In my Grade 12 year at Canso High I can very distinctly remember tracing in pen, from city to city, the route that I imagined taking across Europe the summer after graduation. I left that old Oxford Canadian School Atlas memorized and tattered... some desires just never go away. Some 25 years later, Janie and I found the time and space (coin) to make the trip happen. The wait made the excursion all the sweeter!

In the fall of 2011 I started planning for such a trek through Europe and began organizing and purchasing the travel, accommodation and attraction pieces that would make up the journey. With only 9 days to work with and so many travel connections, it was a challenge to keep this from feeling like "The Amazing Race"! So much to see, so little time. Planes, trains, cars, boats, subway, tram... all were part of the mix.

I've always been one to try and see as much as possible in my time on the ground, and this trip was no exception. The key to covering ground and spending time in attractions (as opposed to in lines) is a solid plan. We sourced all travel reservations, accommodations and attractions online ourselves. In reality, we purchased about 85% of the trip prior to departure, and had a very tight itinerary that would have us briefly visit the cities of London and Zurich (for some sightseeing and flight arrival/departure), while focusing on longer stays in Amsterdam, Berlin and Munich. Unlike recent trips to Cuba and Orlando, this sojourn was less about "vacationing" and more about "travel". I suppose some would consider this type of trip "work" as opposed to "fun"... but it works for us.

So, we arranged flights, then train travel, followed by attractions and accommodations for the route. Finding attractions in these cities was easy... the unique architecture of church and state, world class sporting events, renowned museums of art, everything from canal cruises to beer gardens, all coupled with our focus on 20th Century European history, WWII and Cold War periods. We also arranged, with the help of Eileen and the MacKinnons, a soft landing for our kids in PEI over the break. As always... we left worry free as we knew that every need would be taken care of and that the gang were looked after all too well (spoiling)!!!

There were also some "newbie" experiences for us this time around. Of note, there was a more deliberate reliance on train travel, especially sleeper cars and overnight travel. We've included some thoughts within the itineraries which share how that went!!! Further, we especially enjoyed the "Rail and Sail" option we used for travel to Holland, which combined rail and an overnight ferry for a very economical rate. Really a different snippet for us.

Although seemingly fast paced, the trip was actually very relaxing. We got plenty of time to wander, enjoy a meal or coffee (or beer) in absolutely amazing settings, or to just plain people watch. As with previous web sites, you can follow along and share in some of our musings in regards to things we saw and did. Janie's gotten more into the photography... we've got some great pics in the gallery as well if that's more your style. Hope you enjoy!!!