Backpacking around Europe - 3 months Solo

[Mikul]

For Summer 2008, I visited Spain for 4 weeks during a school trip and afterward went to Paris for a week and London for a couple days. For summer 2009, I hope to return to Europe. I have already received the okay from work to take about 3 months off and will be out of school. I originally wanted to visit Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Russia, and some other countries. Due to my budget, I have decided to remove some of the most expensive countries. As it stands today, my current itinerary looks like:

Paris - 3
Brussels - 1
Bruges - 3 (Daytrip to Gent/Antwerp?)
Amsterdam - 3
Cologne - 3
Berlin - 4
Prague - 3
Krakow - 3
Budapest - 3
Sarajevo - 3
Mostar - 2
Dubrovnik - 3
Split - 2
Zagreb - 2
Vienna - 4 (Daytrip to Bratislava)
Ljublijana - 3
Bled - 3
Salzburg - 2 (Daytrip to Werfen)
Munich - 3 (Daytrip to Dachau and/or Neuschwanstein)
Innsbruck - 2
Interlaken - 3
Gimmelwald - 3
Venice - 2
Pisa - Just a stop
Cinque Terre - 4
Florence - 3
Naples - 3 (Daytrip to Pompeii)
Sorrento - 3
Capri - 2
Rome - 5
Athens - 3
Santorini - 3
Crete - 2

Are there some cities or countries I should add or remove? I hope to start my trip in the middle of May 2009.

[herrbert]

Hi Mikul,

In general I think your trip looks fine. Just a few things.

I would take a day less in Cologne. (maybe do maastricht for 1 day in between A'dam and Cologne.)

If you go to Auschwitz from Krakow, I don't see the need to visit Dachau, so I would opt for visiting Neuschwanstein, when you get to Munich.

I think the 3 days in Naples, 3 in Sorrento and 2 on Capri are a bit overdone, I also believe that the daytrip to Pompeii is easier from Sorrento (please somebody verify). These places are close to eachother (Capri can be done as a daytrip from Sorrento as well).

As you have more or less all the destinations normally mention in Central Europe, I don't see many possibilities to make additions.
(Maybe The Hague or Delft can be possible stops between Brugge and Amsterdam). (btw with 3 days in Brugge I would for sure add Gent to the list as a daytrip). If you like nature, and hiking you could add a stop in the Harz-Mountains in Germany (hills would be a better name). From Cologne you could do trips to Koblenz or the Moselregion. Also between Berlin and Prague you can visit Dresden.

I am not that sure about the places in Switzerland, as far as the logistics are concerned. I feel that I would be logical to get from Innsbruck to Venice, but I don't really see a way to fit in Switzerland if you do that. Maybe a stop at one of the lakes: Maggiore, Garda or Como, would be a good thing.

I am sure the others will have some other things to add.

[mslibrarian]

You might consider what I've decided to do and that's basemyself in Gent rather than Brugges. Gent is cheaper and more central to Antwerp and Brussels.

[Eagle]

Mikul, I've had brief look at your proposed Itinerary, and it looks fairly logical. A few thoughts to add to the other comments.

In reading through all the cities you listed, one point that stands out is that there's no mention of travel times? Depending on the method you choose to get from one city to another, you'll need to budget for travel times.

Due to my budget, I have decided to remove some of the most expensive countries

That's another point that stood out, in noting that you want to stay at Capri for two days. That's a VERY expensive island, so you'll want to ensure you have an adequate budget for that! When you see some of the high-end stores in Capri, it's apparent this is a destination for those with lots of money. You might want to change that to a day trip from Sorrento?

If you're interested in seeing both Neuschwanstein and Dachau, add at least one day to Munich. You could see both with a three day stop, but it would be nice to have at least two days to see something of Munich (there's LOTS to see!). One thing you might consider would be to take day tours of both sites with Radius Tours (they have an office in the Munich station). Not only do they take care of all the travel arrangements, but the Guides provide a lot of detail which makes the visit to both places more rewarding.

