3 weeks in Europe
 

My wife and I would like to to to Europe (Amsterdam, Germany, Italy and Paris) I know this is quick but would like to leave next month (May 2014) no set itinerary. Suggestions? Looking at "Condor" flights out of Las Vegas. Not set day to leave or return (staying gone approx. 3 weeks)

Suggestions on what?

Seeing two major cities and 2 whole countries in 3 weeks is not going to happen.

In the time you have I would do 5 cities (hotel bases) with perhaps a day trip from a couple of them - no more.

So you could do Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin or Munich and Rome - and really start to get a feel for each. But if you want to do 2 or 3 place each in Germany and Italy you will end up spending a large percentage of your time just getting TO places rather than being IN them - and really seeing/doing anything.

And - what are you looking on suggestions for?

Itinerary?
Sights?
Means of transport?
Hotels?
Restaurants?
Budget?

Probably going by train if you want to cover that much ground and go to the famous tourist cities you've dreamt of going to all your life - cars are more and more useless in large cities with wide swathes of them now being off-limits to private vehicles - parking can be hard to find and expensive - many in-city hotels may not offer parking, etc.

But European trains are fantastic - check these sources for lots of into on planning a European rail trip - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com and www.ricksteves.com. If going to all those places by train consider some kind of Eurailpass - probably a Eurail Select Saverpass valid in any 4 countries.

Possible rail trip

Fly into Amsterdam

Train to Germany via Cologne to the Rhine River area - take a Rhine boat cruise near Koblenz

Train to Munich

take overnight train to Venice (or Florence or Rome)

Florence

Venice

Take overnight train to Paris

Fly out of Paris.

One of many itineraries easily done by train in 3 weeks.

no set itinerary.>

I used to make my own itinerary as I went along but now with the Internet it is so easy to book a hotel in your price range in advance - sometimes with chain hotels you can even cancel up until shortly before, etc.

Otherwise I would arrive in a city - go to the ubiquitous tourist information office in each large train station and book accommodation then - but at times I had to pay more than I wanted or got less than I wanted in one.

and for trains - if you just show up full fare tickets can cost a ton of money - vs the discounted tickets you can score if you book on various national rail sites weeks or months in advance - but those tickets are oft train-specific, non-changeable, non-refundable so set in stone. If you want flexibility to chose trains as you go and are taking several then some kind of Eurailpass or country pass could save a lot of money over just showing up and you can chose which trains to take once there.

I once saw London, Paris, Nice/Cannes, Rome, Florence, Venice Luzern, Munich, Salzburg and took a one day Rhine cruise from Cologne to Frankfurt back in the 80s.

To this day, that trip was a blast!

I don't understand the folks who say you can't....

Just my opinion...

in 3 weeks...

As long as you're ok with only one or two stops in Italy and Germany each, I think your idea is quite manageable in three weeks. What with Amsterdam and Paris, I think if you add 3-4 (tops) other stops, you'll be able to get a quick taste of each place. It'll be quick, but not too hectic, I think. More than that within 3 weeks might seem a little much, especially taking into account travel time between locations, which can be quite time consuming. Do you have exactly 21 days or can you add a couple of extra days? If you can add any extra days at all to your three weeks, do it!

In terms of suggestions, I can't help with Germany as I've never been, but in terms of Italy, I'd highly recommend Venice and the Cinque Terre. But I'm quite active and I like a lot of walking; you might feel differently.

I'd try to get an open jaw flight (that is, fly into the first city on your itinerary, and out of the last), if I were you. That would cut down on travel time between places because you wouldn't have to back track.

I'd also suggest flying between some of your locations within Europe, since it'll save (some) time, too. Otherwise, I'd pick trains over cats, since they'd be a big pain to get around in in a lot of places. I think a lot of people believe that, because Europe is pretty compact, they can get from place to place quickly. But if you think about it, between packing all your stuff back up, getting to and from train stations or airports, settling in, and so on, it can take quite a lot of time. There are a million little things that can hold you up while traveling, like getting lost, strikes, traffic, misplacing items, waiting in lines, delayed flights and trains... you get the idea.

Basically, your best bet, if you don't want to be rushed, is to pick fewer rather than more stops. However, if you're someone who doesn't mind a bit of a whirlwind trip, a couple of extra locations won't kill you. Just make sure you think about it carefully before hand.

Above all, try to assume that you'll return to Europe (hopefully many times!) in the future, so there's no needs to cram it all in this time :)

As others have said, if you're looking for more specific suggestions, please do ask.

Ok, while I would DEFINITELY pick trains over cats, that was supposed to say cars.

Three weeks, 5 stops maximum. So what 5 places in Europe are you most interested in visiting?

shepherds56 - you still there? Whaddah u think?

Ahiddenbird, Birds in my yard avoid my cats, if at all possible, so would never expect you to pick cats over trains.

Where in Germany and Italy do you want to go?

I think Amsterdam, Paris, Venice, and Florence or Rome would make a perfect 3 week trip.

Sassafrass: I see what you did there...

OP: I agree with suze that you might be better off sticking with three countries in three weeks.

Yes, and it was supposed to make you smile.

And it did! :)

At first I was like "wha...?" and then I was like "oooh, haha!"