If you want to visit those 4 countries, flying between them and the whole of the trip is 14 days you will have about 3 days per country.
That is not worth it.
Traveling takes time and the more locations you add, the more time you need to set aside for the actual traveling.
You will enjoy more if you restrict yourself to fewer countries and those close together.
Italy and Paris is possible, still a lot for just two weeks, but anything more is overcrowding it.
Better still would be Paris and two locations in France.
Paris is a city, the others are countries.
I agree with Willeke, if you only have two weeks, you need to consider the travelling time, and I would also suggest cutting back on the number of countries you want to visit. Pick two countries max. They are countries, with lots to see and do.
Other answers are correct and the only way to travel between the places you list is to fly. Even then, each change of location burns up a whole day.
Costs are MUCH higher from mid-June to late September.
You need a passport. You apply at the post office.
http://travel.state.gov/content/passport...
Check airline sites for airfares:
www.aa.com
www.delta.com
www.united.com
Use travel sites to estimate hotel costs, but make the reservations on the hotel websites. For example:
www.bestwestern.com
www.holidayinn.com
There are guides for staying at hostels if you want to pay less than for a hotel.
Budget $60 per day for meals and minor incidental expenses. Does NOT include partying.
Use travel sites to estimate costs for activities. Remember to budget for travel inside Europe, including between the airport and wherever you will stay.
You can realistically visit two (2) or a maximum of three (3) places in a 14-day trip.
If you try to visit more it will
A) Be very expensive as travel within Europe is expensive.
B) Exhaust you.
C) Mean the trip will be nothing more than a blur when it's over.
If it was my first trip to Europe I would go to Dublin and Prague.
For example:
Fly from the USA to Dublin. You need an extra day in DUB to recover from the overnight flight.
Spend seven (7) nights in Dublin. Visit Belfast and the western coast on day trips (bus) from Dublin.
Fly from Dublin to Prague (travel burns up a day)
Spend six (6) nights in Prague. Visit Pilsen on a day trip (train) from Prague. There are also day trips to Germany from Prague.
Fly home from Prague.
If you insist on visiting an additional place then go to Amsterdam between Dublin and Prague. Take one day from Dublin and two days from Prague if you go to the third destination.
Flying TO one city and home FROM another city is called an "open jaw ticket" and they are quite normal. You just have to buy the ticket that way. Then buy separate tickets for travel within Europe. You may be able to get a Europe air pass from your trans-Atlantic airline, but compare the cost with just buying one-way tickets. This is an example:
http://www.skyteam.com/en/Flights-and-De...
Note Delta (www.delta.com) flies non-stop between New York/JFK & Dublin and JFK & Prague.
IMPORTANT: Have confirmed reservations wherever you will stay, and that includes at hostels. Print the reservations and have the copies in your carry-on. DON'T just "go somewhere" and expect to find a cheap place to stay.
Consider joining SERVAS as it will give you vetted local contacts in many places:
http://www.servas.org/join-servas.php
Check with your health insurance to find out if it covers you outside the USA and pays for medical evacuation to home (should that be necessary). If yes then take proof of coverage with you. If no or not sure then get trip medical insurance, which is cheap and sold by airlines & travel agents. Having travel medical insurance is a requirement to enter some countries (ex. Lithuania & Slovakia). Even if it's not, PLEASE do not skimp on this as an otherwise-silly accident could turn into a crisis if you don't have medical insurance.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1470.html
These places are far apart. Consolidate your desires a bit more, then you can start real planning. Use a travel agent the first time so you will know how to do this.
We use trains
