emily_jablon

Hi fellow travelers, I am coming to you with a request to check if my draft Eurotrip plan looks reasonable
This year my family asked me to plan a complex ±2-week Eurotrip from May 25 - June 05. Country route: Lithuania - Poland - Germany - Belgium - France - Switzerland - Germany - Austria - Hungary - Slovakia - Poland - Lithuania. There's a three-day sports event taking place in Tregunc, France which we'll be attending, so I had to plan around it. I will add a link to the exact itinerary a bit later.

Here's the list of places we will stop at for sleepovers:
Poznan - May 25-26
Cologne - May 26-27
Rouen - May 27-28
Tregunc - May 28-June01
Lyon - June 01 - 02
Neuschwanstein area - June 02-03
Budapest - June 03-04
Liublin - June 04-05

Some highlights of the trip I'm looking forward to & issues:
- Tregunc area in France - has anyone been in that part and could suggest places to visit or eat at.
- driving through Switzerland and stopping for lunch (need your advice on the best city to stop at)
- visiting Neuschwanstein castle, we're planning to go there early morning on Monday (June 3rd), would you suggest to book tickets in advance and how much time we should allocate to the tour of the castle?
- driving from Budapest to Kosice (Slovakia) and stopping there for lunch, is there an absolute must-visit you could point out?

Maybe there's something I have overlooked, or not aware of?

deniseoliver86

That looks like a challenging trip, but it's good that you will spend few more nights in one place during the traveling period, this will keep you grounded and help you recharge for the second part of intense sightseeing.
I can only help you with the Neuschwanstein castle question. The castle is opened from 9 am, but you have to buy tickets at the office located below the castle, which opens up from 7.30, so I think 8 am would be an ideal time to get there, in case there are lines, but Monday morning shouldn't be that bad. Also, the guided tour takes 30 minutes on average, so overall I would estimate that you will spend at least two hours there, depending on the flow of tourists that day.

deniseoliver86

BTW, I look forward to seeing more detailed itinerary. it'd be easier to help you with the planning once we have clear vision of your trip and stops in between sleepover locations.

ahbonvraiment

Michael

I have not looked at the times for your entire itinerary, but my impression is that the only sightseeing you will get is through the window of your car. For example, Vilnius to Poznan is 8.5 of driving, not counting pit stops. The same applies for the leg between Trégunc and Lyon. The minute you leave a superhighway, your speed and time spent on the road change drastically.

You ask about stopping for lunch. A city is definitely not where you want to stop for lunch. With a lunch stop and city driving you will lose a couple of hours at least to your 7.5 hours minimum between Lyon and Füssen.

hetismij2

You need to be aware of any motorway tolls, or vignets (Switzerland) you need and also in Germany you need to be aware of the Umweltzones, and the fact that you cannot enter them (such as a good chunk of Cologne) without the appropriate sticker on your windscreen.
I hope there is more than one driver for this trip - there are some very long drives involved.

StCirq

Did you really mean draft European plan or daft European plan?

Is there a reason you don't just fly and save yourself days and days of staring at tarmac?

Travel_Nerd

First: how long do you actually have for this trip? You state +/- 2 weeks. This is A LOT of driving for this period of time.

Do you actually want to see anything along your drives or do you just want to "drive"? The amount of countries in your list - with the distance between them is well, huge, and does not allot that much to actually see.

You and your friend really need to consult some good guidebooks to determine exactly what you want to see in each locale, figure the time to get from place to place including driving, parking, checking in/out, plus getting to attractions.

In short, you need to scale back. Any reason you HAVE to drive?

Is this anticipated for May/June this year? Are you seasoned travelers who are used to planning this complex of a trip in a short time period? (I don't want to assume but I suspect not). You and your friend really need to sit down and figure what is actually realistic here...

