Europe: Thanks to all and here...
 

Thanks to everyone who replied to my posting and gave me some great advice, which made it easy for me to book my trip! Sorry for posting twice but I needed to book before sunday the 8th and I needed advice in a hurry!

So I went ahead and booked a flight from SFO-LONDON April 21, then flying out of PARIS back to SFO MAY 4th which should give me 10-11 days of travel rather than the 9 I had originally planned for... so I gave myself 2 extra days!

Now that I have my airfare out of the way, I have 2 weeks to figure out the where's and what's nuts and bolts of my trip and how I will divide my legs.

I want my trip to be flexible so I think I will only book my hotel for the first 2 days and my last 2 days, so I can let the wind take me where ever and whenever I wish to go in between.

I was thinking LONDON-AMSTERDAM-PARIS... how I divide my trip will be determined later... this is where I am open to suggestion and any advice you have will be very much appreciated.

Again I am single, 36, p/t pro photographer and a f/t wine distributor (yet I am not here for wine work, nor do I want to go to Bordeaux.

Any ideas or sugggestions, pleae send them my way as far as where to go, trains, food, social life, etc etc!

Thanks,

HovsWorld

Congrats! - now, you propably should post this over on the "Europe" forum where the folks who helped you will see it :)

oops - that should be " . . probably . . . "

I was following your various itineraries on the Europe forum over the weekend. This sounds great and pretty straight-forward. London, Amsterdam, Paris in ten days. Is there a reason you don't want to book hotel rooms? With such a short trip, it seems ashame to "waste" time looking for places to stay (that's just my thinking) when you could be out sight-seeing.

I was going to mention that too - but was going to wait until you reposted over on the other forum.

Booking rooms on the fly definitely works in a lot of places - like in rural areas/small towns w/ a few B&Bs and fewer visitors. But in places like London and Paris - pot luck may end up being either pretty nasty, or pretty expensive -- or both. Walk up rates are usually not bargains - but you don't really mention being a budget traveler so that might not be an issue. But wandering around looking for rooms - or taking whatever the Tourist Offices find for you - can be a real time waster.

Ladies good points! and yes I did just post this on the original posting. So it looks like I SHOULD book in advance.

I simply want some flexibility. For example if I book it then decide to blow off one of the cities and move on easrly, I cant! I will already be committted to staying?!

Most hotels (as opposed to villas, resorts, some B&Bs etc) have pretty generous cancellation policies. Normally you don't pay a deposit - just leave a credit card number. Then and as long as you notify them a day or two in advance of changed plans there is no penalty.

This does not apply in many/most resort areas -- but in major cities like London and Paris you can still have some flexibility.

I would 100% definitely pre-book in London and Paris . . . .

I think not booking ahead and wandering around looking for places to stay is fine on a 2+ month extended trip.

I would not waste time doing so myself with only a precious 10 days in Europe!