cara809

Hello! I am planning a trip to Europe and would like to see as many cities as possible without trying to over-do it. I would love any feedback from more seasoned travelers on what I hope is shaping up to a be a reasonable itinerary. Here it is, let me know what you think!

Day 1: Depart New York
Day 2: Arrive London
Day 3: London
Day 4: London
Day 5: London
Day 6: Depart London, Arrive Berlin -- ryanair
Day 7: Berlin
Day 8: Berlin
Day 9: Berlin
Day 10: Depart Berlin, Arrive Prague -- Eurail (see below)
Day 11: Prague
Day 12: Prague
Day 13: Depart Prague, Arrive Vienna -- Eurail
Day 14: Vienna
Day 15: Vienna
Day 16: Vienna -- EuroNight Allegro train to Venice
Day 17: Arrive Venice
Day 18: Venice
Day 19: Venice
Day 20: Depart Venice, Arrive Florence -- Eurail
Day 21: Florence
Day 22: Florence
Day 23: Florence
Day 24: Depart Florence, Arrive Rome -- Eurail
Day 25: Rome
Day 26: Rome
Day 27: Rome
Day 28: Depart Rome, Arrive Paris -- ryanair
Day 29: Paris
Day 30: Paris
Day 31: Depart Paris, Arrive New York

From the research I have gathered this seems to be the most logical means of traveling between these cities. Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

PalenQ

I think that you have a splendid itinerary - not too little time nor too much in any of those cities - now what do you mean by Eurail?

Eurail does not run any trains in Europe but a Eurailpass is valid on nearly every train in Europe outside of the UK - but with 5 long train trips you may want to look only at the Eurail Select Pass - 4 countries - valid in Germany, Czech Republic, Austria and Italy - in Italy you need to pre-book seats on all but slow as molasses in January regional trains, adding 10 euros to each Italian train leg - that being the mandatory seat reservation cost - in the other countries hop on any train anytime.

For the overnight train the pass would only pay for the actual train fare not the extra sleeping accommodations, ranging from multi-person couchettes where strangers and sexes are mixed up to very pricey private compartments in the Sleeping Car.

If you want to go to www.bahn.de/en and www.trenitalia.com you can score some hefty discounted tickets if you do not desire flexibility and are willing to book in stone a specific train that is hard to change weeks in advance as those discounted tickets are sold in limited numbers - but if you book your trains thru them it would probably be cheaper than the Eurail Select Pass - the only pass IMO you would even consider.

But the Eurailpass if you are over 25 automatically comes in first class - a definite benefit and compared to full-fare first class tickets could well be cheaper than those.

Try booking discounts on the night train at the Austrian Railways site -www.oebb.com.

for lots of great info on polanning a European rail trip check out these IMO fine sites - www.seat61.com - great info on discounted tickets; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Again you itinerary looks extremely well thought out compared to many novice travelers on Fodor's who spend only a day or two in a place like Rome! Well done!!

So you have options to consider besides the pass.

michelhuebeli

Great trip - might be a bit much for some people, your head could begin to spin after about six cities. Keep good notes, geotag your photos, so that you won’t remember it all as one big blur later on.

You write “Day 10: Depart Berlin, Arrive Prague -- Eurail (see below)” but there is no “below”.

Did you mean one of the many variations of the Eurail Pass? There is otherwise no such thing as Eurail, you’ll travel and book your trips with the (mostly national) train systems of the countries you’re visiting.

For your point-to-point itinerary I doubt that such a pass would pay for itself, but you can save money by booking in advance on line, leg by leg.

For Berlin-Prague and possibly also for Prague-Vienna this would be www.bahn.de, and when you switch it to English, use “Other” so that you don’t get bounced over to RailEurope, a US agency that often charges more and delivers less.

For Prague-Vienna you can use the Czech train system https://www.cd.cz/eshop/

For trains originating in Vienna, including your 20:48 departure (arr. 08:33) night train (input it as Wien to Venezia Santa Lucia), go to www.oebb.at/en/index.jsp

Italian trains are at www.trenitalia.com and for some routes there is a competing company, often using alternate stations - www.italotreno.it/en/Pages/default.aspx.

Tell your credit company and bank about your plans before attempting those online bookings, so that the safeguards against “unusual foreign activity” will be lifted, or your transactions could be unsuccessful (and you’d be tempted to blame the overseas websites).

Happy planning!

mamcalice

For the moat part, your trip is a good sampling of Europe. However, I think you are spending far too little time in Paris. You have the same amount of time in Vienna, a far smaller and less interesting city. I would consider skipping Vienna and adding the days elsewhere.

