Do you really have your heart set on Paris and Prague? If not I would cut them out and make it an all Italy trip. 20 days will go by very fast you will be back home more exausted than when you left. If this were my trip it would look more like this
Arrive in Rome
4 days in Rome
3 in Sorrento
2 in Assisi
3 in Venice
2 in Pisa
3 in Florence
2 in Siena
1 more in Rome then depart
No point in rushing anything. And yes I would add Pisa. Hope I helped.
-DJ

I would set out 5 days in florence and make 3 day trips:
Day 1: Florence
2: Pisa and Cinque Terre
3: Siena
4: Assisi or Lucca
5. Florence

That would give you enough time in each city of Tuscany I think, unless you are really into art and therefore would add an extra day in Florence. Or add an extra day in Florence and go wine tasting or something.
Paris and Prague are definitely worth going to if you have not been before, set aside 3 nights for each.

so to recap in my opinion: in 20 nights:
3 Paris
3 Prague
2 Venice
6 or 5 in Florence
2 Sorrento
4 Rome

Thanks so much. I want to definitely go to Paris because I like art and want to see the Eiffel Tower. A friend of mine told me I should definitely go to Prague. My original plan was to hit up Barcelona and Greece, but I realized that it would take to travel. Would I fly or travel an ovenight train to Prague from Paris, and to Venice from Prague? Also, hostels, should I stay at those or get a hotel? Thanks

Also, is it pretty expensive to fly into Paris? Trying to keep it pretty cheap. Also, is it better to go to Europe in June or July? Everywhere I’m reading they are saying it’s better in July. Thanks

Paris is one the largest transportation hubs in Europe. Almost every international airline flys there so there is lots of competition than say flying to Dubrovnik.Amsterdam is another good bet

Paris should have some good prices. London and Dubin usually have the best. Europe will have more energy and people in July, but Italy will be very hot in July, less so in June. If you can deal with the heat, like I will next year in July =D, go in July over June.

I love Paris, so I would definitely recommend a stop there. Paris-Prague would be a LOOOOONG train ride, so if you are set on these two places first, I would fly. However, if not, you could go— Paris>French Riviera (Nice, etc)>Cinque Terre>Pisa>Florence>Rome>Venice>(night train) Prague.
Also, I think you should go in June because Italy will be HOT in July!! It’ll probably be pretty freakin warm even in June. Many hostels in Italy don’t have A/C either, which is gonna suck if it’s 94 degrees outside and you just wanna cool off.

Thanks so much for the comments. I’ve decided to cut out Paris and Prague. Fly into Barcelona then Venice>Florence>Sorrento>Rome. I think I would be able to maximize my time and not feel so rushed. What do you guys think?

I like that itinerary, but then again I like almost any itinerary that includes Barcelona

Also, how safe is it to stay in hostels?

How are you getting from Barcelona to Venice? Flying? If you don’t want to fly, it would probably be better to take a ferry between Barcelona and Rome and then work your way up to Venice (Barcelona>Rome>Sorrento>Florence>Venice). Also, why only one stop in Spain but several in Italy? My opinion personally would be to even it out (add Madrid maybe) or skip Barcelona altogether and focus on Italy totally.

Hostels are very safe. Don’t let those terrible movies fool you. I have stayed in hostels in Europe (Amsterdam), the US (San Francisco) and Oceania (Nadi, Fiji) and never felt unsafe. It’s a great way to meet other people traveling. Personally, I try to stay in places where there are lockers in the rooms, for safety purposes, and I always look up ratings on places like hostelworld and hostelbookers (I don’t ever stay anywhere less than 75% rating, and I prefer 80%+). I’ve never felt particularly dirty staying in a hostel either. The one in San Francisco was the sketchiest looking, but I didn’t get any weird bug bites or fungi while staying there. It was also the most fun, with a lively downstairs area (no bar, but drinking allowed plus pool tables and music playing).
Anyway, I really like hostels and don’t mind getting the top bunk of a bed, as I slept in one in my college dorm.

I have to disagree about the need to see more than one city in a country or skip it altogether. Pick the cities you want to see and if transportation is feasible between them go for it. If a European wanted to make a trip to New York City would we tell them not to come unless they can also visit Boston and Philadelphia, Chicago or L.A.?

I disagree with your “cut out Paris and Prague” decision! Consider flying TransAtlantic ‘Open Jaw,’ to avoid backtracking and make your TransAtlantic return from Paris. You can probably ‘book’ an open jaw itinerary out of IAD, PHL, or EWR. Just do online searches w/airlines using ‘multiple destinations’ option. Then use economy airlines to get between cities in Europe.

Thanks again for all the posts! I’ve just decided to do an Italy trip. Much cheaper (I think). Can anyone suggest a 3 week itinerary for me? So far, I’ve got Rome, Sorrento, Florence, La Spezia, Venice. I keep reading the Venice is just full of tourists. Should I still visit since this will probably me my only trip to Italy?

I agree with the all Italy trip plan (trying to cram in Paris,. Prague or Barcelona would rush your trip or require sopme extra flights).

I like Tigrouflips suggestion of using Florence as a base to visit nearby cities. I would also suggest if in the Sorrento area to take a visit to the ruins of Pompeii, boat trip to Capri, Amalfi Coast.

How does this sound?
Days
1. Overnight Transatlantic Flight to Rome
2. Arrive in Rome, Italy
3. Rome
4. Rome
5. Rome to Sorrento
6. Sorrento: Pompeii
7. Sorrento: boat trip to Capri
8. Sorrento to Florence
9. Florence
10. Florence: Day trip to Assisi or Lucca
11. Florence: Day trip to Siena
12. Florence: Wine tasting
13. Florence to Venice
14. Venice: Piazza San Marco, Grand Canal, Venetian Palazzi, Murano, Burano
15. Venice
16. Venice
17. Venice to La Spezia
18. La Spezia- Lake Como
19. Cinque Terra
20. Cinque Terra

I just need help figuring out if I should go back to Rome after Venice or what to fly back to USA? Or should I skip Cinque Terra altogether?

Thanks!

you are jumping around too much.
Rome – Sorrento – Florence – La Spezia – Cinque Terre – Lake Como – Venice would save on travel time, if you look at a map, florence la spezia and cinque terre are all very close to eachother.

thank you! i really appreciate everything!

So I was looking at airfare, it’s damn expensive! Like $3000!!! Any ideas?

Where did you look that you found $3000? I looked up Raleigh to Rome and Raleigh-Rome-Venice-Raleigh and found prices mostly in the $1200-1400 range. You won’t find the best deals for summer right now anyway, so don’t panic.

Right. But one way to Rome is $1500 and back from Venice is about $1400 as well. So all together, it’s about $3000. Unless, I’m not looking in the right place. The cheapest I found was on www.airfare.com: Raleigh to Venice is $830.00 and Rome to RDU is $1600.

I think it’s how you’re searching. What you’re looking for is an open-jaw ticket, meaning to fly into one city and return home from another. On most airfare search engines you can search for one ticket that would take you RDU-Rome & Venice-RDU by using their mulit-city/multiple destinations search. Most of the time one-way tickets will cost an arm and a leg, as you saw.

Yeah, definitely search using the multi-city button, NOT two one-way’s. One-ways are usually the most expensive way to travel! Depending on the time of year, even with direct non-stop flights both ways, it shouldn’t be more than $1600-1700 total even for a open-jaw. Which is still expensive but it’s plenty easy to find flights cheaper than that if you are willing to connect somewhere major (like New York, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, DC, or even Toronto with Air Canada) or fly during the middle of the week instead of a weekend.

Sorry that I am clueless on the geography of NC, but if it’s possible for you to get to Charlotte cheaply/in a reasonable time, I know some airline (United maybe?) has a hub there with direct flights to many European countries. When looking for cheap flights myself, I had some one-stop flights pop up that would take me from Atlanta to Charlotte to London for example.

Ahh thank you so much!! I see what I was doing wrong. Just doing one way. I found flights for $1400 for both ways! I’ll look into Charlotte as well. It’s about a 3 hour drive from Raleigh, NC. Thanks!! You don’t understand how much of a relief that is!!

Also, how do I figure out which rail pass is best for me? Thanks

Agree with Kayling…if you’re willing to fly out of a busier airport you can save big money. I live in Toronto Canada and sometimes (not always) it’s actually cheaper for me to fly to NYC and catch a flight to Europe than to fly out of the intl. airport here. Also don’t get hung up on airfare alone. Big airlines like KLM or Air France can be a little more expensive, but they can also put together money saving deals (i.e. fly with them and get a free rental car, etc.). Check Expedia, etc, but sometimes its worth going directly to the websites of KLM, Air France (even Icelandair) to find deals that don’t always show up on the popular online booking sites.

Charlotte is a U.S. Air hub, so if they have a big sale and you’re willing to fly from there you may be able to save a few hundred dollars. U.S. Air has had some great sales in March and April the last two years, and I got tickets for $600 from those sales. That said, if it only saves you $200 the three hour each way drive might not be worth it to you.

I looked up Charlotte and it was more expensive. I think I’ll stick with flying with American Airlines for $1500.00. Thanks so much. I figured out the Rail passes and just have to figure out if I want to stay in hostels or hotels. I also have to figure out that if I’m going by myself, I’ll probably do a tour. But if a friend comes along, then I will stick to this. Thanks so much! I just wouldn’t feel comfy traveling alone in Italy as a young single female. Thanks for all your suggestions. It definitely helped!

There’s a decent chance you’ll be able to do better than $1500. Good prices for summer fares rarely show up before December. By the way, there is a smoking deal right now if you are willing to fly out of Greensboro and into Madrid. $608.70 round-trip, taxes included, the fare is available for your dates on Orbitz. That fare won’t last long, so mull over changing your itinerary to save $500 or more quickly. Just an idea

Tour? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

Going on a guided tour isn’t traveling its being a sheep herded around europe. Save you money and go to disney world instead. Truly guided tours are to travel what McDonlads is to fine dining.

Travel in Europe is 100 ties safer than traveling in the U.S. Actually, you’re more likely to be hassled as a female in Spain or Portugal than Italy. Most of the hassling is usually limited to whistling and rude comments, but honestly you’ll find far more warm and friendly people than rude jerks in Italy.

If you travel in a tour you’ll spend your time with dull tourists too afraid to experience life…do you want to be one of THOSE people? Be courageous

I agree with finnegan on this. I’ve never been to Italy but I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable there as I have traveled by myself in the US and France, and been to other cities in the US, Europe, and Oceania with only other women. As long as you are prepared to be alone (I’m an only child so this is not a prob. for me) and are confident in yourself, it is not difficult to travel alone anywhere.
Just be aware of your surroundings and keep your common sense about you, just as you would at home.

Oh and which website are you using to look up flights? I prefer Kayak as it searches all the big airlines’ main sites in addition to sites like Orbitz and Cheapflights.

I’ve been looking on kayak, expedia, priceline. Thanks!
Kayling- I would like to know how you’re going to all those places with $1900. Please tell me how you’re doing that?!
Also, I just don’t think I would be comfortable traveling alone really anywhere. That’s just my personal preference. Thanks though!

Alright, so I’ve thought about changing up my itinerary a little bit, especially if I can get the round trip flight from Greensboro, NC to Madrid for $620.
Fly into Madrid and stay for 2-3 (?) days. Take the train to Barcelona and stay for 2-3(?) days. Take a train to La Spezia for 2 days. Then on to Venice for 2 days. Then to Florence for 4 and Rome for 2. Sorrento for 4 days. Fly from Sorrento (if possible?) to Valencia, Spain for 2 days then to Madrid to fly back home.
Let me know what you think! Thanks!!!

Many young Mediterranean men are definitely macho and love women, Sometimes it can come off as pushy or arrogant by North American standards. Unfortunately, there is a common misconception that a single woman traveling alone is loose (sexually). to combat this, buy a cheap looking ring from Walmart and wear it on your wedding finger. It works. If they try to feel you up on a train or follow you around yell you out “Ladro” (Thief) and someone will help you

That fare is still available on Orbitz. I used 7/12-7/29 because you can only get this fare if you fly Monday-Thursday. If you are going to go with this fare book it ASAP because it will most likely disappear very soon.

How I’m doing it on $1900? (that doesn’t include flight, which is about $900 right now but hoping I can get something for around $700)
Well…
-Couchsurfing and cheap hostels (trying for < or = $30/night)
-I’ve already been to most of the stuff that costs money in Paris
-staying with friends in Germany
-I’m thinking about booking some expensive trains ahead of time to get the cheap prices (particularly in Germany) and just not bothering with a railpass except maybe in Britain
-all the big museums in the UK are free anyway
-planning to eat mostly stuff I can buy in street vendors (like crepes or little sandwiches) or from the grocery store (a loaf of bread and a big jar of nutella?? oh yeah, yummy and cheap and lasts at least a couple meals). In France that might cost 1.50EUR for the loaf of bread and 2EUR for the Nutella in a big jar, and GIANT bottles of water (1.5L) at Monoprix are only 0.35 EUR. I’ll be drinking a looooooot of water LOL. Cokes in Europe are expensive, and I’m not really expecting to drink much alcohol unless I’m staying with friends (thus basically exchanging my money for accommodations for booze money LOL) although you can get cheap beer in the supermarkets too, that is surprisingly good.
-Also in the hostels, I am trying to pick ones which have breakfast already provided and also looking for places with free or very cheap (< or = 2euros/hr) internet.

Mostly, I’m making my trip fit my budget, not the other way around. I figure I can save up $1700-1800ish by May, plus I have ~$1000 saved right now. If stuff ends up costing more than that, then I’ll just have to cut something out. I’m all about free attractions and just walking around places to get a feel of it. I question whether I can do it, sometimes, but most of the backpacker websites I frequent say that $100/day is more than enough to be comfortable, and I’ve got $90/day so I should be pretty good… but if I have to scrimp a little bit that’s okay with me.

I’m pretty much set on all these cities but some sites, etc. within those cities are purely optional given my monetary situation… the only things I’m DYING to see are Stonehenge, the London Eye and Tower of London (all the other stuff I REALLY wanna see in London is free, like the British Museum), Edinburgh Castle, a beer garden in Munich, Neuschwanstein Castle, the David in the Accademia in Florence, the Colosseum and Sistine Chapel in Rome, and Pompeii. Anything else, I can do without if I get to see these things. I’m not going to get my hopes up on anything else besides these.

I would totally book that fare on Orbitz but I don’t have $600 just laying around. Ha I won’t have all that money until January or so! So I will asap. I also have a friend who is a travel agent, my boyfriend’ mom, so I think she can help!