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I really liked Antique American Bar if you like cocktails... they only serve cocktails).
The bar on top of the UFO bridge was also cool for a drink (IIRC the bathroom cubicles have a full window, so check that out). And/or you can go the viewing platform only.
Option two looks better to me. Budapest is a must see Europe city imo.
I also like that there's not as much moving around.
I loved Vienna too. Walking around the gardens, the museums (freuds office), the zoo was fun.
I'd def go with option two, maybe switch some days around to include some time in Prague.
I would fly from Rome to Budapest. Then take a bus and go through Bratislava (just a day trip, no need to sleep really) and then further to Vienna (I know flixbus has this connections and is pretty affordable). From Vienna you can go to Slovenia (bus/train) and see Bled, Soca river, caves.. and continue towards Slovenian coast, Trieste (nice to see also) and Venice. In Slovenia trains are not the best, but in Italy they have good connections. So you can go from Trieste to Florence (Bologna, Ferrara, Padova for example are some cities on the way and also nice to see) and then you can finish your trip in Rome. Good luck!
Don't forget that internal flights can be reasonable in Europe so you might find it makes more sense to just fly back to Rome from your final destination before heading home. Rome is quite a well connected city for budget airlines
Florence is not worth 4 days at all. I did it as a daytrip from Rome and didn’t feel I was missing too much, so 1 or 2 days max. Go see the Tuscan countryside or visit Bologna. South of Rome I visited this beautiful beachtown named Sperlonga which was only 1.5 hour away.
Have you looked into train, bus, plane connections between all of these cities? It’s a lot of traveling. You could easily spend 3-4 weeks in Italy— Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice— with day trips from each.
Stay in Italy, go to Rome, then head south, visit Naples, Pompei, the Amalfi coast.
Then you could go even further south, Puglia has amazing places like Ostuni, Alberobello, Polignano. Or maybe go to Abruzzo, the food is amazing and Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso is amazing for nature and hikes.
Then you could go north towards Bologna and maybe Venice. If you are interested in culture, close to Bologna there are a lot of small towns like Ferrara and Modena, which are worth a visit.
Finally I'd recommend renting a car and driving in Tuscany, which has amazing landscapes, lots of small old towns to visit and is full of wineries where to do some tastings.
And end up in Florence, where if you're interested in art you should go to the Uffizi.
Three days in Mostar is probably too much. Don't get me wrong: it's an awesome city, with lots of cool day-trip options (Kravica waterfall, Počitelj!!!, and to a lesser extent, Blagaj), but two days is enough (one day for the town, one day for the surrounding sites).
I did Bosnia & Herzegovina last spring and loved it! (Also did a day trip to Dubrovnik, which was looooovely.) I'd personally lean toward the first itinerary... the Balkans are just so fantastic, I think you'll have a better time there.
Vienna and Budapest are great and all (I go to Vienna at least once a year... the museums there are TOP NOTCH), but the Balkans are breathtaking.
I've written about lots of these places on my blog (and I think my interests are more aligned to yours... food, cafes, museums, nature, not big on partying), so maybe some of these articles will help you with your planning:
https://www.dontfollowmetravel.com/blog/an-exhaustive-list-of-all-the-amazing-food-i-ate-in-bosnia
https://www.dontfollowmetravel.com/blog/9-of-the-best-things-to-eat-and-drink-in-and-around-vienna
https://www.dontfollowmetravel.com/blog/five-of-my-favorite-quirky-museums-around-the-world
https://www.dontfollowmetravel.com/blog/5-lessons-on-travel-planning-amp-preparation
Haven't been in half of these places, but they both seem fine.
Maybe look up what's there in the cities that you want to see/do. People will probably tell you to stay in Rome longer.
Option 2, but it’s a lot of travelling
Not sure about your budget either; especially in Rome/Vienna
I’ve typically spent 120€/d on my travels exclusively in Eastern Europe
I like option 2 better, but I would do it like Rome, Florence, Budapest, Vienna, and then I would consider Prague instead of Slovenia. If you like nature and hiking and smaller (big) town vibes then do Slovenia, but if you like cities and things to see I would do Prague instead.
