The_Babs

Hi All,

I'm going to be backpacking through Europe for 23 days this fall. It's my first time backpacking and I need some advice. I'm spending the first 4 days in Munich for Oktoberfest, and I'm ending the trip in Berlin. Everything in between is up in the air! So far, here's my plan:
Munich 4 days
Salzburg 2 days
Baden Baden 1 day
Black Forest 1 day
Freiburg 1 day
Bern/Zurich 1 day with overnight train to Paris
Paris 5 days
Brussels 1 day
Brugges 1 day
Cologne 1 day
Berlin 4 days

Is that waaaaay too much running around? I know I'm cramming a lot in, but I really want to make the most out of this trip. Let me know what you think! Should I skip any of these places entirely in order to see more of one of the other desitinations? Am I missing anything in between?
Thanks for any and all advice.

wally34949

I would recommend 2 nights at each stop but it is your trip.

stardust

With all this running around you'll barely have some hours to spend in all those destinations you only want to spend one day in as you always have to count in the travel time and checking in and out and packing and unpacking.
Are you sure you want to spend 4 whole days in Oktoberfest? I'd either skip or take just one destination in the part between Salzburg and Bern or the one between Paris and Berlin. Not that they are not worth visiting, but you should take more time to visit those places !

The_Babs

Yea, I was figuring you guys would say that. I guess you're right. There's no sense in taking the trip and not SEEING ANYTHING.
hmmm...maybe if I take out Baden Baden it'll make a bit more room...I don't really need a spa day anyway!
If you had to choose between Brussels and Brugges, which would you go for?

The_Babs

Oh! and don't worry...I don't intend to spend 4 whole days getting wrecked at Oktoberfest. I'll probably spend 2 getting wrecked and 2 exploring Munich and the surrounding region.

Alec

You'll get more helpful and relevant advice if you post your message on Western Europe branch of Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forum at http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/ca...s.cfm?catid=27
It's much more oriented towards budget travellers, backpackers etc.

The_Babs

Thanks Alec!

suze

Another suggestion for checking with the good posters on Lonely Planet's forum called The Thorn Tree. There are many more people there who are experienced with this kind of backpacking trip.

I'd try to make at least some of all those "1 day" at least 2, but cutting out a couple stops or shaving a bit off Paris (pains me to say that) or Berlin even.

laclaire

As I know nothing about where you are visiting (aside from Paris), I can't comment on itinerary except to say that in the abstract, you are moving around too much.

I can comment on the backpacking experience and it is that making reservations and structuring a lot rarely pans out. You arrive and decide you don't want to leave, you decide to skip a city or change course. . . it happens all the time. What I would do is choose the highlights that you don't want to miss and consider everything else extra and schedule it in as best you can.

Do you already have a backpack? If not, definitely get fitted for one. At Whole Earth Provision Company, they measured my torso, bent the stays to my back, and let me wear it around the store. In fact, on the advice of my backpacking guru cousin, I showed up with all of the stuff I wanted to take and loaded up the backpack, walked around, and even climbed up and down some stairs and a ladder. Your backpack is your most important element when traveling like this.

Also, get a rain fly. Nothing ruins your stuff faster than having it get completely soaked.

The_Babs

I have been to Paris once before, but I just love it so much. I still need to see Sacre Cour and the surrounding area. I also want to do daytrips to Versailles and Chartes. But since I've been there already, I could probably stand to knock a day off Paris.

kleeblatt

Don't do Bern/Zürich in one day. Not worth it.

The_Babs

Laclaire, thanks for the advice. I started this trip with the idea in mind that I wanted to freely backpack through Europe. But it's just in my nature to plan plan plan. I fear the "go with the flow" idea because I'm afraid that I'll end up wasting time. I have not gotten my backpack yet. I've spent the past few weeks doing comparison shopping online, but I definitely intend to go to a store and try it on before buying anything. I'll check out the store you mentioned...I haven't tried them yet.

TexasAggie

My friend and I greatly enjoyed Mike's Bike Tour of Munich and also their Neuscwanstein/Swan Lake bicycle tour.

http://www.mikesbiketours.com/

We did both when we were backpacking through the area in 2002.

TexasAggie

P.S. Claire (laclaire) has offered invaluable advice about getting properly fitted for you backpack. I neglected to do this when I went and I not only had chronic back pain (and I was only 22!) on my entire trip but ended up with unattractive purple bruises on my shoulders b/c the bag's weight was resting there instead of on my hips. I finally broke down in Florence and spent 185€ (yes, an insane amount of money) shipping half my stuff back home.

suze

Babs- I think planning ahead is a great idea when you are trying to fit so much in & move around so much. A "go with the flow" trip is fine, but you have to allow time for searching for accomodations, etc. and I believe works better for people who spend months (not weeks) backpacking thru europe.

gramzy1

You should read Murphy's Great Adventure on this website. She says she will never use a backpack again for her travels.