11 Best first-time Europe itineraries for 1, 2, or 3 weeks

Europe is going to be very busy in the summer of 2024 as the world is back to normal and travel demand is higher than ever. One other key factor is that most European currencies are still hovering at lower levels historically compared to the US dollar, which means that Europe will feel somewhat cheap again this year. In fact, according to our World Backpacker Index, European cities like Lisbon, Madrid, and Munich are about 30% cheaper to visit than Boston, Chicago, and New York City. In other words, flying to Europe might seem expensive, but most things will be cheaper once you get there compared to the costs of visiting a large US city.

Below you’ll find 11 of the most popular and best itineraries for a first visit to Europe. Your first visit is not really the time to be different or creative, and the famous destinations tend to be popular for a reason. In other words, it’s kind of silly to visit, say, Bulgaria, if you’ve not yet been to France or Italy. I lay out the best options along with how long to stay in each place as a general guide. I also discuss Mediterranean cruises, which can actually be an amazing way to see a lot of Europe on your first visit, especially if you don’t like going back and forth to train stations and airports every 2 or 3 days.

For a bit of fun you might be interested in the cheapest 5-star hotels in Europe, which start at US$80 per night for really nice hotels. It helps show that if you choose some of the cheaper cities, you can treat yourself to some luxury that you can’t afford in most other places.

This article was last updated in March, 2024.

There are 11 starter itineraries described in detail below

  1. Classic London and Paris
  2. England and Scotland
  3. Paris and Italy
  4. Mediterranean cruise
  5. France, Belgium, and Netherlands
  6. Paris and elsewhere in France
  7. Italy
  8. Spain
  9. Germany
  10. Switzerland
  11. Best of cheap eastern Europe

For each itinerary there are suggestions of other destinations that are easy to add on to the main cities.

Note: This article was most recently updated in March, 2024

Building the best itinerary for your first trip to Europe

Below there are 11 popular itineraries for one week in Europe. If you’ve only got a week then choose one of them and assume you’ll return again to conquer more of this amazing part of the world. If you’ve got more time then you can choose from some of the top add-on suggestions for each one.

Start in the most famous cities

Your first visit to Europe is no time to try to be different or edgy. I recommend that you focus on these 5 great cities before you start branching out into cheaper or more obscure places.

Keep your travel days to a minimum

The closest major European cities are at least two hours apart by high-speed train, and from the time you check out of one hotel until you are checked into your hotel in the next city, it’s going to be 5 or more hours in most cases. A travel day isn’t much of a sightseeing day, so if you change cities every day or two, you’ll have very little time to see the things you’ve actually gone all that way to see.

Spend 3 (or 4) nights in almost every major city

Cities like London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Berlin, Madrid, and Barcelona are all large and packed with world-class things to see and do. Since the day you arrive and the day you leave will offer little sightseeing time, you need at least two full sightseeing days in order to even see your choice of the top sights.

So many first-time visitors are initially planning on spending only 1 or 2 nights in major cities that I wrote a detailed explanation of why 3 nights is ideal for almost all European cities, even if you want to see as much as possible.

3 (or 4) nights will be enough for any city on your first trip

Most first-time visitors are tempted to move too quickly, but it can also be a mistake to move too slowly. It’s really amazing how much you can see in two full sightseeing days. If you spend too long in one city you’ll end up seeing things that are way down your list, while you could be in another city seeing things at the top of your list there.

Choose cities that are easy to reach from each other

Since traveling from one city to another will take at least half a day, you don’t want to waste more time by visiting far-flung cities. Krakow and Lisbon are both fantastic cities to visit, but they are on opposite ends of Europe.

For your first trip it’s best to visit cities that are no more than a 5-hour train ride apart.

Choose cities that are connected by reasonable train rides rather than flights

To build on the point above, finding cheap flights within Europe is easy, but train travel is about a million times more enjoyable and less stressful. You’ll enjoy the train rides almost as much as the cities, so focus on places that are within 5 hours of each other by train.

Start with one of the classic itineraries below, and then add to it if you have more time

If you only have 7 days then you’ll find a list below of classic itineraries that are well-suited to a first visit to Europe. Hopefully you have more than 7 days though, and if you do you can add in one or more of the suggested add-on cities to build an itinerary that appeals most to you.

