r/Europetravel

I'm planning a trip somewhere in Europe this July or August for 1 week and would love some recommendations. I'm looking for a destination with beautiful scenery, great food, lots of things to do and plenty of nearby places for day trips, whether that's charming towns, beaches, lakes, mountains, or interesting cities. I enjoy exploring, trying local food, visiting landmarks, relaxing in nature and just having a good mix of activities without getting bored. Right now I'm mainly considering Spain, France and Sweden, so which city or region in those (or other ) countries would you recommend?

Hi everyone,
My family of four (ages 66, 56, 23 and 18) will be travelling to Europe from 21 September to 21 October. Our eldest daughter lives in Bern, Switzerland, so we'll be spending time with her and using Bern as our base before and after our trip.
Our plan is to travel mostly by train:
🚆 Bern → Venice
🚆 Venice → Florence
🚆 Florence → Rome
🚆 Rome → Naples
✈️ Naples → Paris
🚆 Paris → Haarlem (Netherlands)
🚆 Haarlem → Bern
I've been researching train options through SBB, Trainline and Eurail, but to be honest, I'm feeling quite overwhelmed with all the different tickets, passes and booking options!
Has anyone done a similar trip or travelled these routes before? I'd love to hear your recommendations on:
Whether it's better to buy individual tickets or get a rail pass
The best websites/apps for booking
Any tips for train travel in Switzerland, Italy, France and the Netherlands
Anything you wish you'd known before your first European rail adventure
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much

I'm finally making my first Europe trip happen later this year, and it's honestly a bigger deal to me than any vacation I've taken before. My sister and I have been saving for it for a while, so I'm trying to make a few parts of the trip feel a little more special without spending money just for the sake of it. The London to Paris leg is the one I'm most looking forward to, and I noticed there's a Premier option. For anyone who's actually tried it, is Eurostar Premier worth it for a once in a lifetime kind of trip?

Hi everyone! 😊

Can anyone recommend the easiest way to get from Pisa, Italy to Madrid?

I'll be travelling sometime between Aug. 7–9 and need to make it to Madrid (MAD) to catch my flight. I'm open to train, bus, or flight—whatever's the most convenient..Also I only have schengen visa (for flight purposes)

Does anyone know roughly:

How long it takes?

About how much it costs?

Which option you'd recommend?

Thanks so much!

I am off to Munich next April to see Tindersticks in concert. I am staying 15-18 April there and was hoping to add on another city/town or two at either end for 2/3 nights each. I'm looking at Frankfurt or Zurich currently, as I'd need to fly back to Birmingham. I love nature, beer, architecture, just watching the world go by and wandering to get lost when I travel. I'd prefer not to travel more than 3 hours via train/plane! Which do you think would suit me better, or are there other cities I haven't considered that would suit please? (Not Vienna or Prague as have been multiple times!)

I'm planning to spend 3 months in Europe from early August to early November and I'm looking for suggestions/feedback! I'm 22m and from the US. I'll be doing it solo and want to see the famous "tourist" things but also want to have time to see the lesser known parts. I enjoy night life but also the outdoors, and am really excited about meeting people from all over. My first solo trip was to Portugal last December and I had a blast. Obviously this is a lot bigger trip, so any tips and tricks you can share is appreciated! I'll put my current rough itinerary below. In general, I haven't booked much and plan to keep the trip flexible and a bit spontaneous so I can add places or shorten/extend places as I hear more while traveling. I'm planning on taking the Interrail between every stop which is a bit daunting because we don't have many trains near me! I also want to take things pretty slow and make sure I see a lot and have a chance to take it all in at a relaxed pace.

Rough Itinerary:

• London- 2 nights
• Brussels- 5 nights
  • Day trip to Antwerp
  • Day trip to Ghent
  • Possibly day trip to Brugges
• Amsterdam- 6 nights
  • Day trip to Rotterdam
• Berlin- 6 nights
  • Possibly day trip to Potsdam
• Warsaw- 5 nights
• Krakow- 6 nights
  • Salt Mines day trip
  • Auschwitz day trip
  • Possibly silver mine or castle day trip
• Budapest- 7 nights
• Vienna- 6 nights
  • Day trip to Bratislava
• Prague- 7 nights
• Munich- 5 nights
• Salzburg- 6 nights
  • Redbull Hangar-7
  • Possible mountain day trip
• Milan- 4 nights
  • Day trip to Monza
• Venice- 5 nights
• Florence- 5 nights
• Bologna- 4 nights
  • Day trip Modena and Maranello
• Cinque Terre- 4 nights
• Nice- 3 nights
  • Day trip to Monaco
• Marseille- 4 nights
• Paris- 1 night
• UK/Scotland/Ireland- about 2 weeks (still looking for recommendations!)

I'm looking forward to seeing what suggestions everyone has! I've also thought about adding in Zagreb and Ljubljana (or other cities in Slovenia or Croatia) but currently don't have time in this schedule. None of this (besides start/finish in London) is really set. This whole planning process has been a bit daunting and has left me equally nervous and excited for this trip! Thanks for any insights you have!

Edit: I have been to Paris, London, and Rome with family previously. I haven’t prioritized those because of that.

I would like some feedback on a 3 week trip to Europe. We a mix of adults and children (ages around 5-6 years old). We are planning on visiting Utrecht, Amsterdam, Paris, Lucerne and Zurich - in that specific order. The kids love public transport so we're not going to drive and plan on taking local transportation, ideally trains to all our destinations.

I would like some feedback on our itinerary and any interesting, must-visit attractions for the kids. For context, the kids love museums (e.g. transportation, science), botanical gardens, etc.

