We are planning on flying to Amsterdam in late April or early May of 2009. We'll meet our daughter, who's studying there and then ride the rails across Europe. We're considering the following itinerary: Amsterdam for 2 nights, Berlin 1 night, Prague 2 nights, Vienna 2 nights, Munich 2 nights, and then a final night in Amsterdam. The question is are we trying to see too many places over too short of a time period? We traveled to Europe last fall and spent 2 nights in Venice, 2 nights in Florence, 1 night in Switzerland, and 5 nights in Paris. We loved traveling by train and wouldn't have changed anything except maybe to have spent less time in Paris. What do y'all think?

In any case look into the Eurail Select Pass for this type of itinerary.

Hi D,

>Amsterdam for 2 nights, Berlin 1 night, Prague 2 nights, Vienna 2 nights, Munich 2 nights, and then a final night in Amsterdam.<

That is not a vacation, it is a trek.

At the very least you should:

A: Start in AMS and fly home from Munich. It's a full day on the train between cities.

B: spend no less than 2 nights in any one location.

C: Reduce your traveling to no more than 3 cities. You will lose at least 1/2 day each time you change venues.

Have you folks been to Paris?

Drop Vienna--not enough time. You must like trains.

Thanks, all. PQ, we were definitely planning on getting Rails Passes. Ira, I am concerned that we are turning a vacation into a trek. The main reason for taking the train back to AMS was for the savings. Isn't it more expensive to fly into one city and out of another? Also, we have no real interest in going to Berlin (our only 1-nighter); it just seemed like a good way to break up a long train ride. Too, as far as losing a 1/2 day, I didn't look at it that way, as (I think) we'd be seeing some gorgeous scenery on the train rides. Yes Bob, we find it relaxing riding the trains. Most of the trips would be fairly short (3 to 4 hours). We would be spending a good bit of time on the train, though. Do you think it's too much?

My other thought was to skip Berlin and Prague and spend our time touring Austria and Germany, primarily Bavaria. Maybe rent a car so we could see some of the smaller German towns.

Oh, and yes we have been to Paris.

Your basic premise is wrong. It may not be more expensive to fly open jaw. I would decide what it is you really WANT to do and then start over. I seldom want to spend all of my time in big cities. I would get a car in Germany and fly home from Munich after seeing the Romantic Road, the castle country, and maybe Salzburg.

Czech Republic has been (or will be added) to the Eurailpass countries starting Jan 1, 2009

We've done several open-jaws (Madrid/London, Paris/Amsterdam, Venice/Rome) and the price is about the same as RT to and from the same city, plus it saves you the time and trouble of back-tracking.

If you've done something like this before you know the advantges (I don;t see any but you must) and disadvantgees of it.

Frankly I would rather shoot myself than do a trip like this - and I consider 5/6 days the minimum neccessary for a first visit to Paris.

With the very limited time you have I would do 1 or at most 2 cities -so you have a chance to actually see anything - but then it depends on what yuor intersts are.

Well I personally wouldn't want to do it(!) but since you say you've moved around at such a fast pace on your last trip and enjoyed it... sure, why not?

your whole plan is probably based on equating 2 "nights" w/ 2 days. Doesn't work that way. It takes 1/2 to 1 full day to move from one city to the next. So for Berlin you will at most have a few hours in the city. Prague - about 1.5 days.

Open Jaw ticket usually cost the same or only a little more than R-T in/out of the same city. And if you add the extra costs/time/inconvenience to travel back to the arrival airport - open jaw is usually cheaper.

Hi D,

Sometimes an Open-Jaw fare is less than a RT ticket.

>My other thought was to skip Berlin and Prague and spend our time touring Austria and Germany, primarily Bavaria. Maybe rent a car so we could see some of the smaller German towns.<

Excellent idea.

You can fly RT Munich, or you can fly into Stuttgart and out of Munich (Or VV).