I'll try to take a closer look at the order of your cities in the next day or so, as some of this didn't seem to be the most efficient routing.

Cheers!

[Mikul]

Thank you everyone for your help. As you can tell, this is still a work in progress. I originally cut going to Ireland/Sweden areas so I would not have to pay more money for airfare. I will have enough to cover $1200 for flight, $1200 for Train Fares, and $100 a day. Between now and then I will just have to save every cent.

I am thinking about leaving May 20 and must return by August 30.

Here is another revised itinerary based off suggestions, based on number of nights. I would prefer to leave early in the morning (7-8am) and arrive in the afternoon.

Paris - 3
Brussels - 2
Bruges - 3 (Daytrip to Gent and possibley visit Flanders Fields)
Antwerp - 1
Amsterdam – 4 (Day trip to Delft)
Maastricht – 1
Cologne – 2 (Day trip to Koblenz or the Moselregion)
Berlin – 5
Dresden - 2
Prague - 3 (Day trip to Kutna Hora)
Krakow - 3
Budapest - 3
Sarajevo - 3
Mostar - 2
Dubrovnik - 3
Split - 2
Zagreb - 2
Vienna - 4 (Daytrip to Bratislava)
Ljublijana - 3
Bled - 3
Salzburg - 2 (Daytrip to Werfen)
Munich - 4 (Daytrip to Neuschwanstein with Radius Tours and day trip to Dachau)
Innsbruck - 2
Interlaken - 3
Gimmelwald - 3
Venice - 2
Bologna - 1
Cinque Terre - 4
Pisa - Just a stop
Florence - 3
Rome - 5
Naples - 2
Sorrento - 2 (Daytrip to Pompeii)
Capri - 2
Athens - 4 (Day trip to Hydra)
Santorini - 3
Crete – 2
Athens - 1 Fly home in morning/afternoon

[Mikul]

Alright folks, I am about to finalize my dates and want to get one last opinion. I plan on using the itinerary as posted above (11/17/08 post) and hope to start reserving hostels soon. Any last minute opinions?

[madamtrashheap]

Mikul, a few musings on your revised itinerary:

How are you travelling from Capri to Athens? If flying, you may have to travel from Capri to Naples (check the hydrofoil) then either take the fast train to Rome and then train out to Leonardo da Vinci airport for your flight or check flights from Naples to Athens (Aegean Air, Air One, etc). Take into consideration the travel time needed when booking a flight in terms of time of day, otherwise consider changing your itinterary to be Florence-Naples-Sorrento-Capri-Rome-Athens.

Consider altering the start of the Italian section as Venice-Pisa-CT will actually involve (unless I'm mistaken) a train through Florence to reach Pisa. I'd suggest travelling Venice-Bolgna-La Spezia-CT then visiting Pisa on your way from CT to Florence.

As per Eagle, you may find you don't have enough time in Munich to spend a day in the city, half a day at Dachau (if that's in your plan) and a day out to the castles. Consider making it 4 nights, or look for an early train from Salzburg to give yourself that extra time during the arrival day.

Again as per Eagle, I hope you know how expensive it can be to stay on Capri and have either a) found a well-priced B&B or b) budgetted for it. Capri is lovely, especially after the day trippers have left, so if you get to stay there then great.

I'd also suggest reshuffling the position of Germany, Switzerland and Austria in your itinerary as it may be easier to travel from Croatia to Venice then continue with Italy, thus visiting the Germanic coutries, Slovena, etc first. This, of course, depends on how you are intending to travel between some destinations.

[Mikul]

How are you travelling from Capri to Athens? If flying, you may have to travel from Capri to Naples (check the hydrofoil) then either take the fast train to Rome and then train out to Leonardo da Vinci airport for your flight or check flights from Naples to Athens (Aegean Air, Air One, etc). Take into consideration the travel time needed when booking a flight in terms of time of day, otherwise consider changing your itinterary to be Florence-Naples-Sorrento-Capri-Rome-Athens.

