Dream Trip of Europe!!!

My PhD is in Semiconductors and postdoc (without a tinge of hesitation) is in Traveling (specialization: EU zone and a few parts of India and Asia pacific). If you need further travel tips, do contact me...hahaha. I serve with a single fee: In front of a beautiful spot, you have to say "Guru! Guru!! Guru!!!" and I will have a sense of being around there and I will see the world through your eyes...

As a part of my travel consultancy, I was set out to plan a trip for Pranshant's friend, Waqqas. He was set out to travel the world in 6 months and the first thought talking to him was "Mera number kab aayega :-( :-( :-(". He had (if I remember correctly) about 45 days to travel within Europe. The start and end would have to be Switzerland and when I set out to plan a trip for him, the trip (unknowingly at that point in time) became my own dream trip... 

The plan includes parts of the world that I have been, parts of the world that my friends have been (and they highly recommend) and a few appear in the list through travelogues (and postdoc grade research). The trip includes countries in the Schengen region only. Single google map was insufficient to provide all the directions and I had to resort to two, one covering the west and the other covering the east. First map shows a travel distance of 14600 km and the second pans about 6865 km only :-). As that would take some effort to walk or bike (even for the best of the best), I recommend a few flights (Ryanair must be traveling to most by default). Also, it would most likely take more than 45 days if you encompass all of them. I believe it has a nice mix of important/historical cities and an abundance of nature for nature lovers. Certainly, you are free to make your own choice to hip on and hip off...

Europe in the West - Plan A

Europe in the East - Plan B

     

In a nutshell, it covers the following places across 18 countries. You can skip some and choose some to your taste:

-- Geneva, Switzerland; -- Chamonix, France -- Grenoble, France

-- Nice, Cannes France, Monte Carlo (Recommend a Cruise to Barcelona)

-- Barcelona, Spain; -- Cordova, Spain; -- Malaga, Spain; -- Seville, Spain; 

-- Lisbon, Portugal; -- Porto, Portugal

-- Madrid, Spain; -- San Sebastian, Spain; 

-- Paris, France

-- Luxembourg, Luxembourg

-- Heidelberg, Germany

-- Leuven, Belgium (of course); -- Brugge, Belgium

-- Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Fly to Stockholm)

-- Stockholm, Sweden (Fly to Abisko); -- Abisko, Sweden (Fly to Bergen); -- Bergen, Norway; -- Stavanger, Norway; -- Oslo, Norway 

-- Copenhaegen, Denmark (Ferry to Finland); -- Helsinki, Finland 

-- Krakow, Poland; -- Berlin, Germany; -- Prague, Czech Republic;
-- Budapest, Hungary; -- Vienna, Austria; -- Salzburg, Austria

-- Munich, Germany; -- Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

-- Venezia, Italy; -- Pisa, Italy; -- Rome, Italy; -- Palermo, Italy; 
-- Agrigento, Italy (Fly to Malta)

-- Malta Island, Mellieħa, Malta (Fly to Milan; Milan to Como) 

-- Como, Italy

-- Interlaken, Switzerland; -- Zurich, Switzerland

Happy Travel...

Guru