StuDudley

This looks like my first trip to Europe in 1977 with my wife, sister, & mother. Mom & sis "bailed out" about 1/3 the way through the trip & headed home (sis was a flight attendant & received free airline travel for herself & mom). They could not "hold up" to the constant driving and arriving at destinations at 7-8PM with no time to explore & enjoy anything. My wife endured, but said she would not accompany me on the next trip I planned. Actually, the "next trip" was a repeat of this first trip - except we stayed at each destination about 3-5 days so we could visit the places we just "sniffed" on the previous trip.

Since 1999 when we retired early so we could travel more, we usually now spend 2 weeks in one location before moving on for 2 more weeks in another close-by location. Last year, we stayed for 2 weeks near Vannes in Brittany (second visit to this area) and then 2 weeks near Tregunc/Concarneau. This year - 2 weeks near Rouen/Normandy and then 2 weeks near Dinan/Brittany in June. For our fall trip it is 2 weeks in Alsace & 2 weeks in northern Burgundy. So - this is my "progression" of travel mode/experence from 1977 to 2019. I suspect that if you follow your planned itinerary, you will only see things through your windshield like Michael (another seasoned traveler) stated. You'll spend most of your time "getting there" and very little time "being there". Less is more!!! Slow down!!! Visit only 1/5 of the places on your list. Make your itinerary more compact with less driving. YES - I AM SHOUTING!!!.

Stu Dudley

cdnyul

According to Google maps, your plan adds up 65 hours of driving or 6091 kilometers.

We drove 4000 kilometers on our honeymoon 37 years ago, and we did in five weeks.

Just for starters ,Vilnius to Poznan in one day is nuts.

I am with StCriq on this one.

StuDudley

>> - Tregunc area in France - has anyone been in that part and could suggest places to visit or eat at. <<

