First Time Europe Itineraries
Planning where to go on your first visit to Europe isn’t easy. Obviously, you want to see everything, but you know you can’t.
That is why I am here. To help decide what is a must-see and what isn’t.
You can ask AI for a European Itinerary, but you will get a poor quality answer, AI has no spatial awareness and even less understanding of the time it takes to get from A to B. AI just parrots the loudest people in the room.
As a professional consultant, I plan trips for both first-time and returning visitors to Europe. Here, I offer some European itinerary ideas to help you plan on your own, based on my expertise and the experiences of real travelers.
Whether a 2 week itinerary, 3 week trip, or a month-long tour, the choice of length is probably out of your control. What you can choose though, is what fit into that time frame.
Let me give you a few sample itineraries. My goal is to provide you with an itinerary that will be an amazing trip for the majority of people.
You need to adapt these itineraries to suit your personal needs. You can do this yourself, or use my professional services to help.
Check out my full guide on how to plan a trip to Europe.
Europe Itinerary for 2 Weeks
Two weeks isn’t a lot of time to see much of Europe, but it is good for an introduction.
a 14 day itinerary is enough to see a lot of one country: Check out my country guides, it this is of more interest to you.
I will concentrate on a full European trip and the iconic European cities here.
2 Week Europe Itinerary by Rail
The biggest cities of Europe are amazingly diverse. Over two weeks, we can see a few of them, but the distances involved necessitates a lot of travel.
I will describe this itinerary for rail travel, but changing the longer legs to flights can help save time.
- Arrive in Paris (3N).
- Explore the Louvre and enjoy the general ambiance of Montmartre.
- Visit Notre Dame or the Conciergerie to get a fix of Classical French architecture and the Musée d’Orsay for the impressionists. View the Eiffel Tower from afar unless you “have to” climb it.
- Take an early Thalys high-speed train to Amsterdam (2N) via Bruges. Take a trip on the canals of Bruges. Wander the streets and explore the churches for some great artwork.
- Explore the city on a walking tour, visit the Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank’s house (both need booking in advance), and stay overnight.
- Train to Berlin (2N) or fly. In the afternoon/evening, explore the Freidrichschein district for some good bars and restaurants.
- Time for the famous Berlin Wall, especially the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and associated street art. If you want to squash more in then there is the famous Museum Insel or the Underground Bunkers of the Nazi regime.
- Head to Prague (2N) by train and start off in the old town in the afternoon. Don’t miss the Jewish Cemetery.
- Spend the morning in the castle area of Prague, check out some of the churches in the afternoon, and stroll through Mala Strana.
- Continue to Vienna (2N) by “Tour Transfer” (private or otherwise). See a Czech castle like Lednice en route.
- Explore the old town of Vienna and the classic cafés. A Mozart and Strauss concert in the evening is extremely touristy but still worth it.
- Head out of the city center to Schönbrunn Palace and explore the Apartments and Gardens of the Emperor. If you like art, then a stop in the Belvedere to see Klimt’s Kiss can be included. Take the overnight sleeper train to Venice (2N)
- Wander Venice and visit the Doge’s Palace in the Morning, and after lunch, head to Murano for its colorful glass.
- Fly home from Venice.
As you can see, this is jam-packed but skips Rome, Spain, and more. Two weeks just isn’t enough to see everything in Europe.
However, I think this two week itinerary is a good balance of the multiple different styles, cultures and histories that are on show. If it is your first trip to Europe, this itinerary is a great introduction.
These are highly visited destinations, and advance booking for museums and sights is necessary almost all year round.
2 Week Europe Itinerary by Car
Traveling by car allows for a bit more exploration outside the better-known areas.
However, driving yourself is more tiring than rail travel and so, suggests a less action-packed adventure. This trip avoids some of the bigger cities and concentrates on smaller towns and scenery.
- Fly into Paris and get a car, heading straight out to the Normandy Coast. Since most flights arrive in the morning, you will have plenty of time to visit some of the D-Day Beaches and museums.
- Drive north Along the coast towards Ghent. This is a less fairytale version of Bruges, a lived-in city and a big university town. The city center is almost as well preserved as its famous neighbor, just less touristy.
- Driving to Delft via Antwerp allows you to stop for the Rubens House and the lesser-known but amazing Plantain Moretus Museum – home to one of the first printed Bibles. A short walk to the Train station is worth it for the colonial architecture. Stay in Delft overnight.
- Visit one of the two handmade Delft Pottery factories in the morning and explore the two churches in the old town. The Dutch Royal Family is buried in the new one. Continue on to Aachen
- Drive through the Eifel National Park region for some beautiful scenery (the long way) to Cochem. Stop here for lunch and the castle before a longer drive to Friebug in Briesgau.
- Spend the day exploring the Black Forest. Triberg and Furtwangen are classic towns where Cuckoo Clocks come from, as is Titisee. After yesterday’s long drive, take a hike to stretch your legs.
- Heading to Bodensee, stop off in Lindau and possibly Mainau (the flower Island, good all summer but best in May), before continuing to Munich via the famous Neuschwanstein Castle.
