Question:
Like some others have said, keep moving to a minimum. Find a central spot and use it as a base. Moving, while necessary on most trips, is a huge headache. Doug Burke – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
Response:
I agree with others. for an eight week trip try to keep your moves down to 7 or less. Speaking for myself, a great deal of enjoyment comes from hanging out. Find a nice sidewalk cafe and sit there and sip beer for a couple of afternoons. Get into conversations with your neighbors. Wander around neighborhoods. Find a small park and sit on the bench for an hour or two and read a good book. There is as much pleasure in getting to know a place in depth as there is in running around to a lot of museums in one town after another. If you have a hobby or special interest, visit clubs or organizations that are related to your interest. I haven’t heard many good travel stories that Start, " We were in the Louvre one day when….". But I have heard many that start, "I was wandering down the street in …" I have a friend with an interest in WW1 Air planes and Aerial combat. He found a veterans organization in Prague. He couldn’t buy his own beer for a week. He was invited to private homes to see photos and models. Look for little specialty museums that appeal to your interest. With all due respect to the Louvre, Ledo, Tower of London etc. I can only really enjoy an art museum for about 30-60 min. Great masterpieces were never intended to be seen crammed together with hundreds of other equally good paintings. On our last trip to Krakow we went to a small Museum at Jagiellonian University, It glimmers in my mind like a perfect jewel, But what I mainly remember about the Louvre is how much my feet hurt and how crowded it was. We visited a tiny marionette museum in Cesky Krumlov that was more fun and interesting then many larger museums." One October night we were wandering the streets of Mexico, It was 11:00 or so, we noticed a colorful crowd in what seemed to be an old church or meeting hall. It turned out to be a competition of all the Mexican provinces for Dia de Moertos (sorry if my spelling is wrong) alters. When they saw us craning our necks they rushed out and dragged us in. We were the only non-Mexicans there and we were treated like royalty. Slow down, relax, leave lots of unscheduled time, follow your hearts, have a good time. — "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." Samuel Johnson Marc
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Like some others have said, keep moving to a minimum. Find a central spot and use it as a base. Moving, while necessary on most trips, is a huge headache. Doug Burke Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
Response:
Your itinerary looks pretty good and well paced. You’re not trying to pack too much in. If it were me, I’d probably shave a day off of Amsterdam and Luxembourg City each and use them elsewhere. And Lucerne is nice, definitely a beautiful city, but I don’t think it merits 2 days. I’d also advise you to make trips outside of the cities. See the rural areas as much as you can. I also agree with the advice to save Spain for another trip. At the very least, stick with Barcelona only. It’s not too far out of the way and definitely worth seeing. But when you leave there and get to the Provence area in France, keep going east and head into Liguria in Italy, down to the Cinque Terre (some of the most astounding vistas you’ll ever see) into Florence, Venice, and Rome if you can make it that far. Then I’d route back up from Venice into Austria and then head into Germany. But that’s just me and everyone has their interests. I tend to be a low budget traveller, so I think under $80 a day is realistic. The real variable in most people’s budget is their accomodations and how much they go out to eat and drink. If you keep both of those factors modest, you should be fine. Todd
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
Response:
1) Half the number of cities and double the days in each and add one or two small towns anywhere which have no museums. 2) Mark’s suggestions are outstanding and are valid even when you are in your home city. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I agree with others. for an eight week trip try to keep your moves down to 7 or less. Speaking for myself, a great deal of enjoyment comes from hanging out. Find a nice sidewalk cafe and sit there and sip beer for a couple of afternoons. Get into conversations with your neighbors. Wander around neighborhoods. Find a small park and sit on the bench for an hour or two and read a good book. There is as much pleasure in getting to know a place in depth as there is in running around to a lot of museums in one town after another. If you have a hobby or special interest, visit clubs or organizations that are related to your interest. I haven’t heard many good travel stories that Start, " We were in the Louvre one day when….". But I have heard many that start, "I was wandering down the street in …" I have a friend with an interest in