 

Best 1-week itineraries for the first time in Europe

Itinerary 1: Classic London and Paris

Fly into either city and take the 2-hour Eurostar train between them

Honestly, unless you have a specific reason why not, this is probably the best one-week itinerary for most first-time visitors to Europe. If you can read this article then London will be easy for language reasons. It’s packed with famous sights and it’s a major world capital.

London highlights

  • Big Ben and Parliament
  • Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral
  • Tower of London and Tower Bridge
  • West End shows (Broadway equivalent) and classic pubs
  • Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle

Paris is actually far more beautiful than London and the food is famously much better as well. Since Paris gets so many tourists from non-French speaking countries, it’s easy to get by on just English, and the Metro system makes it fast and easy to get around. The architecture of both cities is amazing from the Tower of London, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey to the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. These cities each pack a huge punch and they are very different from each other as well. Actually, England is arguably the best choice for your first trip to Europe.

Paris highlights

  • Eiffel Tower
  • Louvre Museum and Museum de Orsay
  • Arc de Triomphe and other monuments
  • Montmartre neighborhood and Sacré Coeur Cathedral
  • Probably the world’s best affordable restaurants and wine

Best add-ons to London and Paris

The only efficient way to get between London and Paris is on the Eurostar train, which runs between St. Pancras station in London and Gare du Nord station in Paris. The earlier you buy tickets, the cheaper they will be. Unlike other trains in Europe, the Eurostar (which of course runs through the Channel Tunnel) has airport-style security and you have to be there at least 30 minutes before departure. Eurostar tickets to and from London go on sale 6 to 8 months in advance and will be cheapest for the first few months they are on sale, with fares steadily rising after that.

>>>Best one-week London and Paris itinerary in detail
>>>Check London hotel deals
>>>Check Paris hotel deals

Itinerary 2: England and Scotland

If you prefer to focus your first Europe trip on England and Scotland, you can have a great time and save the Continent for next time. London is the obvious place to start and spend 3 or 4 nights before taking the train north.

York is a small Roman city with intact city walls and one of the most famous cathedrals in Europe. Edinburgh is not only the capital of Scotland, but it’s easily the second most interesting city in all of Britain. If your time is short, skip York and spend more time in Edinburgh.

If you prefer to focus on the south of England on your first trip then the best option is to go to Bath or nearby Bristol after London. Bath is another of England’s top destinations and it’s a gorgeous city that has been a spa resort for many centuries. It’s also reasonably close to Stonehenge. You can also easily get to Cornwall in England’s southwest corner from Bath, and that’s a whole different and fascinating experience (with nicer weather than up north).

If you’ve got more than a week and want to spend more time in Scotland, especially in the summer months, the place to head to is Inverness. It’s a small town that is considered the gateway to the Scottish Highlands, but it’s an interesting and charming place on its own. You can take day-trips by bus to the highlights of the Highlands including the Isle of Skye and Loch Ness. Between you and me, it’s better to minimize time in Loch Ness or skip it altogether because it’s not one of the more photogenic parts of Scotland and the monster has always been a hoax.

Travel times between the recommended places

  • London to York by train: 2 hours
  • York to Edinburgh by train: 2.5 hours
  • London to Edinburgh by train: 4 hours
  • Edinburgh to Inverness by train: 3.5 hours
  • London to Bath by train: 85 minutes

Best add-ons to England and Scotland

If you think you want to spend your whole trip in Britain you should have a look at our article on the best itineraries in England, Scotland, and Wales.

>>>Check London hotel deals
>>>Check Edinburgh hotel deals

Itinerary 3: Paris and Italy

  • Paris (3 or 4 nights)
  • Venice (1 night)
  • Florence (2 or 3 nights)
  • Rome (3 nights)

The fastest version of this extremely popular itinerary that I recommend is 9 nights, but if you skip Florence you could actually do this in 7 nights if you had to. Paris is obviously the best first place to start exploring France and 3 or 4 nights there will feel like a very complete first visit.

From Paris you can easily fly to Venice (or nearby Treviso) where you should try to spend about 24 hours. Venice is small enough to see in a full day, and so crowded that most people are satisfied to leave after that day. The key is to stay in the main part of the main island so you can enjoy Venice before the cruise passengers and day-trippers arrive, and also after they leave for the day. Two nights in Venice would not be wasted time, and it’s possibly the most gorgeous city in the entire world, but you can see the best of it in a bit over 24 hours.

Florence is a highly recommended stop after Venice, as it’s the capital of the Tuscany region and also arguably Europe’s most important city for a couple hundred years. Florence probably has the best food of the three most popular Italian tourist cities, which is another reason to stop over there for at least a couple days.