PalenQ

Vienna is smaller and less interesting perhaps but it does have a fantastic day trip from it - by train to Melk - visit the world-famous Abbey - then take a boat down the most gorgeous part of the whole Danube perhaps - the fantastic Wachau Valley to Durnstein - a cute wine town with a famous ruined castle in whose dungeon Richard The Lionhearted was once held for ransom - the boat or bus or train from there the few miles to Krems - a large but still pleasant wine town with frequent trains back to Vienna.

But I agree I would spend more actual time in Paris if you have never been there than Vienna itself.

Gretchen

Another "not enough time in Paris"! You probably have 3 days in venice if you're taking the night train to arrive. I know some love it--interesting, but Paris moreso, by comparison. Agree about Vienna also.
If you end up with only 2 days in Paris at the end of your trip, you will be so sad to have to leave!! ;o)

shirley_pevensey

Hello
Most people do this sort of itinerary.

But if you have a passion for art or for food or for concerts, you cannot rush around like that.

You might suddenly walk down a street in Vienna or Rome and see a notice for a wonderful concert. You won't be able to go cause you have yourself all booked up. Or suppose you go into your hotel restaurant and find they have terrific local musicians but you can't stick around to hear them. You already have plans.
This is living the same way in Europe as americans do in America. also I would suggest not staying at four or five star hotels. there everything is just the same as if you went to Europe in a little cocoon. You don't get to ingle with local culture.

You would be removed and rushed. And when you get home, you will need a vacation from your vacation.
I learned this the hard way. then if you are like me, I got addicted to Europe. so I go pretty often. this way i take my time and digest the experience of one day before taking on the next museum or music event.
It is simply the ordinary thing to do, to just check off on a list, okay saw the Mona Lisa, saw the Raphael's but you did not get to meditate or really let your whole body and soul experience the art. You just check it off of a list.

This vacation is not for your friends to admire. It is for you to understand and learn more about yourself and humanity.

PalenQ

Unless doing day trips from Florence I'd cut a day off there and put it in Paris - agreed if you have never been to Paris before two full days or 2.5 - flying and relocating can take up much of a day - Paris IMO for the average tourist needs at least three full days.

suze

I think it looks very good, but I also would suggest to 'borrow' a few days from somewhere along the way to have more time in Paris. If it were my trip, I'd probably cut both Berlin and Prague and have a week in Paris at the end.

I'd personally also want to add a few more days in Venice because it's one of the most amazing cities I've visited, but that's just me.

ashwinb

Just cities? I would include some countryside trips/stays too, 30 days of city hopping would be a bit too much.

Aramis

My assessment is that you have exactly as much time in Paris as you want. After all, you planned the trip and you are taking it. You are spending 3 or 4 nights in a variety of major European cities. You have selected the number of nights to spend in each based on those cities relative interest to you. You don't need to drop Berlin and Prague to visit Paris longer as one poster suggests, nor do you have to spend time in smaller centres

Why people deem it appropriate to give advice that suggests you spend more time in cities that are favourites of the responder, even to the point of suggesting (with no knowledge of your desires) that you drop cities you have already planned escapes me. The desire to have one's own experiences and beliefs affirmed is very powerful, it seems.

To paraphrase a portion of another response;

"This vacation is not for Fodor's forum posters to approve or direct. It is for you to enjoy in the manner that you have dreamed."

Logistically, you have planned this quite logically, but there is one thing you might consider. You could take the train from London to Paris and then fly on to Berlin from Paris, ending the trip in Rome. That probably covers a little less ground and reduces your flight legs to one (removing Rome-Paris) and adding a rail leg in its place (London Paris). Paris to Berlin is about 8 hours by rail, or you can take another overnight train so you might be able to remove all flight legs with this routing. If you need to fly out of Paris rather than Rome then your original plan is the most efficient route.

Have a blast.

Dukey1

Look, there are a lot of people who think anybody who wants to "see as many cities as possible" is out of their mind.

I think your itinerary is appropriate and since I have no idea what you are interested in seeing in each place I cannot possibly say that you are spending too much time there or not enough.

Enjoy your trip.

PalenQ

I too find the OP's itinerary very very nice although I would say one more day in Paris if you have not been there. But overall well thought out.

indyhiker

I'm in the at least one more day in Paris camp. And I'm also not offended that several of us have suggested that or that the OP trim time elsewhere. I mean, she did ask us for our thoughts on the itinerary. As such, I think it's fair to offer our opinion, even if it is only informed by our own personal preferences. The OP is free to dismiss those opinions or ask follow up questions for clarification. Suggesting that she spend another night in a city that is loved by many is hardly going out on a limb.

suze

I was commenting, yes obviously from my own personal preferences and perspective. If Cara wasn't looking for input I assume she would not have posted the question here.