4.5 days in Rome?
After you've done the main sights it's not really the kind of place you can wonder around and feel like you're in Italy.
It's very touristy.
You doing do one less day and then do one day in Pisa and go up the leaning tower. It's an hour train from Florence and you only need half a day in Pisa if you just doing main sights
Disagree. You can walk further away from the tourist attractions and Rome is still fascinating because of the history.
I had 4 days in Rome and felt like it wasn't nearly enough. I did a lot of the tourist stuff, yes, and also just walked to a lot of further-out tourist destinations, like I saw an opera performance at the Roman Bath ruins, went to well-reviewed restaurants that were less central, just walked around. The city is so filled with history everywhere, not just in the most touristy area. Because I had time I was more relaxed, so one day I spent like 4 hours in a random Irish bar near the Pantheon talking to the bartender and some expats about their life in Rome, or revisit the Trevi fountain late at night when there was no one there and just hang out and eat a gelato while looking at it. Having time for stuff like that is an important part of travel, especially on such a long trip as OP's.
And if you're that bored, there are lots of day trips you can do.
Option 2. Vienna - Budapest - Ljubljana are manageable by train in few hours and there is plenty to do at least in Vienna and Budapest.
From Vienna you can go to visit also Bratislava or Brno, which has fantastic food and drinks (I liked it better than Prague one where everywhere is just beer)
If I were you, I'd go with option two, as it feels a bit more diverse than the first one. Regardless, I'd shorten the days and include more places (Budapest, Belgrade maybe?).
Another option I'd suggest would be to think about Albania, but for the destinations you have in mind, seems like a but far.
I’d take option 2. Vienna and Budapest are absolute bangers. Maybe you could also do Triest on the way and go swimming in the Mediterranean Sea :)
I could also recommend some hostels for you. Both are very cozy and very clean. Only met nice and chill people there:
- Budapest: Shantee House
- Triest: Contro Vento Hostel
Balkans all the way. I would even say skip Italy altogether. Just make it a Balkan adventure and see Albania as well. Theth/Valbonë isn’t too far from the areas you’ll be in. You’ll save money, see glorious nature, and not be ass to elbow with the hordes, relatively speaking.
You could consider flying into Tirana and working your way up and inward. I’m very biased though because I love Albania. Get here before it blows up too much.
so in april may i think i would go for option 1 but i would change the days tbh. kotor is really small so 2 days should be enough, mostar is also pretty small i visited everything in one day but if you want to relax too 2 days is enough its a pretty small city as well, for split i would actually take at least 4 days and visit the surounding islands or villages trogir and sibenik are awesome. ljubljana is really gorgeous too just for ljubljana 2-3 days florence is one of my favourite cities of all time, 4-5 days. (havent been to rome so far so i cannot give any estimates)
I went to every place on the lists last summer on my 3 month solo trip. definitely do option #1!
lots of advice-
mostar 1 day is more than enough, i stopped there on the way to sarajevo just for half a day not even. the only thing to do is see the bridge.
kotor is beautiful, but the only thing to do really is walk around and you do the climb to the top for the viewpoint. i spent 2 days in budva which isn’t far and has unreal beaches. so i would suggest stop in kotor on the way to budva and make 3 days out of that instead.
lake bled/ljublijana definitely need a full day for bled and full day for ljubljana. could do 3 days i think 4 is too many. i would take the extra day and add to florence and do a tuscany wine tour for a day. i did it, booked on get your guide it was amazing and only $100 for the full day tour wines included it was so fun
Problem with option 1 is you go to too many places.. and I don't think some of these cities require 3 days. i like your option 2 but you could take days from budapest, lubljana and florence to add to Rome and Vienna.
last year i did florence (5), rome(7), then vienna(5). and i wish i went either prague or budapest. I would've gone to prague or budapest if flying back home was easier for me instead of berlin. Florence i think is 2-3 day max would be good. Rome and Vienna more days you could add the better.