WW1 Air planes and Aerial combat. He found a veterans organization in Prague. He couldn’t buy his own beer for a week. He was invited to private homes to see photos and models. Look for little specialty museums that appeal to your interest. With all due respect to the Louvre, Ledo, Tower of London etc. I can only really enjoy an art museum for about 30-60 min. Great masterpieces were never intended to be seen crammed together with hundreds of other equally good paintings. On our last trip to Krakow we went to a small Museum at Jagiellonian University, It glimmers in my mind like a perfect jewel, But what I mainly remember about the Louvre is how much my feet hurt and how crowded it was. We visited a tiny marionette museum in Cesky Krumlov that was more fun and interesting then many larger museums." One October night we were wandering the streets of Mexico, It was 11:00 or so, we noticed a colorful crowd in what seemed to be an old church or meeting hall. It turned out to be a competition of all the Mexican provinces for Dia de Moertos (sorry if my spelling is wrong) alters. When they saw us craning our necks they rushed out and dragged us in. We were the only non-Mexicans there and we were treated like royalty. Slow down, relax, leave lots of unscheduled time, follow your hearts, have a good time. Marc I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days)
Response:
Hi, <snip Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares.
Over here in NL: Sandwich: 2.50 euro Drinks: 2-3 euro MEal at the MacD.:3.5-4 euro Drinks in a nightclub: 5 euro easy entrance: don’t be surprised at 10 euro simple 2 course and a coffee meal at a cheap place: 15-20 euro 3 course at a slightly more upscale restaurant: 30 euro Hope this helps. — Met vriendelijke groeten/Best regards Jeroen Wijnands http://www.xs4all.nl/~wijnands http://spam.pagina.nl — "That must be wonderful! I don’t understand it at all."
Response:
You’ve gotten some good advice from others, especially with regards to getting out in the countryside. A good strategy is to pick 4-6 central locations and do a lot of day excursions. It will cut down on overall travel time and help you become more familiar with your surroundings. Also count on things costing more than you expect, especially if you plan on museums. Two museums in one day can be close to $20, food can run you $20-$30 in some cities if you’re not very careful and then there is the ice cream and beer! See below for my comments regarding your itinerary. Have a good time! Gene Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days)
You could spend more time if you planned extensive day trips. Try not to miss the Loire Valley or Normandy or take other day trips to Rouen, Auvers Sur Oise, Chartres, Versailes, Chantilly and Senlis, Fontainbleau, etc. Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days)
My advice: forget Spain on this trip. It takes too long to get in and out of, but as long as you are there, don’t miss Sevilla and Granada or just head there and skip Madrid. Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days)
A good stopover on the way out of Spain, but maybe skip the rest of Spain and just do Barcelona so you don’t waste too much travel time. Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days)
Visit Arles, Avignon if you must do Southern France. I think instead you should head to Pisa and Florence, maybe Venice if there is time and then to Switzerland. Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days)
Use Bern or Lucerne as a base and plan to spend 5 days in Switzerland. Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Do as a day trip. Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days)
Yes, Munich!! Plan on 6-7 days with 3-5 day excursions at least to places like Salzburg, Garmisch, etc. Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days)
Skip Berlin. Instead, take the Romantik Road bus and then the boat up the Rhine to head for Amsterdam. Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days)
Amsterdam is a good base from which to explore Holland. Maybe 6 days? Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days)
Belgium is small enough to get around you probably don’t need to stay in two different cities. Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days)
Not really worth 3 days when you can spend more time in France! Try Normandy and see Caen (Bayeux Tapestry), Mont St. Michel or the invasion beaches. This can be a nice relaxing time before your tour is over and you head back to busy Paris. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) That’s a lot of traveling. Sure you won’t get sick of trains and buses by then? Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Sure, no problem. Figure $20-25 for accommodation (less in some places), $2 for breakfast from supermarket (or free with hotel), $5 for lunch, $10 for dinner, $3/beer, and you’ve still got some play. If your tastes tend toward the fancy, of course, this won’t work.
now, if you *do* want to up the beer to dollar ratio, only two words of advice: ‘go east’!
