Is my European itinerary too ambitious?
I was just looking to get a bit of perspective on my prospective European trip in August. I am not sure if I am biting off too much and if I am going to be spending too much time actually traveling rather than sight seeing.
Arrive in London (3 nights in London)
Ferry/train to Amsterdam (2 nights in Amsterdam)
Train to Berlin (3 nights in Berlin)
Train to Prague (3 nights in Prague)
Train to Munich (3 nights in Munich)
I would be taking the night trains when possible, but I am not sure if I am biting off too much for my first European adventure. I am thinking about cutting out Amsterdam. Although I think Amsterdam would be fun, I'm going more for culture than partying and although I know that Amsterdam has a lot to offer in the Anne Frank House, van Gogh museum, etc., I still might cut it out.
Is my plan too ambitious?
No, it would not too ambitious at all using the night trains if this were possible. But the only part of this with a night train is the trip from Amsterdam to Berlin.There is a night train from Amsterdam to Berlin which puts you in Berlin at 4:21 am. There isn't a useful direct night train from Berlin to Prague, but there is a train at 5 am from Berlin Ostbahnhof or one at 6:31 am from the Hauptbahnhof that will get you to Prague in the morning and you could sleep some on the train. Going from Prague to Munich overnight either requires several train changes or one change in Salzburg at about 4:30 am. I've done that and it isn't bad, but you won't sleep all the way through from Prague to Munich.
Lots of people do trips like this getting an overview of a place and moving on. It would also be pretty easy to occupy yourself in any one or two of these places for your whole time. It really depends on your priorities.
Amsterdam is much more than a party city. There's a lot to see and do including hundreds of museums covering almost any immaginable subject. Plus there are a huge number of possible day trips from the city throughout the Netherlands – it's extremely easy to get around.
http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en/index.shtml
If you were to cut either Amsterdam or Berlin out of this itinerary, you might want to check the budget flights to cut the travel times for the longer legs of the trip. Amsterdam to Prague would be a 12 hr+ trip by train for instance. A couple of good options for identifying cheap flights are: http://www.skyscanner.net/ and http://www.whichbudget.com/en/
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I think you are being too ambitious! You will spend more time at train stations and on a train. Whilst it's a good way to see places, it can be very tiresome.
I am familiar with each city, and to be honest if it's culture you're after, I'd cut Berlin, and from Munich you can take a quick (approx two hour) train journey to Salzburg. It's a lovely city, well worth a visit.
I wouldn't cut Amsterdam…it's a wonderful city…the people are so pleasant and welcoming.
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I have to very much disagree with the previous answer. Unless you're an old man/woman, this is absolutely not overly ambitious. I'm 21 and I have done similar trips to the one you are planning with no sweat. I agree that you should not cut out Amsterdam, its just a truly unique and awesome city. It's also quite a small city so 2 nights is enough time to see a lot of stuff. I would certainly not cut Berlin, its filled with history and things to do and see. There's so much beautiful architecture and amazing museums, and I think it's really interesting to compare Berlin with Munich. Also, about spending too much time on trains, I think trains are a great way to see all the stuff in between the cities you're going to. Traveling by train is super easy, and if you like to go out really late at night and party and stuff, you can get a real nice rest on the train. Out of all the cities you're going to, Munich is my favorite. August will be a perfect time to go there, I highly recommend you spend a day out in the sun at English Park and drink a large refreshing beer if you're into that. So yea, to reiterate, if you're young (or at least feel young) and have the energy, this will be a really sweet trip; it's ambitious, but nothing that can't be easily done with a little determination.
References :
No, it would not too ambitious at all using the night trains if this were possible. But the only part of this with a night train is the trip from Amsterdam to Berlin.There is a night train from Amsterdam to Berlin which puts you in Berlin at 4:21 am. There isn't a useful direct night train from Berlin to Prague, but there is a train at 5 am from Berlin Ostbahnhof or one at 6:31 am from the Hauptbahnhof that will get you to Prague in the morning and you could sleep some on the train. Going from Prague to Munich overnight either requires several train changes or one change in Salzburg at about 4:30 am. I've done that and it isn't bad, but you won't sleep all the way through from Prague to Munich.
Lots of people do trips like this getting an overview of a place and moving on. It would also be pretty easy to occupy yourself in any one or two of these places for your whole time. It really depends on your priorities.
Amsterdam is much more than a party city. There's a lot to see and do including hundreds of museums covering almost any immaginable subject. Plus there are a huge number of possible day trips from the city throughout the Netherlands – it's extremely easy to get around.
http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en/index.shtml
If you were to cut either Amsterdam or Berlin out of this itinerary, you might want to check the budget flights to cut the travel times for the longer legs of the trip. Amsterdam to Prague would be a 12 hr+ trip by train for instance. A couple of good options for identifying cheap flights are: http://www.whichbudget.com/en/
References :