Rome also lives up to the hype and spending a day in the Vatican City will be a highlight even for non-Catholics, but it’s also a crowded and busy city so three days is usually enough for most people. Similar to Paris, Rome is an unusually beautiful city from almost any angle when you are in the historical center. You’ll walk through a stunning piazza (town square) and then turn a corner and you’ll see gorgeous buildings or public statues that are as nice as anything in the museums. Seriously, it’s worth a visit.

Paris to Venice flight: 1 hour 35 minutes
Venice to Florence by train: 1 hour 53 minutes
Florence to Rome by train: 1 hour 16 minutes

You can of course instead fly from Paris to Rome and then go north to Florence and then to Venice and fly home (or back to Paris) from there, and it would be just as enjoyable.

Best add-ons to Paris and Italy

France

  • Nice/Cannes/Monaco (2 or 3 nights)
  • Avignon (2 nights)
  • Bourges (2 nights)
  • Bordeaux (2 nights)
  • Aix-en-Provence (2 nights)
  • Reims (2 nights)
  • Dijon/Burgundy (2 nights)

Italy

  • Milan (1 or 2 nights)
  • Lake Como (2 nights)
  • Siena (2 nights)
  • Cinque Terre (1 night)
  • Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi Coast/Pompeii/Capri (3 to 5 nights)
  • Sicily (3 to 4 nights)

>>>Much more information in this article about the best France and Italy itineraries
>>>Check Paris hotel deals
>>>Check Venice hotel deals
>>>Check Florence hotel deals
>>>Check Rome hotel deals

Itinerary 4: Mediterranean cruise

If you’ve decided to finally explore Europe for the first time, it’s quite possible that you haven’t considered doing it on a cruise. The best place to start would be one of the cruises that leaves from a popular port in the Mediterranean (and the adjacent seas). Barcelona and Venice are among the most popular departure ports and you can find cruises that go west or east from those places as well as cruises that drop you in another part of Europe or cruises that return to the departure port.

In spite of the reputation of cruises to be floating buffets, they can actually be an excellent way to visit a great number of amazing European cities in a short time. The ship typically is in port from the early morning until mid evening, often giving you the opportunity to have dinner in the city (unlike Caribbean cruises). Better still, the cruise ports are often near the center of town, so you can just walk off the ship and do sightseeing on foot or by public transportation.

Mediterranean cruises usually start at 7 nights but can go up to 3 weeks, which can provide an amazing tour of the entire region without having to pack and repack your bags more than once. They also can provide excellent value, especially compared to the price of taking trains or flights and finding new hotels in every destination.

Most popular Mediterranean departure ports

Barcelona, Spain – It’s an easy port to reach. Ships generally go from Barcelona with stops in France and then Italy.

Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy – The port isn’t very close to Rome, but it’s easy to get back and forth. Ships go west to France and Spain as well as south around the tip of Italy and then on to Croatia, Venice, and to Greece.

Venice, Italy – The cruise ships no longer dock close to the best tourist areas, but it’s easy enough to visit Venice for a day or two before boarding a ship. Ships starting in Venice go south and then head west and to Rome and then to France, or they go south to Croatia and then head east to Greece.

Athens, Greece – The cruise port of Piraeus is just south of Athens and easy to reach. Ships from Athens usually head west towards Croatia, Italy, France, and Spain, but there are also ships that visit Greek islands and Turkey.

>>>Check for deals on Mediterranean cruises

Alternative to consider: a river cruise

As alluring as cruising the Med may be, a river cruise on the Rhine or Danube might suit you even better. River cruises all over Europe have been booming in popularity lately and for good reason. They are typically more expensive than Med cruises on huge ships, but they also allow passengers to see more because they only hold a few hundred people and they often dock literally in the middle of the historic cities they visit.

AmsterdamBudapest, and Prague are some of the most popular river cruise ports, but there are dozens of others including many smaller towns in France where few other tourists will be when you stroll off the ship. There is little or no entertainment on the river cruise ships, but passengers don’t miss it because the entire day and into the evening is spent just steps from local cultural offerings and restaurants.

