Should I squeeze in Berlin?
 

Hi everyone,

I'm struggling to make decisions about my Europe trip in September. I know very well that you should limit the destinations and spend more time visiting fewer places. I have always travelled in this way for example - 5 days London, 2 weeks Cambridge, 5 days Paris on one trip in 2012 (I was studying in Cambridge which explains the 2 weeks), another trip I spent 5 nights Rome, 5 nights Florence with day trips. This next trip I am flying into Barcelona and out of Milan. Please tell me if fitting Berlin is too much for the following itinerary: (Amalfi coast & Venice are a must for me)

13 Sep - arrive Barcelona & start tour which goes until 21 September (tour of Spain)

21 Sep - fly into Berlin late at night from Madrid

22 sep - berlin

23 sep - berlin

24 sep - berlin

25 sep flight berlin to rome, rome to amalfi

26 sep amalfi

27 sep amalfi

28 sep amalfi

29 sep amalfi to venice

30 sep venice

1 oct venice

2 oct venice

3 oct milan - spend day in Milan and fly out late that night

I know I will lose days travelling. But would you do it just so you can get a taste of Berlin as well and on this trip instead of always saying how much you want to see Berlin "one day". Like should I just scratch this itch while I am over there. What if I don't make it back to Europe next year. Having said that I will have extra time to do more day trips in Italy such as Lake Como etc.

I should let you know I am an active 25 year old female and will likely be travelling solo at least for some parts.

Thanks everyone in advance!

It clearly depends on what you want to see and experience, but IMO, this itinerary short-changes not only Berlin, but also the the Amalfi Coast. But then, you don't tell use what it is that you most want to see / experience in these places....

The biggest change I'd make would be to fly home from Venice rather than Milan, unless you must see Milan. It's 170 or so miles across from Venice and takes about 3 hours, allowing for road traffic or rail times. By the time you get to Milan it would probably be noon or later and you need to be at the airport at least a couple of hours before your flight. It leaves little time for Milan itself.

Berlin is well worth the trip, do it.

Unfortunately I have booked my flights in and out of Europe. I am wishing I had booked a flight out of Venice! I am not that excited about Milan and am wishing I could spend that extra day in Venice. I might check how much it costs to alter my flights. If I can't change it I will try to catch the earliest train to Milan to maximise my time. The reason I chose Milan was because an original flight from Venice I was looking at cost a lot more but I ended up paying the same amount anyway as I was picky about which airline but forgot that was how much it was to fly out of venice!

Kja - I want to just relax on the Amalfi Coast, eat, enjoy the views etc explore in general. At this stage I am thinking of staying in Positano. I would also like to get a taste of Naples but not spend too much time there, maybe do a walking tour and then move on as I would prefer the Amalfi coast to be my primary focus.
With Berlin it is the WWII sites that mainly interest me.

If you want to sample the riches of the Amalfi Coast area - Naples (including its archeological museum), Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, Positano, Amalfi, Revello, Salerno, and Paestum -- and you want to do it in a relaxed way, then I don't think you have time for Berlin. If you just want a small sampling of the treats of the Amalfi Coast area and ONLY want to see a few sites in Berlin, you can visit both. Doing so would likely add to the stress of the trip, as going from city to city can be tiring and disorienting.

I think this is perfectly cool destination hopping. You allow plenty solid being-there days between travel days. You are in each place long enough to get rested and seek things out you will enjoy. Once you have that (a lot of people who post with trip plans forget about the travel time) you can do whatever you want, and enjoy where you are just fine. Don't mess with a good thing.

Yes, this is doable. I think three days in Berlin would be very enjoyable. The question to ask yourself is 3 days enough for you in Amalfi? If the answer is yes, then go for it. But if you plan on doing lots of day trips, you may find you need more time there. Buon viaggio!

I am with KJA. There is too much to see and do around Amalfi and Naples (Caori, Anacapri, etc.) Stick to your philosophy of just visiting a few places. Postpone Berlin for the "other day"; Berlin will be around for a while.

Berlin is really not just one city, but a collection of cities, each with its own character and sights ,surrounded by beautiful lake country.