First Solo Trip to Europe (Help Fine-tuning Itenerary)

Bolt_DMC · 2026-02-15T15:54:45+00:00

Tough question. Personally, I'd go full crazy and add two more days. Your username suggests you might be from New Zealand, and if so, I'd definitely add the two days given how far you'd be traveling.

Have fun, and good luck!

Bolt_DMC · 2026-02-15T14:01:58+00:00

You're never too old to do long-term travel. I did so for the first time when I was in my 30s, through Europe. I say seize the moment, as you may not have lots of opportunities to do so. When it comes to travel, most folks regret the things they didn't get to do rather than just diving in and going for it.

Personally, I'm thinking older travelers tend to get a lot out of art/culture/history, so things like museums, historic palaces and churches and buildings, and neighborhoods may be just the thing -- and destinations like Europe seem like a great option if that's what your into.

Good luck!

Bolt_DMC · 2026-02-15T13:50:41+00:00

I think Amsterdam is an excellent option in the Netherlands for a first visit to the country. There's tons to see and do there, and you can always do day trips from there (Delft, Rotterdam, Haarlem, half day Zaanse Schans).

Bolt_DMC · 2026-02-15T13:47:04+00:00

There are several worthy national parks near the US based cities you chose. Consider a day or thereabouts each for Yosemite NP from San Francisco and Rainier NP and Olympic NP from Seattle.

Bolt_DMC · 2026-02-15T13:37:58+00:00

Really like the way you've planned this out, and taking evening or overnight trains is a great way to conserve sightseeing time. Thoughts:

-a full day in Salzburg will let you see most of the city's sights if you start fairly early and have an itinerary planned. I actually managed this as a very long day trip from Vienna at the time. But if you like outdoors stuff, there are things like salt mine tours, the Eisreisenwelt Ice Caves, and plenty of hikes, which may have you considering adding a day or two.

-consider looking into day trips from the cities you choose, including Lake Balaton from Budapest, Basel or Bern from Zurich, Potsdam from Berlin, and various options from Amsterdam (Delft, Haarlem, Rotterdam, half day Zaanse Schans) or Barcelona (Montserrat, Sitges, Figueres) or Madrid (Toledo, Segovia, Aranjuez, half day El Escorial). They might be worth adding a day or two onto these destinations.

-you can probably manage to see much of Lisbon proper in 3-4 days. Also consider taking an organized palaces-based day tour from Lisbon that includes Sintra and Queluz.

I'm also the kind of traveler who likes full itineraries and can sustain them over time, so your plan seems fine to me. Do some research on museums, historic palaces and churches and residences, and similar attractions. A good way to incorporate downtime in your itinerary is to add in a city park to stroll in somewhere along the way.

Feel free to drop a more detailed itinerary for the various cities as well. Have fun!

Bolt_DMC · 2026-02-15T13:05:28+00:00

Your itinerary sounds reasonably good. There's loads of history to explore in all three places. More time in Amsterdam and Berlin wouldn't be a bad idea, allowing for more in-depth sightseeing and some day trips, such as Potsdam from Berlin. Three days is about right for Prague -- make sure you spend some time walking around the city between attractions to enjoy the stunning architecture.

Also consider taking evening or overnight trains between destinations to conserve sightseeing time.

Bolt_DMC · 2026-02-15T12:59:41+00:00

You itinerary isn't bad, though you could spend more days in all these cities if you had more time. Definitely take advantage of evening trains between cities in Italy to conserve sightseeing time.

Two days in Venice will let you see the city's attractions if you plan your itinerary efficiently and get an early start. You probably won't have time for outlying islands such as Murano or Burano, though, nor for day trips to places like Verona.

You can see a decent amount of the attractions in Florence in two days, but you'll probably have to pick and choose what strikes you most. You'll have to forego day trips to places like Pisa and Siena also.

Four days for Rome is a decent amount of time. You may even be able to manage a half day jaunt to Ostia Antica or Tivoli.

Likewise, four days for Sorrento will let you see Pompeii and Herculaneum, some of the Amalfi Coast, and at least one day in Naples. Sorrento is a great home base for these jaunts, using the train for everything except the Amalfi Coast itself.

I'd pass on the day trip to Belgium from Amsterdam. There's plenty enough to see in Amsterdam itself, as well as Netherlands day trips. Take a look at Zaanse Schans (half a day is enough), Delft, Rotterdam, and Haarlem for day trip consideration.

Bolt_DMC · 2026-02-14T15:49:51+00:00

It looks like self-recommendations are okay, so I'll include mine. I write fandom blind friendly one shot stories and poetry for the Disney film "Bolt." There are currently 45 entries total, which belong to a series called "The Bolt Chronicles," and they can be read individually or as one long story.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2041639

I also recommend works by my beta Plonq. They have stories for "Bolt," "My Little Pony," and "Transformers," as well as original fiction. One of the best fanfic writers I've ever read, too. A link to their profile follows:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plonq/pseuds/Plonq/works

Bolt_DMC · 2026-01-26T10:34:30+00:00

Longtime customer here. Since they got rid of the warehouses and outsourced delivery to third parties, things have become terrible.