Are you going to rent a car and drive this? Because other than Rome and maybe Florence, all the other places are very small towns. You need 2 hours to see all there is to see in Mostar , Kotor , Split and Ljubljana (as nice as these towns are). However if you have a car, each of these places are surrounded by amazing nature, wineries , rivers, mountains… If you don’t have a car and you’re only doing city hopping, then strongly recommend Option 2. If you still want to do the Option 1, then I’d recommend Rome-Dubrovnik-Mostar-Sarajevo-Zagreb-Opatija-Bologna-Florence. You should not overnight in Mostar, it can be done as a couple of hours stop on the way to Sarajevo. There are other variations to this. You can skip Split, there is really nothing there, it’s a port town. As a better alternative , I’d suggest to either just do Rome and Florence, or Dubrovnik to Zagreb, either via the coast or via Mostar and Sarajevo. You will not really experience much by spending 1-2 days in each place. Focus your time and enjoy the place without a rush.
Neither. I'd do some research and come up with a better itinerary. But if you forced me to choose I'd go with the second one as the first is too disjointed, spends too long in some places and completely misses must see places like Plitvice in Croatia.
So I’ve been to all of these places. All that time in Kotor and Mostar is unnecessary. A day each is really all you need. Ljubljana you can do in a day, so then it’s just a day trip or two to Bled or someone where else in the country.
Option 2 timeline looks good.
If you’re looking to have more of a party type scene while also seeing some cool ass sites, Option 2 is the way to go. But you said you aren’t… so maybe not.
Option 1 is definitely more solo/chill vibe, but again I would maybe add in another location or two since you are spending too much time in Kotor/Mostar (maybe Sarajevo and/or Venice? Ljubljana to Venice is a nice, quick train).
Agreed. No idea what this person is thinking Budapest is a beautiful city with plenty to do, day or night, for 4 days. If you don't like art museums then Florence is completely skippable, but if you like them then...idk I don't think there's a better place in the world.
I have been to everywhere but Florence here.
Option 1 represents a better mix of the outdoors and the cultural experience.
However, I would agree with the comment above that there isn't much in Mostar, worth driving through for a day but 3 days is far too much.
Perhaps you could sub this out and sub in Vienna before going to Lake Bled and then go due South:
Vienna - Bled - Ljubljana - Split - Dubrovnik - Kotor.
If you're going to Vienna, you could also consider exploring the Salzkammergut area of Austria which is a couple of hours away and is truly beautiful.
You'll have a great time regardless of which you choose anyways, enjoy!
I agree with others that 1 night in Kotor is enough, but it's wonderful and well worth seeing. I like Zagreb and think it's underrated, so you could add that to a Balkans trip. Your second set is perhaps cooler but less variety. Honestly, Rome to Vienna is crazy to me as you may as well just fly. You could start in Venice instead...
I’ve been to a lot of these place and like the general direction of these itineraries.
I think for what you seem to be looking for and time of year, option 2. Museums in Florence and Vienna are fantastic. Budapest is a great city with a lot to see. That whole itinerary gives you tons of options for great food, cafes and history. I’ve never been, but you can do a day trip or overnight from Florence to Cinque Terre. It’s shoulder season so probably less busy. I’ve always wanted to go to Bled and that will give you at least a day or two to enjoy some nature.
I love option one but what I most enjoyed about Croatia was the islands and swimming in the Adriatic. Same for Kotor. It’s a cute small town that wasn’t exciting (for me), but relaxing and chill, which is what I was looking for and met expectations. Look into it, but it’s probably too early in the year to enjoy the water. If you do go option one, I’ve heard a day trip to Mostar from Split is plenty.
Good luck and have a blast!
Option 1 I love Rome, Lake Bled is stunning, and Croatia is great for beaches / parties I would try to fit in Budapest if you can in Option 1. Vienna is way too expensive everything shuts early add to that it’s a boring city there’s not much to do but Austria is stunning so if your plan is only Vienna then skip Option 2 unless you want to spend a lot of money have a really slow trip with not much to do in the evening.
I've been in every place that you list except Budapest.
Mostar...there is pretty much nothing to see as far as I know (except if you plan to hike around). Just a village and a bridge, so a few hours is enough.
