Looking for advice on itinerary planning for July, will be arriving in Copenhagen. Thinking of visiting Berlin and Prague. Curious on if we should try to sneak in another city or even switch up the itinerary all together and do Amsterdam and Brussels.
First time traveler to Europe!! All and any help would be appreciated!

How many nights will you actually be on the ground in Europe? I think 3 countries is a lot for 10-12 days. I've been to Prague and Berlin but not Copenhagen. Berlin was a long time ago, but I remember it being a large city with lots to do. I think you need at least 4 nights in Prague and 4 nights in Berlin, which gives you 3 full days. If you have 12 nights, I guess you could include Copenhagen. Just remember that traveling to each destination takes time. And do you prefer fast-paced travel or slower-paced travel? Including these 3 cities, all of which are in different countries, would be fast-paced for me. I would NOT sneak in another city. I don't like going to a destination just to cross it off my list. Wouldn't you rather enjoy each place, have time to visit it's sights, and wander the streets to enjoy its ambiance?

Regarding Amsterdam and Brussels, I was in Brussels a long time ago for a day, and have not been to Amsterdam. I would choose Prague and Berlin.

First you need to clarify how long the trip actually IS.

"10-12 days" could mean a 14 day total trip (12 days on the ground) or it could mean 7.5 days on the ground (a 10 day total trip). As you can see -- a huge difference and affects how much you can squeeze in.

Are you just using Copenhagen as an entry point to Europe or do you have any desire to see the city/country?

10-12 days should mean no more than 2 or 3 places and they should be near each other to not lose a whole day going between. Land in one places and depart from another. Trains are great - Copenhagen - Berlin - Prague could work but you may find Paris-Belgium-Amsterdam easier as they are close together - Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe - fly home from there. For lots about trains check www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.

Copenhagen will be where my husband will be at working so anywhere we go will need to start from there.

Welcome to Fodors


Unfortunately . . . you used up your quota of posts* until tomorrow and didn't really answer the question of how many days total you have. Also - are you flying home from Copenhagen or somewhere else?

(* When we first register on Fodors there is a limit to how much/often you can post until you've been around a few days - so tomorrow, when you come back, fill in a couple of the blanks so folks can help you more: How many days total, where are you flying home from and what sorts of things you enjoy? )

Well it's a whole day train ride to Berlin or Amsterdam so if those are your choices fly. Amsterdam-Paris or Paris-London could be nice with day trips from each very easy. Take Eurostar train between Paris and London in 2 hours - via the Channel Tunnel.

fly to Berlin maybe then take the train via Dresden (nice overnight stop) and scenic Saxon Switzerland to Prague - fly home from there.

I am thinking 12 days total travel including flying from the States. I am open to any itineraries with Copenhagen being the initial start since my hubby will be there already. I want to see as much as possible but within reason. I dont want to try to cram to much in.

Alot of companies/businesses etc are closed in July in Scandinavia for summer holidays.

I would suggest a visit to Stockholm as it is so beautiful esp in summer and take a trip around the archipelago. You can fly easily from CPH. There are things to do/see in Denmark that can take a couple of days. Maybe include another city of your choice, all of the ones you listed are easily accessible from CPH or STO but just taking in CPH/DK and Stockholm/Archipelago can eat up quite a bit of time.

>>I am thinking 12 days total travel including flying from the States.<<

OK - great. Now you have a basis to start planning. Practical considerations: 12 days home to home will net you 9.5 days free on the ground. Then you will use about half a day every time you move from city to city. Your DH won't have jet lag since he will already be there . . . but you probably will so your arrival half day will be pretty much a blur.

That leaves you 9 days minus any other travel time. Are you flying home from Copenhagen? If so, you need to be back in Copenhagen the evening before your flight out.

So you can manage a taste of two cities plus a the first and last nights in Copenhagen -- not much more than that. Which two cities they are could be anywhere -- with budget airlines and/or trains you could go most anywhere. Amsterdam and Paris, Berlin and Prague, London and Paris . . . any two places.

Great, thank you. I believe we will fly back from our last destination so possibly 3 days in each city and such. Two cities additional is what I was thinking..now just picking the 2!!

make sure the two cities are just a few hours apart by train - like Venice and Florence (though Venice could be paired with Paris if you take the overnight train between the two.) www.thello.com.

>>make sure the two cities are just a few hours apart by train -<<

Sure, if the two cities are ones you want to visit. But if you include short flights in the mix (like less than 2 hours) you could go almost anywhere in Western Europe.

You've got Copenhagen available and Stockholm and its Archipelago on your doorstep, likewise Norway. Why Prague and Berlin?

I have always wanted to visit Prague and Berlin just seemed like a natural midway point maybe. I have never thought of Scandinavian but I am researching it now.

You have alot of choice with Scandinavia/Finland and the Baltic countries alone. You can take an overnight ferry from CPH to Oslo, then go to Stockholm, ferry to Tallinn or Riga, or a ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki. Scandinavia is very special in the summer (if the sun is shining.)

But you could as easily see Prague and/or Berlin if they are on your wishlist, depends on your interests.

>>make sure the two cities are just a few hours apart by train -<<

Sure, if the two cities are ones you want to visit. But if you include short flights in the mix (like less than 2 hours) you could go almost anywhere in Western Europe.>


well to maximize time chose two cities close to each other because even short-haul plane trips require much more time - getting to airport - waiting for planes which could be late - waiting for baggage - getting in from airport, etc. You could lose most of a day.

I don't think there is the magic combination of two cities.
IF someone has a strong priority for ease of travel, I agree that chosing two cities close to eachother and connected by rail is a good choice.
But IF someone wanted to see very different cities on his/her first time visit, I think he/she should "sacrifice" a few of those precious hours to get what they want.
After all, OP will only change places twice in 10 or so days. It's not as she was considering a 15 day trip with 6 destinations, all of them requiring flights or long railway journeys in between.
Would it really be that important if she spent 2 hours going from A to B instead of 5 hours just once?