europe june 3 and 1/2 weeks

[manna]

So it's been a long time since I posted here and my trip is getting closer and closer. Me and my best friend are trying to work out a more final itinerary and I could use some advice. We are using multi-city flights to get from city to city.
Start- London (first bit of advice I need- right now we are thinking of flying to the farthest city and working back, good idea?)
fly to Athens-ferry to one of the islands
ferry back to Athens
fly to Berlin or Brusseles (second bit of advice I need-which city would you suggest we go to, what type of things can we find in each)
fly to Paris
fly to Madrid
fly home
please give me some advice thanks!

[madamtrashheap]

manna, I had to look back at your last Post to find out that you're travelling in late May-June, but I see that you're no longer going to Cork - is that correct?

It would be helpful to know how much time you and your friend have allocated to each city, but flying between each will certainly help you make the most of your time.

I wouldn't be inclined to set your itinerary based on the furtherest point, but rather the flights you can get between each city. And also consider that late May will still be a little chilly on the Greek islands if you intend to spend time on the beaches. Check the route you've stated and if you can get decently priced flights between each city, that will help you set your course.

Athens to an island - depending on which island you choose, you may find it preferable to fly instead of taking a ferry. There are fast and regular ferries between Athens and the islands, but many also have flights with Aegean Air, so check their website and compare prices and travel times.

If you are choosing between Berlin or Brussels, then go for Berlin. If you don't know much about either, then my guess is you'll enjoy Berlin a lot more than Brussels. Berlin for 3-4 days is a good amoutn of time to allocate and flights to/from there are frequent and serviced by budget airlines.

If you change your itinerary order a little, and end up travelling from London to Paris first, then remember that the Eurostar between London and Paris might be a good choice as it's quicker than fliying when you take into account getting to and from each airport and waiting time with check-ins. Book at least a month in advance on the Eurostar for good prices.

Don't forget to check the luggage allowances (on their websites) for each airline you are using as they vary from 15kg to 20kg for check luggage and some charge extra if you don't note this on your original booking. Some also charge a lot for additional luggage or weight, so pack light and well.