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, it’s refreshing to see a trip itinary where there is more than one day spent per country. Your plan looks good to me but for the travel time as has been already mentioned. Also, I would consider an "open jawed" trip. That means you fly into one place and out of another. We do it all the time and it’s always been AT WORST just nominally more expensive. Usually it doesn’t cost a cent more. Of course we do our homework when it comes to airfare but the payoff is worth it. For example, if you took the 1.5 days you are in Paris at the end, and sqweezed out another 2 days in the schedule you could take a ferry from Belgium to England and wrap things up in London. That’s just an example You may wish to do something else like put Amsterdam at the end after Brussels, Antwerp and Luxembourg and fly out of Amsterdam and just save the time which means money. Anyway, hope this helps. Doug Burke Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!)
Why spent all your time in cities? I’d knock out Lucerne and Munich and Brussels or some three or four stops and enjoy some of the region around Paris or Barcelona or wherever. Also I’d bag Germany, Switzerland and Belgium altogether and do some time in Italy. At any rate — a little less travel and grouping some things around particular regional centers might be more interesting. cities are interesting — but all cities seems a shame when much of the charm of Europe is in the smaller towns and countryside – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
Response:
Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days)
That’s a lot of traveling. Sure you won’t get sick of trains and buses by then? Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares.
Sure, no problem. Figure $20-25 for accommodation (less in some places), $2 for breakfast from supermarket (or free with hotel), $5 for lunch, $10 for dinner, $3/beer, and you’ve still got some play. If your tastes tend toward the fancy, of course, this won’t work. miguel — Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu New mini photo-feature: Life in DC: http://travel.u.nu/dc/
Response:
) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help! I doubt that you would manage on much less than $80/day as europe is expensive, especially as the dollar has fallen 10% in value in the past six months.
I stayed in hostels in my last month long trip to Europe. In London the hostel cost $35 US a nite, in Paris 20US a nite, in Venice, $17US a night. Breakfast was included at all. In Sorrento I found a room in a 3 star with no outside window for $27US plus breakfast. I had a light lunch each day and a nice dinner with wine, albeit not at the most expensive places. What with admissions to museums and accessing the Internet now and then, and a coffee at a rest stop each day, plus public transportation, I spent between $40 and $75 a day. Much depends on how you eat and where — sit down dinners with wine are more than fast food, etc. Wine was quite reasonable in France and Italy with meals — 1/4 carafe of house wine. If you are going nightclubbing expect to pay and mixed drinks are costly. You should be fine with $80 per day if you go the hostel route and don’t live it up at expensive clubs after dark. I’m an early to bed and to rise person myself. Also, I don’t buy souvenirs or film. London was very expensive — had I not spent a week there my average expense would have been less. I did not include city to city rail in the above, although I did include a couple of boat trips in Sorrento, and commuter rail to Pompeii and Ercola. This trip was in 1999.
Response:
Well, it’s refreshing to see a trip itinary where there is more than one day spent per country. Your plan looks good to me but for the travel time as has been already mentioned. Also, I would consider an "open jawed" trip. That means you fly into one place and out of another. We do it all the time and it’s always been AT WORST just nominally more expensive. Usually it doesn’t cost a cent more. Of course we do our homework when it comes to airfare but the payoff is worth it. For example, if you took the 1.5 days you are in Paris at the end, and sqweezed out another 2 days in the schedule you could take a ferry from Belgium to England and wrap things up in London. That’s just an example You may wish to do something else like put Amsterdam at the end after Brussels, Antwerp and Luxembourg and fly out of Amsterdam and just save the time which means money. Anyway, hope this helps. Doug Burke – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
Response:
Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help! I doubt that you would manage on much less than $80/day as europe is expensive, especially as the dollar has fallen 10% in value in the past six months. In the itinerary, I would suggest that you skip Spain. It is a long way out of your way – substitute Italy instead, at the very least go to Venice, which is in the north, and try to fit in Rome. There is much more to see in Rome than in Barcelona and Madrid put together. Take a trip out to Ostia Antica, which is an amazing Roman ruined town, and is like Pompeii but easier to get to. On the way down to Rome be sure to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. —
Response:
Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
Response:
Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!)
