Western and Central Europe Itinerary Advice

[aalk4308]

Hi everyone! I'm planning a long trip to Europe this summer and wanted to get some advice/feedback on my itinerary.

Here are the key facts about me and the trip:
- Leaving in mid-July and coming back in late August (~40 days)
- Traveling solo (though I plan to do a segment on a Contiki tour)
- The only cities I've been to in Europe are London and Amsterdam
- I like photography

Here's what I'm thinking so far for itinerary. Some of the questiosn I have are: is this too frenetic? what other places should I consider seeing? recommendations for smaller towns to visit on day trips or overnight to cut down long train rides?

Arrive in London
London, 3 full days (as I've said, I've been before, so this is mainly just to visit friends and take day trips to places I haven't been, like Bath or Oxford)

London to Paris
Paris, 2 full days (this may seem like way too few, but I definitely plan to go back someday, and since I'll be passing through from London I thought I might as well stop in and hit a few major sites)

Paris to Brussels
Brussels, 3 full days, including a day-trip to Bruges

Brussels to Luxembourg
Luxembourg, 2 full days, including a part-day trip to Clervaux

Luxembourg to Frankfurt
Frankfurt, 2 full days

Frankfurt to Berlin
Berlin, 3 full days (part of a 10-day Contiki tour)

Berlin to Prague
Prague, 2 full days (part of a 10-day Contiki tour)

Prague to Vienna
Vienna, 2 full days (part of a 10-day Contiki tour)

Vienna to Salzburg
Salzburg, 2 full days

Salzburg to Munich
Munich, 3 full days

Munich to Liechtenstein
Plan to arrive in Vaduz by mid-afternoon 15-Aug (national day), spend the night, and leave the next day.

Liechtenstein to Zurich
Zurich, 2 full days

Zurich to Lucerne
Lucerne, 1 full day

Lucerne to Zurich airport to home

Thanks!

[Eagle]

aalk4308,

First of all, welcome to the Boards!

Your Itinerary appears to be well organized, so I can't suggest any major changes. However a few thoughts to mention.....

Your time in each city may not be quite as long as you've indicated, as travel between locations will generally require at least half a day. In addition to the actual travel time, you'll also have to allow time for check-in & check-out of the Hotel, time from the station to the Hotel, etc. For example, with the London to Paris segment, you may only have a bit more than a day for touring in Paris.

The only other suggestion that comes to mind at the moment is that you might consider making Zurich one day and Lucerne two days. There's an awesome English Pub along the river in Lucerne, close to the Chapel Bridge, should you be in need of a pint or two. Be prepared for the costs of travel in Switzerland - it tends to be on the "pricey" side.

Are you planning any day trips while in Munich? There are several possibilities.

Happy travels!

[aalk4308]

Thanks very much for the tips! You're right that I'm probably understating the total travel time... I'll have to think about that if I want to change anything in the plan.

Thanks for the suggestion on Zurich and Lucerne. I'm actually thinking of extending the whole trip by an extra 2-3 days to be able to see more of Lucerne and that area of Switzerland.

For Munich, I don't have any side trip ideas yet, but I'd definitely appreciate suggestions!

[madamtrashheap]

aalk4308, to continue from Eagle's note on possible side trips from Munich, you could consider half a day to visit Dachau (not far from the centre of Munich, reached by train and bus), and/or a day trip to the Castles (Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, Lindau) on the Romantic Road. Again, these trips depend on how much time you want to spend in Munich itself and what your interests are.

I agree with Eagle about adjusting time in some cities, particularly Paris (I realise you intend to go back, so if you can't spare more than 2 full days then you better keep that promise!), Frankfurt (I'd omit it altogether unless you have a specific reason for visiting). Brussels for one full day will be good (time for Fine Arts museum, chocolate museum, beer museum and Tin Tin Museum!), and Bruges/Brugge for a full day will be good too. Consider Ghent or Antwerp for a day as well, unless you have more you want to see in Brussels, which is not a bad thing.

On your Contiki trip, you'll find that the 2 full days in each city (Berlin and Prague) will be made up of free time and additional tours/trips you can take so consider this sightseeing when working out what you want to see in each city, especially for Berlin as you'll need to remember that many museums close on a Monday. The Vienna part only has one full day (check your itinerary) but as you seem to be finishing your tour there, you should ((if you haven't already) add an additional day to your stay, making it two full days.

As for that pub in Luzern - Pickwicks! Pints aren't cheap but they're good!