- Spend the Day in Munich, one of the biggest cities on this route. The Dachau Concentration Camp is just outside the city and is a sober reminder of the horrors of WWII.
- Head toward the Mountains. Visit Salzburg for the day, a beautiful small city, home to Mozart and a stunning hill top fortress. Continue to Zell am See for the evening.
- A few km outside of town is the Kaprun Glacier. Take the cable car up for amazing views of the Austrian Alps. Get some exercise with a mountain walk or for something a bit easier, stroll around the lake that gives Zell am See its name.
- Drive through the mountains to Innsbruck. Innsbruck has an amazing setting right in the middle of the Alps. This university town was briefly famous as the capital of the Austrian Empire when the region was the Silver Capital of the World.
- Given the flexibility of the car, you can truly explore the mountains. Take the long route to Lucerne, via St Moritz. This is a total of 8 hours driving, so leave early and enjoy the mountains. Make sure you visit the old town of Lucerne when you arrive, along with the famous Kapellbrucke.
- Keep heading west, back towards France. Drive to the town of Dole a pretty old town and visit Louis Pasteur’s home before continuing on to Dijon.
- Explore the Wine Route of Burgundy and make sure you visit Beaune and its famous Hotel Dieu, one of the world’s first hospitals.
- Drive back up to Paris and fly home
Europe Itinerary for 3 Weeks
3 weeks in Europe allows for a much more inclusive itinerary.
The following itinerary covers a huge part of the history and culture of the continent.
3 Week Europe Itinerary by Rail
Let’s take the two week itinerary above and change it a bit. In three weeks, you can go much further.
Again my itineraries are all suggestions and should be adapted to suit your personal interests. European Art and old cathedrals are special, but if you aren’t a geek for these subjects then you can overdo it.
Don’t fell like you are missing out if you skip anything. Want more history? Want more nature? Go for it.
Ask me for help if you need it : Link to my itinerary planning services
I have left the similar parts in Italics. The changes start in Munich.
- Arrive in Paris (3N).
- Explore the Louvre and enjoy the general ambiance of Montmartre.
- Visit Notre Dame or the Conciergerie to get a fix of Classical French architecture and the Musée d’Orsay for the impressionists. View the Eiffel Tower from afar unless you “have to” climb it.
- Take an early Thalys high-speed train to Amsterdam (2N) via Bruges. Take a trip on the canals of Bruges. Wander the streets and explore the churches for some great artwork.
- Explore the city on a walking tour, visit the Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank’s house (both need booking in advance), and stay overnight.
- Train to Munich (2N) or fly. If you flew, you could have the afternoon to explore.
- Spend the morning in the Altstadt (the old town), visit the Viktualienmarkt, and then head to the English Garden for a refreshing Bavarian beer.
- Leave for Salzburg (1N) by train and explore the old town in the afternoon along with Mozart’s House.
- Take the Funicular up to the Castle in the morning and later continue to Vienna (2N) by train.
- Explore the old town of Vienna and the classic cafés. A Mozart and Strauss concert in the evening is extremely touristy but still worth it.
- Head out to Schönbrunn Palace and explore the Apartments and Gardens of the Emperor. Take the overnight sleeper train to Venice (2N)
- Explore Venice and the Doge’s Palace in the Morning and head to Murano for its colorful glass in the afternoon.
- Take the morning train to Florence (2N). Enjoy the architecture and the Boboli Gardens in the afternoon.
- Visit the Uffizi and the Cathedral (add another museum if you are a fanatic of Renaissance art).
- The high-speed train network will get you to Rome (3N) in time to see some of the city in the afternoon.
- Spend a day visiting the Vatican and Papal sights (Churches, Borghese Palace, etc.)
- Spend another day visiting all the Roman sights (Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, etc.)
- Head back North towards Cinque Terre (2N), about 5 hours by train.
- Spend the whole day visiting the villages of Cinque Terre, Manarolo and Vernazza are often considered the ‘best’.
- The Train continues back to France along the coast. Arrive in Nice for the evening (2N).
- Explore the old town and the promenade des Anglais in the Morning. Take an afternoon trip to Monaco.
- Fly home from Nice or return to Paris to fly out.
3 Week Europe Itinerary by Car
Again I will take my 14-day Europe itinerary by car and extend it to a 21-day itinerary.
As I said earlier, traveling by car allows for a bit more exploration outside the better-known areas.
A 21-day itinerary allows for more rest between long distance routes so you can explore quite a bit further away. Of course, distances costs money (fuel and motorway tolls) as well as time.
Once more duplicate parts are in Italics. The first 10 days stay the same, and we will return via Burgundy and Dijon to Paris (Dropping off the car in the same country avoids crazy rental fees. One way fees within a country are much more reasonable.)
- Fly into Paris and get a car, heading straight out to the Normandy Coast. Since most flights arrive in the morning, you will have plenty of time to visit some of the D-Day Beaches and museums.
