Advice on how to plan my route

[Gagirl]

I will be traveling abroad for the first time this summer, and I'll be in Ireland for 3 months working, and I wanted to do a 10-12 day mini tour of Europe at the end. I depart from London on August 11, but will begin my journey in Ireland at the end of July. I'm not sure all the places I want to visit, Italy is the only country I'm sure I want to see. For countries closer to Ireland, I plan on a few weekend trips.
Any suggestions on how to plan a trip to depart from Ireland and end up in London in the end? I've looked at rail passes, but I'm not sure how I should plan my trip.
Thanks

[Michelle]

If you only have 10-12 days, I would suggest picking one country, and seeing three, maybe four cities max. That way it will keep your travel times between cities shorter so you won't feel like you are spending more of your holiday on the train, rather than exploring.

If Italy is what interests you, than maybe catch a cheap flight (ryanair, easyjet, etc.) to Rome, see maybe Florence, Venice, Cinque Terre or whatever other cities interest you, and then catch a cheap flight back to London. Travelling by train will probably be easiest while you are in Italy (or whichever country you choose!).

Maybe a few other people will have some good ideas for you... I haven't been to Europe yet, so I am only providing this information based on what I have read about previously.

Good luck!
~Michelle

[Gagirl]

Thanks!
I guess it's good to be thinking early, as I will have time to make those decisions.

[Kim]

We have a section on the site in regards to planning your route that you may want to check out:

www.guideforeurope.com/planning_your_route_for_Europe.html

Kim