Critique My Itinerary
I fly into Luxembourg City on 22 February next year. I have 26 days to backpack across Europe on what will be my final extended trip across the continent before the mortgage kicks in and I'm reduced to spending just the odd weekend overseas pretty much right up until I retire. I don't mind long train journeys - quite enjoy them, in fact - and have a budget of about 450 Euros for trains/buses, 75 Euros a day for a dorm bed, food, beer and attractions, plus a bit extra to cover the flight home. Although I usually like to spend enough time in a place to really get to know it, on this trip I'm prepared to rush around a bit more in order to pack in a few more places (I can always return later to anywhere that really grabs me). I'm more-or-less a complete urbanite so am more interested in cities than countryside. What do you think?:3 nights in Luxembourg
Cross the border by train to Trier
2 nights in Trier
Train north to Cologne
3 nights in Cologne
1 night on-board City NightLine train to Prague
4 nights in Prague
Train to Bratislava
3 nights in Bratislava
Train to Budapest
4 nights in Budapest
1 night on-board EuroNight train to Bucharest
4 nights in Bucharest
Fly home and hang-up my backpack for the next 25 years.
I'm pretty much set on the first part of the trip; I've been around the block in Western Europe a few times so just want to see a couple of places before heading East. However, from Prague the plan is very much open to change. Any suggestions? If you had 16 days to travel onwards from Prague and could fly back from anywhere, where would you go?
TIA
3
I'd say there are probably more interesting places you could end up in than Bucharest. Dubrovnik is amazing, and if you aim for there as your finishing point you could go via Sarajevo and/or Mostar as Tryfan suggests. Maybe something like Prague - Krakow - Budapest (Bratislava can skipped without missing too much) - Ljubljana (include a day trip to Bled) - Zagreb (you'd need to change trains there to get to places further SE, stopping off is optional) - Split - Mostar - Dubrovnik. Alternatively you could head east with Prague - Krakow - Lviv - Kiev.6
I've travelled in Romania but actually never been to Bucharest; however, people that I met in Romania told me that it wasn't worth seeing, and the Romanian countryside was better, instead.I agree with the above suggestions about Krakow.
I lived in Prague, but found that - for a visitor - Prague, Krakow, and Bratislava were all pretty similar. If you are into seeing urban stuff, you might want to consider going:
Trier - Koln - Berlin - Prague - Krakow - Budapest
You might say that you prefer cities but trust me, backpacking can be a little tiring. I recommend that, when you have finished planning, you do some research and find a place near each city which is a nice day-trip out into the sticks. Example: from Prague you can walk through the woods to Karlsteijn or take a bus to the bone church in Kutna Hora, or from Krakow it's a nice day out to the Carpathian mountains in Zakopane.
7
I would probably add Berlin between Cologne and Prague and cut out some of the time in Bratislava. Or I might add Vienna instead if you haven't been there.I would agree about Krakow and Lviv.
I seriously doubt that just because you have a mortgage you won't travel. Just your style of travel will be different. You probably won't be gone more than a a week or 10 days at a time.
Ruth
8
I would definitelly recommend you to go to Prague and visit during your stay Cesky Krumlov, after continue to Bratislava, stay overnight in and do a day trip to Vienna and then continue to Budapest and Kosice (it is the European Capital of Culture 2013) There might be interesting cultural event on and then High Tatras (there is good skiing and aquapark) and Krakow. It is really worth it!!!