Have you figured in traveling time between cities? Some of the trips will be all day affairs. You might consider some night trains? Remember, it takes time after arrival to get into a hotel and "set up" with public transport and such. If you have a rail pass, you can be as flexible as you like, and if you want to stay longer in a particular place you can adjust as you go along. With a trip of longer than a month, you may well want to take a vacation from your vacation along the way and have some days here and there without intensive sightseeing or travel. I would prefer more time in the Interlaken area of Switzerland as opposed to Lucerne. Sounds like a great trip, overall. Just allow yourself flexibility to change your plans along the way to fit your stamina:)
Response:
Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
Response:
Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!)
Have you figured in traveling time between cities? Some of the trips will be all day affairs. You might consider some night trains? Remember, it takes time after arrival to get into a hotel and "set up" with public transport and such. If you have a rail pass, you can be as flexible as you like, and if you want to stay longer in a particular place you can adjust as you go along. With a trip of longer than a month, you may well want to take a vacation from your vacation along the way and have some days here and there without intensive sightseeing or travel. I would prefer more time in the Interlaken area of Switzerland as opposed to Lucerne. Sounds like a great trip, overall. Just allow yourself flexibility to change your plans along the way to fit your stamina:)
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Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help! I doubt that you would manage on much less than $80/day as europe is expensive, especially as the dollar has fallen 10% in value in the past six months. In the itinerary, I would suggest that you skip Spain. It is a long way out of your way – substitute Italy instead, at the very least go to Venice, which is in the north, and try to fit in Rome. There is much more to see in Rome than in Barcelona and Madrid put together. Take a trip out to Ostia Antica, which is an amazing Roman ruined town, and is like Pompeii but easier to get to. On the way down to Rome be sure to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. —
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Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days)
That’s a lot of traveling. Sure you won’t get sick of trains and buses by then? Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares.
Sure, no problem. Figure $20-25 for accommodation (less in some places), $2 for breakfast from supermarket (or free with hotel), $5 for lunch, $10 for dinner, $3/beer, and you’ve still got some play. If your tastes tend toward the fancy, of course, this won’t work. miguel — Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu New mini photo-feature: Life in DC: http://travel.u.nu/dc/
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) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help! I doubt that you would manage on much less than $80/day as europe is expensive, especially as the dollar has fallen 10% in value in the past six months.
I stayed in hostels in my last month long trip to Europe. In London the hostel cost $35 US a nite, in Paris 20US a nite, in Venice, $17US a night. Breakfast was included at all. In Sorrento I found a room in a 3 star with no outside window for $27US plus breakfast. I had a light lunch each day and a nice dinner with wine, albeit not at the most expensive places. What with admissions to museums and accessing the Internet now and then, and a coffee at a rest stop each day, plus public transportation, I spent between $40 and $75 a day. Much depends on how you eat and where — sit down dinners with wine are more than fast food, etc. Wine was quite reasonable in France and Italy with meals — 1/4 carafe of house wine. If you are going nightclubbing expect to pay and mixed drinks are costly. You should be fine with $80 per day if you go the hostel route and don’t live it up at expensive clubs after dark. I’m an early to bed and to rise person myself. Also, I don’t buy souvenirs or film. London was very expensive — had I not spent a week there my average expense would have been less. I did not include city to city rail in the above, although I did include a couple of boat trips in Sorrento, and commuter rail to Pompeii and Ercola. This trip was in 1999.
