Backpacking Europe next month

Whilst in Cologne, consider a day trip along the MittleRhein. It'll be a bit of a long day and an early start but worth it. From Cologne take a train to Bacharach, have a look round there, get a K-D boat downstream to Koblenz, get the train back to Cologne from there. Note that Cologne itself only needs a day, there's not a lot to it (I live 20 miles South of Cologne).

Could I possibly fit in Cologne, Aachen and Dusseldorf along with Berlin and Dresden before heading to Central Europe and Turkey and just take the trains and bus instead of hassling with flying back to Germany from Turkey?

No, fly to Cologne. It depends where in Turkey you are which airline to use, so refer to http://www.skyscanner.net to find out. Book as early as possible for cheapest price.

As for your budget, assuming it's USD, that's €2200 to €2930. You want to come for 6 weeks which is 42 days. That budget divided by 42 days = €52 to €70 a day. The general consensus for breadline backpacking (ie self catering, hostel dorm beds, limited sight seeing, limited alcohol, intake, no meals out (try to snaffle lunch from the breakfast bar in the hostels) is €60 per person per day.

If your budget indicated above doesn't include flights and insurance as they're already paid for, $4k USD would work, $3k is pushing it. If that budget also needs to include flights into Europe + travel insurance then no, it's not enough.

I think you underestimate the differences in cultures. Look as if you're doing about 5 in your 6 week trip, not to mention at least 6 languages. Given your cash shortfall I would think about travelling less and absorbing more. There's no need to dash from one big city to the next - amble along a bit and look at the places in between, for example you could have a really interesting time over the Tatra mountains and through the villages between Krakow and Bratislava, and all those wonderful places between Dresden and Krakow like the Saxon Switzerland, Cesky Raj, Görlitz, WW2 camps in Lower Silesia (if that's of specific interest), Wroclaw one of the longest continually inhabited cities in Europe, not forgetting the Iron Curtain, the Oder-Neisse line, the "plebiscite areas" around Katowice - you see what I'm suggesting - all of which are of cultural interest and have played a role in both distant history and also within the last 100 years

Wow a lot of good insight! Thanks you guys!

Well to fwoggie, i will really consider those other locations, i know i want to travel around Cologne as i have said i just didn't knowhow much time to spend in Cologne itself, but i am really going to look into its surrounding areas more! And i will look into flying from Istanbul to Cologne as well, i just was wondering if it'll be too much to do by train so i don't have to deal with the airport hassle of my belongings and such. Also, the budget i stated is just for the living expenses i guess you would say, i already have my flight to and from Europe; (but not from Istanbul to Cologne) but glad to know that my budget isn't completely unrealistic. I'm pretty good when it comes to being froogle as i have had to fend for myself in many situations, in regards to food, shelter, transport, but in my own home city. I know its not the same thing, but I'm pretty easy when it comes to that such. Theres too many people without essentials, so I'm good on roughing it a little. I appreciate your insight!

Mike9: Yeah i see what you mean, i have taken this semester to learn German as well as learning a little extra on my own. I also have a Turkish phrasebook I've been working with as well as Central European languages; (these i have found WAY more difficult to comprehend), but i want to use the least amount of English. Also, that is one thing i wanted to do to! Travel less and absorb more, thats why i was unsure if my itinerary was unrealistic because your totally right and that makes way more sense, i don't want to have to rush from one place to another, but to actually enjoy my times so perhaps i may remove a little. I didn't think much of the Tatras but will definitely give it some thought as well as the other areas in Poland; as i too feel just visiting Krakow will not do me enough satisfaction in regards to Poland. And you hit the nail on the head!! Many of those areas i haven't heard of but definitely going to research, I want to pass through Gorlitz on the way to Poland and i really appreciate the World War sights because I'm a history/war buff. I wanted to see areas related to WWI, but besides Gallopoli and the Western Front which i believe is located in France, (and unsure if there is actually anything to see), but i will really look into your suggestions! You both have given me some good info thanks so much!

• Ive been planning for months*

Really?
I don't mean for that to sound dismissive or sarcastic. But after months of planning, you still have doubts about such fundamental issues as itinerary and budget (accommodation and transport usually take the biggest bites--aren't these prices--or price ranges--available online?)--and you've either decided against flying "open-jaw" or haven't considered it.

Maybe all of your research has focused on what to see and do in your destinations. But it's the logistics that will get you to and from those destinations--and tell you how much time and money it will take. Budget should be the determining factor, not something to consider near the end.

Fortunately, much of your travel occurs outside of Western Europe in places where your money will stretch a little further. Unfortunately, you're planning to cover a lot of ground, so don't be surprised if transport between cities eats up 25-33% of your budget, depending on the amount you'll be bringing. That's a guess. But it sounds like you're guessing too, and on future travels total transport costs are something you'll want to know, in advance.

So what are you going to do if your budget* isn't* enough to last six weeks? It's okay not to know exactly where you want to go once you arrive, or how long you might want to stay in each place--some folks here enthusiastically embrace the "wing it" approach. But it's not okay to not know if you can afford to stay for the length of time you've allotted.

All in all a roundabout way of strongly suggesting that on future travels, you prioritize logistics--especially expenses--as the first step in your planning. Doing otherwise is putting the cart before the horse, possibly at your peril, if you don't have an emergency source of funds.

Maybe the best advice is to now do the research on transport expenses (better late than never) and arrive at a daily budget minus these expenses. Depending on what's left, you may either need to limit your geographical range (to cut down on transport expenses) or the proposed length of your trip, or both.

(edited to take info from OP's latest post into account)

Pls read this
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/europe-western-europe/topics/itinerary-or-budget-question-please-read-this-first-before-posting

Thank you Hello_Bamboo! Found this really informative and helpful!

clementisfurcap: Sorry if i sound unprepared, but its more of me questioning to have enough time and funds in a way. I have the money i will be taking, as well as money here at home if need be. I did my calculations prior but the numbers I've come up with seem to not add up with what other travelers have stated. My first intention was to fly open-jaw starting in Berlin and ending in Istanbul but as my ticket was an actually graduation present there wasn't much i could do in that regard so i had to make do. In total, i planned about 6-700 for transportation costs but have realized the "longer journeys" do cost more; but i have not fully been able to determine the Turkey transportation costs because i was still unclear of a solid itinerary for that country so i am at fault there. I do plan to also try the "wing it" approach but was just asking other travelers for there insight in cost because in total i have nearly 5000 USD altogether, but if 3000 USD would be enough thats where the other 1000 USD would come in for transportation costs (buses/trains), and would leave the other 1000 at home as the emergency fund. If not, then of course the 4000 USD would need to be for the trip (food/accomodation) and the emergency fund at home would therefore have to cover the transportation costs. Like i said, i have been planning but some things were not correlating with what other travelers have stated. But i really do appreciate your post as it did get me to think a little more about the seriousness and complexity of the situation that i kind of let slide so i didn't stress out too much or just fear the trip altogether. but thanks much, i will research my transportation more thoroughly :)

Re #3 Cologne can be done in 1 day. By the time you've done the cathedral, Roman Museum, railway bridge (seriously), a stroll along the promenade - look out for a sign with a picture of the 93 floods and the highest level reached, had a few beers, maybe bought something in the Lindt chocolate museum that's it. I comfortably managed all of that with my parents (Mum was hobbling around after a knee replacement).

Is this realistic for 6 weeks on a budget of about $3-4000?
in total i have nearly 5000 USD

If I had known how much money you really had to work with, I would have spared you the lecture.