>>>Check for Europe and river cruise deals

Itinerary 5: France, Belgium, and Netherlands

Paris to Brussels: 1 hour 22 minutes
Brussels to Bruge: 58 minutes
Bruges to Amsterdam: 2 hours 45 minutes
Amsterdam to Paris: 3 hours 17 minutes

If you want to save the UK for a future trip, starting in Paris on a first Europe visit is ideal. You’ll probably land in the morning so you’ll have almost 3 full days for Paris sightseeing. After that you can hop on a high-speed train for 1 hour 22 minutes to reach Brussels, or go straight to Amsterdam in a bit over 3 hours total.

Spending 4 nights in Paris and 3 nights in Amsterdam would be a great trip, but if you want to see something else you’ve got a couple options in between. My advice is to spend an afternoon looking around the Grand Place (main square) in Brussels and then hop a 58-minute train ride to Bruges for a night or two. Brussels isn’t a great tourist city, but Bruges really is so it’s a better option for most people. Whatever you choose out of this group, you can be back in Paris on another high-speed train for your flight home.

Best add-ons to France, Belgium, and Netherlands

>>>Check Paris hotel deals
>>>Check Bruges hotel deals
>>>Check Amsterdam hotel deals

Itinerary 6: Paris and elsewhere in France

And a choice of:

  • Nice/Cannes/Monaco (2 or 3 nights)
  • Avignon (2 nights)
  • Bourges (2 nights)
  • Bordeaux (2 nights)
  • Aix-en-Provence (2 nights)
  • Reims (2 nights)
  • Dijon/Burgundy (2 nights)
  • Normandy (2 nights)

France is such a rich country for tourism experiences that you could spend a month there and still feel like you are missing significant sights. Obviously you’ll want to start in Paris, and then after that it’s just a matter of what interests you most and how much time you have. The architecture all over France is a highlight, and of course Paris has some of the most famous structures on earth including the Eiffel Tower and Louvre museum.

While Nice is a wonderful tourist city for a look at the French Riviera, the other larger cities of Lyon and Marseilles are probably better saved for a future trip because they are light on key sights compared to many smaller towns. Wine lovers can rent a car or take trains into Bordeaux or Burgundy. Since you can get between most of these towns by train in 2 hours or less, spending only 2 nights in each one is a reasonable option if you want to see a lot in a short time.

Normandy is an interesting choice and easy to reach in only about two hours by train from Paris. Some visitors like to see the famous WWII beaches and memorials, while others (especially in summer) like to check out one or more of the beach-resort towns. Deauville is one of the more famous of those, and it’s also famous for its horse race track and as one of the epicenters of the industry in Europe.

Best add-ons to Paris and elsewhere

>>>Check Paris hotel deals
>>>Check Nice hotel deals

Itinerary 7: Italy

Rome to Florence: 1 hour 16 minutes
Florence to Venice: 1 hour 53 minutes

Especially for first-time visitors to Europe, Italy might be the most popular destination of all, and for good reason. The country has a famous “Big 3” destinations in Rome, Florence, and Venice, which are all teaming with worthwhile sights and they are conveniently located fairly short train rides from each other. Rome is by far the largest of those and it’s packed with great sights, but it’s also a bit chaotic, so 3 nights is a good stay for a first visit. Rome’s architecture is an obvious highlight and fortunately you can see a lot in a fairly short time. You can visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican Museums, and Trevi Fountain in two days if you are organized.

Venice is small enough that you can see the main sights in about 24 hours, and it’s so insanely crowded that many people tire of it after about a day as well. It’s better to pay more for a hotel to be on the main island and visit quickly than to save money with a hotel on the mainland where you’ll be in crowds going back and forth as well. Florence is the most relaxing of the 3, and also a great base for side trips to Pisa, Siena, and Cinque Terre, just to name a few.

Going to Italy? Here are the best first-time Italy itineraries for 3 days to 2 weeks (in much greater detail)

Best add-ons to Italy

  • Milan (1 or 2 nights)
  • Lake Como (2 nights)
  • Siena (2 nights)
  • Cinque Terre (1 night)
  • Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi Coast/Pompeii/Capri (3 to 5 nights)
  • Sicily (3 to 4 nights)

>>>Check Rome hotel deals
>>>Check Florence hotel deals
>>>Check Venice hotel deals

Itinerary 8: Spain

Madrid to Barcelona: 2 hours 30 minutes

Spain is another huge country with many things to see, but on your first visit to Europe it’s best to focus on its two huge cities. Madrid, which is the capital, and Barcelona, which is on a northern Mediterranean beach, are very different from each other and not substitutable for each other at all. A day trip on a 33-minute train ride from Madrid to Toledo is very worthwhile, although there are many other options.

