are we crazy. someone help us be ruthless

June 25 - LA -
June 26 - LA -
June 27 - LA -
June 28 - LA -
June 29 - Flight 4.30 pm - BOOKED
June 30 - London - Smart Russell Square - BOOKED
July 1 - London - Smart Russell Square - BOOKED
July 2 - Brussels - Apartment Poulets 37 - PENCILED IN
July 3 - Paris -
July 4 - Barcelona -
July 5 - Pamplona - Campsite - BOOKED
July 6 - Pamplona - Campsite - BOOKED
July 7 - Pamplona - Campsite - BOOKED
July 8 - Rach + Daves -
July 9 - Valencia / Barcelona
July 10 - Valencia / Barcelona
July 11 - Ibiza -
July 12 - Ibiza -
July 13 - Roma -
July 14 - Tuscany -
July 15 - Tuscany -
July 16 - Night Boat -
July 17 - Greece -
July 18 - Greece -
July 19 - Greece -
July 20 - Greece -
July 21 - Greece -
July 22 - Train -
July 23 - Vienna -
July 24 - Prague -
July 25 - Prague
July 26 - Berlin -
July 27 - Berlin -
July 28 - Denmark -
July 29 - Cologne -
July 30 - Amsterdam - Youth Hostel Meetingpoint - BOOKED
July 31 - Dublin -
August 1 - Ireland -
August 2 - Belfast-
August 3 - Loch Ness - Loch Ness Backpackers - BOOKED
August 4 - Edinburgh - Castle Rock
August 5 - Edinburgh - Castle Rock
August 6 - Manchester / Leicester -
August 7 - London - West Two London - BOOKED
August 8 - London - West Two London - BOOKED

Yeah, this is rather infeasible as long as you don't have a transporter. For example, you're saying "July 4 - Barcelona" - but that should be "July 4 - travel to Barcelona. Arrive tired; don't see anything of the city, do not collect $200". You need to pencil in the travel days themselves as well, and not think that you can do anything on those day themselves. Sometimes you have the energy left, but realistically you mostly won't, and it'll be a lost day. I'd also say that any European city deserves at least four days, ideally more. Less is more.

At the very least, cut:

• Either Paris or Barcelona. (Given that Brussels is already booked, I might even suggest cutting both, spending a single real day in Brussels, and making your way straight from Brussels to Pamplona on the 4th (if that's physically possible).
• Ibiza. Rome must have more than the few hours you have available now.
• Vienna. Go straight to Prague instead.
• Denmark. Make it an extra day in Berlin.
• Cologne. Use the day in Amsterdam.
• Either Dublin or Belfast.
• Manchester.

Those recommendations on what to cut are based purely on your schedule, not on how good they are; you won't see those particular places anyway with this itinerary.

Better would be to also cut a place like Greece and spread out those days over the rest of your itinerary.

[ Edit: Edited on 10-Mar-2009, at 00:14 by Sander ]

If you're in a race, it looks good! If you're hoping to enjoy the places you visit and feel like you've seen the world, I'd say cut-cut-cut. Four days is, to me anyway, the minimum amount of time needed to scratch the surface of any big city. Plus, as Sander implies, go back and calculate your travel time and see how much time you're REALLY going to spend in any one place.

Do yourself a favour and slooooooooow down. You'll enjoy your tip so much more!

I would also agree cutting out vienna and denmark. vienna isnt that great and denmark is farther than u think. But 1 day in Paris? Thats insane. Minimum of 3 days. and maybe an extra day in Amsterdam

[ Edit: Edited on 10-Mar-2009, at 13:28 by way2goeh ]

You need about 1 month at Loch ness if your planning on seeing Nessie come up..

no one has mentioned pamplona. I assume you are trying to see the running of the bulls on those dates (or you just happened to pick them out of coincidence) but I don't think they actually start it until the 7th of july. so you might want to give yourself an extra day there too or just move those 3 days back a day. I want to say there are festivities that go on before-hand but the actual running doesn't happen until the 7th. look into it I'm not exactly sure of the specifics, I might be wrong.

You'll be absolutely exhausted after that holiday and you won't have seen much of Europe at all.

My suggestion:
Jun 30: London
July 1: Catch train straight to Paris (it's fast)
July 1-3: Paris
July 4: Catch train to Pamplona (not sure how easy this is - could be looooong, you may not get there till 6th)
July 5-8: Pamplona
July 8: Rich + Dave (hope they're close!)
July 9-13: Barcelona
July 14: catch plane to Rome
July 14-18: Rome (still way to short - there is an impossible number of stuff to see in Rome)
July 19-23: Tuscany
July 23: Train to Prague
July 24-26: Prague
July 27: Train to Amsterdam
July 27-30: Amsterdam
July 31: Plane to Edinburgh
Aug 1/2: Edinburgh
Aug 3/4: Loch Ness
Aug 5/6: Edinburgh, or maybe straight back to London
Aug 7/8: London

This option cuts out: Brussels, Valencia, Ibiza, Greece, Vienna, Berlin, Denmark, Cologne, Ireland and Manchester.

This is still quite an intensive trip actually, but you will at least spend some time in these places. You could cut even more. You could for instance leave out the whole detour to Rome and stick to exploring Spain and France in greater detail; plenty to see there and you'll waste less time in transit.

You'll enjoy it much more if you take your time! Just don't plan for this to be your last trip to Europe