This is from my larger Normandy & Brittany itineraryointe du Raz*** This is a very beautiful pointe, but it takes a bit of walking to get there. I think there is a shuttle that takes you to/from the pointe if your legs are tired. See Pointe du RAZ in the GG. Head east from Auderne on the D784 to the Quimper/Benodet/Concarneau/Pt Aven region. We've spent 3 weeks in this area - most recently in 2018 when we stayed on a peninsula just east of Concarneau for 2 weeks. Stay in this region for 4 nights. The area immediately around the historic town or Concarneau is full of ugly commerce and un-scenic roads - so I would not base anywhere near Concarneau. I would also not stay in Quimper. Though we stayed in Quimper near the train station the last night we were in this area just so we could catch the TGV back to Paris. Although Quimper exceeded our expectations (we had been there on 2 other trips) the area around it might spoil your mental "image" of Brittany - not enhance it. The areas we prefer are near Pt Aven/Tregunc or Benodet/Ste Marine. If you want to make your stay in this region more of a "beach occasion" - also consider Cape Coz. Hotel – Les Auberge des Grandes Roches in Tregunc. http://www.hotel-lesgrandesroches.com/default.htmlThis hotel is close to the Gite where we stayed for a week in 2001. We ate dinner at the Auberge one night & the hotel/setting was quite nice. Here is a very nice hotel where we had dinner one night in 2018. It is in Ste Marine and has "killer" views out over the Odet estuary towards Benodet from it's garden, restaurant, and I assume some of the rooms (we didn't stay there). The hotel & garden is a great place to linger or to enjoy an aperitif on the terrace.Villa Tri Men - A 4-star hotel waterfront overlooking the port and estuary - Trimen (EN) Here is the gite where we stayed in Tregunchttp://www.gites-de-france.com/locat...-29G15170.html .And a "splurge" gite on a peninsula just outside of Concarneau where we stayed for 2 weeks in 2018.https://www.gites-de-france.com/loca...-29G18940.html The Hydrangeas of southern BrittanyThe hydrangeas ('hortensias' in French) are nothing short of remarkable. I'm not sure of the blooming season, but when we were there mid-June to mid-July they seemed to be in a full bloom, though in some of the shadier areas they didn't yet appear to be at their peak. Unlike a small garden plant, these hydrangeas were for the most part enormous!!! - easily 5 feet tall/5 feet wide and often planted in clusters that magnified their beauty. And the range of colors was glorious: from the deepest blue to deepest purple, lighter shades of pastel blue, dark crimson to soft pink, and snow white as well. Sometimes a single bush would even have multiple colors. I have read that you can 'feed' hydrangeas to achieve different colors, but there is no way that people are adding supplements to the literally thousands of hydrangea plants that dot the landscape everywhere. In my mind, these flowers are legendary to the region. Day 19, 20, 21Quimper** See QUIMPER in the GG. Quimper is an absolutely delightful and vibrant town. There is a lot of interesting commerce in the town that is appealing to visitors, and many cafes (with a strong focus on crepes and galettes) where you can take a break. Looking up, the town's 'skyline' is dominated by the church in the center of town. We thought it was more remarkable from the outside where two huge spires pierce the sky and the building's sculpted exterior was quite remarkable. In the evening the spires are bathed in late-day sun, so it is quite memorable and on a scale that seems quite grand for the mid-size town. The architecture is an interesting mix of half-timbered buildings and small-scale stone structures. Overall, a very pleasing town to spend a day. Don’t visit Quimper on a Sunday or Monday because stores will be closed. We visited Quimper 2 days after the Tour de France ended a stage in Quimper, one day before the July 14 holiday, and 2 days before France won the 2018 Soccer World Cup - so the entire city was in a stage of patriotic "excitement". Musee Departemental Breton* in QuimperIncorporated into the church (and around the right side when you face the entrance) is the Musee (which only my wife visited while I had a lunch of oysters and salad with gesiers). It is on several floors and starts with an archeological museum that she had intended to skip in favor of the 'costume' section, but found it to be more interesting than she had expected with some displays of artifacts dating back thousands of years. The 'costume' section was the better part of one floor. They had displayed exquisite examples of the (varied) local clothing - which served as an 'identity card' for different areas and different demographics (young people, married women, widowed women, holiday vs. daily wear which were all different). The artistry of the embroidery and laces in particular was astonishing. Attention was paid to the lace headwear of this region - the coiffes - which also varied from one area to another. Anybody who likes the textile arts and who appreciates the existence of unique local designs will be impressed. There was also an interesting 'video' of a collection of old still photographs