Six week trip to Europe

[aso322]

Hello all! I'm extremely glad I found this place, as right now I am completely overwhelmed with planning my trip. I was briefly in the UK about three years ago, but sadly saw none of the sights. That is the extent of my traveling--not much, I know!

So far my "must go" list is as follows:
-England (London)
-Scotland (Edinburgh, day trip to Highlands?)
-Spain (Madrid?)
-France (Paris)
-Italy (Rome, ??)
-Greece (Athens)
-Austria (Vienna)
-Czech Republic (Prague)
-Germany (Dresden)
-Denmark (Copenhagen)
-Sweden (Stockholm)

Obviously this list is a bit long. Any suggestions as to what cities aren't necessary or which to switch out for others? How long do you think is a decent time to stay in each place? I'm also not too sure which order to go in.

I'd like to have a bit of leniency, like maybe I decide to stay an extra night in London, or leave Rome a day early, etc. How could I work that into my schedule with booking hostels? I'd prefer to book hostels in advance, but I'm scared changing my schedule slightly could cost me money.

Any other advice you have for me would be very much appreciated!

-Amanda

[herrbert]

Hi Amanda,

-England (London)
I would say 4-5 days, there is a lot to see, but it also can be an expensive city.

-Scotland (Edinburgh, day trip to Highlands?)
If you are in Edinburgh, yes then I would also go for a trip to the highlands, and at least visit the Isle of Skye. If you like places like these, and love to go hiking, then Scotland is a great place to be.
I would reckon 2 days in Edinburgh, and a third to make a trip to Glasgow or Sterling. For going to see the highlands, you need more time then just a daytrip. there are a couple of tours available, but you can also plan something yourself. But at least count in another 3-5 days minimum.

-Spain (Madrid?)
You mean Madrid !!! - ;D 4 days, with daytrips to Toledo and Segovia.

-France (Paris)
Depends on what you like. You can spend days in the Louvre, but if you want to see the city 3 days is enough. Add extra days for Versailles and the museums.

-Italy (Rome, ??)
5 days for Rome is a minimum, also check if you want to go to Pompeii.

-Greece (Athens)
3 days will do, but ask yourself is going to Greece and only see Athens is worth the money and effort.

-Austria (Vienna)
4 days, there is a lot to see, and after 4 days you haven't seen it all.

-Czech Republic (Prague)
3 days should be OK, also depends on whether or not you make daytrips. (Cesky Krumlov, maybe?)

-Germany (Dresden)
I think 1 day can cover Dresden.

-Denmark (Copenhagen)
2-3 days. For me a little bit of a dissapointment, to be honest, but that might be, because it looks so like home.

-Sweden (Stockholm)
3 days can cover Stockholm. At least check the Vasa museum.

If I look at your list, it has a lot of open places, between the cities. Madrid, Athens and Scotland or somewhat off-route, and a place like Berlin would fit nicely between Dresden, and Copenhagen.

[aso322]

Thank you so much, herrbert! For the open places do you suggest I drop those cities or fill in the gaps?

[pointofnoreturn]

I'd save Greece for another trip. Athens is VERY compact and you can easily see everything in a day, which makes you ask the question "Is it worth it?". Greece is better experience by adding in an island or two.

[aso322]

Thank you for the advice! Athens is out and I have added Berlin and Glasgow, as well as day trips to Toledo and Segovia.

[herrbert]

aso322 said:

Thank you so much, herrbert! For the open places do you suggest I drop those cities or fill in the gaps?

Well of course it is all about your interests. If you have no desire to go to Berlin (for instance) then don't go.

There are still a lot of possibilties,a nd with 6 weeks you can see a lot, but you can't see everything. In Spain and Italy there is much more to see then just one place. You can add places like Barcelona, Sevilla, Cordoba and Granda in Spain and Florence, Venice, Cinque Terre. (and a lot more to be honest) The same is true for almost every country.

Do check with your travel agent if you can get open jaw tickets, these will allow you to fly into Airport X, and out of airport Y. That can save you time and money, although these tickets are a bit more expensive, it save you the money for the ticket back to the airport where you started your trip.

If your planning is good, then you should have not too many ploblems with being on a shedule. Do your reseach on these places, and estimate how much time you need in order to do the things you want to visit and do. If youa re traveling in the peak tourist season, it is always better to have reservations. According to you shedule so far, it is also possible that a couple of flights turn out cheaper than taking the train, buying these tickets you should also do at least 2-3 months before the flight in order to get cheap tickets. (if you want to take nighttrains, they also need reservations).

If you want to have some flexibility, then you can leave out reservations for a city you travel to over land. But this also means you have to invest time in one place to make a reservation in the next one.

Glasgow and Edinburgh are not that far apart. I know most people like Edinburgh more, and you can actualy visit Glasgow on a daytrip. (I think it's just over 30 minutes by train).

[Eagle]

aso322, first of all, Welcome! I have a few comments to add.....

Athens is out and I have added Berlin and Glasgow

I'm glad to see that you've dropped Athens from the list. I have to agree (strongly) with the others that the trip to Athens for a two day visit would be an expensive and time consuming venture. When you have the opportunity for future trips, visit Athens and some of the Greek Islands.

Berlin is a great stop to add! It seems to be quite a "hot spot" at the moment. However, I'm not sure about Glascow? While I'm sure it does have interesting features, I was speaking with a Scottish national the other day, and he indicated that Glascow has been having some "problems" lately (criminal activity, etc.). He wasn't in the least positive about visiting Glascow. If you want to visit other sites in Scotland, I believe some of the others here have taken side trips out of Edinburgh so that might be something to consider?

Are there any other parts of Italy that you might be interested in besides Rome? Have you considered Salzburg or Hallstatt in Austria? Other areas in England besides London (for example, Bath)?

One thing to keep in mind is that six weeks is not a long time in terms of European travel, especially since travel times have to be factored in as well. As usual, I'd highly recommend reading the Rick Steves guidebook Europe Through The Back Door before finalizing your travel plans.

Also, could you indicate what sights you most want to see in each of the cities you'll be visiting. I'm sure the group here will be able to provide lots of tips on those.

Cheers!