Itinerary Help for First Timer

[firsttimer87]

Hi guys,
I am trying to plan a 32 day European trip (this includes 2 travel days) for Summer 2014. This is my first trip to Europe and the process is a little intimidating so any help is greatly appreciated.
I have a rough idea of where I want to go but not sure if the route I have picked out is the most logical. If anyone has any suggestions please share.

Amsterdam (4 days)
Berlin (4 days)
Rhine (2 days)
Rothenburg/Romantic Road (1 day)
Prague (4 days)
Vienna (3 days)
Salzburg (1 day)
Tirol/ Bavaria (Fussen, for Castles) ((2 days))
Munich (4 days)
Gimmelwald (2 days)
Zurich (2 days)

I will be doing my traveling by train and other than my starting and ending cities the route's order can be manipulated if it needs to be. I don't have any particular location that I have to be in at any particular time. I also want to see the Rhine but was curious if anyone had any favorite town in the area to visit? I look forward to hearing any suggestions and opinions. Thanks!

[Eagle]

firsttimer87,

First of all, welcome to GFE. It will take some time to look over your Itinerary and offer detailed suggestions, but I have a few preliminary comments.....

> Amsterdam - you could probably get by with 3 days, unless there's something specific you want to see there.

> Rhine - where are you considering on the Rhine?

> Rothenburg - you won't be able to see "Rothenburg/Romantic Road" in one day, as you'll need to allow for travel times.

> Salzburg - if you only want to spend one day there, I'd suggest using Munich as a home base, as that's a good location for day trips to both Salzburg as well as Füssen and the Castles. You can travel to the Castles on your own (timed reservations required) or use a local tour company such as Radius Tours (although you'll still travel by public transit, they make all the arrangements as well as the Castle reservations).

> Gimmelwald - it will take some time to get from Munich to Gimmelwald, which means you may not have two days to spend there. There's lots to see in that area, so at least one more day would be advisable.

> Zürich - could you clarify what you hope to see there? Lucerne is a much nicer city (IMO).

I'll try and suggest a logical route and provide more details shortly.

Good luck with your planning!