First trip to Europe? Focus on these 5 great cities rather than cheap ones
Planning your first trip to Europe can be challenging because we hear so many great things about so many different places, it’s tough to know which to see first. There are interesting cities like Copenhagen and cheap cities like Krakow and even some cities that are interesting and cheap at the same time such as Cesky Krumlov. Still, I’m here to recommend starting with the classic and famous cities first and then exploring other places starting on your second trip (and there WILL be a second trip).
The list of 5 cities below can make for a perfect first-time to Europe itinerary all by itself if you have two weeks or so to spend, and I even tell you exactly how to do that at the end. Traveling can seem competitive in certain circles and it’s hard to brag about having visited Belgrade or Riga if you haven’t been to London, Paris, and Rome before. We keep an updated list of European cities from cheapest to most expensive and most of the cities I mention in this article are on the expensive end of the list, and they are still worth it.
This article was last updated in April, 2024.
Start with Europe's greatest cities, and work out a budget from there
If you are planning your first trip to Europe, hopefully it will be the first of many. Once you get a taste of the place and the crazy variety you’ll experience there, you’ll be ready to start planning your second trip before you even get home from your first.
While it might be tempting to start by visiting some of Europe’s cheapest cities, it’s actually much better to start with the classics to see what all the fuss is about before you branch off into more obscure destinations. And good news for Americans in 2024 who are planning a trip because the Euro and British Pound are both very weak right now so even the top cities such as London and Paris will be relatively cheap, even compared to visiting, say, Chicago, this year.
Suggestions for your first trip to Europe
Due to the unexpected popularity of this article and the many questions in comments about first-time itineraries, I’ve created a new and detailed article with all of my best suggestions.
>>>11 Best itinerary ideas for your first trip to Europe
Once you at least scan that article you’ll have some itinerary ideas for your own trip and I’ll be happy to answer questions at the bottom of that one. If you want to choose just one country to visit on your first trip to Europe, your best choices are England, France, or Italy.
Europe's 5 Great Cities for visitors
1 – London
The only town that can compete with New York City for the title of ‘Capital of the World,’ London is where everything comes together. And obviously as an English-speaking city (mostly), it’s among the easiest to begin adapting to the culture and style of Europe. The first time you see Parliament and Big Ben just around the corner from the London Eye, you’ll know you are somewhere important and unforgettable.
London also used to be famously expensive and it still can be if you are holding money in Euros or British pounds or some other currency that is low at the moment. But if you are from the US or Canada, London has come down in price quite a bit in the last few years due to a currency drop. It’s true that there is inflation as well and some prices have gone up for visitors, but generally London is relatively cheap for most people in 2024. The British pound had been close to US$1.50 for many years and since 2016 or so it’s been around US$1.25, which means your travel budget goes farther than it historically did.
This is also a perfect place to start your first Europe trip because there won’t be a language barrier (although some accents are harder to understand than others) and you can get the feel for Europe and the time zone without also having to worry about being understood by the people you meet.
- 2024 Backpacker Index: US$131.73 per day
2 – Paris
Definitely more intimidating than London, and also far more beautiful, Paris is a city that so many people gush over that you might assume there’s no way it could live up to the praise. Then you go to Paris for yourself and you start gushing yourself. Walk for thirty minutes from anywhere near the city center and you’ll keep seeing buildings and bridges and public art that will make you want to start checking apartment prices.
Every city has problems, even Paris, but it’s hard to imagine anyone being sorry they visited. While Paris is an expensive city, it’s actually a bit easier to keep costs down, mainly because the extensive Metro system means that you can still have a great and convenient time if you stay in a cheaper hotel outside of the main tourist center.
Another thing to mention is the food. Somehow, the French people care a lot more about food than any other nationality and they are amazing at it. Seriously, it’s almost impossible to find a meal that isn’t unusually great. You can even order the Plat Du Jour (plate of the day) at the closest neighborhood restaurant to your hotel and it is almost guaranteed to be amazing and also reasonably priced.
- 2024 Backpacker Index: US$123.52 per day
3 – Rome
Unlike London and Paris, the city of Rome does actually seem to have a group who’ll tell you to avoid it. Rome is frustrating in many ways, with crazy traffic and a sense of disorganization that is hard to adapt to, but there’s also no denying that it’s one of the world’s greatest and most important cities.
