Jen2012

Hi - hope you can help.

My husband and I are from NZ and are looking to spend 38 nights in Europe in October this year. We have purchased the Global Pass, 10 days trainpass. We are looking to start our trip in Paris and looping around to fly out of Brussels.

Does anyone have any recommendations for an itinerary that makes the most of our trainpass as well as seeing Europe? It is both our first trip to Europe and is is unlikely we'll be back for a very long time if at all. Also probably good to note that we're staying in London & Dublin for about 7 days before we head out to Paris to start this trip.

We both want to see the usual tourist-y type sights as well as a mix of off the beaten path. Reading through some of these posts I get the feeling 38 days is a very short time to be doing the full Europe trip, but we have a couple weeks lay over in Asia where we are planning to recoup so all ambitious recommendations are welcome!

Cheers

kybourbon

Are you just wanting to use the pass in France and Belgium or did you want to visit other countries?

France limits the number of passholders on some trains and you will have to pay supplements on those and any international trains.

kybourbon

Here's some info about supplements.
http://www.seat61.com/Railpass-and-E...lements%20cost

Jen2012

Thanks, no we will be using the pass in all countries. Will be keen to use the pass on rides > 4 hours and buy point to point tickets on smaller rides.

Jen2012

So here is our high-level wish-list of places to go to. Definately very fuzzy between Barcelona & Amsterdam i.e. does this loop make sense on the trains?

Paris -> Barcelona -> Nice -> Rome -> Florence ->Venice -> Prague -> Munich -> Berlin -> Amsterdam -> Bruges/Brussels

Any suggestions/comments welcome.

adrienne

You havae 37 days and 11 cities to visit. That gives an average of 3.3 days per location. BUT you need to subtract travel time, getting from and to train stations, packing, unpacking, acclimation to a new place. You'll have about 2 days in each place. Sometimes a bit more since a couple of these cities are close to each other.

Will 2 to 2.5 days in each city be enough for you? You'll probably not even see the well-known sites in that time.

Is there any way you can omit a few places. Barcelona for one since it's not near any place else on your list. Prague for another.

I know you think 37 days is a lot of time but it's not.

You should read about the place you want to visit and figure out what you want to see there. That determines how much time you'll spend.

Major cities need at least 5 days (IMHO) - Paris, Rome, Berlin, Prague.

Of course you can spend less time in these places but you see much. Your trip will be a blur of packing and train stations.

If you want a seat reservation on the Paris to Barcelona leg you need to book it today. You may already be a late to do this. You can't get on the fast trains w/o a seat reservation. Same with Nice to Rome.

PalenQ

Does anyone have any recommendations for an itinerary that makes the most of our trainpass as well as seeing Europe?>

Check out this for lots of suggested rail itineraries:
http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/si...s/rg011210.pdf and also check www.ricksteves.com.

adrienne

I meant to say you will not see much (if you spend only a couple of days in each place).

mamcalice

Agree with Adrienne. You do not have enough time to do all of these destinations justice. How about dropping Barcelona and either Prague or Berlin. You should plan to spend at least 5 days in Paris and Rome and 3 in your other stops. With the travel time from place to place, that will pretty much use up your 37 daays.

ira

Hi Jen,

>Paris -> Barcelona -> Nice -> Rome -> Florence ->Venice -> Prague -> Munich -> Berlin -> Amsterdam -> Bruges/Brussels

Any suggestions/comments welcome.<

Far, far too much traveling.

Paris - 1 week; Venice, Florence and Rome - 2-3 weeks; Berlin, Dresden and Prague - 2 weeks;

Remember, the point of the trip is to visit Europe, not to travel on trains.

janisj

Too many places too far apart. You will be experts on the trains/train stations of Western Europe . . . but won't have time to see/do much between those train rides.

Staying a week in one location may sound sloooow - but in a city like Paris it takes a minimum of 4 or 5 days to see just the bare minimum of sites and then a day trip to Versailles and one day to recover from jetlag . . . and there's your week.

So Paris, Italy and a few places in Germany/Benelux would totally fill your 5 weeks.

PalenQ

Too many places too far apart. You will be experts on the trains/train stations of Western Europe . . . but won't have time to see/do much between those train rides.>

well I take trips like that all the time so it is a matter of personal dsires - you may do as I do and hop overnight trains between far removed places - relocate practically anywhere in western Europe overnight and save on the cost of a hotel.

PalenQ

So here is our high-level wish-list of places to go to. Definately very fuzzy between Barcelona & Amsterdam i.e. does this loop make sense on the trains?

Paris -> Barcelona -> Nice -> Rome -> Florence ->Venice -> Prague -> Munich -> Berlin -> Amsterdam -> Bruges/Brussels

In 38 days with perhaps some minor tweeking and re-arranging stops this is IMO not too much but you actually may want to add a few one-night stands in between or take overnight trains so you do not spend all day on a train.

This is IMO and IME of doing many such itineraries very doable and not nearly too fast for 38 nights.

PalenQ

3 full days in any city - Paris, Amsterdam, etc is enough for the average tourist who does not always want to stay a week in every stop - most want to see as many different cities as possible - but three days in a Barcelona, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Florence - cities on your list is enough to slake the thirst of the average tourists - but you do need to tweek - Venice to Prague is way too much even if you take an overnight train Venice to Vienna then go onto Prague - and you pass thru Vienna, one of Europe's most unique and neat cities without stopping>

janisj

>><i>3 full days in any city . . . </i><<

You won't have nearly 3 days anywhere, let alone 3 'full' days. 38 nights/37 days for 12 cities and deducting all the travel/transit time you will be LUCKY to net 2 days in most of those places.

Plus you need to understand PQ's POV - he is a train junkie. That isn't a bad thing, but most visitors prefer to spend the bulk of their time see/doing/experiencing places - not traveling between those places.

You don't have to spend a week in a city, but you are visiting some of the most interesting cities anywhere and 2 or 2.5 days isn't long enough for several of them.

janisj

Oh - I just re-read your OP. Please clarify, does the 38 days include your 7 days in London/Dublin before Paris??

If so, you are down to 30 days and won't even have 2 full days in most of those cities.

PalenQ

38 days in Europe - usually means after the UJK janis - but yes clarify please - 38 days in those cities outlined is very doable in spite of folks who insist you must spend a week in each stop to do full justice.

But if 30 days that is still a month and well just plan on three days in major cities not including travel time. Again taking overnight trains can help.

Jen2012

Thanks everyone for your feedback! Much appreciated.

To confirm - we are spending an extra 7/8 days in London/Dublin outside of the 38 days.

We are looking to do overnight trains where possible and keen on spending at least 2 nights in each of those cities with 4 nights in Paris & Rome.

If we have to take out cities from our ambitious itinerary the must-do's for us would be:

Paris -> Rome -> Venice -> Berlin -> Amsterdam -> Bruges/Brussels

If we focus on these areas can anyone suggest some places in between that would make sense via train travel to flesh out this basic itinerary and maybe incorporate as much of our original one in as much as possible?

Thanks everyone!

Jen2012

Add Prague to that list too (typical non-consultation of husband moment!)

PalenQ

Paris to Rome - can go via Switzerland - like the fantastic Interlaken area is about half way by train between Paris and Rome or about.