HELP! We are booking a flight to Germany for 3 days from now and plan to take a train to Italy..Is this crazy?

Question

Is this too spontaneous? We plan to take our luggage on the train and stay in hotels that we come across as we travel? Should we do this or is it too risky? HELP!

Answer 1

You'll have a great time! It's a bit of a rush perhaps, but go out and buy a Lonely Planet Guide to Western Europe and it'll tell you where to go for last minute hotels, pensions, hostels, etc.
One thing you could do if you want is take a night train to Italy and get a couchette. You'd save on one night's hotel but wouldn't get to see much from the train at night.
I've traveled spontaneously for years, and the only time I reserve in advance is if it's a holiday or a place that I know will be packed with tourists, and I reserve a room for the day I arrive, but my friend just goes to the tourist info booth at a train station he arrives at and gets something every time. I like to read in Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, and Let's Go, and find the best location on city maps and choose my hotels accordingly. I also usually find rooms for about 50% less than he pays.