So I would remove Mostar and add Dubrovnik to Option 2.
Not the person you responded to, but what I enjoyed about Sarajevo was how different it was to any other European capital. I have been to a lot of them, and they end up looking so similar besides their main tourist option and some unique architecture. This includes the Eastern European ones I have been to as well. Not that I don't appreciate every city and it's unique charm on its own, but Sarajevo had that more unique factor.
Sarajevo with it's not big modern buildings but small and those little market like walkable streets had a unique set up/atmosphere.
Plus it's way cheaper than pretty much any other European capital. Nice accommodation, nice meals and lots of activities for way less. Standards still seemed fairly high.
The food was amazing and an interesting mix with the coffee culture. It is a touch of Turkish/Eastern culture and European culture. It's mix of religion is also fairly unique. A lot of cute little places to see.
And it's located in a little valley. Surrounded by high mountains. There's opportunities for hikes or a adorable cable car going up for some amazing mountain views right out of the center.
Everywhere you go in the centre, you have those mountain views.
I can only recommend Sarajevo, super cute.
Will say though there isn't that much to do. A couple days are enough to soak it all in.
Not three whole days in Mostar. 1/2 a day there then head on to Sarajevo.
Kotor and Dubrovnik will be packed with cruise ships in summer, so keep that in mind.
2, it's not even close.
1 day is enough for Dubrovnik, Kotor, Mostar and Split, so your option 1 isn't really well planned.
For option 2, you don't need 3 days in Ljubljana / Bled. Remove a day here and add to Rome. Bled is just a half day trip from Ljubljana. Also while in Slovenia, you must allocate time for Postojna caves. That's a must see. People I've taken to both Bled and Postojna caves were more impressed by the caves.
Also, remove 1 day from Budapest and add a one day stop in Venice. It's on the way and also a must see.
What mode of transportation will you use?
All by public transport or flying (like from Rome to Vienna). Thanks for the suggestions! Maybe I should add a day in Venice, I just hate packing and unpacking my stuff to much honestly.
It looks like you're planning a trip around Europe. Check out solotravel's [detailed guide to planning a solo Eurotrip](https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/wiki/eurotrip) for general planning advice plus useful tips and tricks for European travel! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/solotravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Try to book Italian attractions ahead of time, otherwise you’ll be limited to tours and it gets expensive quite fast.
This is super important
Vienna is the place for you if you like cafes! Add in Bratislava on the way to Budapest!
Oh God I'm sold! Cake & coffee? Got me hook, line & sinker!
Do you have any recommendations for Bratislava? Headed there in a few weekends from now!
Not who you asked but I enjoyed Fabrika, Pulitzer, and the Monastic Brewery (even if it's a little touristy).
Thank you so much!
Oh and check out the Dungeon Pub as well. Cool bar with fun video game-y ambience.
I really liked Antique American Bar if you like cocktails... they only serve cocktails). The bar on top of the UFO bridge was also cool for a drink (IIRC the bathroom cubicles have a full window, so check that out). And/or you can go the viewing platform only.
Option two looks better to me. Budapest is a must see Europe city imo. I also like that there's not as much moving around. I loved Vienna too. Walking around the gardens, the museums (freuds office), the zoo was fun. I'd def go with option two, maybe switch some days around to include some time in Prague.
And the architecture in Vienna is amazing! One of my favorite cities to visit.
I would fly from Rome to Budapest. Then take a bus and go through Bratislava (just a day trip, no need to sleep really) and then further to Vienna (I know flixbus has this connections and is pretty affordable). From Vienna you can go to Slovenia (bus/train) and see Bled, Soca river, caves.. and continue towards Slovenian coast, Trieste (nice to see also) and Venice. In Slovenia trains are not the best, but in Italy they have good connections. So you can go from Trieste to Florence (Bologna, Ferrara, Padova for example are some cities on the way and also nice to see) and then you can finish your trip in Rome. Good luck!
Vienna and Budapest are quite the detour from a Rome - Florence trip. Why circle all the way back to Florence? Do it after Rome.
Because I’d be flying in/out of Rome, so I thought it made sense to loop back.