A huge part of Spain’s tourism industry is built around its southern beaches and islands such as Ibiza, Mallorca, and Tenerife (in the Canary Islands). For most people it’s best to ignore those places on your first trip because none of the beaches are special enough to spend days on them compared to the culture of the cities.

Best add-ons to Spain

By popular demand, I’ve added a full article on where to go in Spain with itineraries from 7 to 10 days up to two weeks.

>>>Check Madrid hotel deals
>>>Check Barcelona hotel deals
>>>Check Lisbon hotel deals

Itinerary 9: Germany

  • Berlin (3 nights)
  • Munich (2 or 3 nights)
  • Rothenburg ob der Tauber (1 night)
  • Füssen (1 night)

Berlin to Munich: 6 hours 2 minutes
Munich to Rothenburg ob der Tauber: 2 hours 56 minutes
Munich to Füssen: 2 hours 4 minutes

Germany is a popular first-time Europe destination for those with family and/or roots in the country, even if other people save it for a 2nd or 3rd trip. Berlin is the capital and the most interesting city in the country by quite a bit, and it’s also pleasantly affordable compared to the other large cities in Germany. Munich is wealthier and more relaxed, and different from Berlin in many other ways as well.

Those two cities are the keys to a Germany visit, and after that you’ve got a wide variety of choices. I cover most of the popular choices in my article on where to go in Germany, which covers several smaller towns that are major highlights.

Best add-ons to Germany

>>>Check Berlin hotel deals
>>>Check Munich hotel deals

Itinerary 10: Switzerland

Zurich Airport to Interlaken: 2 hours 10 minutes
Interlaken to Bern: 53 minutes
Bern to Lucerne: 1 hour 50 minutes
Lucerne to Zurich Airport: 1 hour 3 minutes

If you aren’t much of a city person at all and you have a much stronger desire to see beautiful scenery and landscapes, then Switzerland could be a good choice for your first visit to Europe. The large cities here such as Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne, and Basel are all fairly dull and very expensive, so it’s better to minimize your time in any of them and head straight to the smaller scenic towns.

Interlaken is the best hub for the most dramatic Alps views and experiences. The one-hour cable car ride up to the Schilthorn observation deck is something you’ll never forget, and the only thing that might be more dramatic is the train ride up to the Jungfraujoch station, which is the highest in Europe. Lucerne is almost as beautiful with a scenic lake at its heart and also great mountaintop views nearby. If you do want to see a Swiss city then the capital of Bern is the most interesting and photogenic on a short visit. Read more about where to go in Switzerland for even more ideas.

Best add-ons to Switzerland

  • Munich (3 nights)
  • Paris (3 nights)
  • Italy (as long as you’ve got)

>>>Check Interlaken hotel deals
>>>Check Lucerne hotel deals

Itinerary 11: Eastern Europe’s best cheap cities

This isn’t really recommended for a first trip to Europe unless you are a backpacker who is sure they are going to be able to visit Europe again when they have more money. If you can get a cheap enough flight, the 3 best cheap European cities to visit are Prague, Budapest, and Krakow, which are all around half as expensive as most of the other cities on this list.

Each of these cities is beautiful and historic, but English is less widely spoken so they can also be quite a bit more challenging for a first-time visitor. Another difficulty is that the trains between them are still quite slow compared to the high-speed rail in the West, so it takes most of a day from one to another, and a bus is often a better choice. I cover this best cheap Europe itinerary more fully in the linked article.

Prague to Budapest: 6 hours 41 minutes
Budapest to Krakow: 9 hours 54 minutes (flying might be better)

Best add-ons to cheap Eastern Europe

>>>Check Prague hotel deals
>>>Check Budapest hotel deals
>>>Check Krakow hotel deals

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All Comments

  1. Mohaddeseh says:

    Hi
    My husband and I want to visit Europe in 28 day. Our favorite countries to visit are spain, Italy, germany, france and swiss. Could u plz tell me how to manage the trip?

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Mohaddeseh,

      If you have 28 days I’d recommend choosing 8 to 10 cities to visit. Three nights in each city is pretty much ideal because it allows you two full sightseeing days in each place, so you aren’t spending every other day on trains or in airports. Of course another factor is you want to string together places that are easy to reach from each other. For example you could do Rome to Florence to Venice, as they are all 90 to 120 minutes by train from each other. Then you could take a train to Nice in southern France and then up to Paris, or you could go to Barcelona and then Madrid and then fly to Paris. After Paris you could take a train to Interlaken for a few days of seeing the best sights in the Alps. After that you could take a train to Munich and then Berlin.

