RTW itinerary

I'd agree with #6...as far as Helsinki is a nice trip for that timeframe.Or maybe as far as Tallinn.

Budget looks doable to me....

Thanks for the productive feedback. Yes, the budget comes from our last trip through Europe, averaged $1000 per week, each. So I guess that makes the total for two people 12-16,000. That hits our comfort level well enough and is well within our saving ability between now and then. This works for us. Some will boast that they can do it cheaper, and that's good for them.

We did central Europe on the whole 2-4 nights at each city. Some cities pricier than others but it all averaged out. Although cities there were closer and the trains were pretty cheap.

The timeline for this is my only concern. I know for our last trip we had more cities in mind but crossed them off the list as we saw fit, and I expect this to be no different. No matter what happens we're doing Seoul to London overland, it's really a matter of how many stops we make between Helsinki and London.

The other consideration I dont yet know is if I will be taking a leave of absence from work or just leave and say "I'll be back when Im back". If it's the former, then there will be a timeline to adhere. If it's the latter, than the timeline is of no importance and this thread becomes just an interesting topic.

Personally, I don't mind the fast pace. I can still see a lot of things, meet a lot of locals, and when we feel like there is more to explore we stay longer. When we feel like we've seen it, we move on. if I love a place enough, I will come back to it another day. This trip is more about the journey as a whole plus about 5 specific highlight stops. Everything else is a bonus.

So maybe a better question is, of those cities between Helsinki and London, what are the best to hit during October - November? Is there another obvious stop I am missing? Any winter festivals you know of?

Thanks everyone!

I think that sounds like a great attitude! If you end up staying longer than expected somewhere, just rush it towards the end or take a flight to London.

I'm curious about the ferry from Korea to Russia, can you give some more details on this? How to book it, times, prices, any visa issues, etc. It's the Eastern Dream, right? And departs once per week?

And what about the Trans Siberian, you need to book tickets in advance? Or just show up same day or day before to secure tickets?

I have been in all of Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen. What's more, I've been there during the shoulder season. They are much, MUCH, better in summer. In fact, your entire trip, except perhaps Seoul, will be cold and towards the end very dark (sun setting around 3pm -- no fun!). No chance you can make it 4-8 weeks earlier? It'd be a much better trip IMO. If not, well, less tourists I guess.

I'd definitely skip Oslo/Norway this time of year. Not sure how to prioritize the rest. I think Stockholm and the beautiful archipelago is much better in summer, so perhaps that goes too. I like both Tallinn and Riga a lot (but not Vilnius). But Tallinn is closer to Helsinki, so Riga could go too. Then you'd be left with Helsinki, Tallinn, Copenhagen, London. Copenhagen is more interesting than Tallinn, IMO. But you could take a boat from Helsinki to Tallinn and then fly cheaply to London. But then you mentioned you're doing everything overland? That means going down to France and taking the train? A bit confused here, maybe you can clarify.

I am a bigger fan of cold weather traveling. I've lived in warm climates too long to appreciate warm weather. And I love snow. Also I dont like tourists, even though I am one. I find that traveling in winter provides completely different types of travel experiences. Cold weather festivals, ice festivals (eg: Haerbin), winter markets, opera, etc. Sure there are just as many things you can do in summer, I just prefer winter activities. It's also cheaper.

The ferry info is all from Seat61.com. Best site ever.

Thats also where I get some excellent trans Siberian railroad info. Not sure if we'll buy as we go or buy them in advance. I love a challenge, but I also love not getting stuck in the cold... literally, as it would be in early winter.

For more detail on the overland thing, the idea is to go from helsinki ferry to tallinn, train to Riga, ferry to stockholm, train to oslo, ferry to copenhagen, and ferry from Cope to Southampton. That last ferry only runs until the end of November according to my Thomas Cook Book. No train through Paris for me, mon ami...

It seems like a lot of ferry/rail combos, but I love a good pitch and roll of an unforgiving ship. (I used to work on ships).

Again, this will certainly change, but if I was in Helsinki today, that would be the plan. The other thing that contributes to our cutting and adding cities is based on any festivals or events that come up in the region. Film festivals, ice and snow festivals, Art Festival, Jazz festival, etc. When we find something like this that piques our interest we divert as needed.

Cool. Enjoy the trip! I don't think you'll see a lot of snow and ice however, unless you're at altitude. It's too early. But less tourists for sure!