displayed continuously in a small adjacent room - with all the different 'coiffes' and with everyone (including the children) looking quite dour. All in all - the museum was very well curated and my wife spent at least 1 1/2 hours enjoying it. Musee Bigouden++ at the chateau in Pont 'AbbeThis museum is located in the 'keep' of a castle and occupies several floors, all dedicated to Breton clothing and lifestyle. It was a very hot day, so I paid my 5E entrance fee, found a soft chair next to an air conditioner, and relaxed for about 1 hour. What follows are my wife's observations of her visit as I had already had had my fill of lace and embroidery - of which she never seems to tire. The museum was a celebration of the materials and fine craftsmanship of the clothing of the region with an emphasis on the silks, ribbons and metallic threads used to create the elaborate designs. Today, these garments are seldom worn except on special occasions or for folklore festivals, although our gite proprietor told us that it was not uncommon as recently as the 60's to see older women still wearing the 'day-to-day' version of these garments. The clothing was beautifully displayed and included the caps and coiffes that were part of the whole ensemble. There was even a fascinating video with a woman demonstrating exactly how to style/prepare your hair and then 'install' a coiffe - a reasonably complicated process involving hairpins, elaborate combing, and then the final placement of the coiffe atop all these layered components. In addition to the clothing, there was one floor dedicated to the history and evolution of living styles - from the early days when families shared living quarters with their animals and the family lived 'communally' in one main room through to the major shifts in which the concept of separate bedrooms emerged and multiple generations didn't necessarily all share the same living space. It was very clear that daily life was difficult well into the 20th century. Most people were farmers and that labor occupied, in some capacity, most family members' time. Another beautifully-curated museum. Though all the signage was only in French (which definitely added to the appreciation of what you were seeing), the displays were fascinating and mostly understandable even without the benefit of explanatory text. If you are interested in these two types of culture museums, but only have time to visit one of them - I would head for the Musee Bigouden. However - there is no reason to visit the town of Pont l'Abbe - except for this museum. The road that runs through the "heart" of Southwest BrittanyThe D44 heading east from Pont d'Abbe, then continuing on the D783 just west of Concarneau and all the way to Quimperle, cuts through the heart of this Benodet/Concarneau/Pont Aven region. Sections of this route are very scenic and sections are quite ugly (lots of uninspired commerce, big-box stores, etc). You will find yourself driving on this route quite often - we did!! Here are the "ugly" sections:- Immediately around Fouesnant for a short section- A long section from where the D783 branches from the D44 just north of Concarneau - and goes all the way to about 1 K west of Tregunc. Unfortunately, we found ourselves on this route and on the access roads to the N165 Autoroute quite a bit - and it was really a "downer" driving along these roads. The entire area around Concarneau is really bad. I am going to recommend two very lovely drives in the region just south of Tregunc, Pont Aven, and Riec sur Belon (later in this itinerary) to make you forget about this ugly section of this of the Benodet/Concarneau/Pont Aven region. The new bridge between Benodet and Ste Marine offers fantastic views of the Odet estuary. We parked the car on the Ste Marine side of the bridge, and my wife went back and took many pictures of the estuary from the span of the bridge. Benodet*We entered Benodet from the D44 roundabout and accessed "Centre Ville" via the "main" road that dissects the town. As soon as we saw water - we turned left/south towards the casino area and parked. What we saw was a very new and (in our opinion) un-inspired city full of large modern apartment buildings along the waterfront and "new/modern" architecture. Not the "old world" charm that we were looking for. There was a huge "sterile" sandy beach that appeared to be "man-made". Lots of commerce. We got back in the car and headed north on the waterfront road, past the Pointe de Coq and encountered an entirely different ambience. There was almost no commerce, many old mansions, smaller beaches with seaweed & rocks, and many benches where we could stop, relax, and admire the views. We spotted the Tri Men/Les Trois Rocher hotel/restaurant across the estuary in Ste Marine - where we had dinner a few days earlier. We eventually ended the walk at a cafe/restaurant "conglomeration" where we bought a sandwich and had lunch at a shady bench along the boardwalk. Cape Coz+Excellent crescent-shaped beach with 1-2 story houses and lots of trees along the one-way waterside road. "Low key" concessions to rent Hobie Cats (my wife worked for Hobie Cat in the early 70s), get things to eat, and just admire the "beach scene". We spent