Originally Posted by
adamak
I'm doing some high level planning for friends. 2 Adults + teenager, next summer. Want to spend 3 weeks hopping around Europe for $15K or less. I hope they'll have some points to burn at least for the hotel rooms, but I'm not sure. I think they should avoid London / Paris / high price town because of the price. And I'm not sure how much backpacking they can endure.
15K is no problem at all - you´ll enjoy a fantastic time in Europe!
Originally Posted by
adamak
Which town / country will you suggest? Any tips? Think travelling by rail intra-Euro will make most sense. At this point, I just need some ideas to start brainstorming.
That really depends in what your friends are intersted in. Ancient cultures or nature, shopping or relaxing, big cities or small hideaways, beachlife or museum, most likely hot weather in the southern part or the risk of colder times in the north and the list goes on and on. Anyway - may brainstorming:
Day 1: Fly into London
Day 2: London (arrive, go to hotel, relax a bit to adjust the bodyclock, explore the inner city)
Day 3: London (do a boat trip or go outside to eg. Oxford or the castles
Day 4: Cheap oneway flight (many LCC) to Barcelona. (Arrive, go to hotel and enjoy a nice evening in the old town with tapas, drinks and nightlife)
Day 4: Barcelona (sightseeing) Late afternoon - catch a oneway flight (many LCC) to Malaga, pick up a rental car and drive to your beachhotel at the Costa del Sol.
Day 5: Beachlife
Day 6: Beachlife
Day 7: drive to Granada to explore the cultural highlights like Alhambra and the old town. Good nightlife.
Day 8: continue to Cordoba - also a wonderful, arabian influenced city.
Day 9: back to Malaga to catch a cheap oneway flight (many LCC) to Munich. Explore the city by public transport and enjoy a beergarden.
Day 10: Munich (time for some shopping or the Deutsches Museum)
Day 11: Pick up a rental car and go north - stop in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, very touristy but a mediaval old town as its best. Continue to Nürnberg (Hotel)
Day 12: Continue your tour to Frankfurt - if the weather is nice, have a brake for an applewine. Then take an ICE Train (buy tickets in advance online) to Cologne to experience train travel at 330km/h. The world famous cathedral is next to the central station. Enjoy the nightlife with one or three Kölsch.
Day 13: Take a Rhine River Cruise (a must for oversea-visitors)
Day 14: Board a LCC to Rome. Arrive, go to the hotel and have a pizza originale.
Day 15: the ancient Rome and the Vatican
Day 16: A full day of shopping and relaxing. Late afternoon board the Euronight Train to Zurich (buy tickets online in advance).
Day 17: exit the train in Brig and continue eg. to Zermatt or Interlaken. Enjoy the Alp Mountains.
Day 18: A full day in the Swiss Mountains
Day 19: Go by train to Geneve and take a LCC flight to Paris - arrive, go to hotel)
Day 20: Explore Paris
Day 21: Return flight via London
It´s a little bit zigzag, but you´ll be able to use the large LCC Hubs (Easyjet, Air Berlin, Germanwings). You´ll have the very best cities of Europe (London, Paris, Barcelona, Munich, Rome, Cologne), ancient culture (Rome, Granada), shopping (Paris, Cologne, Rome, Barcelona, Munich), famous sights and old cities (Cordoba, Rothenburg), large museums (London, Munich, Paris), Beachlife (Costa del Sol), and nature (Swiss Alps).
15K$ will be more than enough, if you book the flights and train-tickets in advance. To find good hotels in Europe check out
http://www.hrs.com
And of course - there are so many more possible highlights.......
Michael