What should I leave out from an itinerary for Europe in 3 weeks?
Starting off with your last sentence in your question, I would like to appreciate your thinking. The decision, that you don't want a 'check-list' kind of a tour and are instead looking for an immersive trip wherein you intend to actually 'experience' each place before going on, is a wise one.Coming to your list of cities, I would suggest first of all to decrease the no. of countries that you are visiting to. Going by your list, you will be able to make it to only 1 city in each country and that would make it a touch and go journey...something that you should never do, especially if an experience such as Europe is awaiting for you.I would suggest you to divide your trip into the Western and Eastern regions of Europe.The following two lists are in the order in which you should visit them one after the another so as to create a linear route as well as save time and distances.1. Western Europe: Amsterdam - Paris - Madrid - Lisbon - Porto - Granada - Barcelona - Rome - Florence - Venice.2. Eastern Europe: Rome - Florence - Venice - Vienna - Prague - Budapest - Croatia (add it, for sure) - Santorini - Athens (add it) - IstanbulThe western and eastern parts of Europe are quite diverse to each other and you can only do them justice by not mixing and matching both of them in one trip.Each part offers you different things to do with different sceneries, local culture, food cuisines and man made wonders.I guarantee that you 3 weeks' time will be spent very easily in either of these trips with you craving some more time for sure.As I said, each list has their own set of offerings and therefore, it would be wise to actually go for one set now and come back later for the second one.This way, you will actually get to take time and let the European experience seep in. You will definitely not want to make the whole trip seem like a blur, with different places merging into one another in your memory after a few weeks.Rest, as others have also suggested it, depends on you, your tastes, your preferences and your likings. Bon Voyage! \/P.S: I apologize if this answer is written a bit late after you had asked for it (thanks for the A2A, btw). I hope that it might help you in some way still, even if you might have already planned everything.
First trip to Europe! Is this a good/realistic itinerary?
Ah, it's nice to see a realistic time schedule and that you're not rushing around to tick off as many countries and cities as possible like so many who ask in here are. :) Your schedule looks good, but like some of the others have said, take one day off Venice and add it to Paris instead. If you arrive early in Venice or depart late for Rome so that you almost have 4-5 full days in Venice, I'd even suggest taking two days off Venice and either: - add two days to Paris - add one day to Paris and one day to London - add one day to Paris, make a day trip to one of the places surrounding any of the cities (also to get away from the touristic big city bustle!) Other advice: - yes, the queues will most likely be horrendous in June, so buy entry tickets online whenever possible. It can save you a lot of time. - wear practical, comfy shoes. It can be sweltering in June and you'll be walking a lot. - try to figure out where the locals eat and eat there. - Venice is expensive, be prepared for that. Remember to find a good bakery to buy cookies (and if they ask if they should heat them up for you, say yes!). Italian ice cream, especially the fior di latte is a must try - some places in Europe, you'll have to pay to use the public toilets, so make sure to have coins on you. I'm mentioning this because it's something I've seen many Americans be quite shocked by. :) Usually it's free in museums, restaurants, cafes etc. But in most countries it's not done to simply walk into a cafe to use the toilet, you're expected to buy something (I don't know how this is in the U.S.) - churches might require that you have your shoulders covered that that your dress/shorts isn't too short. - be careful of pickpockets, especially in Italy and especially if you look like a tourist. Place your money and credit cards somewhere difficult to access for a pickpocket. And I know it's horrible, but if people come over to talk to you for whatever reason: Be alert! That said, I've never had any problems myself and don't let this ruin your trip, just take the necessary precautions.
Help planning trip to Europe?
We are planning a 3 week trip to Europe and have narrowed it down to two itineraries. We want to go in the beginning of June and can't decide. We like sightseeing and being outdoors. Some museums are okay but not everyday. We have never been to any of these places. Here are the two options: 1-Rome, Florence, Bologna, Cinque Terre, Venice, Murren Switzerland 2-Munich, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Murren Switzerland Any advice from people who have been to those cities in the summer would be appreciated! We are really wanting to make this a memorable trip.