about one hour just wandering along this long beach - stopping at various benches along the way. This is where I would want to stay for a "beach vacation". For some reason, access to nearby Beg Meil was blocked by the police - so we didn't visit this beach community in 2018. Keriolet Mansion++ near Concarneau. This chateau is just off the D783. The exterior of the chateau is remarkable. There are several rooms to visit on the guided tour. The kitchen with it's "ermine" patterned (symbol of Brittany) tiles was particularly memorable because it retained its historic character. Concarneau Ville Close*. The trick here is to ignore the ugly commerce as you access Concarneau, find a place to park, and avoid the mid-day crowds and the distracting "trinket stands" outside the shops. We accomplished this by:- Having dinner at L'Amiral restaurant just outside Ville Close, and enjoying a beer at a cafe in Ville Close before dinner and after most shops closed for the day.- Getting to Ville Close at 9am before the crowds arrived and the shops opened. At 10am, we visited the fascinating Fishing Museum when it opened. This museum, with its extensive displays really explained how the fishing industries were the foundation of much of the local economies. Take one of the several stairways accessing the top of the walls for good vistas. We were gone by 11am. Pont Aven**. We drove through Pont Aven about a half dozen times & it was never really crowded like we anticipated. This was the first two weeks of July. If you approach it from the west, when the D783 swings north to go around Pont Aven at a round-about - instead keep going straight and park at the large car park on your left. Explore Pont Aven. Really quaint village - perhaps the best in the region. Here are two very interesting "outings" that will get you to the area south of Tregunc and Pont Aven and make you forget about the crowds in other parts of this region. Outing One - les Petits Ports Bretagne - recommended to us by the proprietor of our gite.The coast south of Pont Aven reminds me of the coast of Maine – lots of Estuaries (Avens). Here is a drive we took to explore this area. It would be hard to do this using the 308 map (1/150,000 scale) so if you can get IGN map 0620ET scale 1/25,000, navigating would be much easier. Actually, I would not attempt to do this drive without the IGN map. Same with the next outing. From Pont Aven, head to Riec Sur Belon. Then get on the D24 southeast towards Moelan sur Mer. Just prior to Moelan, take a smaller road and then the D116 west to Kerfany les Pins, which is the last village on the south side of the Aven (estuary). Just before Kerfany, head north to Belon. I believe that there are signs directing you to Belon. As you approach the Belon port, there is a downhill road to the port. Drive down this road and park your car where you can. We parked it on this downhill road. Then wander into the port. Keep walking straight and you will follow the road up the cliff and overlooking the port. You will pass some lovely homes - where I wish I could stay for a week or two. Keep following this one-way road as it circles back to the downhill road where you/we parked the car. Then exit Belon by car following this same road you walked on (it is one-way). Now find your way through Kerfany and bear right to the Pointe (it says "Minbriz" on my IGN map). Just as you pass a "monument" on the right side of the road - park the car. Walk to this monument and follow the walking path. There are some lovely spots for a picnic along this short walking path - with fantastic views over the Aven. We spent about 1 hour here in 2001 and another hour in 2018. Now about the "monument". What amazes us in our travels in France is how 'fresh' the memories (and the devastating toll) of both world wars are to the French. Almost every town and village has a meticulously maintained memorial to those fallen in war - many statues are a WWI 'doughboy' solider and as subsequent wars occurred and more were killed, new plaques at the base of the statue listing the dead were added. Even streets and town squares are named to commemorate the dead - sometimes a person's name; sometimes a dated event such as the gunning down of resistance members. Our gite proprietor simply called World War I "14 through 18" and the period between WWI and WWII "the inter-war years". It's almost as if it's one long (and miserable) period of wars, but then European history is really dotted with long and serial wars, many of which completely altered the course of history. So, on this overlook we noticed a number of small stone markers in the grasses which, upon reading the inscription on a larger sign explained the significance: during WWII Nazi troops ambushed members of the French Resistance and two British aviators on this site, shot them all and then dumped the bodies in a trench. So, that is what these markers commemorate. Walk back to the monument and west a few paces to the Pointe for another view of the Atlantic and the estuary/aven. There are some picnic tables in this area. You could spend an hour at this pointe also. This is where two estuaries converge. Port Manec'h is directly west (see next outing). Now get back in the car and