Travel plans? Any must sees? Advice?

Morning folks! I’m working on figuring out my travel schedule while backpacking from May 1st to August 6th. This schedule will rely on the use of cheap flights, student rates and the hope that visas on arrival aren’t as expensive as they look. I’d like to get an introspective look at the different cultures in the middle east through a fly by tour, revisit memories of my childhood in Greece and Crete, see Cyprus and visit Israel – Jerusalem and Haifa. After that I’d like to head to Turkey to see Istanbul (Korhan a little advice on what I must see and the best way to get around plus some transliterated greetings w/ pronunciation would be awesome!!) After visiting Constantinople I believe I’ll have to return to Rome to assist the Honors college trip for 2-4 days, then I want to hightail it to Eastern Europe via Austria – Budapest, Czech Republic, Slovakia, maybe more. Northern Germany across to Denmark, Copenhagen and finish up the trip hitting the U.K. with Alex and then down into Holland catch a quickie or a train to Milan from Holland or Munich and return to Milan to fly out from Linate August 6th 2009. Whirlwind for sure but I wanna pack as much as I can into these dates. So again, any advice, experience, or sights that are must see including cities in these area’s toss me a comment please!

Let’s estimate 1-12th May in South Italy
12-13 to Greece
13-15 Athens
15-20 travel to and in Crete

21-22 Cyprus
22-25 major sites on Cyprus

25th flight connecting through Athens or another country to Damascus since Syria doesn’t get along all too well.
25th -30 Damascus and then over to Cairo –

1st – 6th April – Israel – Jerusalem and Haifa
5-6th run like hell from Israel to safer ground – Turkey….

6-7th get to Istanbul
8th-12/15 tour Istanbul and figure out how to get to Rome/Eastern Europe whichever I need probably Rome for the presentations then high tail it to the EE

18th-20th Budapest,

21-25/27 Slovakia

27-2nd or 3rd of July Prague and Czech Republic.

3rd-10th N. Germany / Denmark trains etc

14/18th meet up with Alex for the remainder? UK and Holland? August return to Milan, Linate to fly home.

2010 come back. Do the middle east and Africa.
2011 do S. America

It’s a ton of ground and I know some places I’ll get stuck but it’s a start – Any suggestions for sites/towns to visit while hittin up these places toss me a comment! Love advice on cheap airfare, travel passes, visa costs etc!