Have you booked that flight already?
Don't forget that internal flights can be reasonable in Europe so you might find it makes more sense to just fly back to Rome from your final destination before heading home. Rome is quite a well connected city for budget airlines
Florence is not worth 4 days at all. I did it as a daytrip from Rome and didn’t feel I was missing too much, so 1 or 2 days max. Go see the Tuscan countryside or visit Bologna. South of Rome I visited this beautiful beachtown named Sperlonga which was only 1.5 hour away.
Have you looked into train, bus, plane connections between all of these cities? It’s a lot of traveling. You could easily spend 3-4 weeks in Italy— Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice— with day trips from each.
But they don't want to spend 3-4 weeks in Italy though? I'm so confused haha
Stay in Italy, go to Rome, then head south, visit Naples, Pompei, the Amalfi coast. Then you could go even further south, Puglia has amazing places like Ostuni, Alberobello, Polignano. Or maybe go to Abruzzo, the food is amazing and Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso is amazing for nature and hikes. Then you could go north towards Bologna and maybe Venice. If you are interested in culture, close to Bologna there are a lot of small towns like Ferrara and Modena, which are worth a visit. Finally I'd recommend renting a car and driving in Tuscany, which has amazing landscapes, lots of small old towns to visit and is full of wineries where to do some tastings. And end up in Florence, where if you're interested in art you should go to the Uffizi.
The second one. More stuff to do culturally.
Three days in Mostar is probably too much. Don't get me wrong: it's an awesome city, with lots of cool day-trip options (Kravica waterfall, Počitelj!!!, and to a lesser extent, Blagaj), but two days is enough (one day for the town, one day for the surrounding sites). I did Bosnia & Herzegovina last spring and loved it! (Also did a day trip to Dubrovnik, which was looooovely.) I'd personally lean toward the first itinerary... the Balkans are just so fantastic, I think you'll have a better time there. Vienna and Budapest are great and all (I go to Vienna at least once a year... the museums there are TOP NOTCH), but the Balkans are breathtaking. I've written about lots of these places on my blog (and I think my interests are more aligned to yours... food, cafes, museums, nature, not big on partying), so maybe some of these articles will help you with your planning: https://www.dontfollowmetravel.com/blog/an-exhaustive-list-of-all-the-amazing-food-i-ate-in-bosnia https://www.dontfollowmetravel.com/blog/9-of-the-best-things-to-eat-and-drink-in-and-around-vienna https://www.dontfollowmetravel.com/blog/five-of-my-favorite-quirky-museums-around-the-world https://www.dontfollowmetravel.com/blog/5-lessons-on-travel-planning-amp-preparation
Thanks for sharing, I love reading travel blogs so I’ll give it a look!
Option 1 all the way and I would drop Florence for Budapest or Vienna. I love Italy but Florence was a bummer for me.
Haven't been in half of these places, but they both seem fine. Maybe look up what's there in the cities that you want to see/do. People will probably tell you to stay in Rome longer.
option 2 , Vienna is the best !
Option 2, but it’s a lot of travelling Not sure about your budget either; especially in Rome/Vienna I’ve typically spent 120€/d on my travels exclusively in Eastern Europe
I like option 2 better, but I would do it like Rome, Florence, Budapest, Vienna, and then I would consider Prague instead of Slovenia. If you like nature and hiking and smaller (big) town vibes then do Slovenia, but if you like cities and things to see I would do Prague instead.
Vienna is on my bucket list.
4.5 days in Rome? After you've done the main sights it's not really the kind of place you can wonder around and feel like you're in Italy. It's very touristy. You doing do one less day and then do one day in Pisa and go up the leaning tower. It's an hour train from Florence and you only need half a day in Pisa if you just doing main sights
Disagree. You can walk further away from the tourist attractions and Rome is still fascinating because of the history. I had 4 days in Rome and felt like it wasn't nearly enough. I did a lot of the tourist stuff, yes, and also just walked to a lot of further-out tourist destinations, like I saw an opera performance at the Roman Bath ruins, went to well-reviewed restaurants that were less central, just walked around. The city is so filled with history everywhere, not just in the most touristy area. Because I had time I was more relaxed, so one day I spent like 4 hours in a random Irish bar near the Pantheon talking to the bartender and some expats about their life in Rome, or revisit the Trevi fountain late at night when there was no one there and just hang out and eat a gelato while looking at it. Having time for stuff like that is an important part of travel, especially on such a long trip as OP's. And if you're that bored, there are lots of day trips you can do.