continue driving around the loop to your left and down to the Plage de Kerfany. There was a nice beach/plage there in 2001 where we spent some time - but it has since been "enhanced" with a giant resort complex and it did not appeal to us in 2018. Head back to Moelan on the D116, but prior to Moelan, take a sharp right onto the D216 southwest to Brigneau. This is a appealing/small port on an aven. Then - back on the D216 towards Moelan and before Moelan take the right at the roundabout through Bellevue and then another right to Merrien – another small port. Now on to our favorite port - Doelan. Follow the smaller roads east to Doelan. As you get close to Doelan - look for the signs directing you to "Rive Droit" and "Rive Gauche". Follow the sign to Rive Droit. You will arrive at a dead-end with a parking lot in front of you, a small restaurant to the left, and a small convenience store in front of you on the other side of the parking lot. Park the car at the lot and walk to the left of the convenience store and down to the port. About 3 steps down the stairs to the port, you can step onto a garage rooftop for a good view. Then go down to the port & sit and "admire" for a bit. That's all!!. Now drive back to your base by passing south of Moelan, through Ric sur Belon and through Pont Aven. You could combine this outing with a visit to Pont Aven on the way to or from this drive. I would visit Pont Aven last because the views from the Kerfany area are best in the morning. Outing Two - beaches & thatched roofed villagesAgain - you'll need the ING map 0620ET to follow this routeFind your way to Tregunc and take the D1 south towards Point de Trevignon. As you get into Stang Nen just north of Tregignon, vear right towards the Plage de Trevignon, and then follow this coastal road to the very scenic Pointe de Trevignon. Trevignon is perhaps the most "touristy" place on this drive. Continue counterclockwise around the Pointe de Trevignon & follow the coastal road east. Look for the road sign for Kercanic and visit this hamlet of thatched roofed cottages They are quite remarkable and are worthy of being on a postcard. You'll take lots of photos - the combination of thatched roofs, hydrangeas, and lace curtains is a real winner! Drive to Raguenez - following the signs to Ar Men Du hotel/restaurant (see restaurants recommendations below). Park the car in the large parking area near the water. Ar Men Du was our best meal in this region. We admired the views before dinner and after dinner at this restaurant. We returned several days later to explore this area on foot and take pictures of the interesting houses. With your back to Ar Men Du and facing the little island, walk along the coastal path to your right (west) in front of the houses. Then back in the car, exit the parking area and turn left (west) at the first street and drive past some very beautiful beaches. You will shortly reach the road you drove on to get to Kercanic and Raguenez. Continue driving east to Karascoet to visit some more thatched roofed cottages. Look for the sign to "chaumieres" (thatched roof). Now, head east to Port Manec'h and follow the signs to the port. There is some tricky driving needed to get to the port. Park near the port (difficult) and spend a few moments admiring the beach. Perhaps have lunch at La Chataigneraie in back of the beach. On the way to Port Manec'h, you may encounter signs directing you to the Gardens of Rospico - but we went there & it was not open, and might not be open anytime soon. From Port Manec'h, follow the signs northwest towards Nevez. Just south of Nevez, turn right and drive to Kerdruc. Although the GG says that there are thatched roofed houses in Kerdruc, we only saw one but the views across the aven to Rozbraz are nice. Drive to Nevez, then take the D177 to Tregunc and back to your hotel. End of outing Here are some sites that were only "marginal", and I would not recommend visiting them on a 4 night stay- Quimperle*-. We've visited this village twice - first in 2001 & then again in 2018. It really disappointed us. There is a charming street with 1-2 nice houses on it - but that's about all. Only about 1/2 block of "stuff" to see. Don't waste your time. Same with the nearby Manoire de Kernault (strange museum).- Chateau and Park of Trevarez*-. Wonderful park, stunning exterior, but the interior is a "work in progress". Very disappointing. Keep an eye on their web site and try to determine how much of the interior has been refurbiished by the time you plan to visit it. One entire wing was boarded up and there were signs indicating they were working on it - but we didn't see any workers or equipment there. Restaurants - from our 2018 visitI'll rate them from a 1 (top ranking) to a 4 score. There are ties. The star(*) or no star is the Michelin rating. Our dinner cost for 2 with aperitifs & wine follows.1. Ar Men Du* at Raguenas Plage. $2702. Les Trois Rochers* at the Villa Tri Men in Ste Marine. $2692. Le Taupiniere between Pont Aven and Tregunc. $2442. L'Ambroisie in Quimper. $1733. L' Amiral in Concarneau. $1703. La Coquille in Concarneau $152. Combination bar, nightclub, but better food than we anticipated.4. Sur La Pont in Pont Aven. $148 Stu Dudley

