Firstly, thank you to everyone who counseled me previously and encouraged me to reevaluate my travel expectations. Secondly, I'd like to ask again if my initial itinerary design seems reasonable. Here it is below.

June 28-30 Paris (I don't really plan on spending much time in Paris simply because I'm not too interested, but it's where I booked my flight).

July 1-4 Arrive and stay in Triberg, Germany

July 5-8 Arrive and stay in Munich, Germany

*Note: I would be willing to move around to other parts of Bavaria/The Black Forest during this time. My itinerary is still very open.

July 9-12 Arrive and stay in Prague

July 13-16 Arrive and stay in Budapest

July 17 I've yet to find out what to do with this day and I'm unsure of where I should attach it. If you have suggestions, please let me know.

*Since I was new to travelling when I booked my flight, I booked it round trip from Paris and not open-jaw like I should have. Thus, July 17th is when I'll take an overnight from Budapest to Munich and then a day train from Munich to Paris

July 18 Travel day, reach Paris

July 19 Flight from CDG at 10:35 AM

Thank you once again for taking the time to help me. I'm still quite new to travelling and want to make sure I don't spread myself too thin (even though I literally want to visit EVERYWHERE). Please let me know if this seems reasonable and if you have any suggestions that I may find useful.

Thank You!

Yes, it is fairly reasonable.

I would fly from Budapest to Paris. The night train experience is a very questionable one. Sleeper trains are cramped and noisy and you do not sleep well. This is the assessment of an experienced European traveller. However, I am aware that there are some people who simply want to have had the experience of a sleeper train once in their life.

And sleeper trains are dying out. The German railway company is going to abolish the sleeper trains.

Triberg makes a good base in the Black Forest, because it is fairly central. Here a few highlights of the Black Forest:

- The Feldberg, the highest mountain. Easily accessible by cable tramway and beautiful easy walking trails on the summit. Or hike down to the very beautiful Feldsee.

- Many scenic roads in the Feldberg area, around Bernau, Todtnau.

- The authentic village Menzenschwand, again with beautiful hiking trails, a glacial valley with moraines, and a beautiful spa.

- The Schluchsee, the largest lake. Can be explored by a boat/walking combo or with small rental boats (rowboats, kayaks, pedal boats).

- The Titisee, a smaller lake with a lively small town at the shores, picturesque, but somewhat touristy.

- The Hüsli in Rothaus, the most beautiful Black Forest House & Museum. Also in Rothaus, the brewery, and two pretty chapels nearby.

- The Vogtsbauerhof open-air farmhouse museum.

- The Haslach/Wutachschlucht - scenic river gorges, which can be discovered by hiking.

About this first part...

July 1-4 Arrive and stay in Triberg, Germany

July 5-8 Arrive and stay in Munich, Germany

*Note: I would be willing to move around to other parts of Bavaria/The Black Forest during this time. My itinerary is still very open...

Triberg: Are you planning to stay at the DJH hostel? I am not familiar with it. However, getting into Triberg from the station involves a steep hike for some distance up the main road into town. Then you have another 1-km hike to the hostel from there. So as a base town for the Black Forest, Triberg presents an extra challenge, especially if you've already been hiking elsewhere, and the hostel adds to that. One more thing about DJH hostels... As a frequent hostel user, I can assure you that they're often full of pre-teen kids on school group outings - and more often than not, these groups are weakly supervised and turn the hostel into a 24-hour zoo of sorts. Sadly for you, many German schools including the ones in this region of Germany are still in session through July, and the potential for booking a hostel full of crazed school kids is strong.

So while you might want to visit Triberg (Black Forest Museum is quite interesting) it may not be the ideal base town. I'd advise looking around. It's not too hard to find inexpensive private B&B's in the Black Forest. Such B&B's offer something more - contact with locals and a look at how they live.

In most smaller Black Forest towns you can get a free guest card that offers free train travel for outings. I'd book in one of those towns: http://www.blackforest-tourism.com/info/KONUS

One option might be the Rotbauernhof in Gutach (which shares the scenic Black Forest Railway with Triberg and other towns.) This private B&B is near the Vogtsbauernhof and the summer bobsled; single rooms go for 23E/night and include breakfast. You might pay a small supplement if no single is available and you book a double room as a single. There's a small mini-kitchen you can use too. Rooms:
http://www.rotbauernhof.de/php/allro...12&pfad=zimmer

email: E-Mail: [email protected]

The Rotbauernhof at Bavaria Ben's site:
http://www.bensbauernhof.com/rotbauernhofgutach.html

Like all places in Gutach you can get the KONUS card at the Rotbauernhof.

Other BF rooms: http://www.bensbauernhof.com/accommo...hwarzwald.html

About the BF Railway: http://www.black-forest-travel.com/p...t-railway.html

Map of the BF Railway - Gutach is a stop near Hausach, BTW:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...28Baden%29.png

You have still not allowed for your travel time from one city to another. For instance:

6/28-30 Paris
7/1-4 Triberg

On which day will you travel from Paris to Triberg. This is a 1/2 day you have to take away from either 6/30 or 7/1 - which is it?

The same for transferring to each of your cities.

From Prague to Budapest the train takes more than 8 hours - so you lose a whole day - which city are you taking it from?

You need to lay our your itinerary day by day - inserting travel time based on actual train or air schedules and adding on the time to get from hotel to transit and then transit to the hotel in the new city. This will take several days from your sightseeing time.

Only you can determine how long you want to stay where. (I would ad several days to Paris and take time from Triberg and/or Munich. But that is a strictly personal decision based on what YOU want to see where.)

One of the posts above smells like advertising for a certain hotel...

We can tell you more about the Black Forest if you specify how you want to travel there (by public transport or, more advisable, by car) and what your interests are (e.g. hiking).

If you travel by train, you have two options:

Either the places along the Schwarzwaldbahn (Offenburg - Gengenbach - Hausach - Triberg - Sankt Georgen) or the places along the Höllentalbahn (Freiburg - Hinterzarten - Titisee - Feldberg-Bärental - Altglashütten - Schluchsee).

IMO, the Höllentalbahn is the better option because it leads into the more scenic High Black Forest where you find more attractions.

One of the posts above smells like advertising for a certain hotel..>>

why would Fussgaenger be advertising a BnB in the Schwarzwald? I think s/he lives in Garmisch.

I advertise for no one.
Because I read the OP's OTHER post, I learned he was looking for budget/hostel options - so I made one specific suggestion that came to mind, one that serves as an example, but also as a specific and suitable option for this OP's needs.
What smells is the notion that being helpful in different ways is somehow underhanded.

Come on annhig - let's hear your comeback on this one. I am ripe with antici......pation.

I don't need to come back with anything - I was defending Fussgaenger and entirely agree with what s/he has posted.

Fussganeger is a regular contributor here with no history of plugging for anyone or anything. Some of you are incredibly suspicious. S/he made a useful suggestion, as so many experienced travelers here do often. That's all.