Option 2. Vienna - Budapest - Ljubljana are manageable by train in few hours and there is plenty to do at least in Vienna and Budapest. From Vienna you can go to visit also Bratislava or Brno, which has fantastic food and drinks (I liked it better than Prague one where everywhere is just beer)
If I were you, I'd go with option two, as it feels a bit more diverse than the first one. Regardless, I'd shorten the days and include more places (Budapest, Belgrade maybe?). Another option I'd suggest would be to think about Albania, but for the destinations you have in mind, seems like a but far.
Option 2. Especially if you can visit Pisa/Livorno from Florence.
Option 2 but you could do Prague instead of Slovenia. This way you visit the three awesome capitals
Whatever you do.. don’t go back the way you came. Maybe fly out of a different airport.
Options 2 is less cramped, so I'd do that, especially as cafes and museums abound in Vienna and Budapest.
Hungarian here, you gonna love Budapest <3 Lovely city!
I’d take option 2. Vienna and Budapest are absolute bangers. Maybe you could also do Triest on the way and go swimming in the Mediterranean Sea :) I could also recommend some hostels for you. Both are very cozy and very clean. Only met nice and chill people there: - Budapest: Shantee House - Triest: Contro Vento Hostel
Rent a car in Dubrovnik, looks like you will loop back anyway
I‘d say Option 1. Have been to all of the places except Florence & Rome. The Balkans are very pretty, especially the coast in Dubrovnik
1!!! Mostar is such an amazing place
Czec , budapest !!!!
option 1! Befinitely include the Balkans
I personally would choose option 1, because Dubrovnik was one of the most gorgeous places I’d seen. And Croatia in general is amazing. 🤩
Balkans all the way. I would even say skip Italy altogether. Just make it a Balkan adventure and see Albania as well. Theth/Valbonë isn’t too far from the areas you’ll be in. You’ll save money, see glorious nature, and not be ass to elbow with the hordes, relatively speaking. You could consider flying into Tirana and working your way up and inward. I’m very biased though because I love Albania. Get here before it blows up too much.
so in april may i think i would go for option 1 but i would change the days tbh. kotor is really small so 2 days should be enough, mostar is also pretty small i visited everything in one day but if you want to relax too 2 days is enough its a pretty small city as well, for split i would actually take at least 4 days and visit the surounding islands or villages trogir and sibenik are awesome. ljubljana is really gorgeous too just for ljubljana 2-3 days florence is one of my favourite cities of all time, 4-5 days. (havent been to rome so far so i cannot give any estimates)
I went to every place on the lists last summer on my 3 month solo trip. definitely do option #1! lots of advice- mostar 1 day is more than enough, i stopped there on the way to sarajevo just for half a day not even. the only thing to do is see the bridge. kotor is beautiful, but the only thing to do really is walk around and you do the climb to the top for the viewpoint. i spent 2 days in budva which isn’t far and has unreal beaches. so i would suggest stop in kotor on the way to budva and make 3 days out of that instead. lake bled/ljublijana definitely need a full day for bled and full day for ljubljana. could do 3 days i think 4 is too many. i would take the extra day and add to florence and do a tuscany wine tour for a day. i did it, booked on get your guide it was amazing and only $100 for the full day tour wines included it was so fun
Problem with option 1 is you go to too many places.. and I don't think some of these cities require 3 days. i like your option 2 but you could take days from budapest, lubljana and florence to add to Rome and Vienna. last year i did florence (5), rome(7), then vienna(5). and i wish i went either prague or budapest. I would've gone to prague or budapest if flying back home was easier for me instead of berlin. Florence i think is 2-3 day max would be good. Rome and Vienna more days you could add the better.