StuDudley

Wow - that was a mess. Fodors doesn't handle "copy & paste" from a Word document very well. It appeared OK when I pasted it in - but when I did the "post quick reply" and also the Go advanced/reply - it got messed up.

If you would like a copy of this in readable format, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach it to the reply e-mail. Specify that you would like the Normandy & Brittany itinerary - I have about 8-10 others including Lyon.

Stu Dudley

tomboy

Re: Kosice, Slovakia
Google "Spis castle" and "slovakia wooden churches"
Those are the highlights for that region.
Forget about the lowlights.

janisj

>>According to Google maps, your plan adds up 65 hours of driving<<

Google Maps is notoriously optimistic re drive times. If GM calculates 65 hours it would more likely take 70-75 hours.

Using your sleepovers this is what you actually plan:

Poznan - May 25
Cologne - May 26 (the drive from Poznan to Cologne will take at least 9 hours)
Rouen - May 27 (6-7 hrs)
Tregunc - May 28-31
Lyon - June 01 (9-ish hrs)
Neuschwanstein area - June 02 (at least 8 hrs)
Budapest - June 03 (9-10 hrs)
Liublin - June 04 (9+ hrs)

This is insanity.

PalenQ

And in the last year my French son who goes home for a couple times a year - he says that speed limits on N roads had been lowered from 100 km/hr to 80 km/hr across the country and that there are speed cameras everywhere catching miscreants. So, those Michelin road times maybe should be lowered somewhat as many folks take N roads once they get to their base area. Ironically, my son says. that part of the yellow vest movement that originally was born when the fuel tax was raised was also irate with the lower speed limits - especially folks in rural areas with little traffic.

Michael

Slovakia wooden churches tend to be at the end of a country road, not readily reachable for someone who needs to put on the miles.

StuDudley

>> Google Maps is notoriously optimistic re drive times. If GM calculates 65 hours it would more likely take 70-75 hours. <<

Plus add time for pottie breaks, food, gas, back ups at toll booths, and the unavoidable French autoroute "deviations" where 2 lanes in each direction are funneled into 1 lane in each direction & everyone going just as fast as the slowest massive truck in front of you. So the 70-75 is more like 75-80.

Assuming you leave one area after a quick breakfast at 9AM:
>>
Poznan - May 25
Cologne - May 26 (the drive from Poznan to Cologne will take at least 9 hours) so you get to Cologne & checked into the hotel & "ready to go" at 8PM - just enough time for dinner (cathedral closed??) And that's it for Cologne
Rouen - May 27 (6-7 hrs) parking is difficult in Rouen. You'll get to your hotel & checked in around 5-6 PM. Perhaps stroll down the pedestrian street before dinner. Stroll after dinner. Perhaps no cathedral (closes at 7PM) & none of the 6 museums we plan on visiting because they are all closed on Monday May 27
Tregunc - May 28-31
Lyon - June 01 (9-ish hrs). Again - get to Lyon & checked in around 7-8 pm. No time to visit anything. And in the food capital of France, you'll be rushed for dinner.
Neuschwanstein area - June 02 (at least 8 hrs) Get there around 6-7 pm - guessing castle will stop taking visitors much earlier than that.
Budapest - June 03 (9-10 hrs) Get to one of my favorite cities & checked in around 8-9PM. Not even enough time to have dinner in Budapest.
Liublin - June 04 (9+ hrs) Never been there - but neither will you if you arrive around 8-9PM

Stu Dudley

emily_jablon

Hi guys, your concern regarding my draft itinerary touched me. But I think, I wasn't clear enough on the aim of the trip - we have to be in Tregunc from May 28th - June 1st. AND My parents insist on driving there, from and back to Vilnius. They love driving and we have a comfortable car to do so, so these details of the trip are not going to change. So booking flights - just simply out of the picture.

I know that drives are long but I am arranging lunch stops for a couple of hours so we can all rest.

Yep, I am well aware we will be spending the majority of the time in the car and we will only get to sniff the other locations, in my mind, I am planning to put the sightseeing of the stops we are sleeping at, in the morning rather than exploring it at the evenings upon arrival.
I will rework the itinerary a bit, including more details and maybe schedule by hours and will reach out again. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions for this trip pls feel free to reply back, keeping in mind, that we have to drive there and we only have 2 weeks.

emily_jablon

It looks like we will be staying in Frehel for 5 nights! Does anyone have any advice on what to see in the area, besides Mont Saint Michel?

deniseoliver86

Oh, interesting changes of plans. What made you change your mind about Tregunc? Also, are you still thinking to post your final itinerary on here?