EUROPE May 2008
 

My long awaited adventure is about to begin. I'm 32 will be traveling alone this summer for a Month from mid-May to mid-June. I'm not opposed to meetingup with other travelers so if your going to somewhere over there then drop me a line maybe we can meet up. I'm just starting to plan where I want to go. As of right now I'm looking at:
Ireland(look for an old friend) -
3 nights
Scotland - 5 nights
Germany - 9 nights
Czec (Prague) - 2 nights
Italy - 5 nights
France - 6/7 nights

I may cut Scotland out of the trip altogether to spend more time in other places.

I'm looking for any siggestions or ideas. I will be staying in hostels so I'm also looking for your hostel recommendations too.

Without more details it is sifficult to make sensible suggestions.

All of Scotland in 5 days?
All of Germany in 9 days? etc.

If you meant 1 city in each of those countries (well, maybe 2 cities in Germany) -- OK.

But Ireland - 3 nights? Scotland 5 nights? Italy 5 nights? etc. It sort of looks like you just picked 6 countries out of a hat.

That isn't a plan - it is a list.

All of Italy in just 5 nights??!! I'd love to know how that can be done.

I think you need to spend some time reading about these countries and choosing specific cities or areas that are most important to you. Europe is a big place and it can't all be seen in a month.

Reading back on that post I guess it was too vague. Sorry. I have sorta narrowed down some cities.

Like I mentioned before in Ireland I want to track down an old friend, dont have too much of a desire right not to stay there thats why its only 3 nights max. I'll be heading down to Cork. THEN flying to

Scotland: Aberdeen for 2 nights then Edinburgh 3 nights THEN train to

Germany: Hamburg - 2 nights (I haven't been reading anything too good on Hamburg (safety wise) so I may cut this out). Head over to Berlin for 2 nights, 1 night in Dresden, (might even knock out Dresden) then head over to Prauge for 2 nights then to Munich for 3 nights THEN train to

Venice, Bologna, Florence, Milan depending 2/3 nights each place. If I knock out Scotland this is do able.

THEN & LASTLY train to

France: Nice, Lyon then Paris fly back to the states from Paris.

The number of nights are all rough and the routing is all rough.

As time goes on and I look at it more this will get narrowed down I'm sure!! Also with your input it will get cut down too!

Consider that every time you move, you lose *at least* 1/2 day -checking out, getting to station, taking train, getting to accommodation, checking in - so your one day anywhere becomes in effect 1/2 day and your two days anywhere become 1 1/2 days. Also, you are spending one-half to one-quarter of your time getting from Point A to Point B instead of *seeing* Point A or Point B.

You plan on a <u>train</u> from Edinburgh to Hamburg??

why so much time in Germany?
IMO France and Italy are more beautiful and interesting countries.

Hi MA,

With all due respect, your plan is not a vacation, it is an expedition.

You have 15 stops in 28 days.

I strongly urge you to reduce the number of countries/places and enjoy those that you do visit.

((I))

I watch the English version of DW-TV. Their travel videos continually highlight tourist sites that have never appeared on this site. London is no longer what it was a few years ago. Tourist violence in Italy is increasing. I suggest Berlin is now a number one choice for young tourists wanting some of the action.

Personally i'd skip France and Italy this trip and do something like this.

Ireland (5 nights)
Scotland (6 nights, Aberdeen and Edinburgh)
Germany (10/15 nights) you can spend such a long time in this country. Berlin is a great city worth at least 5 nights) then head south to Bavaria which is beautiful.
Prague (4 nights) imo 2 nights isn't enough time to see this city properly.

OK so reality is kicking in... I'm continuosly narrowing this trip down. I'm actually enjoying looking at my origanal post and then seeing how much I've cut out. Heres where I am at now - Suggestions are encouraged!!!

Rome - 3 nights
Siena - 1 night (can this be a day trip from Florence?)
Florence - 2 nights
Bologna - 2 nights
Pisa - 2 nights
Monterosso or (La Spezia) - 2 nights working my way along Cinque Terre.
Genoa - 1/2 nights (just to see it)
Milan - 2 nights (I feel like I need more than 2 nights here??)

Zerlina - you made a good point about losing 1/2 a day getting on train checking in etc... which is making me think more that i need to narrow this down a little more.

Is Siena worth stopping in? I'm not opposed in skippnig it and spending an extra day somewhere else. The same with Cinque Terre I would like to see it but if I have to cut it out so be it. I wanted to get to Venice on this trip but would end up doing some backtracking and need to save some days for France.

I will be in Europe for 4 weeks. I will be spending 3 nights in Ireland looking for an old friend so that will leave me with 24 days. I will be doing Italy and France. So I need to save some time for Nice, Lyon and Paris.

Safety concerns about Hamburg? Huh?

Your latest itinerary for Italy is still too much moving around, and I would certainly skip Genoa. I wouldn't stay in Pisa either, it's an easy daytrip from Florence. With 16 nights in Italy:

4 nights Rome
4 nights Florence with 1 daytrip to Pisa and 1 to Siena
3 nights Bologna
3 nights Venice (so much more there than in Milan, unless you want to shop)
2 nights Monterossa

That will give you more than enough moves for 16 nights!

Ireland is a good starting point, as you can use Ryanair, which is a Dublin-based discount airline. Just be aware they sometimes use secondary airports very far from central cities, and they have strict rules on check-in time and luggage allowance.
If you're still planning to spend the last part in France, can you arrange to fly out of Paris (ie open-jaw)? That would make logistics a bit easier.
Personally I think 3 nights in Florence is enough, and won't spend more than 2 nights in Milan.

I am travelling to Ireland from 24 April to 1 May 2008 and then onwards through Europe by train starting from Amsterdam, to Cologne, Munich, Salzburg, Venice, Assisi, Rome, Sorrento, Rome, Florence, Lake Lugano, Chur, Zermatt Interlaken and then Paris, London. However we are travelling for 9 weeks. If you would like to meet up with us somewhere you are quite welcome. We are four ladies from Australia. We are taking day trips from these cities to see the the best if the sights. We are flying into and out of Cork and hiring a car for 7 days and just touring the west cost of Ireland.