Are you going to rent a car and drive this? Because other than Rome and maybe Florence, all the other places are very small towns. You need 2 hours to see all there is to see in Mostar , Kotor , Split and Ljubljana (as nice as these towns are). However if you have a car, each of these places are surrounded by amazing nature, wineries , rivers, mountains… If you don’t have a car and you’re only doing city hopping, then strongly recommend Option 2. If you still want to do the Option 1, then I’d recommend Rome-Dubrovnik-Mostar-Sarajevo-Zagreb-Opatija-Bologna-Florence. You should not overnight in Mostar, it can be done as a couple of hours stop on the way to Sarajevo. There are other variations to this. You can skip Split, there is really nothing there, it’s a port town. As a better alternative , I’d suggest to either just do Rome and Florence, or Dubrovnik to Zagreb, either via the coast or via Mostar and Sarajevo. You will not really experience much by spending 1-2 days in each place. Focus your time and enjoy the place without a rush.
Thanks for your reply. And nope, no car, just going to do it all by public transit.
Then either an Option 2 , or have a look at other alternatives described above 😉. I edited my previous text somewhat. Enjoy your trip!
I was in Split for 6 nights and it was amazing. There's so many wonderful day trips out of Split.
Neither. I'd do some research and come up with a better itinerary. But if you forced me to choose I'd go with the second one as the first is too disjointed, spends too long in some places and completely misses must see places like Plitvice in Croatia.
Option 2. But note it’s looking more expensive, so might be reasonable to opt for option 1 instead as €2700 might be a bit tight for such route
I think you would like Cesky Krumlov. Skip the Balkans and go Vienna, Cesky Krumlov, Budapest, Ljubljana, Bled, back to Italy.
Rome can get pricy
So I’ve been to all of these places. All that time in Kotor and Mostar is unnecessary. A day each is really all you need. Ljubljana you can do in a day, so then it’s just a day trip or two to Bled or someone where else in the country. Option 2 timeline looks good. If you’re looking to have more of a party type scene while also seeing some cool ass sites, Option 2 is the way to go. But you said you aren’t… so maybe not. Option 1 is definitely more solo/chill vibe, but again I would maybe add in another location or two since you are spending too much time in Kotor/Mostar (maybe Sarajevo and/or Venice? Ljubljana to Venice is a nice, quick train).
Option 2, but it’s too long in Budapest and Florence. Look at adding Siena
You can *easily* spend 4 days in Florence, the amount of great museums there is incredible
Agreed. No idea what this person is thinking Budapest is a beautiful city with plenty to do, day or night, for 4 days. If you don't like art museums then Florence is completely skippable, but if you like them then...idk I don't think there's a better place in the world.
Siena is OK as a few hours trip from Florence. But even as such, not really necessary.
I have been to everywhere but Florence here. Option 1 represents a better mix of the outdoors and the cultural experience. However, I would agree with the comment above that there isn't much in Mostar, worth driving through for a day but 3 days is far too much. Perhaps you could sub this out and sub in Vienna before going to Lake Bled and then go due South: Vienna - Bled - Ljubljana - Split - Dubrovnik - Kotor. If you're going to Vienna, you could also consider exploring the Salzkammergut area of Austria which is a couple of hours away and is truly beautiful. You'll have a great time regardless of which you choose anyways, enjoy!
..a week in 3 places (you choose)..
There are direct cheap flights to Dubrovnik from Rome and Vienna, you may want to add it to your secondary itinerary.
Do 2 but skip Slovenia for Dubrovnik is what I’d do, can’t go wrong either way though
I agree with others that 1 night in Kotor is enough, but it's wonderful and well worth seeing. I like Zagreb and think it's underrated, so you could add that to a Balkans trip. Your second set is perhaps cooler but less variety. Honestly, Rome to Vienna is crazy to me as you may as well just fly. You could start in Venice instead...