It’s easy to tell people to avoid a city once you’ve been there yourself, but no one gives points to those who would brag about never visiting a city because they heard it was too crazy. With Ancient Rome, the Coliseum, and the Vatican just for starters, Italy’s capital is worth the hassle to see it at least once, and many people love it so much that they keep returning. Hotels in Rome are weirdly expensive, but other costs are reasonable, and it’s totally worth it at least once in your life.
In 2024 all of Italy is relatively inexpensive because of the low Euro, so it’s a good time to visit some of the normally expensive cities like Rome. There are probably 10 famous attractions in this city that are each more amazing and interesting than any attraction in most other European cities such as Berlin or Brussels.
- 2024 Backpacker Index: US$125.44 per day
4 – Venice
Some cities are really beautiful from certain vantage points or certain angles, but Venice is beautiful from all of them. As a touristy city for several hundred years now, the biggest problem with Venice is the crowds it attracts. Even in winter, the main pedestrian routes can be so packed that it frustrates nearly everyone. And in summer, they are worse, of course.
Even though hotels in Venice tend to be quite expensive, the best way to visit is to spend at least one or two nights on the main island. You’ll find that early mornings and evenings are far less crowded, as most groups head to the mainland to sleep. Venice is also small enough that 36 hours is plenty of time to see the best bits, so it’s worth a one-night splurge for a good location.
Try to visit Venice when there are no cruise ships parked nearby, although that can be tricky in summer. You’ll enjoy how empty the island feels in the early morning hours and also late into the evening. The restaurants tend to close early and there isn’t much raucous nightlife, so after 10 PM or so the walkways are mostly empty and it’s another great time to enjoy Venice.
- 2024 Backpacker Index: US$125.97 per day
5 – Amsterdam
Some people might not put Amsterdam on this short list of great European cities, but plenty of people agree with me that it’s another of the world’s most beautiful and interesting places. Most of the city center is perfectly preserved from its beginnings in the 17th Century, and it’s been quite wealthy ever since.
Many cities around the world boast that they have more canals than Amsterdam, but except for Venice, none are nearly as stunning. Add in the way bicycles dominate the landscape, the weirdness of the Red Light District, and its pleasant overall nature, and Amsterdam is worth a visit in spite of its relative high prices for most things.
Hotel prices in Amsterdam have gotten somewhat out of hand so it’s a good thing the Euro is lower if you are coming from outside the region. Still, as good as the public transportation system in Amsterdam is, you’ll have a better time if you pay a bit more to stay in a hotel or hostel in the compact city center, roughly from the Princengracht canal ring to Centraal Station and anywhere in between.
- 2024 Backpacker Index: US$121.87 per day
The most efficient way to visit all of them on one trip
If you are planning your first trip to Europe and you’ve got about two weeks to spend there, it’s quite easy to visit all 5 of the above cities on one efficient trip. You can even sneak in another amazing city for a day or two if you’ve got it to spare.
You can do the following itinerary in either order, but I do think starting in London is better than starting in Rome on your first trip.
- Fly into London and spend 3 or 4 days there
- Take the Eurostar train (90 minutes) to Paris and spend 3 or 4 days there
- Take the high speed train from Paris to Amsterdam (3 hours 20 minutes) and spend 3 nights there
- Fly from Amsterdam to Venice (or nearby Treviso) and spend 1 or 2 days there
- Take the train from Venice through Florence (2 hours) to Rome (another 90 minutes) and spend 3 or 4 days there
- If you have one or two days to spare, stop in Florence in between Venice and Rome
- Fly home from Rome or back to London to board your flight home
Include the above cities as part of bigger trips
The 5 cities mentioned above are the ones that I think are the best and most dramatic introduction to Europe, and the most likely to inspire more trips, but I wouldn’t recommend just trying to see these 5 and then heading home. Depending on budget, season, and trip duration, you could add or subtract many other worthwhile cities to make the perfect itinerary.
If you’ve traveled all over Europe yourself, do you agree or disagree with the cities selected above? I can’t think of another that deserves to be in this top tier, but I’d imagine that other people might have other ideas.
Honorable mentions and other places to add
If I had to add two more cities to the list above it would be the two cities below. It’s not an easy call, but each of the cities mentioned below has a lot to offer and is also very different from all of the ones on the main list above.