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Well, it’s refreshing to see a trip itinary where there is more than one day spent per country. Your plan looks good to me but for the travel time as has been already mentioned. Also, I would consider an "open jawed" trip. That means you fly into one place and out of another. We do it all the time and it’s always been AT WORST just nominally more expensive. Usually it doesn’t cost a cent more. Of course we do our homework when it comes to airfare but the payoff is worth it. For example, if you took the 1.5 days you are in Paris at the end, and sqweezed out another 2 days in the schedule you could take a ferry from Belgium to England and wrap things up in London. That’s just an example You may wish to do something else like put Amsterdam at the end after Brussels, Antwerp and Luxembourg and fly out of Amsterdam and just save the time which means money. Anyway, hope this helps. Doug Burke – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, it’s refreshing to see a trip itinary where there is more than one day spent per country. Your plan looks good to me but for the travel time as has been already mentioned. Also, I would consider an "open jawed" trip. That means you fly into one place and out of another. We do it all the time and it’s always been AT WORST just nominally more expensive. Usually it doesn’t cost a cent more. Of course we do our homework when it comes to airfare but the payoff is worth it. For example, if you took the 1.5 days you are in Paris at the end, and sqweezed out another 2 days in the schedule you could take a ferry from Belgium to England and wrap things up in London. That’s just an example You may wish to do something else like put Amsterdam at the end after Brussels, Antwerp and Luxembourg and fly out of Amsterdam and just save the time which means money. Anyway, hope this helps. Doug Burke Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!)
Why spent all your time in cities? I’d knock out Lucerne and Munich and Brussels or some three or four stops and enjoy some of the region around Paris or Barcelona or wherever. Also I’d bag Germany, Switzerland and Belgium altogether and do some time in Italy. At any rate — a little less travel and grouping some things around particular regional centers might be more interesting. cities are interesting — but all cities seems a shame when much of the charm of Europe is in the smaller towns and countryside – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) That’s a lot of traveling. Sure you won’t get sick of trains and buses by then? Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Sure, no problem. Figure $20-25 for accommodation (less in some places), $2 for breakfast from supermarket (or free with hotel), $5 for lunch, $10 for dinner, $3/beer, and you’ve still got some play. If your tastes tend toward the fancy, of course, this won’t work.
now, if you *do* want to up the beer to dollar ratio, only two words of advice: ‘go east’!
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You’ve gotten some good advice from others, especially with regards to getting out in the countryside. A good strategy is to pick 4-6 central locations and do a lot of day excursions. It will cut down on overall travel time and help you become more familiar with your surroundings. Also count on things costing more than you expect, especially if you plan on museums. Two museums in one day can be close to $20, food can run you $20-$30 in some cities if you’re not very careful and then there is the ice cream and beer! See below for my comments regarding your itinerary. Have a good time! Gene Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days)
You could spend more time if you planned extensive day trips. Try not to miss the Loire Valley or Normandy or take other day trips to Rouen, Auvers Sur Oise, Chartres, Versailes, Chantilly and Senlis, Fontainbleau, etc. Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days)
My advice: forget Spain on this trip. It takes too long to get in and out of, but as long as you are there, don’t miss Sevilla and Granada or just head there and skip Madrid. Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days)
A good stopover on the way out of Spain, but maybe skip the rest of Spain and just do Barcelona so you don’t waste too much travel time. Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days)
Visit Arles, Avignon if you must do Southern France. I think instead you should head to Pisa and Florence, maybe Venice if there is time and then to Switzerland. Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days)
Use Bern or Lucerne as a base and plan to spend 5 days in Switzerland. Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Do as a day trip. Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days)
Yes, Munich!! Plan on 6-7 days with 3-5 day excursions at least to places like Salzburg, Garmisch, etc. Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days)
Skip Berlin. Instead, take the Romantik Road bus and then the boat up the Rhine to head for Amsterdam. Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days)
Amsterdam is a good base from which to explore Holland. Maybe 6 days? Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days)