I was planning on going from Capri to Naples via ferry and flying to Athens.

Consider altering the start of the Italian section as Venice-Pisa-CT will actually involve (unless I'm mistaken) a train through Florence to reach Pisa. I'd suggest travelling Venice-Bolgna-La Spezia-CT then visiting Pisa on your way from CT to Florence.

I went ahead and adjusted my itinerary to Venice-Bologna-Pisa-Cinque Terre-Florence

As per Eagle, you may find you don't have enough time in Munich to spend a day in the city, half a day at Dachau (if that's in your plan) and a day out to the castles. Consider making it 4 nights, or look for an early train from Salzburg to give yourself that extra time during the arrival day.

I was planning on skipping Dachau, as I am doing Auschwitz while in Krakow. Should I do both? I would think both would be very moving and filled with history.

Again as per Eagle, I hope you know how expensive it can be to stay on Capri and have either a) found a well-priced B&B or b) budgetted for it. Capri is lovely, especially after the day trippers have left, so if you get to stay there then great.

I do understand that it will be costly and will have the funds to cover it.

I'd also suggest reshuffling the position of Germany, Switzerland and Austria in your itinerary as it may be easier to travel from Croatia to Venice then continue with Italy, thus visiting the Germanic coutries, Slovena, etc first. This, of course, depends on how you are intending to travel between some destinations.

I was planning on using a train rail pass between almost all destinations. The exception being getting to Greece and a couple water ferries.

[Eagle]

Mikul, I have a few additional comments (and apologies if I cover the same topics as the others - I just glanced through the replies so far).

The first thing that stands out in your revised Itinerary is the length of your trip. Based on your home location, it appears you're slightly over the 3-month Schengen limit.

I was planning on skipping Dachau, as I am doing Auschwitz while in Krakow.

Yes, if you're planning to visit Auschwitz that's a good plan. Dachau is somewhat "sanitized" compared to Auschwitz or some of the other camps (but it's still a very moving place to visit). A visit to Auschwitz is possibly a better "value" as you'll be able to visit two camps at the same time (Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. There was a third camp, Auschwitz III-Monowitz, but I'm not sure if that's open to visitors?).

I'd possibly drop one day each from Amsterdam and Interlaken, to allow one more day in Sorrento and also to allow some "leeway" for travel times. Also, could you elaborate on the reason for the one day stop in Antwerp?

Would it not be more efficient to visit Budapest - Zagreb - Vienna in that order, and then Ljubljana?

I'm not sure that a day trip to Werfen is going to be feasible from Salzburg. Have you checked the rail times?

I was planning on using a train rail pass between almost all destinations.

One thing to keep in mind with a Rail Pass, is that these do not include reservation fees (compulsory on some trains) or any fees for Couchettes, etc. You'll have to pay separately for those. Don't be caught without the appropriate reservation, or you'll be nicked with a fine ON THE SPOT (could be €50)!

Also, I'm not absolutely sure whether there might be any "issues" regarding rail travel in Bosnia or other former east-block countries. As I recall, some of those countries aren't covered by some Rail Passes.

One other thing to mention, which Rail Pass were you going to purchase? One thing to consider is that if you're travelling with one of the "Flex" passes that includes (for example) any five countries in 60 days, you have to consider your routing. If your train passes through a country not covered by the Pass (for example, travel from Italy to Germany through Austria), you'll have to pay separately for the Austrian portion of your trip).

I will have enough to cover $1200 for flight, $1200 for Train Fares, and $100 a day.

Are the budget amounts you quoted in US dollars? Thats about €78 at today's exchange rates. If you're paying €35 per night for a Hostel, perhaps €30 for food, that doesn't leave much for incidentals!

