itinerary for europe

[teddymon]

so im going to europe for 3 weeks.. the only thing i know for sure is that im flying into amsterdam and flying out of amsterdam... ideally, i want to get through germany(berlin, frankfurt), italy (florence, venice, rome) for sure.. as far as france, i guess i want to get through (paris.. is it overrated?) and spain (not sure what city) and maybe UK (london) if i have the time.. the thing is.. im thinking im not going to have enough time for all that fun.. so i was wondering.. if anyone had a great 3 week trip and an itinerary to go with it.. btw i heard that its better to have a "rough" itinerary since you never know where you'll end up and most likely you wont even follow it... but yeah.. open to all suggestions ..

[bluepea]

I agree it's best to have a loose itinerary.

ideally, i want to get through germany(berlin, frankfurt), italy (florence, venice, rome) for sure.. as far as france, i guess i want to get through (paris.. is it overrated?) and spain (not sure what city) and maybe UK (london)

Alright, if I was you and wanted to see all of this, this is what I'd do:

First night, Amsterdam.
day 2 - Train from Adam - (1 day) Berlin (2 nights)
day 5 - Train from Berlin to (1 day) Florence (2 nights), Venice (2) Rome (2)
day 10ish flight from Rome to Frankfurt (2 nights)
Train back to Amsterdam, spend whatever time you have left there.

You get a semi decent amount of time in all the places that are a must see for you, plus there's a little bit of flexibility and time devoted to travel.

I would eliminate Spain, because you simply won't have enough time, unless you trade it for Italy. Spain is absolutely amazing though, so when you get the chance, go!

Edited to add: As far as Paris goes. Some say it's overrated, some don't. It's a hot tourist spot, so pretty much whenever you go, it'll be packed. But, there is a lot to see. For me, it was just nice strolling along the river around all of the people. We spent a lot of time in the Cemetary and walked around a lot. The Eiffel Tower was cool. I do think it's slightly overrated - there are a lot of very cool places in Europe. But, I would like to take an extended weekend trip there with my husband, just for fun.

[teddymon]

awesome! thanks for the input!

[nessa3212]

I traveled through Europe for one month with a very similar itinerary, I def agree with everything Jamie said. The only thing I would add (and I've talked to many people who've felt the same way) is that Frankfurt kinda sucked. I would trade in a night in Frankfurt for a night in Madrid or Barcelona anyday.

[tumblezweedz]

I'd also opt for a different city than Frankfurt. Cologne (Koln) and Trier are cool, and very different from Berlin. Leipzig is interesting too, big player in the fall of soviet influence in East Germany, and not far from Berlin, either. Haven't been to Dresden, but my mother-in-law was there recently and enjoyed it.

[teddymon]

ic... interesting.. you think it'll be worth it if i go to one of those WC games at germany?

[tumblezweedz]

I just saw your signature. Hawaii to North Dakota? That ought to be illegal. My sympathies.

I doubt you'll be able to get tickets to an actual game, unless you want to try buying some from a scalper for mega$$$$, but many cities have giant screens in their big squares where fans can gather to watch, and I'd guess any pub with a tv is going to be showing the games, so there'll be a good atmosphere wherever you watch. Even our little local hotel (village has 160 inhabitants), shows the games and everyone gathers there for the party. So if you're in a smaller place, it's a good way to meet locals and see the "real" Germany.

[teddymon]

haha yeah.. they should make it illegal.. well i chose to go because of flight school and what-not.. but that sounds good.. yeah.. i figured when i actually get to germany.. it'll probably be in the semis or something and i bet tickets would be impossible.. and a pub sounds good