This itinerary would use your 2 1/2 weeks if you want to see a couple of things in each place(no Ven

My mom and I are trying to go on a trip around May/June and this is our first time out of the US. We have the list of countries we want to visit and a list of the main cities we would like to see. I've briefly looked up hostels to see prices, I've looked at guided tours, and other random things but I am stuck on where to ACTUALLY start. We would like to visit:
And I guess my next question would be..once we figure out where to start (say southern country first) how should we plan our itinerary? I am currently a full time student at a University so all the help I receive will be greatly holiday inn sunspree bahamas appreciated seeing as I don't have time to sit down everyday and try to figure this out on my own. Thank you all in advance!
This is a lot of traveling for 14 to 18 days. You should really holiday inn sunspree bahamas limit your itinerary to either 1 country or perhaps 3 cities. In Italy alone you have 6 locations which could easily take up the entire time.
First you determine your itinerary. Then check airfare pricing to determine the best prices, flying into one location and home from another. It doesn't really matter if you start in the north and move south as you'll only be traveling for 2 weeks and the temps will be moderate in May and it's not clear where you are going.
How many cities, besides the 6 places in Italy, are you planning during your 14 days? Are you planning to get to a city and leave the next morning? Are you interested in zooming around or in experiencing the city/seeing the sights?
Well we don't know when we are going to be able to travel again. We know its a lot and we are prepared. If we have to eliminate one once we sit down and talk about it, then we will. But right now..these are our top picks.
To help in your planning, most people on this forum will advise you that every time you change cities, even within the same country, holiday inn sunspree bahamas it will take at least half a day to do so. . . . packing and checking out of the hotel, traveling to the train station/airport, waiting to board, the actual travel time, getting out of the station/airport to the next hotel, checking in. Often relocating can take even more time.
With 9 destinations holiday inn sunspree bahamas on your list (without even considering if you plan to visit more than one place in France, Switzerland, Germany, and Croatia), you will lose about 5 of your days to traveling between the places. Also keep in mind that if you are traveling from North America, your arrival day in Europe will probably be jet-lagged holiday inn sunspree bahamas and your departure day for home will probably not allow for any touring, just getting to the airport. Therefore, 7 of your days will be devoted to travel/jetlag.
Here is a sample. This does not represent in any way an actual itinerary I might propose. It is just a way to illustrate how the number of destinations you suggest would fit in the time you have. You will spend at least half a day traveling to place so you can leave the next morning. Does this look enjoyable holiday inn sunspree bahamas to you?
Croatia will cost more to reach than the other locations as flights from the US are expensive. It's also a bit more difficult to travel around on public transport as you have to bus more (not much train connections).
Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries you could have picked. There is nothing budget in Switzerland (a happy meal at McD's can run $12-15)although you can usually get reasonable flight prices into Zurich or Geneva.
For Italy, holiday inn sunspree bahamas I would prefer convents or monasteries over hostels. I don't want to share a dorm room or bath with other people. Most convents have private rooms and many offer private baths. Some have curfews if that's an issue.
This itinerary would use your 2 1/2 weeks if you want to see a couple of things in each place(no Venice?). holiday inn sunspree bahamas It's possible you could spends a few days in Paris, fly to Rome or Venice and spend the rest of your trip visting Rome/Florence/Venice (no time for the rest of your Italy list).
You should be able to have a wonderful time traveling around Italy or Croatia or (if you can manage the costs) Switzerland! These are beautiful countries that hold so many different things that you should holiday inn sunspree bahamas be able to come up with a plan that gives each of you a treasure of memories.
As kybourbon notes, it's a bit harder to get to Croatia, holiday inn sunspree bahamas but once there, you can use public transportation - mostly buses, which are comfortable and have secure compartments on the side for luggage so you don't have to lug anything into the bus itself.
One simple tip, alluded to by several of the previous posts: Fly into one city and home from another. It can save money, and what's more important holiday inn sunspree bahamas to your hectic schedule, time. Most airline and travel agency websites have a multi-city function to put together such an itinerary.
And kybourbon--I forgot to list Venice. I think we'll probably stick with only going to Italy and visiting holiday inn sunspree bahamas the Swiss alps for a weekend. I want to try and get the most and see lots of things before I start a family and have a full time career. Which is why I mentioned all those countries earlier.
Just start by searching airfares. You might look at the specific airlines that fly out of your closest airport and see if they have any sales going on, but also use kayak.com to plug in all your options and set up trip alerts that will monitor the fares for you. You can pick one country and see it fairly well--this holiday inn sunspree bahamas makes the planning a little easier. holiday inn sunspree bahamas Or, pick close by areas, as you mentioned Italy and Switzerland. You might save Croatia for your future honeymoon, as I did. It is great, but a very relaxed nature-activity place, and you and your mother may prefer more sightseeing. good luck!