AM
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>>The only side trips I am planning on is one or two at most from LondonLondon let alone one or two day trip. If you take one day trip, then you will have 2 full days plus a few jet lagged hours on your arrival day. London is enormous.

>>Day 18: Travel to Croatia
Day 19: Croatia
Day 20: Travel to Slovenia
Day 21: Slovenia
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 12:18 PM
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I suggest you plan to use London, Paris, Barcelona and Rome as bases for a week each. Spend maybe 5 days in each of the cities and 2 days on trips outside. It's a clear itinerary, leaving several days for travel between and time to enjoy each of them. Count on returning to Europe, almost everyone does, for the rest. Do 4 well, instead of all at a run and likely remembering little of it.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 01:20 PM
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I can't imagine a Pan-European Trip without Greece. I mean you can't say you've seen Europe if you haven't been in The Parthenon or in a Greek island, it doesn't make any sense. My advice is to drop Belgium and Slovenia and add Greece instead, much more interesting in every aspect.

I think an ideal Itinerary to see Europe is:

1) Barcelona
2) Paris
3) London
4) Amsterdam
5) Berlin
6) Prague
7) Vienna
8) Budapest
9) Dubrovnik
10) Rome
11) Athens
12) Istanbul
Then Home

Spend 3 days in each city and there are 36 days in total.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 01:52 PM
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I can't imagine a Pan-European Trip without Greece.

Well, I can and obviously the OP has also. besides, there isn't even a Scandinavian country included as well as Portugal and all those Baltic nations.

I think the idea of basing oneself in one city for each of the weeks may work if you are content to do day trips.

You are always going to get somebody who tells you about the "depth" thing as in, you aren't spending enough time in _______ or in _________.

You've made a start and you can certainly try to see everything on your list. That's one good way to learn self-limitations.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 02:20 PM
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I think your revised schedule is doable, if you realize it will still be only a 'taste' of those cities and that some day you will return. Except for the Croatia/Slovenia part. I agree with the others, it makes no sense. Have you planed out how you will get there and get around? If you scratch Croatia/Slovenia (and I loved visiting there but it took me two trips of more than a week each and I didn't come close to even covering all the 'highlights') and add those 4 days to London, Paris and Rome you will have a pretty good "Intro to Europe" trip.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 02:53 PM
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"Spend 3 days in each city and there are 36 days in total."

Next post Petros will reveal the secret of teleportation between each of those 12, thereby actually giving you 3 days in each place.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 03:29 PM
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Pretty ambitious, but you clearly want the big city Europe experience, so let's work from that. Apart from thinking that you won't have time for a day trip from London (check again after you list all the things you want to see in London and try and fit them into less that 3 days), your Croatia and Slovenia leg looks like the only logistical issue; 4 nights of "stay" with either very long days of travel (Rome - Dubrovnik, I presume, and Dubrovnik - Ljubljana) or 2 of the 4 nights spent overnight on a ferry and trains.




Day 1: Fly into London
Day 2: London
Day 3: London
Day 4: London or day trip
Day 5: Travel to Paris
Day 6: Paris
Day 7: Paris
Day 8: Paris
Day 9: Travel to Barcelona
Day 10: Barcelona
Day 11: Barcelona
Day 12: Barcelona
Day 13: Barcelona
Day 14: Travel to Rome
Day 15: Rome
Day 16: Rome
Day 17: Rome
Day 18: Travel to Croatia
Day 19: Croatia
Day 20: Travel to Slovenia
Day 21: Slovenia
Day 22: Travel to Budapest
Day 23: Budapest
Day 24: Budapest
Day 25: Budapest
Day 26: Travel to Berlin
Day 27: Berlin
Day 28: Berlin
Day 29: Berlin
Day 30: Travel to Amsterdam
Day 31: Amsterdam
Day 32: Amsterdam
Day 33: Amsterdam
Day 34: Go home
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 03:41 PM
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Revised again. I might take out one city and split the days between the others. I plan on flying to the different cities instead of taking a train, since it is half the time (unless the train is a lot cheaper, but in my initial price checking, it will be around the same price.) And we will be going back to London because we have a friend their who is letting us stay with her, so we want to see her before we leave.

As much as I want to see Croatia and Slovenia, I will probably just have to go back another time for those countries.

June 10 Day 1: Fly into London
11 Day 2: London
12 Day 3: London
13 Day 4: London
14 Day 5: London
15 Day 6: Travel to Paris
16 Day 7: Paris
17 Day 8: Paris
18 Day 9: Paris
19 Day 10: Paris
20 Day 11: Travel to Barcelona
21 Day 12: Barcelona
22 Day 13: Barcelona
23 Day 14: Barcelona
24 Day 15: Barcelona
25 Day 16: Travel to Rome
26 Day 17: Rome
27 Day 18: Rome
28 Day 19: Rome
29 Day 20: Travel to Budapest
30 Day 21: Budapest
1 Day 22: Budapest
2 Day 23: Budapest
3 Day 24: Budapest
4 Day 25: Travel to Berlin
5 Day 26: Berlin
6 Day 27: Berlin
7 Day 28: Berlin
8 Day 29: Travel to Amsterdam
9 Day 30: Amsterdam
10 Day 31: Amsterdam
11 Day 32: Amsterdam
12 Day 33: Travel to London
13 Day 34: London
July 14 Day 34: Go home

Thank you all for your advise. If you know of any places you recommend in Barcelona, Paris, London, Amsterdam, or Berlin, I will gladly take suggestions. Beaches, museums, churches or other architecture, markets, food places, parks, zoos, bars, clubs, pubs, etc...
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 03:46 PM
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BINGO. Routing is good and if anyone tells you 4 or 5 days in each city is not enough, ignore them. Of course it's not, and it also is..... It all depends on how long you want to stay in them.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 03:59 PM
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You have plenty of time to think more about it.

Really consider carefully how much time you are giving each city and which ones have good day trips where you might want more time. They are not all equal in what they have to offer, but that also depends on what you want to see and do in each.

I would certainly give more time to Rome and less to Barcelona and Budapest. As a matter of fact, early on, you mentioned day trips from Rome. I would cut a day or two off other places and add them Italy, but all depends on your personal interests.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 04:01 PM
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Go to Budapest a day later and give that day to Rome.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 04:09 PM
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>> I plan on flying to the different cities instead of taking a train, since it is half the time Rome for sure.
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 04:40 PM
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First - fly open haws into your first city and out of yor last - in order to avoid wasting a full day returning to London.

Second- look at train times versus flight times (including getting from city center to and fro airports, time at check in and security - and od look at the requirements for discount airlines - they often allow only minute luggage and have very stringent check=in requirements - often at airports very far from the cities they serve. Frankly - for anything 6 hours or less by train air will most probably take longer.

Third - start building a budget now - a realistic budget, incluidng local hostel costs, meals, in-city transit and sightseeing. My DD - then 19 - went for 5.5 weeks with 2 friends 2 years ago and spent about $8k (PLUS plane fare) living modestly - no shopping and only student cafe/pub nightlife (uber cheap wine and beer)
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Old Sep 20th, 2014, 08:15 PM
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nyt - which countries? That's $205/night - that's not a "modest" budget unless you're in Scandinavia!
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