Hi, I am planning to backpack around Europe this coming winter. I wonder if my itinerary needs some alterations before I go, reviewing it at some point, since I am flying to Europe for the oncoming Christmas/New Year. I've been to Europe before (only Germany - for family reasons), but I just haven't explored much of the continent yet. It will be my first time backpacking and travelling around solo so I am very inexperienced on this dept. I don't know what to expect but I hope the trip goes the way it turned out to be. I am actually excited for this coming solo trip, since everything I am going to will or would be my first.
Here are the list and some added description to it.
1) Dusseldorf / Hattingen / Witten (NRW State, Germany) : 18 Days
- I'll be staying in Europe the longest I have extended relatives living there and at the same time celebrating Christmas/New Years there. So I'll be using it as my starting point.
2) Brussels, Belgium : 4 Days
3) Paris, France : 7 Days
4) Lyon, France : 3 Days
- Famous for its French gastronomy, sights and the Veille Lyon
5) Geneva, Switzerland : 2 Days
- I want to visit the UN
6) Chamonix, France : 7 Days
- Planning to snowboard there and to climb at the famous Mont-Blanc viewing from l'Aiguille-du-Midi .
7) Zurich, Switzerland : 4 (or 3) Days
8) Vaduz, Liechtenstein / Feldkirch, Austria : 1 Day
- for a tiny country is worth sightseeing for a day.
- after the days end, I will stay in a Hostel from the Austrian side (since its cheaper than the Swiss side)
9) Innsbruck, Austria : 3 (or 2) Days
10) Neuschwanstein Schloss / Schwangau, Germany : 1 Day
11) Munich, Germany : 4 Days
12) Salzburg, Austria : 3 Days
- Visiting Wolfgang's birth place.
13) Vienna, Austria : 4 Days
- Long sausages worth eating.
14) Bratislava, Slovakia : 2 Days
15) Prague, Czech Republic : 3 (or 2) Days
16) Krakow / Auschwitz, Poland : 1 (or 2) Day
- to visit the infamous prison concentration-extermination camps.
17) Warsaw, Poland : 4 Days
18) Berlin, Germany (as terminus) : 4 Days
19) Extended / If Possible : Hamburg, Germany
20) Extended / If Possible : Copenhagen, Denmark
21) Extended / Consideration / If Possible : Budapest, Hungary
Total Days Visit (within the 90 Day Period) : 75 Days
- I ensured that my itinerary is stick within the 75 Days Period and also spare in some 15 days just in case if I stay in a city longer than I planned, or for any other reasons/circumstance since I only have 90 days of visa validity. So I look into my time wisely.
What I planned for the itinerary to happen is to backpack around Europe for the first time without worrying too much about time and my visa stamp (since I only have 90 day validity) or any other worries that would come up to mind while at the same time trying to learn/immerse myself into different cultures, eating/trying local cuisines (which I mostly like to do when visiting a foreign country) as much as I possible and also enjoying my trip thinking of it a memorable trip, since I am backpacking for the first time. I also planned to travel within the Franco-German speaking area to speak/immerse myself in that language that I've learned (since 75% of the trip is covered within the Franco-German speaking area). The trip will be mostly done by overland transportation, travelling by train for some reasons which I prefer most (I'm not even sure whether would it be worth buying the Eurail Global Pass). I decided to travel in winter so I can stick into my planned budget (I have enough funds to cover the whole trip), and the same time it wouldn't be as crowded compared to any other high-peak seasons - which is a good thing, I don't really mind too much about the cold though.
So give me any feedback or comments about my proposal if I need to alter my proposed itinerary, whether should I add in another city, alter days of a visiting city, or a detour in some cases. Thanks :D!