Prague, Czechia
Something that isn’t widely discussed in the travel world is that most of Europe’s largest and most historic cities were bombed to bits during World War II. Many of them rebuilt some historic neighborhoods to look as much like the original buildings as possible, while many others just built new versions. Prague is one of the few that was mostly spared from bombing, and it has a mostly intact castle and historic district that is just stunning from every angle.
Prague is also an interesting stop compared to the Top 5 mentioned above because it’s very different from all of them. It was part of Eastern Europe and was under communism, which also means that prices of most things are generally lower even if hotels have become quite expensive lately. The cuisine is hearty and they make amazing lager-style beers. Prague just has a different feel to it than the others and it’s got pretty free-wheeling nightlife as well.
- 2024 Backpacker Index: US$76.73 per day
Barcelona, Spain
Another city I would recommend to add to the Top 5 mentioned above is Barcelona, as it’s unusual in many ways. Barcelona has arguably the most distinctive architecture in Europe. The Sagrada Familia church by itself has got to be the most interesting building in Europe and it’s finally almost complete after about 150 years of construction. The other Gaudi buildings are also highlights, but the whole city feels different with most corners having a wedge cut off so every intersection feels more open. You’ll see what I mean when you get there.
Barcelona is also one of Europe’s few large cities to not only be on the ocean, but to also have lovely sandy beaches within the city limits. This as well as the large marina complex near the city center give it a unique feel. Unfortunately Barcelona is one of Europe’s popular destinations (along with Prague, Amsterdam, and Venice) to worry about over-tourism. Especially in summer, the crowds here can be enormous and it’s really best to visit in spring, autumn, or even winter if possible.
- 2024 Backpacker Index: US$98.57 per day
Thank you so much again! We seem to have a few extra days now that we have kind of set our itenarary..We are looking at
4-6Dec in Rome
7-9Dec in Florence (visiting Cinque Terre possibly)
10-11 Dec in Venice
11-13 Dec in Paris
We actually have from 14-22 Dec in London but it seems too much. Should we visit another city do you think? And what would you recommend? We were thinking maybe Lucerne on the way in but it seems a bit tight. Anyway to see the alps on the way from Venice into Paris?
Deborah
Deborah,
Your Italy and France dates looks very good for a quick trip. If it were possible I would stay at least another night or two in Paris, especially if you have 8 or 9 days in London after that.
I would say that 8 or 9 days in London is longer than most people need. It’s also fairly expensive and almost all hotel rooms (and apartments) are quite small, so that could wear on you after a while. You can read about my suggestions for where to go in England, and pick one or two. As long as you buy the train tickets at least a month or so in advance, they are pretty cheap. You could even get to Edinburgh for 2 or 3 days.
If you haven’t locked it in yet, you could go from Venice to Interlaken or Lucerne for 2 days and then onto Paris for 3 or 4 nights. That would probably be better than spending all of that time in London. The train ride from Milan to Switzerland is glorious on its own, although in December it may or may not be sunny. And in two days or so I would choose Interlaken over Lucerne, although both are very nice. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
I am planning a 30th anniversary trip for myself and my husband for next summer. We have about 13-15 days to travel, and I am considering several options. We did Italy last year, and Paris the year before, so I am looking at London, Brussels, Bruges, Amsterdam or Vienna, Prague, Budapest and Krakow. Or maybe even Spain….ugh…I can’t decide. Please help. Thanks!
Cheryl,
If you are going in summer I’m not sure I would put Spain at the top of my list. It’s hot and still very crowded. If you’ve yet to make it to London I think that is the best key city for this trip. With about two weeks I would suggest choosing exactly 5 cities to visit, or perhaps only 4. Three nights is just about perfect in any city you visit except the smallest ones or largest ones. London in 3 days is good and 4 days probably better. Bruges is small enough to enjoy in 2 nights.
So you could do London for 4 nights (you might have a bit of jet lag on the way in) and then take the Eurostar train to Brussels. If you have specific things you want to see in Brussels you might want to stay a night or two, but for me it’s better as just one afternoon. The main square (called Grand Place) is lovely and the area around it is nice, but you can see that in a few hours and a lunch stop, and then the 1-hour train to Bruges for 2 or 3 days. Brussels is also very expensive, while Bruges is cheaper and more interesting for most tourists.