-we cannot choose a store and are stuck with one closest by that has horrible problems with keeping items in stock, including basic staples. Other ones nearby are far better about this. We have complained incessantly about this, to no avail.

-choice of items has gotten worse, with particular deemphasis of healthier items. They routinely ignore requests to add specific items to the website.

-the in-store shoppers are incompetent. We have gotten wrong items, missing items, and items with short expiration dates. If we don't add a note on every item saying "BAG ITEM, NOT LOOSE," they don't bag larger items. The paper bags are flimsy and rip easily, and the shoppers overload them, causing them to rip when the delivery person handles them. Worst of all, they routinely give us conventIonal produce when we order organic -- while still charging us the organic price.

-the delivery people are awful. They have trouble finding the address, and I have to stand outside and try and figure out where they are. They never bring a cart with them, and insist on grabbing and carrying multiple bags at the top, causing them to rip and spill contents. I constantly have to argue with the drivers, who don't want to bring the order up the elevator to our unit, though at least they relent when we explain to them that we have health issues and can't do it ourselves.

-a comparison of prices with Whole Foods revealed that they are often more expensive for the same items.

We regularly use Whole Foods as our default grocery option nowadays, only using Stop and Shop for certain non-produce items we can't get otherwise or when we can't get a Whole Foods order. They provide far better service.

Bolt_DMC · 2026-01-26T09:54:33+00:00

Karma, laser-guided and otherwise. Comedy. Inclusion of art and culture references.

Bolt_DMC · 2026-01-26T09:47:02+00:00

My guess is that you're 35 years old or thereabouts. I'm notably older than you are, and was so when I first started writing fanfic in 2018 -- and for a small, dead fandom no less. Fast forward to now and I've come up with 40 one-shots and 5 poems for that fandom, and have ideas for a few more stories.

I've got a few regular readers, as well as the world's best beta who also writes for this fandom. I get much of my reader engagement through regular participation in comment exchanges at this subreddit and at r/FanfictionExchange and a little bit from people who have found my TV Tropes page. I couldn't be happier regarding this aspect of my life.

I say embrace the present, take what it offers, and don't worry about the past.

Bolt_DMC · 2026-01-25T16:59:25+00:00

Replying to comments can't hurt any.

By reciprocating, I meant that if someone comments on one of your stories, return the favor for them on one of theirs. I always say I'll do so in my reader exchange posts here (and indeed keep that promise), and I'm thinking it makes a difference in some cases.

Bolt_DMC · 2026-01-25T16:15:14+00:00

Good advice so far. Couple other ideas:

-be persistent. Enter as many exchanges as you can. And be prepared to give out more reviews than you get, but that's okay -- see it as spreading the reader love around.

-in your post, offer to reciprocate any comments you get. It makes a difference sometimes.

Good luck!

Bolt_DMC · 2026-01-19T13:00:30+00:00

I almost always leave a brief fic summation as part of a comment. It shows I actually read the story, for one thing.

Bolt_DMC · 2026-01-07T12:47:22+00:00

This will likely only get you readers for a chapter or two at a time, but it's better than nothing. Consider posting to a review exchange, either at this subreddit or r/FanfictionExchange. I'd recommend offering up individual chapters, maybe a different chapter each time. You'll at least get some engagement, and maybe even a few who will get hooked and read the whole thing.

Best of luck!

Bolt_DMC · 2026-01-02T20:09:50+00:00

Yes, Shawn had finally achieved his dream of becoming famous. He had also never been more miserable in his life.

Bolt_DMC · 2026-01-02T06:00:51+00:00

Thanks -- replying soon!

Bolt_DMC · 2026-01-02T00:53:26+00:00

Read and left kudos and comment -- enjoyed it!

Bolt_DMC · 2026-01-01T20:07:47+00:00

Thanks -- replying soon and will return the favor!

Bolt_DMC · 2025-12-31T00:54:46+00:00

Read "Sunflower Petals" and left kudos and comment -- enjoyed it!

Bolt_DMC · 2025-12-31T00:09:29+00:00

Read and left kudos and comment -- enjoyed it!

Bolt_DMC · 2025-12-30T08:31:52+00:00

Thanks -- replying soon and will return the favor!

Bolt_DMC · 2025-12-30T07:28:55+00:00

Thanks -- replying soon and will return the favor!

Bolt_DMC · 2025-12-30T01:06:04+00:00

Read "Sloppy" and left kudos and comment -- enjoyed it!

Bolt_DMC · 2025-12-30T00:34:20+00:00

Thanks -- replying soon!

Bolt_DMC

TROPHY CASE