I%26#39;m curious how would you plan your european adventure? Where would you go and what method would you use to travel from place to another? Would you use a travel company to plan it for you (Go-Today, etc. or Contiki?) Or is it easier to plan it on your own.
Please advise. Here%26#39;s my info: I%26#39;ve been to London, Paris, Rome and Venice. For my upcoming trip: I%26#39;d to plan an European adventure that will include these cities: Amsterdam, Prague, Barcelona, Madrid, French Rivieria, Cinque Terre, Rome (been there though) Athens and one Greek Island. Is this too much for 1 month adventure? What other cities should I consider? Thank you. I%26#39;m planning on going early in December (to use my Xmas/New Year holiday vacation). So it will be early December and coming back early the following year in January (Dec.10-January10)? I appreciate any input/feedback. Thank you.
I will also post this same message in France,Netherlands, Belgium, and other famous cities. Thank you.
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I wasn%26#39;t going to comment because Belgium isn%26#39;t on your list (nor do you want to go back to Paris, when Brussels would have fallen conveniently on the railway line between Amsterdam and Paris) and also I don%26#39;t know the American companies you mention: but if they offer %26quot;ready-made%26quot; tours, why not use these purely as a guide to what is available, what connects with where, and, bearing in mind that they probably use their own coaches between destinations, work out whether a similar itinerary is do-able by train/plane.
Your itinerary is not just a matter of choice based on (what?) criteria, but also of what is actually convenient, for a start you don%26#39;t say where you are flying into and out of - it will make a difference if you have an open-jaw ticket, e.g. flying into Amsterdam and out of Athens or whether you need to go around in a circle (in which case a glaring omission in my opinion in terms of European culture is Berlin). Also, whether you fill in anywhere in between the cities you have listed or even keep them all: I find it difficult to comment on your selection when I have already been to most of these places but what exactly do you want to do on the French Riviera? Is it just a matter of saying you%26#39;ve been there?! Or because you thought you %26quot;might as well%26quot; in between Barcelona and Rome? And why return to Rome if you haven%26#39;t been to Florence, Siena, Naples...? After the Cinque Terre you could fly or take a train from Pisa.
Between most cities in Europe the best way to travel is by train, however where there are large gaps e.g. between Rome (/Pisa/Milan) and Athens, I suggest you look into cheap flights, or you will lose too much time (when doing so, do factor into the equation where the airport is, as no-frills airlines sometimes use airports some way from the cities they claim to serve, also before booking early departures and late arrivals check transport links as it would be silly to book a cheap flight and then have to take an expensive taxi). Alternatively for some of these there are good night trains, e.g. from Paris to both Madrid and Barcelona.
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Some excellent thoughts by Gaminari! Travelling through Europe is quite different from through the USA. I agree on the suggested means of transportation and would suggest to plan it on your own if you%26#39;ve got the time and will to do it. You%26#39;re program is loaded, so you%26#39;ll want to fill it in to your personal needs. Be flexible too: don%26#39;t make strict reservations, but see if you like a certain city or not and if not, move on! It is indeed not very clear what criteria you use to select certain destinations. Mainly cities, I suppose, with one or two %26#39;rest%26#39; points. But then again, what kind of citytrips do you prefer? Cultural? Ambiance? Some personal ideas: Berlin should definitely be on your list, as well as Istanbul (partly European!) and Florence. Barcelona and Prague are excellent choices, have my doubts about Amsterdam and Madrid. Madrid is nothing much compared to Barcelona, but as I said, if it%26#39;s nightlife or museums you%26#39;re looking for, Madrid%26#39;s great with the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemizsa...
French Riviera wouldn%26#39;t be on my list at all, unless you want to be seen there (in december???). Athens is not exactly a favorite of mine, but yes, you have to see Acropolis once in your life. Ending on a Greek island isn%26#39;t bad at all. If you%26#39;re looking for something to see beside relaxing, I suggest Crete. Mind you, weather is must uncertain in december, throughout Europe...
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