      That is probably too many cities to visit in 28 days, even though Venice is small enough to visit in 1 or 2 days. But some itinerary like that, maybe with a couple of cities removed, should work well for you. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger

  2. Claudia Giraldo says:

    Hi Roger,
    I’m planning a Europe trip with my 20 year old daughter for about 3 weeks. She’ll be studying abroad there next year (Scotland and maybe Madrid) so we’ll be arriving with her luggage for the semester. We’re planning on leaving her stuff at a friend’s in Madrid so plan on flying to Madrid from the States. Wanted to include nice beaches (comparable to the Caribbean). Was thinking of Madrid-3 days, Barcelona-3-4 days, Corsica or Sardinia and then stay the rest of the time in Italy. OR after Barcelona fly to Greece and stay the rest of the time there. Would love your advice and also an idea of how much this would cost and which would be the least expensive option.
    Thank you much!

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Claudia,

      Spain has some very nice beaches and it tends to be cheaper than Italy. I’ve yet to make it to Corsica or Sardinia, and not many Americans seem to visit those islands either, so I don’t have much to say about them aside that I’d assume they are as expensive as France and Italy, which means they’ll be a bit more expensive than Spain and much more expensive than Greece. Italy has a few nice beaches, but they are all so crowded that it’s not as enjoyable as in Spain, where the sandy beaches go on for miles.

      Greece is a fantastic bargain right now, even compared to the others on your list. Many of the islands have some nice beaches, but they are rocky on other islands or even mostly cliffs on other islands, so you have to choose carefully. I’d say maybe 3 days in Athens and then to Santorini could be the cheapest great option on your list. As for the total cost, I think the best I can do is direct you to my 3-star Traveler Index for Europe. Each city on the list has a daily total, which is a pretty typical budget for a 3-star traveler who is sharing a room. If you will also do some shopping, that would have to be added on. You’ll find a listing for many places on your list. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger

  3. Toby says:

    Hi Roger,
    Thank you for your website. We have read many of the articles and have gotten good info from them.
    We are in a position of many retired people of what to do from Oct. to May. Last year we spent five months in seven Australian cities, that was easy but expensive. This year we were considering Spain, Canary Islands, France and Italy for Oct. thru Dec. Then the Caribbean for 2-3 months.
    Do you have other suggestions on what we could do for 6-7 months? We would like to stay in interesting, warm places. Our trip to Australia, last year, was our first trip anywhere.
    Thanks,
    Toby

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Toby,

      I’m very happy to hear that you are finding this information useful. I think your plan sounds fantastic. One way I researched for this website was that I’ve spent about 6 out of the last 11 years out of the US and on the road. Since I can work from anywhere with an internet connection, I went everywhere and lived in many places in Asia and Europe.

      As I’m sure you’ve realized Europe is fairly chilly in October, and by December it’s all cold. So you probably want to start with your northernmost places in October and keep going south through December. The Canary Islands are nicely warm even in December. Tenerife is your best bet among them, and the area around Los Cristianos has the most to offer short-term visitors. It’s fairly boring there, but very pleasant and wonderfully cheap.

      My favorite destinations in the Caribbean for more than a few days in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since it’s part of the US, it’s very easy even though it still feels fairly exotic. If you know Spanish it helps, but there are plenty of English speakers there. You can rent apartments there at good prices because many people have places that they stay in for a couple months and rent out the rest of the year.

      Another place you might consider is Argentina. Buenos Aires is a really wonderful city and things there are quite cheap these days as well. The food is excellent, especially if you like beef, but there is a variety. You could rent an apartment in Buenos Aires for a month and then maybe spend some time in Mendoza, which is the wine area, or Bariloche, which is the scenic adventure and hiking area. You’ll get great value in all of those places. The reason I suggest Argentina is that it feels very European compared to the rest of South or Central America, so many things will feel familiar, even though it also feels fairly exotic. Some other South American countries have poor infrastructure and getting around can be challenging. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have other questions. -Roger

  4. Aled D says:

    Hi Roger.
    Love your website, great tips on travelling, money tips etc.
    I have sort of a plan on the places to visit,I will have around 5 to 6 weeks to travel and I’m thinking at the moment. I have Scotland booked for week 1 but the rest is more or less open..although I have also booked Krakow as I’m visiting a friend there. So I have after Scotland.
    Amsterdam, Hamburg (day), Copenhagen, Berlin, Prague, Krakow, Budapest, Bratislava (?), Vienna (?), Ljubljana and lake bled. I’m thinking I may have more days somewhere else as I’m averaging 3 days in each place. Was thinking maybe Croatia after. What do you think? Am I doing to much? Or is it ok? Is Montenegro, Bosnia or Serbia worth a visit on this trip?
    Many thanks!

