Two Weeks in Europe
 

Hi,
My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Europe in August. We are 29 and 34. This will be our first time in Europe. Our loose itinerary is below. Are we going to too many cities? Would you recommend different lengths of time at any of the places? Are small airlines like AirBerlin and Air France ok for direct flights between cities? my other advice?

8/4 red eye from Toronto to London
8/5 arrive in London early afternoon.
8/9 Eurostar to Paris (at night)
8/14 Fly to Berlin (early morning)
8/18 Fly to Iceland
8/20 Fly home

Thanks in advance for any advice you have to offer!

<< Are small airlines like AirBerlin and Air France ok for direct flights between cities?>>

Yeah. But Air France is not a small airline, it is a major international carrier and far larger than your own country's national airline.

The Iceland stop is really random and really short. Why not go when you can spend some time there? All it does in your itinerary is cut into your time in London and Paris.

Cities are not equal. London is far larger than Paris or Berlin and both London and Paris have more for first-timers than Berlin.

Finally, if you drop Iceland, go to Berlin first and fly home from London so that you have the longest flight overnight en route to Europe.

I don't know anything about Iceland so I cannot tell what you plan to do there in two days.
The rest looks pretty much okay to me.

Air Berlin and Air France are in the same league as Air Canada (one bit smaller, one bit larger) so not exactly small and very much okay for that 90 minute flight.
Just make sure you know from which airport in Paris your flight departs, Orly for Air Berlin (at least in the past) or Charles de Gaulle with Air France.
Same with flights from Berlin to Reykjavik. Germanwings and Air Berlin use Tegel airport, WOW departs from Schönefeld airport.

I would suggest flying into LHR, staying there for 1/2 your trip, taking the train or whatever (I prefer train to flying and think when you factor in getting to the airport, getting through security, etc. the train is faster) to Paris. Fly home from Paris. There is plenty to see in both cities to keep you quite busy for your entire trip.

Based on the amount of time you have, I think you allocated the days nicely. I have no issues with the itinerary. You'll have enough time to see each of the three cities reasonably well.

As for the Iceland stopover, I assume this is meant to be just that: a quick stopover on the way home to get a glimpse of the country. Nothing wrong with that!

I'd cut at least one destination, maybe two, from your itinerary. Unless you have a deal on IcelandAir or something, Iceland is a real outlier and I'd cut that for certain. I think you need more time in London, but I would say that, as I love London. But your arrival day you will be jetlagged, and then you only have three full days in London. Paris could use at least another day as well.

I agree with taking the Eurostar between London and Paris.

Make sure you book an open jaw/multi-city/multiple destination flight so that you fly into London and out of Paris, or into Berlin and out of London, or whatever itinerary you end up with, so you don't waste time backtracking.

Enjoy your travel planning and your holiday!

Unless you're planning to fly IcelandAir, I wouldn't bother with the extra expense to visit Iceland. Doesn't IcelandAir fly to Reykyavik from Canada? It's a good enough airline and incredibly cheap, and you can stay up to a week in Iceland and continue on to London or wherever afterward for no extra charge.

Thank You for the thoughtful responses!!

Eurostar tickets booked WAY early get deep discounted tickets - if you just show up trains could be booked for some days anyways I guess (one Fodor UK expert said so recently anyway) so go to www.eurostar.com where you can easily book your own tickets for up to at times several months in advance (not sure of time limit as it used to vary - but 3 months or more I think) - so do that ASAP but those discounted ducats are non-changeable non-refundable so be sure of your dates - and be sure to go thru the check-in gates at least 35 minutes (or whatever time it says on your ticket) or face being turned away. No last minute boarding on Eurostar trains.