Paris/Prague/Budapest/Zagreb/Nice/Paris
 

Two Aussie seniors going to Europe early Sept 2015. Will have 22 days to fit it in. Flying in and out of Paris internationally.

Have been to Paris 10 years ago and Vienna and Split in 2014, Possibly go by train from Prague to Budapest to Zagreb to see some countryside. From Split will go see more of the outer islands like Hvar and Brac.

Thinking this...
3 days Paris
3 days Prague
3 days Budapest
3 days Zagreb
5 days Split
3 days Nice (optional if more time better in other cities above)

Appreciate advise.

You have not allowed time for travel between cities and so have less time in each place than indicated above. You need to take about 4 or 5 days out of your travel just to get from one place to another.

To days in Paris may be OK since you have been there before - and hopefully for a longer time. You are also cutting Prague and Budapest short.

With 22 days, here is what your itinerary will look like. You won't have time for Nice nor to travel back to Paris.

Day 1 – 3 - Paris
Day 4 - Paris to Prague – 1/2 day travel
Day 4 (afternoon) 5 – 6 – Prague
Day 7 – travel to Budapest
Day 8 – 10 – Budapest
Day 11 – 1/2 day travel to Zagreb
Day 12 – 14 (morning) – Zagreb
Day 15 – travel to Split
Day 16 – 21 – Split

You need to think about flying home from Split or to revise your itinerary and remove a couple of cities. I would delete Zagreb and Split because there many other places in this area to visit. Save Zagreb and Split for another trip.

Consider flying into Paris and home from Budapest.

This trip sounds unpleasant to me -- even though I've thoroughly enjoyed every place you are considering (except Nice, which I haven't visited yet). I recommend that you get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, note their opening/closing times, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from the train/bus station or whatever, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together.

Example reactions: Only 3 days in Paris??? 5 days in Split??? IMO, your interests would have to be VERY unusual to justify this kind of time allocation.

I would recommend trying to fly into Paris and back out from another place without having to backtrack which will save you a day of traveling. I agree with adrienne that you have not allowed enough time for travel between stops which will eat up at least a good half day. Do your 22 days include the travel time to and from Europe?

You will need a day or two just to recover from jet leg so I wouldn't short change Paris by staying there just 3 nights.

It is easy to do all by train, but it will take a certain time, as said above.
Some ideas:
Paris dp 15.55 - Cologne ar 19.15, dp by night train (sleeping cars) 22.28 - Prague ar 9.25
Prague dp 13.42 - Budapest ar 20.45
or Prague dp by night train (sleeping cars) 23.50 - Budapest ar 8.35
Budapest dp 14.45 - Zagreb ar 20.44
Zagreb dp 15.20 - Split ar 21.18
Split dp by ferry 20.15 - Ancona ar 7.00, dp by train 8.36 - Bologna 11.00/11.23 - Torino PS 13.30/17.35 - Paris ar 23.37
or, all by train:
Split dp 8.30 - Zagreb 14.30/18.37 (night train with sleeping cars) - Zurich 9.20/9.34 - Paris ar 13.37

I would fly
from Paris (CDG or ORY) to Prague: fares of easyjet/hop start around 70 EUR
from Split to Geneva: fares of easyjet start around 80 EUR
or from Zadar to Marseille or Paris Beauvais (fares of ryanair start at 60-90 EUR). The bus ride from Split to Zadar takes 3-4 hrs.

You may also fly with easyjet from Paris to Budapest, take a train to Prague, fly with smartwings from Prague to Split ...

Zagreb - Split: go by bus if you want to stop over at the Plitvice National Park

Those are all long train trips - consider flying between some or taking overnight trains - really a wide-ranging itinerary in a time frame too short to really enjoy - unless flying i guess. Anyway for lots of great info on European trains check these IMO superb sources: www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

You are not taking enough trains to look at a railpass unless you actually go by train between those rather far-removed places.

Have extended our international J flights so now we have a full 30 days on the ground in Europe. Would go F on trains if available.

Now its going to be Paris fly to Prague, train to Budapest/Zagreb to Split (our main place), then transit via Vienna onwards to Nice before heading home from Paris.

Have to fly in and out of Paris as we are using USDM miles from OZ, conditions are one major destination in/out only, so Paris it is.

That's great! I think you'll appreciate having a bit more time for each of these wonderful locations.

Would appreciate info and links on 1st class trains Prague/Budapest/Split.

Can they be booked online?

What food to expect on these 1st class train routes?.

meant Prague/Budapest/Zagreb/Split.

You should be able to get the info you need here:
http://www.seat61.com

Would appreciate info and links on 1st class trains Prague/Budapest/Split.>

Most long-distance trains have both 1st and 2nd class on the same train - for schedules I always use www.bahn.de/en - the German railways online schedule site for all European trains - will not give pricing for trains not involving Germany but has all the schedules and details like if a train has both first and second class - if the dates you want are not on yet just put a dummy date in that is as these trains IME rarely change much throughout the year.

Split - VIENNA - Nice: very unusual routing.
Best land and Sea itinerary:
Split dp by ferry 20.15 - Ancona 7.00, dp by train 9.26 - Nice Ville ar 19.51, change at Milan.
Visit Vienna between Prague and Budapest.