I am planning a western europe backpacking trip, is my budget and itinerary realistic?

Question

Here is my Itinerary...

Start: Flight from Detroit to London

1:Arrive in London in the morning, Full day in London

2: London

3: Depart on Eurostar for Brussels in morning, 3/4 day in Brussels

4: Brussels

5: depart for Paris on bus (4hrs) ½ day in Paris

6:Paris

7:Paris

8: Morning flight Paris –Madrid, ½ day in Madrid

9: Full day Madrid

10: Morning train to Barcelona (4hrs) (1st day of eurorail passes)

11: ¾ day Barcelona, evening flight to Geneva

12: Geneva

13: Morning train to Lausanne, then rest of the day in Lausanne

14: Morning train to Bern, rest of day in Bern

15: Bern, late train to Zurich

16: Zurich

17: ½ day in Zurich, ½ day in Luzern

18: Luzern, latest train to Milan

19: Arrive at Milan in morning, full day in Milan

20: Milan

21: take early train to Florence

22: ½ day Florence, ½ Rome

23: Rome, leave at night for Venice, overnight train to Venice

24: Arrive at Venice in the morning, ¾ day

25: Venice, overnight train to Munich

26: Arrive in morning for Munich

27: Munich

28: Morning train to Salzburg, ¾ day in Salzburg

29: Salzburg

30: Morning train to Vienna

31: Vienna, overnight train to Prague

32: Arrive in morning in Prague, tour whole day

33: Whole day in Prague, leave at night for Berlin, overnight train

34: Arrive at Berlin in morning, rest of day in Berlin

35: Berlin

36: Morning train to Hamburg, ¾ day in Hamburg

37: ½ day in Hamburg, ½ day traveling/in Cologne

38: Cologne

39: Morning train to Amsterdam, ¾ day in Amsterdam

40: Amsterdam

41: Fly Back home

Is this too much travelling for 40 days?

I dont want to just focus on two countries, i want to see more than that, but i don't want to overdo it and not have any time to relax.

Costs:

Plane ticket to Europe: $1500

Eurorail pass: $833 (1 month)

Eurostar pass to Brussels: $90

Bus from Brussels to Paris: $50

Flight from Paris to Madrid: $120

Flight from Barcelona to Geneva: $100

Separate train rides from Vienna-Prague and Prague to Berlin $200

Museum tickets: $300

Souvenirs: $200

emergency money: $100

Bus Tickets in the cities: $150

Entertainment: $100

Total: $3743

Food: $34 a day= $1360 (times 40)

Housing: $35 a day (some nights on train) (times 40) = $1400

Grand Total: $6500

Is this a realistic budget? especially, are the lodging and food cost reasonable. I plan on staying in mostly youth hostels or overnight on the train. I do know that it costs extra for a bed on the train too.

Oh, and i'm under 25, so i get all the youth discounts on the eurorail pass and for museums and stuff.

Answer 1

No and no. Hostels in almost every city here will cost you more than $35/night. You're trying to see WAY too much in 40 days. I'm not sure you realise how big Europe really is. Half a day in each city will not be enough. You will go home feeling like you spent 6 weeks on trains. I'm 23 and most places don't give an under 26 discount, museums can run up to 10 Euros, as can a cocktail in a bar. Just some McDonalds can set you back 8 Euros, and a meal in a restaurant (no drinks) will be about 13 Euros. I just got back from a Europe trip about the same length as yours, but I did Eastern/Central Europe (cheaper), on a 18-35 budget tour that stayed in tents, most of our food was included, and I still spent more than you're budgeting here. I'd be more than happy to help you work out something reasonable (itinerary and budget) that will make more sense and maximize your time and money. You're going to wear yourself out trying to do all this. Send me an e-mail at [e-mail] and we can discuss it!

Answer 2

Don't do that! Too much for 40 days. I'm from Europe and just don't do that. and money? hm your budget for that much travel is low sorry. just one coffee cost from 4 Euro and more. Ticket everywhere are not cheap. caramel apple 15 euro so count. You need every day min. $ 200 and that's just so so. good luck Europe is expensive with low $$$

Answer 3

You can't do all that in 40 days.  For example - half a day in Florence and half in Rome?  IMPOSSIBLE.  My friends waited in line for 3 hours just to see the David (totally worth it - I jumped in line - I had to run a group errand).  Plus you don't want to miss out on the nightlife in those places.  European night life is something you HAVE to experience.  Also, you will burn out from running around to museum after museum so allow some none museum activities (I recommend Versailles gardens one half day, beer garden in Munich, go up to the castle in Saltzburg and just chill - follow a school tour if you can, you get into so much more).  You don't need a full day in Cologne (unless you want to watch for Hollywood stars) because there's not too much to do there.  

Also, are your calculated costs in Euros or in USD, because if it's Euros double it to get Euros.  Finally, you need more than 100 bucks Emergency money - my friend got an eye infection in Zee AM See (a resort town in Austria - great place to visit) and it cost him about 300 USD to get treated.  He was fine, but he needed the antibacterial drops to preserve his vision.  My point being, since the European health care system is mostly socialized out-of-towners pay a ton for simple health care.

Entertainment you need to budget more for too.  Aren't you going to want to see a couple clubs (the good ones are 15-25 Euro cover - about 50 bucks a pop), do a gondola ride (about 60-80 Euros for 6 people, so about 20 bucks a person), smoke in Amsterdam (about 15-20 Euro for 3 joints, 40 bucks)?  You also will need more to eat on.  Even eating cheap we spent an average of 8-14 Euro a meal.  

I could give you tips on what to do, see, and visit - I did a wonderful Eurotrip this summer.  But right now you have too much on your plate and not enough money.

Answer 4

how long are you going for?

because this seems like a long trip and i believe it will cost you more than what you expect.

ps. i'm not sure how you think you are going to get morning flights all of the time, it doesn't work that way all the time.

if you want to cut back on lodging costs, stay at youth hostels, my sister did this for a year when she went to Australia.

and your flights may cost more than you think also. have you check some travel sites to be more accurate?

Answer 5

go 4 it but reconsider some of youre choices, ie prague is very exspensive as is amsterdam. research each country. go to trip adviser