Then you can take the train from Bruges back to Brussels and then a high-speed train on to Amsterdam for 3 nights or so. You would even have time to take a train to Berlin in a bit over 6 hours. Or you could visit Hamburg or Cologne, which are both closer. Or you could have a more relaxing anniversary trip and spend longer in each city, and only visit London, Bruges, and Amsterdam, plus a short stay in Brussels. One nice thing about that is the trains between them are all fast so you don’t spend a lot of time in transit.
The other option of Vienna, Prague, Budapest, and Krakow is also interesting, plus you could even include a 2-day stop in Cesky Krumlov. Vienna isn’t exactly cheap, but the others on that route are less expensive than the London version, so the whole thing would be noticeably cheaper. One downside is that trains (and buses) in that part of Europe are still much slower, so you might be spending on average of 6 hours between cities. Prague to Cesky Krumlov is 3 hours and Cesky Kromlov to Vienna is 3 hours, so that keeps travel time down a bit.
I’ve spent time in all of the cities on your list and each of them is worthwhile in its own way. Getting by on English only is a bit more challenging in Prague, Budapest, and Krakow, but still pretty easy. And again, in cities like Krakow and Budapest you can splurge quite a bit on the same budget. For example, in London or Amsterdam, a US$200 per night hotel room is pretty basic. But in Krakow or Budapest you could get a suite at a 4-star hotel for that. I’m happy to help with more info if you need it. -Roger
Thanks so much for the recommendation!! (= we have read the articles you have mentioned in detail and they have been very helpful.
We have decided to fly to Italy (as my husband wants to go to Rome and we will visit Florence and Venice as well) > Paris and then to London. Wondering if we should fly between or would you recommend the train? Pls feel free to give further input as well.
Thank you so much, again! (=
Deborah,
You should definitely take the train from Rome to Florence and then to Venice. Those high-speed trains take between 90 minutes and 2 hours, and if you buy them at least a month or so in advance they will be quite cheap. From Venice to Paris it’s probably better to fly. There is an overnight train that is often booked well in advance, but it’s not cheap. And I’m not a bit fan of overnight trains in general. You should be able to get a cheaper flight from Venice or nearby Treviso Airport to Paris. And from Paris to London you’ll definitely want to take the Eurostar train, which takes a bit over two hours. Book that one as early as possible for the best fares as well. I think this will be a great trip. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Dear Roger,
My husband and I are from Singapore and we are planning our first trip to Europe. Stumbled across your website and found your articles most informative.
Wondering if you could suggest an itinerary for us?
We are looking at Nov/Dec season, duration is 15 days.
Perhaps you could aap suggest the best time to go or so during this season and where.
We would love to immerse ourselves in the culture, sight-see, shop, possibly also visit museums on history not so much on the arts of each city.
Thank you for your time!
Deborah (:
Deborah,
If you have 15 days I would strongly suggest choosing 5 total cities, or fewer if you aren’t so interested in seeing a lot in a short time. Have a look at my recommendations for where to go in Europe in November as well.
If this is your first trip to Europe then I stand by my recommendations in the article above. I highly recommend London and Paris for sure, and you might also include Rome, Florence, and Venice. That would be a very good 15-day trip, and all of those places are pretty good for a trip that time of year.
Should you want to avoid Italy for some reason, then Spain is probably the next best choice. Barcelona and Madrid are obviously the key cities, and you could add in Valencia or Seville as well. Hopefully this gives you some ideas. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
A friend and I are planning to go to Europe for the first time. I am interested in World War II (Normandy or Battle of the Bulge sights), and my friend wants to go to one concentration camp. Our travel agent suggested France and Germany. We are both in our 60s (one late sixties) and we are thinking of a total of 14 days incuding flight time. We think we could do 3 cities. What do you suggest?
Linda,
The Dachau concentration camp is in the suburbs of Munich and easily reachable by public bus. Obviously you want to go to Paris and you can actually get to Normandy by train in about two hours from there, so you could do it as a day trip.
