Directions for a perfect vacation: Part 1

1. The right length. Ten weeks drags on at times; one week isn't enough time to overcome the jet lag, and the high cost of flying makes the per-day cost very expensive. My perfect trip? Three weeks.

2. The right area. I spent ten weeks visiting eighteen countries, if you count Slovakia, which my train went through, and Vatican City (I didn't actually get to go in, but I walked the whole way around the walls, and I think I technically entered the city near the gates). Too much too fast. My ultimate trip of three weeks would concentrate on one region. For example, Scandinavia (concentrating on Norway, but possibly short stops in Sweden, Finland, and Denmark). Or Germany/Austria. Or France (possibly including Belgium and Netherlands). Or Great Britain. Or Switzerland/Italy/Vatican City. Three weeks of Italy would drive me crazy, but it would be nice to see some countryside/small town stuff, Rome, and Vatican City, and April wants to see Venice. More time to enjoy each country, and less time and money spent on travel. Definitely the smart way to go.

3. Take someone with you. I originally planned on taking the ten-week trip with Benny the Barbarian, but our schedules never worked out. I saw friends in Switzerland and Germany, but otherwise I didn't know anyone anywhere. Things got very lonely at times. Take someone you know well, and realize that there'll be compromise and disagreements, and you might want to spend days apart. But transportation for two is often cheaper per person, and you can get a bed-and-breakfast for two at about the same price as two beds in a hostel. Trust me; bed-and-breakfasts are almost always better. Most of all, you'll hold the loneliness at bay.
On my way home I sat next to a recent high school graduate, headed to an Ivy League university. She'd spent several weeks traveling solo without many problems. Western Europe and much of Eastern Europe is generally safe, but women especially may want to travel in pairs. Men in Italy, for example, have a well-earned reputation for being scoundrels, if not actually dangerous. My aunt hated her time as a solo traveler in Italy for that reason.
On the downside, two people aren't as easily approached by strangers wanting to lend a helping hand, and two or more American men together are often seen as the nuisance they usually are. More than two people may present bigger problems--more conflicts of interest, more disagreements, more compromise, etc.