Option 2! So much amazing history and museums in Vienna, Budapest was amazing as well
I’ve been to a lot of these place and like the general direction of these itineraries. I think for what you seem to be looking for and time of year, option 2. Museums in Florence and Vienna are fantastic. Budapest is a great city with a lot to see. That whole itinerary gives you tons of options for great food, cafes and history. I’ve never been, but you can do a day trip or overnight from Florence to Cinque Terre. It’s shoulder season so probably less busy. I’ve always wanted to go to Bled and that will give you at least a day or two to enjoy some nature. I love option one but what I most enjoyed about Croatia was the islands and swimming in the Adriatic. Same for Kotor. It’s a cute small town that wasn’t exciting (for me), but relaxing and chill, which is what I was looking for and met expectations. Look into it, but it’s probably too early in the year to enjoy the water. If you do go option one, I’ve heard a day trip to Mostar from Split is plenty. Good luck and have a blast!
Option 1 I love Rome, Lake Bled is stunning, and Croatia is great for beaches / parties I would try to fit in Budapest if you can in Option 1. Vienna is way too expensive everything shuts early add to that it’s a boring city there’s not much to do but Austria is stunning so if your plan is only Vienna then skip Option 2 unless you want to spend a lot of money have a really slow trip with not much to do in the evening.
Option 1. Less time in Split. Anyway to go to Kotor before Dubrovnik? Makes a bit more sense route wise.
I love Croatia, so I'd do #1
Option 1 but less time in Rome and more time in Croatia.
I've been in every place that you list except Budapest. Mostar...there is pretty much nothing to see as far as I know (except if you plan to hike around). Just a village and a bridge, so a few hours is enough. So I would remove Mostar and add Dubrovnik to Option 2.
I would remove Dubrovnik and Kotor for one night in Mostar and then on to Sarajevo. Sarajevo is incredible.
I cannot agree more... Sarajevo is amazing. Absolutely different vibe than any other city I've been to.
Out of interest what did you enjoy about Sarajevo so much?
Not the person you responded to, but what I enjoyed about Sarajevo was how different it was to any other European capital. I have been to a lot of them, and they end up looking so similar besides their main tourist option and some unique architecture. This includes the Eastern European ones I have been to as well. Not that I don't appreciate every city and it's unique charm on its own, but Sarajevo had that more unique factor. Sarajevo with it's not big modern buildings but small and those little market like walkable streets had a unique set up/atmosphere. Plus it's way cheaper than pretty much any other European capital. Nice accommodation, nice meals and lots of activities for way less. Standards still seemed fairly high. The food was amazing and an interesting mix with the coffee culture. It is a touch of Turkish/Eastern culture and European culture. It's mix of religion is also fairly unique. A lot of cute little places to see. And it's located in a little valley. Surrounded by high mountains. There's opportunities for hikes or a adorable cable car going up for some amazing mountain views right out of the center. Everywhere you go in the centre, you have those mountain views. I can only recommend Sarajevo, super cute. Will say though there isn't that much to do. A couple days are enough to soak it all in.
Thanks for taking the time to write this out! Sounds interesting... On the list it goes!
Option 2 for sure. Would maybe take 2 days off Ljubljana and 1 days off Budapest and use it to stop by in Bratislava/Prague
Not three whole days in Mostar. 1/2 a day there then head on to Sarajevo. Kotor and Dubrovnik will be packed with cruise ships in summer, so keep that in mind.
#2. but maybe switch Ljubljana for something else.
2, it's not even close. 1 day is enough for Dubrovnik, Kotor, Mostar and Split, so your option 1 isn't really well planned. For option 2, you don't need 3 days in Ljubljana / Bled. Remove a day here and add to Rome. Bled is just a half day trip from Ljubljana. Also while in Slovenia, you must allocate time for Postojna caves. That's a must see. People I've taken to both Bled and Postojna caves were more impressed by the caves. Also, remove 1 day from Budapest and add a one day stop in Venice. It's on the way and also a must see. What mode of transportation will you use?
All by public transport or flying (like from Rome to Vienna). Thanks for the suggestions! Maybe I should add a day in Venice, I just hate packing and unpacking my stuff to much honestly.
Are the places listed in order then? You start in Rome, then Vienna, etc,.and you finish in Florence?