So if you stay 5 or 6 days in Paris, or maybe 4 days in Paris and 2 days in Normandy, that would be a great visit to France. It’s kind of a long train ride from Paris to Munich so you might want to add in another stop in between or nearby. You could go to Rothenburg ob der Tauber and/or Fussen for something different from the big cities. Both of those are mentioned in my article on where to go in Germany. Have a look at that and see what you think. I’m happy to help with more suggestions if you need them. -Roger
Dear Roger,
I am delighted to gt your response so quickly. Thank you very much.
ok, will add one more night for Interlaken. Will reconsider Rome too. I am not confident at all with planning this trip. I had a brief read of Sorrento and like the idea of spending 3 to 4 nights there. Just need to consider how to get there. This will be the first time we are travelling by train and my husband has bad motion sickness!!
If we are to add one more city in France, which city do you think we should consider ?
We will be flying home from Rome
Thanks again.
Hi Roger,
Firstly I must say your website is amazing and you are so helpful and patient with your advice. I read through as much as I can and find your answers and articles really helpful.
After reading , I now sort of have an idea how my trip to Europe might be like fro Mid May 2018 .
This will be the first trip to Europe for both my husband and I. We hope not to need to drive at all. Planning to train as much as possible. We will have 28 days and so far i have a list of cities in mind but hope you can tell us what you think.We are in our 50s, loves to just walk around, eat, visit main sights and just relax….:))
Fly into Paris from Sydney, Australia
Paris…..5 nights
Interlaken…2 nights
Lucerne……2 nights
Venice ……1 night
Como ……..2 nights
Florence ….4 nights
Rome………5 nights
we still have a few more nights to fill…can you help to suggest ?
Thank you very much
Sara,
I’m glad you find the site to be helpful. I think your plan looks really good so far, and getting around by train will be far easier and far more enjoyable than any other option.
Four nights in Florence is kind of a long stay, but that will give you at least a day for a short trip to Pisa (one hour each way) or to Siena or one of the nearby hill towns. Five nights in Rome is also a long time. It’s loaded with top sights, but it’s kind of a crazy place and many people find it exhausting after 3 or 4 days. You might consider heading down to Sorrento, which is just a bit south of Naples for at least a few days. It’s a lovely and pleasant place where more people speak English than in the rest of Italy, and it’s the ideal base for a day trip to Naples, Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, and the Isle of Capri. If you find those places interesting you could spend 4 or 5 days in Sorrento and do something wonderful each day.
If you could spare one more day for the Interlaken area I think you’d be happier. Two nights only gives you one full day there, and you’d be heartbroken to have to leave so soon once you see the place. Two nights in Lucerne works well though, especially since you’ll arrive on a short train ride from Interlaken.
I don’t recommend Lake Como to many people, but it sounds like it might be a good idea for you, and those two days should be very relaxing between the busier sightseeing days in the other cities. Hopefully this gives you an idea or two. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger-at the risk of repeating many questions you have already answered, I need some help planning a trip with my 17 yr old daughter (graduation present). Right now, the plan is
5 days in Paris
3days in Venice
2-3 days in Rome
3 days in Positano
4 days in Santorini
While it looks good on paper, when you start accounting for travel days, it gets too long & expensive (we are trying to keep it under 21 days). I think dropping Santorini or Positano would be best but she really wants to go to all of these cities.
We are also toying with the idea of doing Paris, Naples/Positano, Venice, then do a cruise from Venice to Greece to pick up some Greek islands, and fly home from Athens.
Can you tell us what you think of these itineraries–I have not seen you mention the Amalfi coast at all here — and what you think of doing a Mediterranean cruise to catch more cities. We also looked at cruises from Barcelona to Athens.
Thanks
Patty,
I think your cruise idea sounds really good, but first I’ll comment on this itinerary. For a first visit to Paris I typically recommend 4 nights, and 3 nights is enough for many people. In 4 nights with 3 full sightseeing days you can see all of the best places on your list and still have time to shop and stroll through the neighborhoods.
For Venice I usually recommend 24 to 48 hours at most. It’s quite compact and Venice is also packed with tourists from 9am until 5pm every day, so it’s sort of like visiting a theme park. Sightseeing in the early morning and the evening is most enjoyable. I’d leave 3 nights for Rome because that gives 2 full sightseeing days, which is just enough to see the highlights.
The Amalfi Coast has many gorgeous views of the few coastal towns, including Positano, but there isn’t much to see or do if you are staying in the town. Positano is built on the side of a fairly steep hill and the pedestrian-only streets are lined with little shops. Once you get down to the beach area it’s mostly restaurants with great views. Those towns are where Italians go to relax and where tourists go to watch Italians relax. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I’m a big fan of Sorrento, which is a larger and more interesting town and a great place to take tours of the Amalfi Coast and still have plenty to do, including visit Pompeii or Naples.
