Western Europe Summer 2011

[mel247]

Hi!

My 2 friends and I are planning a trip through some countries in Western Europe and would like any help we could get!
We will be going on a to Israel in May for 3 weeks, so we will be starting our travels from there. Our plan is to go from Israel to Athens - Italy - Spain - France - Amsterdam - Switzerland.
Does this seem like the most logical and cheapest way to plan the trip?

Thanks for your help!

Mel

[Eagle]

mel247,

First of all, welcome to GFE!

Regarding your travel plans, it would help to have a bit of further information. For example, how long will the European portion of the trip be, and is this your first trip to Europe? Which cities are you planning to visit in each country? It's difficult to offer specific advice with only vague information.

Where are you travelling from? I assume you'll be flying home from Amsterdam?

I'm sure the group will be able to provide lots of suggestions once there's a better profile of your trip.

Cheers!

[mel247]

Sorry for the lack of info!

Our trip in Israel ends May 29. We have started planning our itinerary but wanted to check to see if we are in the right direction. This is our first time in Europe (Besides one of my friends visiting Italy before) so we would like to see all the major attractions but would also like to experience some culture. We plan on traveling all those countries mentioned above in 2 months, and we MUST end our trip in Israel.
So far our plan is to start in Athens because from Israel it is cheapest/closest.
So the plan is:
Athens (May 30-June1)
Rome (June 1-3)
Naples (June 6-7)
Venice (June 10-12)
Milan (June 12-13)
Madrid (June 13-16)
Barcelona (June 16-June 19)

That is all we've planned so far. We hope to see a couple more cities in Spain, maybe another 3-4 days there and then move on to France.
Hope I've covered the basic information!

P.s travel times have been taken into account. We are flying/training depending on what is cheapest/shortest.

Thanks for your help!

[Eagle]

mel247,

Thanks for the additional information; that helps.

You mentioned that you have accounted for travel times, however I note a few discrepancies in the list you provided. For example:

> Between Naples and Rome, what happened to June 4 & 5?

> Between Naples and Venice, what about June 8 & 9?

I'd suggest spending only minimal time in Milan, and focusing on the other locations (especially Rome as there's SO much to see).

An alternate route you could consider is...

- Athens

- Flight to Milan / MXP (one night in Milan)

- Venice

- Florence (at least one night would be worthwhile, but preferably two nights)

- Rome

- Naples

- Flight from Naples to either Madrid or Barcelona

This is a more "direct" route with less "backtracking".

As this is a first trip to Europe for most of your group, I would highly recommend reading the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip. It will provide you with lots of great information on how to avoid problems travelling in Europe.

One other point to make is that May is not far away, so you'll need to start getting arrangements in place quickly. Booking budget flights early is a really good idea, as these often use a "sliding scale" and as the flight fills, the prices go up. Another point to note is that many of the Euro airlines have VERY restrictive baggage limits, and if you travel with heavy luggage, YOU'LL PAY! Finally, in most cases only ONE item of carry-on luggage is allowed. That doesn't mean one item plus a "personal item" such as a Purse or Laptop case, it literally means one item only of the approved size and weight!

Be sure to wear Money Belts, especially when on the Metro or other public transit (the #64 Bus in Rome has a "reputation" as a haven for pickpockets).

Good luck with your planning!

[mel247]

Thanks so much for your help! I hope to be posting my full itinerary in the coming days!