Belgium is small enough to get around you probably don’t need to stay in two different cities. Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days)
Not really worth 3 days when you can spend more time in France! Try Normandy and see Caen (Bayeux Tapestry), Mont St. Michel or the invasion beaches. This can be a nice relaxing time before your tour is over and you head back to busy Paris. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
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Your itinerary looks pretty good and well paced. You’re not trying to pack too much in. If it were me, I’d probably shave a day off of Amsterdam and Luxembourg City each and use them elsewhere. And Lucerne is nice, definitely a beautiful city, but I don’t think it merits 2 days. I’d also advise you to make trips outside of the cities. See the rural areas as much as you can. I also agree with the advice to save Spain for another trip. At the very least, stick with Barcelona only. It’s not too far out of the way and definitely worth seeing. But when you leave there and get to the Provence area in France, keep going east and head into Liguria in Italy, down to the Cinque Terre (some of the most astounding vistas you’ll ever see) into Florence, Venice, and Rome if you can make it that far. Then I’d route back up from Venice into Austria and then head into Germany. But that’s just me and everyone has their interests. I tend to be a low budget traveller, so I think under $80 a day is realistic. The real variable in most people’s budget is their accomodations and how much they go out to eat and drink. If you keep both of those factors modest, you should be fine. Todd
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
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Hi, <snip Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares.
Over here in NL: Sandwich: 2.50 euro Drinks: 2-3 euro MEal at the MacD.:3.5-4 euro Drinks in a nightclub: 5 euro easy entrance: don’t be surprised at 10 euro simple 2 course and a coffee meal at a cheap place: 15-20 euro 3 course at a slightly more upscale restaurant: 30 euro Hope this helps. — Met vriendelijke groeten/Best regards Jeroen Wijnands http://www.xs4all.nl/~wijnands http://spam.pagina.nl — "That must be wonderful! I don’t understand it at all."
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Like some others have said, keep moving to a minimum. Find a central spot and use it as a base. Moving, while necessary on most trips, is a huge headache. Doug Burke – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
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I agree with others. for an eight week trip try to keep your moves down to 7 or less. Speaking for myself, a great deal of enjoyment comes from hanging out. Find a nice sidewalk cafe and sit there and sip beer for a couple of afternoons. Get into conversations with your neighbors. Wander around neighborhoods. Find a small park and sit on the bench for an hour or two and read a good book. There is as much pleasure in getting to know a place in depth as there is in running around to a lot of museums in one town after another. If you have a hobby or special interest, visit clubs or organizations that are related to your interest. I haven’t heard many good travel stories that Start, " We were in the Louvre one day when….". But I have heard many that start, "I was wandering down the street in …" I have a friend with an interest in WW1 Air planes and Aerial combat. He found a veterans organization in Prague. He couldn’t buy his own beer for a week. He was invited to private homes to see photos and models. Look for little specialty museums that appeal to your interest. With all due respect to the Louvre, Ledo, Tower of London etc. I can only really enjoy an art museum for about 30-60 min. Great masterpieces were never intended to be seen crammed together with hundreds of other equally good paintings. On our last trip to Krakow we went to a small Museum at Jagiellonian University, It glimmers in my mind like a perfect jewel, But what I mainly remember about the Louvre is how much my feet hurt and how crowded it was. We visited a tiny marionette museum in Cesky Krumlov that was more fun and interesting then many larger museums." One October night we were wandering the streets of Mexico, It was 11:00 or so, we noticed a colorful crowd in what seemed to be an old church or meeting hall. It turned out to be a competition of all the Mexican provinces for Dia de Moertos (sorry if my spelling is wrong) alters. When they saw us craning our necks they rushed out and dragged us in. We were the only non-Mexicans there and we were treated like royalty. Slow down, relax, leave lots of unscheduled time, follow your hearts, have a good time. — "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." Samuel Johnson Marc
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Like some others have said, keep moving to a minimum. Find a central spot and use it as a base. Moving, while necessary on most trips, is a huge headache. Doug Burke Hi, I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days) Also, if I stay in hostels the whole time, do some touristy stuff (museums, etc), have a few beers, and maybe go to a nightclub or two, do you think it would be possible to spend under $80/day? under $70/day? under $60/day? I’m not including the cost of railfares. Thanks for your help!
