We have a wedding to go to at the end of August 2014 outside Frankfurt. Right now it looks as though 2 of us will spend 3 weeks, and one will join us after the first week. We want to have the wedding at the end of our trip, so we are trying to decide what to see/ what makes sense.

We know we want to visit Amsterdam. We are talking about Budapest and Berlin. Do these make sense? Other thoughts / must see? We also thought we would like to find personal tour guides. Any experience / suggestions? We are very open since we are just in the beginning of planning.

Thanks

Personal tour guides would be extremely expensive for 2 or even 3 people - so I think you need to decide if you want to pay several hundred euros a day for such a luxury.

In two weeks you could see Amsterdam, Budapest and Berlin and end up in Frankfurt at the end of that time (Not a lot to do right there, but quite a bit nearby).

I would look at flights into Amsterdam and out of Frankfurt and then check train schedules for Amsterdam to Berlin (about 6 hours) and flights from Berlin to Budapest (a full day by train).

The many low-cost airlines crisscrossing Europe will make your plans possible as long as you realize the restrictions in terms of luggage and - sometimes - in terms of secondary airports near or outside of main cities.

And keep it loose - if for example you find no flight into Budapest, fly to Vienna and make lemonade out of the lemon - take a boat ride from there to Budapest for example

Flying into one city and flying home from another is mandatory to avoid costly backtracking. If your wedding is at the end of the trip, and takes place near Frankfurt, then that's the no-brainer departure airport for flying home.

As to where you fly to in the first place, that's up for grabs. Ditto the order of cities after that before ending up in Frankfurt.

Look at www.skyscanner.com and www.whichbudget.com and http://matrix.itasoftware.com for flights.

While the other cities you mention are too far apart to take expedient trains (although for a train lover it might still be fun), consider taking a night train between Amsterdam and Berlin - from Amsterdam to Berlin it's at an inconvenient time, leaving at 19:01 and arriving at 04:26, but it might be a fun adventure if you take your own private compartment.

Or from Berlin (lvg 00:32) to Amsterdam (arr. 09:59).

From Amstrdam to Frankfurt there is a night train that goes via Stuttgart where you have to switch trains at an ungodly hour and wait quite a while for the connection (Ams lvg 20:31 Stg. arr 04:17, lvg 05:08 FfM arr. 06:52).

Not sure what your interests are, exactly, but there are a lot of interesting places between A'dam and Frankfurt. Suggest you finish Amsterdam a few days before you head to Frankfurt and see what's there.

Xanten Roman ruins and museum:
http://www.apx.lvr.de/english/index.htm
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...5-04-23%29.jpg

Cologne and its Cathedral: http://www.anicursor.com/koeln778.jpg

Old-world village Linz am Rhein and its charming buildings:
http://www.rheinhoehenlauf.de/images/vg_ahc0240.gif

Middle Rhine villages and castles:

http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.d...php?id=274&L=3
http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.d...php?id=288&L=3

Mainz, a fine city to visit or to stay in - on the Rhine, very close to FRA airport:

http://www.romantic-cities.com/Mainz.5733.0.html#c11940

Tour guides: Local tourist offices offer regular tours and often can arrange for private tour guides. Check the website of the cities that interest you. Here's the one for Cologne:

http://www.cologne.de/what-to-do/guided-tours.html

If you could reconsider and be flexible about wanting to keep the wedding for the end of your trip, it would make more sense to fly into Budapest, then go to Berlin and Frankfurt, and then fly out of Amsterdam.

I think Tom's advice sounds very good.

If you don't find a convenient flight from Budapest to Berlin, you could interrupt the long train ride in Bratislava or Prague.

Are you going by car or train?

3 weeks is a long time in this compact area you are talking about so yes you could easily see Berlin, Budapest and Amsterdam - like Amsterdam 4 days
Berlin 4 days
Dresden 1 day
Prague 3 days
Budapest 3 days
a day to travel between each
leaves plenty of time for going around Germany - like to the Rhine Gorge or the Mosel Valley or Romantic Road cities or Bavaria or..... on and on

If going by train check out these IMO fine sources - www.bahn.de/en - the official German Railways online schedule and fares site; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com and www.ricksteves.com.

and yes there are overnight trains that can help, like from Berlin to Munich; Frankfurt to Vienna, Prague to Budapest, etc.