Berlin to Split, Eastern Odessey
 

Having traveled mainly in western Europe,I`m now setting my sights on the East.
I`m thinking April 2014.
I`ll be flying into and out of London to visit friends.
Then I`ll head to Brussels, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow? Budapest, Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Split, Pula, Trieste, Venice and then some of Switzerland and onto London.
I`ll be travelling mainly by train, but I have heard that the buses are very good in Croatia. Ferries along the coast between Dubrovnik-Split-Pula?
I have plenty of time,but I am intending to be home early June.
I am mostly interested in the history of these places reflected in the architecture and landscapes.And of course the people.
Some museums would be good ,but 2-3 hours at a time is the most my feet and brain can cope with.On the other hand I can wander all day in a city and the countryside.
Have I missed an absolutely fabulous something that I must see (if I only take a small detour?)
All suggestions welcome ,order of cities,ways to get to them ,what to visit ,eat ,wear.Everything.
1 year to plan .

I think you would do well to invest in a few good guidebooks - you'll learn all sorts of things you didn't even know to ask!

The coastal ferries that run all the way down Croatia from the north to south don't start until June 1.

I'd try to add Ljubljana, Slovenia to the mix...

it sounds like a fantastic trip! Can't wait to read more about your plans. You might consider starting in Croatia and working your way north (after London, I guess) so that the weather north gets better as you go along.

A basic question is often posed for this sort of itinerary: Why fly into and out of the same city, consuming time and money to return to where you started (London, in your case)? Multi-destination routes are easily arranged by many of the airlines and other travel sites.

I know guide books are v.good but nothing beats a very personal opinion of places, good or bad.
Thanks for the info on the ferries,I guess it`s land travel all the way.I quite enjoy cold weather so I`m pretty happy to go north to south,and anyway cities in the cold are so individual.
Same city? Because return trips from Australia are pretty good value if using the same arrival/departure city. Not always but more often than not, and as I said I have friends in London,it`s nice to have a relaxing end to a long trip,in a city I used to live in.

I've done 2 solo trips with a similar itinerary to what you suggest.
First one was Berlin Leipzig Dresden (side trip to Meissen) Prague Cesky Krumlov Graz Ljubljana Zagreb Sarajevo Mostar (all by train, about 3 days in each place. Then bus to Dubrovnik and ferry to Split for Easyjet back to London. I took about a month on this or a bit longer.

Another trip is outlined in Gertie in Eastern Europe trip report. From Tallinn on the Baltic ending finally in Istanbul 5 weeks later. Via Poland, Hungary, Romanoa, Bulgaria. Almost entirely by train though in the Baltic states I used Lux Express buses.

I used mainly Lonely Planet guidebooks throughout. Some spectacular cities and museums, palaces, castles, even some beaches!

You might find the Eastern Europe legs of my 2004 RTW useful - see http://wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004/ - Balkan Trio through North by Northeast.

Also the Balkan leg of my 2011 trip: see http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rn-balkans.cfm

You'll mostly be using buses in Croatia, although there is a train from Zagreb to Split. For the rest of your itinerary I recommend the Thomas Cook "Rail Map of Europe", bahn.de for schedules, and seat61.com for more info on trains than you need.