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Aled,

      Thank you, and this sounds like a fantastic trip. I love a slow-moving trip going this long, and spending 3 nights in each place is ideal. One thing I’d consider would be to assume that about half way in you’ll want to linger for a few days in a smaller town as sort of a break or pause. Three nights in each city means you have two full sightseeing days followed by one travel day. After a few weeks it will feel a bit like a job, so it’s good to assume you’ll rest for a few days.

      Your itinerary looks quite good. I might skip Bratislava, as to be it’s a bit of a dud compared to the others, especially since it’s basically a suburb of Vienna, which is far more interesting. Salzburg would be wonderful if you could mix it in.

      Croatia is a wonderful country for these kinds of trips, and the only thing to be careful about is that Split and Dubrovnik are packed all July and August, since both have many beach hotels in the area. You can still visit either, but you’ll get better value in the towns rather than on the beaches. You should also go through Plitvice Falls National Park, which is one of Europe’s most beautiful sights. Zagreb is okay, but probably not worth 3 nights. You could spend two weeks in Croatia and love every day.

      Sarajevo and Mostar are both worth a visit, especially with Sarajevo’s fascinating Muslim quarter. You can visit those in between Split and Dubrovnik. I lived in Serbia for almost 5 months and don’t really recommend visiting unless you’ve got more time. I haven’t made it to Montenegro yet, but I’ve heard good things. It’s a bit remote and getting around takes some time. It’s also very cheap. I’m happy to help more if you have other questions. Have a lovely trip. -Roger

  5. Gaby says:

    Hi Roger, thanks for your advice. I’m sure I’ll need your input once we have the actual itinerary.
    Gaby

  6. Gaby says:

    Hi Roger,
    Me and my husband have never been in Europe and we were looking into a 15 days trip (including travel time) from Toronto during the second week of October. I found a “cheap” flight that will arrive to Barcelona and leave from London and was looking into Barcelona/Madrid (3-4nights)-Paris (3 nights)-Bruges/Brussels (1 night) -Amsterdam (2 nights)-London (3-4 nights). Do you think this is doable? Should we remove or consider any other city? Barcelona, Paris and London are in our must see cities given that this would be our first time in Europe. Thank you for your help.
    Gaby

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Gaby,

      Your plan is doable, but it is a bit rushed in a couple spots. As mentioned in the article, Barcelona and Madrid are both very large and different cities that are loaded with great sights. If you are landing in Barcelona then I’d spend 3 nights there. You could then take the 2.5-hour train to Madrid, and 2 nights there would be enough for a good look, especially since it’s a short train ride and you can be there before noon. Three nights would be better, but two will work.

      From Madrid you could fly to Amsterdam for the most efficient use of time. What I’d recommend would be to stay 3 nights in Amsterdam (although 2 would still be okay) and skip Brussels and Bruges on this trip. Both of those are lovely cities, but Bruges in particular has quite a bit in common with Amsterdam, so it won’t make as much of an impact and it’s a good one to save for later. That way you could take the 3.25-hour train ride from Amsterdam to Paris and spend 3 days there. Then take the Eurostar to London for 3 or 4 days before flying home.

      As mentioned in the article, the reason I like 3 nights in each place is that gives you 2 full days of sightseeing where you wake up and go to sleep in the same bed. If you only stay 2 nights it means one full day of sightseeing, which really isn’t enough for most great cities. That gives you some choices and if you are within the range of what we discussed, I’m sure it’ll be an excellent trip. I’m happy to give more advice if you need it, so feel free to ask again. -Roger

  7. Ashutosh Tripathi says:

    Thanks a lot Roger.. You have been of great help. I am now mentally prepared for Greece (:

    Will share my itinerary with you shortly for a comment.

    Ashutosh

  8. Ashutosh Tripathi says:

    Thanks a lot Roger.. So Croatia is out of my list for this year… and I somehow am more inclined to Spain or Greece then Portugal.. but then I am super confused to decide between the two..

