I agree with others in saying that this is quite a decent itinerary for s first timer. I only have a few thoughts. First would try to fly London to Amsterdam as a way to save time. Second, if you wish to keep to large cities I would take one day from both Lisbon and Barcelona and add one day extra to London and Paris. I also think going to some smaller towns would be a nice idea. Siena or Lucca or Pisa or a drive in Tuscany makes sense for your schedule. If you want more time outside large cities I would axe Lisbon or Barcelona. Consider than a stop in Bruge on your way from Amsterdam to Paris. lastly you may want a day of downtime somewhere in the middle of your trip just to relax, do some laundry and kickback for a bit to recharge.

or sit on an Italian or French beach for a day - chill at times - travel can indeed by travail at times and you may need an R&R from time to time.

2) Orvieto on the way from Florence to Rome, easy to see in a few hours.> by train if you have lots of luggage check to see if there is aleft-luggage in the sleepy Orvieto train station if that matters. Was not when I was there long ago and many Italian stations do not offer it though sizable ones usually do.

>>>What worries my about the country side or smaller cities is the transportation (getting to and from and getting around). I don't plan on renting a car, so this may make small town travel limited.<<<<

Many small towns are on train routes so transport isn't that much of a problem. Others have bus service (some are as fast at the trains and more convenient). You might tire of the bigger cities hustle/bustle on a long trip and want some down time. Have you traveled for a month before?

Orvieto is not easy to see if you have luggage. Bologna is not a "small town". There are parts of Rome and Lisbon that have more a village feel than most of Bologna. It is easier to find someplace to kick back and do laundry in Florence than it is to try to get to most Italian villages using public transport.

I live in a village in Italy so I am all for small town life! But the rationales being given for rearranging the itinerary to include "the countryside" don't make much sense to me. I was just in Paris the other day, walking through the Tuilleries, and thinking how nice it will be to sit there in when the weather is warmer and enjoy the trees, the pond, the children playing and the flowers.

The cities of Europe where the OP is going have beautiful nature spots within them, and visiting them and enjoying them is a great way to appreciate why the locals also love them so much. You can take an easy boat trip across the Tagus river in Lisbon and have a wonderfully relaxing day, watching men fish as they have for centuries. That is 10 minutes from the heart of Lisbon! Likewise you go to Montserrat from Barcelona and walk in the mountains, or visit Fiesole from Florence -- just 15 minutes by bus -- and walk the paths that Michaelangelo walked through olive groves and vineyards to Settignano, with views of Florence, and then take the 20 minute bus ride back.

One more time, I've nothing against picking different destinations, or going to the countryside or the beach, if that's what you want to do. But I would love to go to all these cities for a month! I'd have a blast -- and I'm sure some times I would just be sitting in a cafe or a park for a very long time, or sleeping in and just taking a break. It is possible to be tranquil in the middle of the city, and Europeans have created many, many, many places within their cities to do just that.

mgallipeau,

regarding your concerns about various airlines, sign up at the Flyer Talk forum and see what people say.

Also, to add on to my thoughts about seeing smaller towns, I think you would need to cut one or two cities from your present itinerary to have it make sense. Although I don't find your present itinerary rushed, I do think it becomes rushed or complicated if you create an itinerary where you are taking time from a 3 day trip to Venice to take a train to Vicenze and back, or are stopping in in the city of Bologna to walk around in the middle of the day -- when everything is closed -- on your way to a short stay in Florence.

If you think you want to see smaller places but are unwilling to cut cities from your itinerary, then between now and when you leave, take a look at some easy day trips from the cities where you are going BUT BUT BUT (yes I am shouting) -- try to select ones that are not tourist central. As you can well imagine, many of the "cute" villages near the major tourist cities that are easy to get to by train are just as touristy as the city you are leaving.

I know more about Italy than I do the other countries where you are going, but for Venice, visiting Chioggia or Treviso will show you more about smaller town Italian life than Verona or Bologna. From Rome, a bus trip to Palestrina or Arricia is going to get you more out of the tourist orbit than Orvieto. Likewise for Florence, head to Pistoia or Montecantini Alta for lunch and look-see rather than Lucca.

There are similar places near Amsterdam, Lisbon, etc -- but you will also find neighborhoods in all those cities that are not "tourist attractions" but give you a very good feel for the native culture of that country, and the day to day life of the city, without any consciousness of tourism.

I think you will get an eye-opening experience of today's Europe with your overall plan, even if you take away a city or two to visit the countryside or leave everything as it is. Have fun speaking in all those languages!

Look for a cheap flight from London to Amsterdam, or consider taking the night ferry/train combination.

I'd see if your friend from Amsterdam could meet you in Paris. That would not only free up that train travel time, but also 3 nights to add to some of the cities already on your list like Paris and Venice. I wouldn't add any more cities or add any stops along the way between cities. Sandralist pointed out there are beautiful green spaces to enjoy in these fabulous cities when you need some downtime from sightseeing - and with a little more time in each place you can relax and enjoy the European café culture!

Your budget might help you decide which cities to spend more time in.