Slokavia, Slovenia, Croatia...???

[adnilemydal]

hi all i'm planning a fall trip to europe-- i've had trouble trying to figure out my route because i'm not sure whether some places are worth my time! i'm staring in berlin and making my way south, so would really like to cover as much as i can and end up in italy as my last stop.

berlin -- frankfurt -- munich, germany to
prague, czech republic to
krakow, poland to.... ?!?!??!

i'd really like to cover austria and switzerland, but then again should i visit budapest? if i did, then i'd be able to go down to croatia (have heard good things about it and i can take a ferry to italy) BUT then how would i get to visit austria and switzerland? i suppose i could go back north after italy but since i'm traveling in october, the northern countries are gonna get colder first.

OR, if i was to skip budapest altogether...

berlin -- frankfurt -- munich to
prague to
krakow to
bratislava (it's on the way to vienna sooo) to
vienna (however i'd be missing salzburg and innsbruck?!)
then i'll be able to go down through slovenia and croatia, take a ferry to italy
rome -- florence -- genoa/cinque terre -- venice -- milan to
bern -- interlaken -- gimmelwald -- zurich


are any cities mentioned above worth visiting or not?

NOTE: time is of no importance! (money is, however!) would appreciate y'all help with this! THANK YOU!!!!

[me]

adnilemydal said:

are any cities mentioned above worth visiting or not?

my opinion:
drop Frankfurt, do Mainz instead.
drop Zürich, or at least make it a short visit. actually, most of Switzerland is outrageously expensive! if funds are short, drop the whole country.
ditto for Milano but, i've never been. this is based on what i've heard. Sienna, however, is a beautiful city in Italy.
with these drops, you'd also have time for gorgeous Innsbruck, which is comparable to the natural beauty of Switzerland at a 1/3 lower price.
look at flights, especially where you plan ferries and long daytime train rides.

[me]

adnilemydal said:

rome -- florence -- genoa/cinque terre -- venice -- milan

Cinque Terra is more Pisa & Florence than Genoa, at least that's my recollection.

[adnilemydal]

thanks for the info, david!

frankfurt-- yes everyone says not to visit but i've got a friend living there so i've got to stop there! i'll check into mainz.

haven't had the time to research italy more thoroughly, sorry for the faux pas!!!

anyone else who might be able to help?

[case]

I have to agree on cutting out Milan, it's really nothing special. I was in Italy for a year for studya abroad (fashion major here!) and our class trip to Milan was less than enlightening. If your desparate for some style it's Paris you need, seriously. Plus Milan can be pricey.

Also, if you're interested in visiting some small scenic areas (like Sienna) I really enjoyed Assisi which you could probably do as a day trip from a neighboring city. I also know serval ppl who visited Cinque Terre and loved it (if you're trying to chose between that and Genoa).