{"id":6134,"date":"2016-03-09T09:49:34","date_gmt":"2016-03-09T01:49:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rearviewmirror.ruqa4eh2-liquidwebsites.com\/?p=6134"},"modified":"2023-11-06T10:33:36","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T02:33:36","slug":"european-mystery-tour-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rearviewmirror.tv\/european-mystery-tour-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"21-Day Europe Itinerary: 7 Countries, 13 Cities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Back in September, I declared I wasn\u2019t going to be travel blogging quite so much then proceeded to daily blog a 3-week Eurail trip. Thirteen cities in 21 days covering Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy. It was quite the European itinerary.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"European<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

That might sound like a ridiculous number of stops in such a short time frame, and maybe it is, but it can also be a hugely fun way to travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recommend a whirlwind tour like this for two groups of travellers. For those that have never been to Europe before and want to get an overall feel for a bunch of places. It\u2019ll help you figure out where you might want to return to in the future for a longer, more in-depth stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, it\u2019s great for those who travel often and want to return to experience a certain aspect of their favourite destinations. For example, to go on seven country gourmet tour (that\u2019s me!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

21-Day Europe Itinerary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The so-called Mystery Tour involved turning up at the train station and deciding where to travel to at that moment. No plans, no prior research and nothing booked in advance. It was a great idea but it didn\u2019t end up working too well in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On longer journeys, there is often only one or two trains per day so if you\u2019re not at the station by 7am you will have missed your only chance. Add the stress of having to buy a last-minute reservation and you\u2019ll be wishing you did at least some advance planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d say that was mostly due to travelling long distances in Central Europe and the Balkans. If you stick to short trips in countries with busier and more reliable train systems you wouldn\u2019t have this problem. Even so, travelling with little idea of where I\u2019d be the next day was a brilliant way to travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, the Mystery Tour turned out to be a delicious foodie tour more than anything else. Schnitzel in Vienna, risotto by the sea in Zadar, cheese tasting in Ljubljana, cicchetti<\/em> (kind of like Italian tapas) in the back streets of Venice, Christmas market snacks in Innsbruck, and absolutely everything in Bologna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eurail Rail Pass<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I was given a 21-day consecutive rail pass by Eurail. This pass is ideal for this kind of trip as you can hop on almost any train at any time on any day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t like where you end up you can pick another train and go somewhere else. You have complete flexibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get the most out of the pass you have to do a lot of travelling. It can be exhausting. The key is to find a balance between time spent on the train and exploring each stop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be fair, having visited most of these cities before might have made it easier for me. I didn\u2019t feel compelled to run around and visit all the ‘must-see’ sights. I picked out a couple of things only and enjoyed those things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I suggest you do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s brilliant to be able to go on a multi-country trip, you can see so much in three weeks but you don\u2019t have to see *everything*. In my daily posts, I mention the highlights of each destination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take those suggestions and find your own to make the ideal trip for you or read my list of the best places to visit in Europe<\/a> for more ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting Destination: Budapest<\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"Buda<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

My Eurail trip started in Budapest, one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in Europe and my current home town. If you\u2019ve never been to Budapest, below is a quick summary of the main sights but if you have time there are countless things to do and events to keep you entertained.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Budapest<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For a more detailed explanation, my list of where to go in Budapest<\/a> should help you out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n