- Drive north Along the coast towards Ghent. This is a less fairytale version of Bruges, a lived-in city and a big university town. The city center is almost as well preserved as its famous neighbor, just less touristy.
- Driving to Delft via Antwerp allows you to stop for the Rubens House and the lesser-known but amazing Plantain Moretus Museum – home to one of the first printed Bibles. A short walk to the Train station is worth it for the colonial architecture. Stay in Delft overnight.
- Visit one of the two handmade Delft Pottery factories in the morning and explore the two churches in the old town. The Dutch Royal Family is buried in the new one. Continue on to Aachen
- Drive through the Eifel National Park region for some beautiful scenery (the long way) to Cochem. Stop here for lunch and the castle before a longer drive to Friebug in Briesgau.
- Spend the day exploring the Black Forest. Triberg and Furtwangen are classic towns, as is Titisee. After yesterday’s long drive, take a hike to stretch your legs.
- Heading to Bodensee, stop off in Lindau and possibly Mainau (the flower Island, good all summer but best in May), before continuing to Munich via the famous Neuschwanstein Castle.
- Spend the Day in Munich, one of the biggest cities on this route. The Dachau Concentration Camp is just outside the city and is a sober reminder of the horrors of WWII.
- Head toward the Mountains. Visit Salzburg for the day, a beautiful small city, home to Mozart and a stunning hill top fortress. Continue to Zell am See for the evening.
- A few km outside of town is the Kaprun Glacier. Take the cable car up for amazing views of the Austrian Alps. Get some exercise with a mountain walk or for something a bit easier, stroll around the lake that gives Zell am See its name.
- Climb the mountains on the Grossglockneralpinstrasse – the road over the Alps, via Austria’s highest peak, the Grossglockner. Continue to Lake Bled, arriving late afternoon.
- Sunrise over Lake Bled can be spectacular but you need a morning hike to get to the view points. Ljubljana, an hour away, makes a delightful afternoon visit. Enjoy drinks on the terraces of the city center.
- Given the flexibility of the car, you can truly explore the mountains. From Lake Bled, head back north a little and cross over to the Soca Valley. The valley is as beautiful as its history is tragic. The English speaking world has all but forgotten the battles of Isonzo, which were among the 5 worst campaigns of the war in terms of deaths. Multiple museums in the area tell the story. Spend the night near Venice
- Venice should not be missed, even if it is car free in the center. Visit for the day and drive onwards towards Ravenna.
- Visit Ravenna in the morning, making sure to see the early christian 5th century mosaics. Drive on to San Marino for lunch and finish near Florence in Tuscany. Stay in an agriturismo out of town to enjoy the countryside.
- Drive into Florence and park for the day. here is not too much. You could add days to this itinerary just to see 10% of the artwork in the city. The Uffizi and Duomo are the “must-sees”.
- Enjoy the Tuscan countryside. Do a wine tasting in Montepulciano or Chianti (but don’t drink and drive), visit Parma for some cheese or ham tasting, try a hill top village like San Gimignano or a hilltop town like Orvieto.
- It’s time to return towards Paris. Today is a total of 8 hours driving, so leave early and enjoy the mountains. The target is the home of the first olympics and Western Europe’s highest mountain – Chamonix.
- Keep heading north. Drive to the town of Dole a pretty old town and visit Louis Pasteur’s home before continuing on to Dijon. Aim to have most of the afternoon here.
- Explore the Wine Route of Burgundy and make sure you visit Beaune and its famous Hotel Dieu, one of the world’s first hospitals.
- Drive back up to Paris and fly home
1 Month Europe Itinerary
I am working on this, trying to get something balanced for everybody. As always, there is no suiting everyone so it isn’t easy.
Realistically though this is a bit specialist and there is so much variation if you have a month to spare. A single one month itinerary for Europe is likely to be too much for most people. Within a month you have time to get to know a region in depth, and everybody wants to get to know somewhere different.
Take the 2 or 3 week itinerary that you like, and add three days here and four days there for a bit of down time.
Maybe you could add a week in the mountains to do some exercise – Hiking burns a lot of calories, the ones you will probably consume while tasting the great prosciutto of Italy, or the delectable pastries of France. Check out my 3-week European Nature Itinerary and blend it with one of the itineraries on this page.
You could simply explore a couple of countries in depth. Check out my individual country itineraries, Combine Portugal with Spain and Spain with France, and France with Italy.
How to adapt a Europe Itinerary to your needs
Ask for help and book my professional itinerary planning services. *Shameless plug over*
- You know already what you consider to be must sees. Pin them on Google Maps and see where they are.
- Find what is closest to a destination on my itinerary and see what you need to do to fit in your idea.
- Remove a day that doesn’t interest you.
Planning can be overwhelming, when you don’t know how far things are from each other. Google Maps is your best friend here. Use directions to get ideas of the travel times.
Save pins of places you want to see. Save pins of places you might like to see in different colors. Once you have a visual overview, things become much easier.
As always check out my live presentations to see if I have an upcoming presentation of planning, or something similar.
Whatever Itinerary you choose, enjoy your trip to Europe.