    Help me choose one.. I want to spend not more than 3000-3500 USD overall in the trip including flights.. lower the better..

    I am equally fascinated with both countries.. Can you recommend one which looks clearly better?

    Ashutosh

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Ashutosh,

      This is a tough one. But if I had to choose I’d go for Greece. The flights will be shorter, Athens has a far more interesting history compared to Spain, and it’ll be a bit easier in general with the language. Spain is a very populous country and even the resort areas are filled with locals and other tourists who only know Spanish. My Spanish is poor and I’ve spent months in Spain, so it’s not too difficult. But especially on Greek islands, the main language of tourism is English and they don’t expect anyone to know or learn Greek (aside from maybe a greeting). From the looks of things, the hotels in Greece are a bit better value at the moment compared to Spain as well.

      So again, it’s not that Greece looks “clearly” better, as I’m a big fan of Spain and have spent far more time there. But I think for you, Greece is probably a better option. Have a great trip. -Roger

  9. Ashutosh Tripathi says:

    Hi Roger,

    I am planning a 2 week trip to Europe in June.. Mostly from 2nd to 16th. I am from Mumbai, India

    Me and my wife will travel and we prefer beach destinations: holiday with atleast 50% beach destinations.. and rest 50% in best places of the respective country..

    Did some browsing and found that Greece, Spain, Portugal or Croatia are best.. I dont want a very expensive holiday… something moderately priced or cheap is even better.. but dont want to compromise good places for just expense..

    Please suggest which country to visit..I found that June is the best month to visit as most beach destinations tend to get crowded and expensive from July..

    I dont want too much of travel in the trip as most experts have advised that too much travel just wastes time.. So I am okay if I cannot cover two countries in the two week visit. I was earlier thinking to club Spain-Portugal or Greece-Croatia..

    Is Croatia covered in Schengen visa? If not, is it too complicated?

    Awaiting your response.

    Regards,
    Ashutosh Tripathi

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Ashutosh,

      Your research looks exactly right to me, and I think you are approaching this in a very intelligent way. First off, Croatia is not yet in the Schengen Zone, and I’m not sure how complicated it would be to get a visa for it.

      I agree that Spain, Portugal, and Greece have the best sandy beaches in Europe. It’s actually kind of amazing how much of Europe’s southern coastline is cliffs or rocks or mountains or anything but sandy beaches. The better beach areas in Croatia will be more expensive than Spain, Portugal, or Greece, so I think I’d focus on the others.

      If you wanted to try Greece you could stop in Athens or 3 days or so to see the famous sights, and then take a ferry or flight to one of its islands for the rest of your trip. Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes are among the better ones that also have some cultural and nature sights. Some of the other islands have a few old ruins and some nice beaches, but not much else. Greece is fairly cheap these days, so it could work well for you.

      Spain and/or Portugal are your other best option. In Spain it’s obviously Madrid and Barcelona that are the cultural highlights, and they are very different from each other. The high-speed train between them takes only 2.5 hours. Unfortunately, the main beach areas are not terrible close to either of those. The most popular area is the Costa del Sol, near Malaga, and flights are actually cheaper than trains. Malaga is a very nice city with some history of its own, so that could be a good area for you.

      The other main area is the Costa Blanca, around Alicante and Benidorm. There are no high-speed trains from Barcelona, but there are from Madrid. Flying is another option to consider. I really prefer the area around Malaga though.

      In Portugal it’s Lisbon and Porto that are the main cultural highlights, and the beaches along the Algarve on the southern coast are very nice. All of it is good value, partly because it’s kind of remote compared to Spain. It’s a bit easier to get by in English only in Portugal compared to Spain, but in the main resort areas of Spain it’s pretty easy anyway.

      I’d say my top recommendation would be 3 days in Barcelona, 3 days in Madrid, and then the rest down on the Costa del Sol around Malaga. Hopefully this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger

  10. Andrea says:

    This was a great article and very helpful. I am planning to do London -> Paris -> Rome -> Venice. Do you recommend traveling by train, plane or a combination of both? Taking into account time and cost. Thank you!

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Andrea,

      Thank you. You’ll want to take the Eurostar train from London to Paris. Then fly from there to Rome, and take the train from Rome to Venice. Buy those train tickets as far in advance (3 to 6 months if possible) for the lowest fares. And the same goes for the flight to Rome. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger