Planning a trip with multiple destinations?

Lara9

Hi,

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip for next year. We would like to visit multiple countries in one trip. That said, we're not the back packing staying in hostels kind of people so would prefer hotels/ b&bs etc.besides that I would like any advice on the best way to travel between the places we want to go, we're thinking train?


Here's what we were planning:

Fly from Manchester to Holland (Amsterdam) - stay 2 nights
Amsterdam to Belgium (Brussels) - stay 2 nights
Brussels to Luxembourg - stay 1 night
Luxembourg to Germany - Stay 2 nights
Germany to Austria - stay 4 nights
Austria to Hungary (Budapest) - stay 1 night
Fly home to Manchester

Im looking for advice on the best to go about planning a trip like this? Are there websites that can help?

What is the best way to travel between the countries, as I said previously we're thinking the train? But if there are cheap flights that would be great. Is it best to book in advance or purchase once arrived?

Any help would be great! Thanks in advance..:D

JulieM

https://www.seat61.com might help with planning train travel.

stevie11

Not being funny but your itiniary you will feel like backpackers i.m.o. 6 destinations in 12 night's. Are you sure you want to be on the move every other day. Each destination will have more to offer than 1 or 2 nights.

agrinnall

Whether flights are worthwhile depends on where you plan to visit in each country, particularly Germany and Austria. For most of your journeys train (or bus) would be the sensible option, but if you planned to go from, for example, Luxembourg to Berlin or Munich, or from Cologne to Vienna, then flying might be worth considering.


Edit to add, I agree with stevie, you'll be on the move too much for such a short trip, either extend the duration or cut down on the number of places you intend to go.

Doshwaster

stevie11 wrote: »

Not being funny but your itiniary you will feel like backpackers i.m.o. 6 destinations in 12 night's. Are you sure you want to be on the move every other day. Each destination will have more to offer than 1 or 2 nights.

Got to agree. At that pace all you will be seeing is the inside of hotels, airports and railway stations. One night in Budapest is madness as you will arrive, check into a hotel, have a wander around and then go to bed. If a city is worth going to then it has got to worth at least 2 or 3 nights.

Seat61 is a fantastic sources of ideas for travelling by train, especially for sleeper services. Ryanair are also everywhere in Europe and are tolerable for short city hops.

Personally, I would leave Austria and Hungary for another trip and concentrate on Benelux/Germany. A route of Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg and a German city would be enough to fill 12 nights.

https://www.goeuro.co.uk is a good site for comparing train, bus and flight options between two cities.

mgdavid

Rail sounds a nightmare, so much time waiting around for local transport - buses, taxis etc - to get to and from stations, then the trains themselves, and how do you get around the destination cities?
Why aren't you driving it? Take the overnight ferry Hull to Rotterdam, you'll arrive well rested. Germany is a rather large country, suggest you home in on Nuremburg or Munich fitting in with Vienna or Salzburg in Austria. I'd skip Budapest as too far for the time available, but the rest is is easily do-able in 2 weeks.

agrinnall

mgdavid wrote: »

Rail sounds a nightmare, so much time waiting around for local transport - buses, taxis etc - to get to and from stations, then the trains themselves, and how do you get around the destination cities?
Why aren't you driving it? Take the overnight ferry Hull to Rotterdam, you'll arrive well rested. Germany is a rather large country, suggest you home in on Nuremburg or Munich fitting in with Vienna or Salzburg in Austria. I'd skip Budapest as too far for the time available, but the rest is is easily do-able in 2 weeks.

It sounds like you have never actually driven in any big city, let alone one where you'd be on the wrong side of the road, don't speak the language and won't be familiar with the rules of the road. Most people get around their detination by public transport even if they have driven there, and travelling by train is usually the ideal option because the station is either in the city centre or has a public transport interchange to hand, unlike airports which in many places are miles from the city they serve and have perhaps 2 public transport options at most.

Lara9

Thank you for all of your suggestions. I think you make valid points, too much hopping around to really have the time to see places properly. Cutting out Austria and Hungary seems wise and will allow us to extend the rest of the visits.

Certainly don't think we would want to drive, it adds in the hassle of finding somewhere to park and whilst we're not big drinkers it would be nice to have the option to have a few drinks if we fancy.

I'll definitely check out the links above for travel. Many thanks

Doshwaster

mgdavid wrote: »

Rail sounds a nightmare, so much time waiting around for local transport - buses, taxis etc - to get to and from stations, then the trains themselves, and how do you get around the destination cities?
Why aren't you driving it? Take the overnight ferry Hull to Rotterdam, you'll arrive well rested. Germany is a rather large country, suggest you home in on Nuremburg or Munich fitting in with Vienna or Salzburg in Austria. I'd skip Budapest as too far for the time available, but the rest is is easily do-able in 2 weeks.

I know some people love driving for the sake of it but for others a holiday means getting away from the motor. While having a car makes sense if you want to explore the countryside, for city to city travel it can be more of a curse than a blessing - unfamiliar road networks, expensive parking and having to be very careful how much you drink.

There simply isn't any need to have a car within most European cities as they are either walkable or have good public transport systems and are increasingly being pedestrianised for security and environmental reasons. I was in Brussels recently and the whole city centre is now car free.

mgdavid

agrinnall wrote: »

It sounds like you have never actually driven in any big city, let alone one where you'd be on the wrong side of the road, don't speak the language and won't be familiar with the rules of the road. Most people get around their detination by public transport even if they have driven there, and travelling by train is usually the ideal option because the station is either in the city centre or has a public transport interchange to hand, unlike airports which in many places are miles from the city they serve and have perhaps 2 public transport options at most.

Your interpretation could not be further from the truth. I've driven round Europe including many cities extensively and regularly (for both pleasure and business) since the 1960s and still do. It's not the 'wrong' side of the road, it's the opposite side from us that's all. Very simple if you are a competent driver. The rules of the road are the same all over Europe with a few important exceptions (e.g. the French still have some priorite a droite - but the OP isn't wanting to visit France). Why assume the OP doesn't speak any European languages (and why is it relevant)? I have found a smattering of poor French gets me by in most places where English is less common, but it's less and less needed since English became so widespread in European education. Even though I'm a light traveller just the thought of lugging bags on and off trains, buses, taxis etc is enough to put me off. That and having to put up with all the people you have no choice but to travel with.

skint_chick

Travelling by train makes sense if you're going somewhere in Germany close to Luxembourg - I would suggest Cologne as there's plenty to do there and it's easy to get around on foot or by public transport. All of the cities you've mentioned have great public transport networks that connect easily to the main train station. If you'd rather stay in a hotel than a hostel I would suggest looking at the Ibis chain of hotels - the budget Ibis is good value for money and usually close by public transport and standard Ibis slightly more expensive but usually slightly more central for walking around. An alternative to rail travel is Flixbus which you can book online - we used them in Germany last year and you can book an hour online or so in advance when you're ready to go somewhere if there are still seats and the tickets have a QR code on your phone, no need to print. If you're going past Antwerp on the way to Brussels I would recommend stopping there too.