Plan Your Travel Itinerary

Determining Your Itinerary
This is may seem like a no-brainer, but if you're going to take a trip you should try to work out some sort of itinerary.  At the very least make a list of which countries/cities you simply must visit and which countries/ cities you can live with out visiting (at least for this trip).

For example, when I was first planning my trip, my list of where I wanted to travel was way too long.  Pretty soon I realized that unless I wanted to travel at a break-neck speed, I would have to narrow down my list.

My Original List (before rational thought set in):
Austria:  Vienna, Salzburg
Belgium:  Brussels, Brugges
Czech Republic:  Prague
England:  London, Windsor, Bath, Salisbury, Lyme, Regis, Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford,   Cambridge, Shrewsbury, Chester, York, Nottingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Lake District
France:  Paris, Nice
Germany:  Berlin, Munich, Frankfort, Hamburg
Greece:  Athens
Ireland:  Dublin, Newgrange, Galway, Clifden, Killarney, Doolin (Burren Cliffs of Moher), Limerick, Cork,  Kilkenny
Italy:  Florence, Venice, Rome, Milan, Sienna, Pisa
Netherlands:  Amsterdam
Scotland:  Edinburgh, Perth, Pitlochtry, Aviemore, Inverness, Loch Ness, Isle of Skye, Fort William, Glencoe, Oban, Inverary, Loch Lomond, and Glasgow
Switzerland:  Lucerne, Interlaken, Geneva
Wales:  Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth, Colwyn Bay, Holyhead (ferry to Ireland)

My Revised List (after rational thought took over):
Austria:  Salzburg
England:  London, Bath, Salisbury (Stonehenge), Lyme Regis (via either Weymouth or Exeter), Chester, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cambridge, York, Lake District
France:  Paris
Germany:  Munich
Greece:  Athens
Ireland:  Dublin, Galway, Killarney, Kilkenny, Cork
Italy:  Florence, Rome
Netherlands:  Amsterdam
Scotland:  Edinburgh, Inverness, Loch Ness, Fort William, Oban, Glasgow
Switzerland:   Interlaken or Lucerne
Wales:    Colwyn Bay, Holyhead (for ferry to Ireland)

Where I Actually Ended Up Going:
Austria:  Salzburg
England:  London, Cambridge, York, Lake District (Ambleside), Chester, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, Salisbury (Stonehenge), Avebury, Lyme Regis (via Axminster), Penzance, Mousehole, St. Ives
France:  Paris
Germany:  Munich
Ireland:  Dublin, Trim, Atlone, Galway, The Burren, Cliffs of Moher, Lahinch, Tralee, Dingle, Slea Head, Ballyferriter,  Inch, Killorglin, Killarney, Kenmare, Glengariff, Clonakilty, Kilkenny, Cork, Tullow, Wicklow, Glendalough
Italy:  Venice, Pisa, Florence, Sienna, Rome, Pompeii (via Naples)
Netherlands:  Amsterdam
Scotland:  Edinburgh, Braies of Balqhidder, Loch Voil, Glen Orchi, Oban, Fort William, Glencoe, Glen Finnan, Mallaig, Isle of Skye (Kyleakan, Portree, Lealt Falls, Man of Storr, McLeod's Table, Quirang, Fairy Glen), Inverness/Loch Ness, Culloden
Switzerland:   Lucerne, Interlaken, Grindelwald

On-Line Information
Before you travel request information from the tourist board organizations for each county and major city you think you would like to visit (I have many of the tourist boards listed on my Country  Information).