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1) Half the number of cities and double the days in each and add one or two small towns anywhere which have no museums. 2) Mark’s suggestions are outstanding and are valid even when you are in your home city. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I agree with others. for an eight week trip try to keep your moves down to 7 or less. Speaking for myself, a great deal of enjoyment comes from hanging out. Find a nice sidewalk cafe and sit there and sip beer for a couple of afternoons. Get into conversations with your neighbors. Wander around neighborhoods. Find a small park and sit on the bench for an hour or two and read a good book. There is as much pleasure in getting to know a place in depth as there is in running around to a lot of museums in one town after another. If you have a hobby or special interest, visit clubs or organizations that are related to your interest. I haven’t heard many good travel stories that Start, " We were in the Louvre one day when….". But I have heard many that start, "I was wandering down the street in …" I have a friend with an interest in WW1 Air planes and Aerial combat. He found a veterans organization in Prague. He couldn’t buy his own beer for a week. He was invited to private homes to see photos and models. Look for little specialty museums that appeal to your interest. With all due respect to the Louvre, Ledo, Tower of London etc. I can only really enjoy an art museum for about 30-60 min. Great masterpieces were never intended to be seen crammed together with hundreds of other equally good paintings. On our last trip to Krakow we went to a small Museum at Jagiellonian University, It glimmers in my mind like a perfect jewel, But what I mainly remember about the Louvre is how much my feet hurt and how crowded it was. We visited a tiny marionette museum in Cesky Krumlov that was more fun and interesting then many larger museums." One October night we were wandering the streets of Mexico, It was 11:00 or so, we noticed a colorful crowd in what seemed to be an old church or meeting hall. It turned out to be a competition of all the Mexican provinces for Dia de Moertos (sorry if my spelling is wrong) alters. When they saw us craning our necks they rushed out and dragged us in. We were the only non-Mexicans there and we were treated like royalty. Slow down, relax, leave lots of unscheduled time, follow your hearts, have a good time. Marc I’m taking my first trip to Europe this summer/fall. I plan on going the first week of September, and will stay there for 6 weeks (or possibly 8 weeks if my budget will allow it). Here is a rough itinerary that I came up with. Please let me know if you think the number of days should be adjusted and/or if you have suggestions for different cities to visit. Note that the only cities that I definitely want to go to are Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and probably Munich (for Oktoberfest!) Itinerary: Paris: Sep 5 – Sep 10 (6 days) Madrid: Sep 11 – Sep 13 (3 days) Barcelona: Sep 14 – Sep 16 (3 days) Nice: Sep 17 – Sep 18 (2 days) Lucerne: Sep 19 – Sep 21 (2 days) Interlaken: Sep 22 (1 day) Munich: Sep 23 – Sep 25 (3 days) Berlin: Sep 26 – Sep 28 (3 days) Amsterdam: Sep 29 – Oct 3 (5 days) Brussels: Oct 4 – Oct 5 (2 days) Antwerp: Oct 6 – Oct 8 (3 days) Luxembourg City: Oct 9 – Oct 11 (3 days) Paris: Oct 15 – Oct 16 (1.5 days)
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Categories: Amsterdam Sightseeing | 
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) I would spent the first days there (if you’ve not been there before). In Berlin you could easily spent the whole week for sightseeing (if you wouldn’t have to work there). 
— — Chris. 
) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – When you’re at the station Amsterdam Centraal, exit towards the Dam square. There’s plenty of tourist information along the way. If you want to go to the Red Light District, take a right when you’re on the square. If you want the red light district you go left. Not right. Unless you did a 180 degree turn at Dam which you didn’t mention