One other point to note is that you can purchase your Rail Pass from this site (there's a link to the Rail Europe site). The cost is the same as elsewhere and it helps to support our efforts here. Check the main page for details.

Overall, your Itinerary is starting to shape up nicely. Good luck with your planning!

[Mikul]

Thank you for your reply Eagle!

As far as I know, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia are not part of the Schengen agreement. I plan on being in both of those countries for 12 days, 10 full days. That would just barely put me under the 90 day limit.

I saw some pictures of Antwerp and thought it would make a nice stay. Taking a train ride out for an hour or two can cut down on sightseeing time. Is it more of a day trip city?

I could go Budapest - Zagreb - Vienna – Ljubljana, but then I would be missing Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

I will check to see if I can do a day trip from Werfen to Salzburg. Their website doesn’t seem to be working right now.

Update: There are tickets from Werfen to Salzburg leaving as early as 4:46am and return tickets as late as 7:18PM. You can only book tickets 60 days in advance, so I was not able to confirm train times for the summer.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is not cover by the rail pass, so I would have to purchase a separate ticket. I hope to find a night train, due to the length of ride. I was looking at the global pass, but I will have to compare the rates to see what will be best for my itinerary.

I hope that I won't be spending €35 a night on hostels. I hope to aim around €20 and the same for food.

[Eagle]

Mikul, a few additional comments.....

First, regarding the "day trip" to Werfen, I was a bit curious on the importance of that stop? It would have to be a very significant city to get me out of bed at 04:46!!!

I could go Budapest - Zagreb - Vienna – Ljubljana, but then I would be missing Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

I'll have to take another look at your route. It wasn't my intention to delete Bosnia and Croatia.

I hope to aim around €20 and the same for food.

It's possible you can find Hostels for that amount, especially in eastern Europe. However, in some of the larger cities such as Rome, a Hostel priced at €20 might be a bit on the "dodgy" side? Your food budget is certainly one variable with a lot of control, but I'm not sure I would enjoy keeping to a budget of €20 per day (after all, I'm there to sample the local food as well, and that has to include some restaurant meals).

I saw some pictures of Antwerp and thought it would make a nice stay. Taking a train ride out for an hour or two can cut down on sightseeing time. Is it more of a day trip city?

I'll have to defer that question to some of our other members, as I have no information on Antwerp. Calling herrbert or MTH!!!

Cheers!

[WillTravel]

I did Antwerp as a daytrip, but I think it could definitely deserve more time than that. Plus, you can visit other places from it. (The day I visited Antwerp, I was exhausted from jetlag and not sleeping, so it was really hard to absorb what I did see, and to keep looking.)

[Mikul]

Hey Eagle! Werfen has (according to Wikipedia) Eisriesenwelt (the biggest ice-cave in the world) and Burg Hohenwerfen (the medieval castle where the movie Where Eagles Dare was filmed). 4:46 is just the earliest train, there are trains at least once an hour.

Hostels will vary on price depending on where I am. Obviously some cities will be costlier then others, but I usually try to stay middle of the road.

When traveling, I try to skip breakfast or eat something small like a pastry and pick up something fast for lunch at a grocery store or convenience store. Dinner is usually my biggest meal of the day and the most costly.

[WillTravel]

Mikul, obviously arranging your meals is a matter of personal preference, but consider if rejigging things might save some money. If you stay at a hostel with a nice buffet breakfast, you might find it gives you a good start, and then you can save money later in the day.

[madamtrashheap]

Mikul, the ferry from Capri to Athens is going to take quite a chunk of your time, although on the plus side there's nothing wrong with a mini-cruise of the Med at that time of year! You'll have to take a series of ferries (likely a change in Sicily), from what I know, rather than one ferry directly to Athens (Pireaus), hence my recommendation to fly.

I second WT on Antwerp - good town, worth a visit/overnight stay. Some on these Boards prefer Ghent, others Antwerp, but as you'll be visiting both you've got the best of both worlds.