I’ve not yet made it to Santorini, but I know a lot about it and have been to several other Greek islands. Santorini has some interesting sights, and it’s not like Positano, but still it’s a place where almost everyone there is a European who has come to sit in the sun during the day and have a few drinks at night. I love that sort of thing, but it’s not really the same as sightseeing.
And again, I think the cruise idea could be fabulous. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Me and my friend are visiting to Europe next year for 4 weeks in July. We want to visit as many as countries and cities we can. The most wanted countries want to visit are UK, Belgium, Amsterdam, Germany, Italy, Rome Grecce, Spain and France. What could be the best options for us. We actually want to go to the only touristy and wellknown destinations in those countries We are also kinda budget travelers.
Thank you very much for your help in advance.
Regards,
Joseph.
Joseph,
If you’ll be in Europe for 28 days, I would recommend visiting 9 or 10 cities total. Three nights in each city is ideal because it allows 2 full sightseeing days to see all of the things you’ve traveled so far to see, but you can still move fast enough to see many things on a trip like yours. One issue that some people figure out too late is that it takes most of a day, or at least most of the middle of a day, to go from one city to another. If you check out of a hostel at 9am to get on a 10am train to the next city, you might check into your next hostel at 3pm or 4pm and you’ll be tired so you won’t get much or any sightseeing done on those travel days. If you change cities every other day it means you’ll be sightseeing one day and traveling the next, for your whole trip. Sitting on trains is fun, but it gets old after a week or two.
Even so, you’ll have time for 10 or maybe even 11 cities if you plan well. I’d start in London for 3 or 4 nights (London is huge) and then fly or take the Eurostar train to Amsterdam for 3 days. Then stop in Brussels and Bruges for a couple days on your way down to Paris. From Paris you could either take a train to Barcelona or fly to Madrid, or fly to Venice and do Italy. If you book at least a few months in advance you can get cheap flights on these routes, including between Spain and Italy.
If I were you I’d probably save Greece for a future trip. You’d have to fly into Athens from somewhere, and after 3 days or so there you could take a ferry to one of the islands. Athens is a fascinating and historical place, of course, but the islands are fairly generic because almost everybody else there will be sitting in the sun all day and drinking all evening, which you could do anywhere (including Spain). I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger,
I am planning two Europe itineraries as a first time traveler to Europe. We are all 21-23 years old. My first trip will include Athens, Rome, Paris, and Amsterdam beginning to mid September, 2017 with a couple friends (all first timers). My trip with this group ends in Amsterdam. I will then meet up with a different friend Mid Sept-Mid Oct for 2-3weeks. Being I will be in Amsterdam as my last stop and then meeting up with my friend traveling in, we are unsure of the best location for her and I to fly into to meet and begin our travels together. We would like to experience Oktoberfest in Munich and uncertain of best areas after that. We also love beaches and coastline when possible. Can you please recommend an itinerary that will allow us to make the most of our time in Europe.
Thanks in advance for your time and dedication to helping us first timers!!!
Best regards,
Pam
Pam,
Munich would be a good place to meet up and then go elsewhere from there since they have a busy airport and it’s usually easy to get decent fares into it. As for Oktoberfest, I assume you are aware that it starts on September 16 this year. It’s fun, but hotels in Munich literally double or triple their rates for that period, and hostels do as well. The other thing to be aware of is that you need a ticket or reservation to get into the beer “tents”. It’s best to sort that out in advance because if you just show up (especially on a weekend) you might be waiting for hours in line to get into a tent.
Since you are already going to those famous cities on your earlier trip, and especially if you want beaches and coastline on this leg, I’d recommend heading towards Croatia. You could go from Munich to Salzburg and spend 2 or 3 days there. Then you can take a train to Ljubljana, which is a very cool town for a couple days. And then take a train or perhaps even a bus (because bus service tends to be better than train service in Croatia) to Split. Split is really interesting and there are many good beaches and islands right in that area. You could even head to Sarajevo or Mostar if you have more time, or keep going down the Croatia coast to Dubrovnik.
That is my best suggestion off the top of my head. Let me know if you had something else in mind and I can try again. -Roger