TamaraB

Maybe because my email got cut in two...but I am spending July and Sept in UK and Ireland-that's the 50 days out of Schengen. I am spending August, October and November in Schengen....up to the 90 day limit. That works...right?
I could do the switch...no problem for weather and budget. Thanks for the thought.

hetismij2

Not if you are spending all of August - 31 days, all of October - 31 days and all of November - 30 days .

Jenski

Hi Tamara-first of all, I'm jealous. I spent nearly 4 months in Europe in 1996-from early September until mid December. I started In London, then went to Scotland, Ireland, Paris, Germany, Sweden, back to Germany and then the S. of France, Italy, Switzerland and then back to Paris to fly home. I learned very quickly that I didn't need to see every museum or historical site in every place I visited, it just gets too overwhelming and exhausting. I recommend taking your time-which you have, thankfully-and going at whatever pace feels comfortable to you. You will be back so if you miss a major site or attraction, you'll see it next time. I traveled around with a Eurorail pass and stayed in hostels. If I were doing it now at my age I would probably pick some major home bases and try and stay a week or so in each spot and do day trips from there, maybe renting a car in some areas if your budget allows. Traveling as a single woman is fun and you'll be amazed at how many other solo travelers you meet-I ended up traveling with 2 different American women on my trip and 15 years later (gulp) we are still friends.
Figure out what your major interests are (food? Art? History? Nature? etc) and plan your itinerary with a focus on that. Trying to see/do everything is not fun. You may even want to save some time at the end of your trip to go back to a place you felt you didn't see enough of.

PalenQ

Trains are great - tremendous - often two an hour going everywhere - also overnight trains between many cities - save on a hotel cost and cover long distances whilst you snooze. Great sites for info on European trains and railpasses which anyone traveling so extensively should consider - check out www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free and superb IMO European Planning & Rail Guide for lots of suggested rail itineraries in many countries (http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/si...s/rg011210.pdf)

janisj

You'll have to fine tune you Schengen/non-Shengen days.

But a red flag I see is your time in the UK. You have 5 full months, yet you are dashing around the UK like a chicken sans head.

3 days in London? W/ jetlag and such that is almost a 'why bother?' stopover. Then in 2.5 weeks you want to cover everything from Glastonbury to Edinburgh / York to Wales. That pace will be exhausting, you won't see too awful much except in transit.

You have FIVE months. Sloooooow down and come back alive.

And do sort out your return ticket - just to make UK, Irish, and Schengen border agents happy . . .

nytraveler

No - you're still overstaying in Schengen - granted only for a few days - but I would spend more time in the UK (you;re giving in short shrift so add a week) and take a couple of days from your Auf, Oct and Noc plans.

As for getting into the UK - if you have no ongoing tickets I wold defiitely have paperwork proving your hotel in London, informatin showing when you will leave the country and proof of your financial stabiity (besides credit cards it might help to have a bank balance showing a nice large balance - realistic for hotels and trael for 5 months. Whatever you do, don't talk abut staying with friends or relatvies - this is a sure sign of a potential illegal immigrant - and like a red flag to a bull.

TamaraB

Changed my schedule based on input mostly about weather for certain areas....This is a heavy schedule...most likely will settle more in one area per country and travel where I can if time allows. Input appreciated....

July 11-Aug 2 UK- London, Bath, Cotswolds, York,
Edinburgh,Stratford, Warwick, Blenheim,North Wales, Wells/Glastonbury/Avebury

Aug 2-30-Hungary-Budapest-Austria-Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbrook-Switzerland, Lucerne, Interlaken, Bern

September 1-30-Ireland-Dublin, Kilkenny and Belfast

October 1-31-France-Paris, Versailes, Normandy, Lorire
Italy-Milan, Venice, Florence, Cirque Terre,Siena, Sorrento, Rome, Tuscany

November 1-28--Netherlands-Amsterdam
Germany-Munich, Black Forest, Bavaria, Berlin
Czech Rep-Praque

Thanks for advice on travel....hostels...apartments...etc...

PalenQ

Spending so much time and traveling so much in Britain investigate the BritRail Pass and for other segments the France-Italy Railpass and for Eastern Europe the Eastern Europe Pass and for Germany and Holland the Germany-Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) pass as you indicate many train trips in each other - a pass in most of those countries (except France and Italy actually) lets you hop on any train anytime - complete flexibility - full fare tickets can be really expensive and that is the type of travel the pass allows. Check out the sites in my above post for lots of details on those and other passes.