The most common first-Europe-trip mistake is trying to do too many cities. Here are itineraries that actually work, ranked by total time available.
10 days — pick 2 countries
Best 10-day option: Italy.
Alternative: Spain — Madrid 3 nights, Seville 3 nights, Barcelona 4 nights.
Alternative: France + Iberia — Paris 4, Bordeaux 1, Lisbon 4. (Train-heavy.)
Don't try: Paris-London-Amsterdam-Rome in 10 days. Half the trip is travel.
14 days — pick 3 countries
Best 14-day option: Italy + France.
- Rome: 4 nights
- Florence + Tuscany: 3 nights
- Venice: 2 nights
- Paris: 5 nights (with day-trip to Versailles)
Alternative: Iberia loop — Barcelona 4, Madrid 3, Seville 3, Lisbon 4.
Alternative: Central Europe — Vienna 3, Budapest 3, Krakow 3, Prague 4.
21 days — 4-5 countries
Best 21-day option: Western Europe loop.
- London: 4 nights
- Paris: 4 nights
- Rome: 4 nights
- Florence: 3 nights
- Venice: 2 nights
- Vienna: 3 nights (or Munich + Salzburg if December)
- 1 buffer day for travel/jet-lag
Alternative: Mediterranean — Barcelona 4, Madrid 3, Lisbon 4, Porto 2, Seville 3, Granada 2, Athens 3.
What to skip on a first trip
- Brussels: 1-day stop max, rarely worth a stay.
- Geneva, Zurich, Frankfurt: Worth it if specifically focused; otherwise generic.
- Day trips that need 4+ hours of travel each way: Eat the day.
- Three cities in 5 days: Always too compressed.
Travel between cities
Trains for short hops (Rome-Florence, Madrid-Seville, Paris-London via Eurostar). Budget flights for long hops (Lisbon-Athens, Rome-Berlin). Rule of thumb: anything over 5h by train, fly. Anything under 4h, train.
For city-pair-specific train recommendations see Europe by train. For best-month-to-go see when to go where.