Europe has been one of those trips that we constantly think about planning but let's face it, it's daunting. The UK is a must and Paris can't be missed. Venice (for me) is probably the most important stop in Italy but how can you skip Florence or Rome? Germany would be amazing but what about Budapest and Prague. It just goes on and on. When we compiled our list for places to visit and the length of time we wanted to stay in each city, we realized we'd have to step away from the planned travel groups and do Europe on our own, with no translator, no local guide to show us around AND conquering the train schedules by ourselves. It is impossible to fit in all the cities we want to visit in one trip so we tried to come up with an itinerary that flowed well, allowed for convenient train travel, and most importantly, made a circle because the cheapest option we found for airfare was flying to and from the same city. So without further adieu, here is our most realistic plan for Western Europe. We've also included our itinerary, train schedule (and some helpful tips we've discovered through research), and price points for lodging in each country. Flights- The only flight we plan on taking is to and from London. Why London? Well, first, because of its convenience to the remaining European continent through the Chunnel and secondly, the non-stop flight we can take from Austin to Heathrow. We can grab a red-eye and arrive in the UK by 10am for a full day of exploring without a worry about layovers and delayed flights. We thought about flying into Barcelona or Rome and flying out of London so we could cover more ground but the price of one-way flights were much more costly and several of the connecting flights took us through London anyway, so we decided the non-stop to and from London kind of trumped every other option. Destinations- London- After our overnight flight to London, we would spend two full days/nights exploring all the popular must sees like Westminster Abbey, seeing the changing of the guards, and riding the Eye. Our plan for the entire trip is to book rooms through Airbnb. Through some research, we've found that most cities have entire home options for $80-100 a night. London was the one city we couldn't find a cheap option in. Wanting to stay in a safe and central area, we thought Kensington or Notting Hill would be awesome but prices nearly doubled so we searched a little more east and found some options for about $130 a night and about 5 minutes from the tube. On the third day, we've planned on taking the Eurostar into Paris. Paris- The Eurostar is a high-speed train that connects to Paris and Brussels and basically runs every hour. After a 2 hour train ride, we'd arrive in the city of lights by mid-morning and spend four glorious days sipping café au laits, drooling in the Louvre, and strolling through Versailles. With Paris being such a large city with several must-sees on both the left and right side of the Seine, picking the most convenient arrondissement (neighborhood) is a challenge. We have heard that the 7th and 8th arrondissements are very pricey but when searching on Airbnb, we found several great options all over the city but some great choices in the 2nd and 3rd arrs. for $75-90 a night. Zurich- taking a morning train from Paris to Switzerland, we settled on the city of Zurich. We've read many wonderful things about Zurich and how beautifully peaceful it is there. This was a hard decision for us but in the end we decided if we would travel to Venice instead of Zurich it would be too difficult to not go father into Italy which would cut into the time spent in northern Europe... So we skipped Italy entirely and decided to save it for a different trip. Switzerland was a country we didn't want to pass over and we decided a couple days in Zurich might allow for some day trips to smaller cities around Switzerland. And, on Airbnb, we found some great options in the city center for $70 a night! Frankfurt- Continuing north, we would take a 3 hour train ride up to Frankfurt to explore the oldest city in Germany. Frankfurt has a huge international airport that many tourists connect through and is also the financial center of Germany. The city has continued to merge old and new so just walking to Old Town, you can see modern skyscrapers in the background. With three days in Germany, Frankfurt offers some great day trips options like a short trip to the Rhine valley! Frankfurt also has reasonably priced lodging in its city center for an entire home renting and $90 a night. Amsterdam- A 3.5 hour train ride from Frankfurt, Amsterdam is said to rival Venice so since we couldn't fit Italy in, we knew we'd have to hit Amsterdam. Walking along the canals, biking across town, and sipping some coffee in one of the numerous cafés around the city is what we have planned. Oh and maybe having a photo sesh in front of the I Amsterdam sign would likely take place! We have planned to stay there three nights and lodging near the safe area of Vodelpark is about $90-100 a night. Brussels- A quick 75 minute train ride from Amsterdam will get you to Belgium's Capital. Beer, chocolate, and waffles... What more do you want? Hitting up a flea market, shopping on Avenue Louise and strolling through some parks like Mont des Arts Kunstberg are the major spots we've planned to explore. Staying in the city's center, we found a few awesome options in the Grand Place neighborhood for about $75 a night. With Belgium being an hour and a half from London, we planned on spending two and a half days in Brussels and then heading back to London to fly home the next day.
Train Travel- Trains are said to be the easiest way to get around in Europe. There are no security lines or weight limits on your bags, the train stations are in the heart of the city- unlike the airports, and when it comes to domestic travel, ticket prices stay consistent which allows for spontaneous day trips around the country. International travel is where it gets tricky, each country operates on their own website and you can only buy tickets from that country while you are there. www.raileurope.com is the best website for Americans to buy tickets in advance but the prices are usually more expensive because of the convenience to Americans. If anything, Rail Europe is great for price points but buying the tickets in advance should be purchased through each countries website for the best rates. But only for international travel. If you do day trips, buy them that day. All in all, we'd be gone for about 19 days and making stops in 6 different countries! It most certainly is a dream European vacation that we hope to one day take. If you've traveled to Europe on your own or with a travel group, let us know about your experience! Until Next Time, C + D
2 Comments
Your itinerary sounds great! I have spent the past year planning out my upcoming month in Europe next month (Italy, Switzerland, Monaco, France, England, and Ireland). While it's time consuming, I have found it saves a lot of money to plan on your own vs going through tour groups. This allows much more freedom in your schedule as well. I hope you have a chance to do your Europe trip soon!
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Danielle Baumgartner
6/19/2015 12:30:33 pm
Well, you will have to keep us posted on your trip! It sounds amazing! Have a blast over there!
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