1st time in europe (need help with my itinerary)

[theconartist]

I am originally from America and have been visiting Israel for a while. I'm now planning a (hopefully) month long trip throughout europe. I have very little experience traveling, and this will be my first time traveling alone and planning a trip for myself, I'l be flying from Israel to europe to start my trip.
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I'm not sure if my itinerary is realistic. Any suggestions of what to add, remove, or rearange would be greatly appreciated!
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I have around $4,000 and am trying to make my money stretch to allow me to see most of western europe. I'm planning on taking 2nd class trains most of the way around europe and will be staying in hostels.


-----WEEK 1------------
Tel Aviv - Israel
leave from the Ben Gurion Airport //
Rome - Italy
3 days //
Frlorence - Italy
2 days //
Venice - Italy
2 days //
-----WEEK 2------------
Milan - Italy
2 days //
Swiss Alps - Switzerland
2 days //
Munich - Germany
2 days //
Berlin - Germany
1 day //
-----WEEK 3------------
(Berlin - Germany)still
3 days //
Amsterdam - Netherlands
3 days //
Brussles - Belgium
1 day //
-----WEEK 4 ------------
Paris - France
3 days //
Versailles - France
1 day //

[Eagle]

theconartist, Welcome to the Boards! (interesting user name, BTW). I have a few initial suggestions and questions to get things started.

First, it's fortunate that you'll be travelling from Israel, as there's only a one hour time difference to Rome (no jet lag - great!).

The order and timing of your visits looks fairly logical, however have you allowed for travel time between cities (some of the routes you've shown will be a bit longer than others)?

Some comments regarding each of the cities you listed:

> Rome - really deserves at least five days. Is there any possibility of adding at least one day for Rome?

> Florence - what were you planning to see in Florence? If you're intending on visiting the Uffizi or Accademia, reservations are definitely a good idea so that you don't have to stand in a queue for too long. Note that with most Museums in Italy (and elsewhere), you'll be required to go through an airport-style security check. Day packs may not be allowed and one of the Museums in Florence (Accademia from what I recall) doesn't allow bottled water either!

> Venice - two days is a good time to see the highlights. You might want to look at budget Hotels for your stay, as I believe the Hostels are located a bit further out of the way? Have a look at www.albergodoni.it/ for one example.

> Milan - this stop prompts some definite questions. What are you planning to see in Milan? If you're planning to see The Last Supper then reservations are going to be required. Most here (myself included) seem to feel that Milan could be dropped, unless there's something specific that you want to see. The extra time could be used in other locations, or for travel days.

> Swiss Alps - which area were you planning to visit? The Berner Oberland is a favourite here, especially the small village of Gimmelwald, just outside Interlaken (NOT to be confused with the larger and more touristy Grindelwald). Check www.gimmelwald.ch for a look. The Mountain Hostel gets good reviews, but there are some B&B's there also.

> Munich - which sights were you planning to see? One more day might be needed?

> Berlin - four days in Berlin looks good.

> Amsterdam - two or three days is adequate (herrbert, any comments???)

> Brussels - most here seem to feel that Brugges is a more interesting stop in Belgium. Brussels is also good, but Brugges has somewhat different "character".

> Paris - as with Rome, at least one extra day would be a good idea here. If you're planning to visit any of the Museums or other sites, a Paris Museum Pass is highly advisable! I believe these can be obtained off the net, or buy one when you arrive in Paris (check www.parismuseumpass.com/en/home.php for further details)). For getting around on the Metro, you might find that a Carnet (10 tickets) would suffice, given the short time frame.

> Versailles - can be done as a day trip from Paris on the RER. Hopefully some of our other members can elaborate on that.

I'm assuming you're flying back to Israel or to the U.S. from Paris?

Will you be travelling with a Rail Pass? Also, is your travel budget $4000 US?

The best resource for planning rail travel times is www.bahn.de - click the English link in the upper right corner.

One suggestion since this is (apparently) your first trip to Europe. I'd suggest that you read the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door, as it provides a LOT of valuable tips on everything from rail skills to inexpensive lodgings to language issues (there's not too much information on Hostels, but there are a few listings).

Hope this helps to get the ball rolling? Good luck with your planning!!!

[herrbert]

Amsterdam - two or three days is adequate (herrbert, any comments???)

No, 2 whole days, or 3 'broken' days is adequate. The van Gogh museum, and the Anne Frank House/Museum are the must sees in my opinion. The city is pretty small, and all sights are within walking distance, so no need for public transport tickets for use within the city.

One other thing is, that it has been announced that the ' face-lift' of the Rijksmuseum will take longer than expected, and it will at least take until 2013 until it will be re-opened. Till then you can still see the highlights of the museum in one of the wings, that is still opened.

[helloworldbea]

Yeah, the Anne Frank house is a definite must see, as is the Van Gogh museum. Its relatively easy to walk around the city, exp. if you will be staying around Central Station. Just be sure to keep warm so you won't mind the walking