*0. Fly into Amsterdam

*1. Utrecht - 5 days - Canals, Dutch Railway Museum, Exploring old town.

*2. Transit to Amsterdam

*3. Amsterdam - 4 days - NEMO science museum, city exploration, canal cruise

*4. Ride Eurostar to Paris

*5. Paris - 3 days - Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, Batobus Hop on Hop off, Louvre, Eiffel Tower

*6. Transit to Lucerne

*7. Lucerne - 5 days - Mount Pilatus, Rigi, Titlis, Swiss Museum of Transport

*8. Transit to Zurich

*9. Zurich - 2 days - Rhine Falls, Lindt Chocolate Factory

*10. Fly out of Zurich

Here's where I need help:

*1. What's the best way to transit from Paris to Lucerne? We would like to ride the TGV ideally. What routing should we use?

*2. We will have considerable luggage, is the best way to travel to our hotel to / from the airport is via train or are taxis better? With kids and traveling on trains / busses for the first time, we would be more comfortable traveling via a Taxi or an Airport Hotel Shuttle. We haven't checked if the Hotels we're staying at offer Airport Shuttle. Not sure if this is a thing in Europe, given the public transportation availability.

*3. Are there interesting PoIs we should consider?

*4. What sort of local transit passes should we get in NL, FR and CH? CH specifically has many, many options. Do hotels offer passes for their guests?

Suggestions, refinements, comments are welcome!

Hello, me and my friend (18 and 19 years old) want to go on an adventure this summer. We live in Copenhagen and have set 5-9 days aside in July to travel. We are both very openminded and adventurous, and would love to experience new things. But we have no idea where to go😅 we are very open to different suggestions, we are interested in stuff such as:

- mountains
- overall scenic areas
- nightlife
- beers
- different cultures
- old/ historic towns and cities
- good food

Since we are 18 and 19 years old, we don’t have the biggest budget, but we do have some money sat aside for the trip.

Everything is of interest😁 thanks in advance

I am going to be in London, Paris, Spain and Italy for a total of a month. I am only 19 and this is my first time going to Europe. Aside from flights, accomodation etc. how much spending money will I need for just day to day. I am looking to budget but still have fun

This is a 4 day trip in mid/end September mainly for architecture and monument. I wouldn't visit a lot of museums, just a few.

Here are the destinations I've put on my list. I also wrote what are my fears :

Architecture and monuments :

- Vilnius + Kaunas (I checked pictures on Google, both look good/very good but they seemed less appealing than Tallinn for example)

- Riga and/or Tallinn (4 days in Riga might be too much ; same for Tallinn ; travelling between the two cities is annoying because I lose half a day and it costs more money)

- Tbilisi (not easy to get there from where I live)

- Kutaisi (is there enough to do in 4 days ? is there a good amount of architecture and monuments ?)

- Baku (it would be during the week of the Formula 1 GP so I'm afraid that there would be too many tourists, hotel prices would be very expensive, roads closed...)

- Bucharest + Brasov (I feel like Bucharest is harder to like than other destinations based on what I read on reddit ; this is just a feeling of course)

- Jersey + Guernsey (+ Alderney ?)

- Gdansk (not a lot to do in 4 days ?)

I also would love to visit Faroe Islands even if it is not a destination for architecture or monuments (4 days might be too short ; how is the weather in september ?)

Which one would you recommend me if you had to choose ?

If you have other suggestions you can write them. (I already visited Budapest, Slovenia, Malta)

Thank you in advance

*Hi y'all*

*I'm planning to solo travel through Europe at the end of this summer (23F). I have my itinerary mostly planned out but I'm not sure about the travel in between cities. Please let me know if i can do these via eurail or if i should book a flight/different train instead! I'm planning to book the eurail (7 rides in 30 days) pass.*

\*London (3 nights) train to Paris\*

\*Paris (4 nights) train to Amsterdam\*

\*Amsterdam (4 nights) train to Berlin\*

\*Berlin (4 nights) train to Prague\*

\*Prague (3 nights) train to Vienna\\\*

\*Vienna (3 nights) flight to Florence\*

\*Florence (2 nights) train to Rome\*

\*Rome (4 nights) flight to Barcelona\*

\*Barcelona (4 nights) train to Madrid\*

\*Madrid (4 nights) flight home.\*

*Please lmk if this itinerary seems good or if I should adjust some things! My flights to London and from Madrid are booked but other than that my dates are open!*

As the title implies, I want to fly out of Toronto into Amsterdam, then from Dublin fly back to Toronto. This route keeps my cost low (even with the middle flight from Amsterdam to dublin) without needing to connect into the US on my way home. I’ve been trying multiple cities paired with Amsterdam and Dublin made the most sense in this regard.

Here my rough trip idea
Because I don't drive, this trip is going to be 100% reliant on public transit, trains, and walking.

Here is the rough outline I’m looking at right now:
Days 1–4: Amsterdam. Basing myself centrally, mostly exploring the neighborhoods, museums, and canals on foot/trams. Planning a quick train day-trip to Haarlem or Zaanse Schans.

Day 5: Transit Day. Flight from Amsterdam to Dublin, then taking an express coach straight from Dublin Airport over to Galway to base myself on the west coast.

Day 6: Galway / Cliffs of Moher. Taking a guided day tour out to the Cliffs/Burren so I don't have to worry about driving.

Days 7–9: Dublin. Train back from Galway to Dublin. Spend the remaining time exploring Dublin

Does a 4-day Amsterdam / 5-day Ireland split feel balanced for a solo traveler, or am I trying to squeeze too much in?

So my(23F) birthday is coming up in November, and I want to take a week long solo trip to celebrate. Unfortunately, I cannot take a longer trip, so I will be visiting one country only during this time(November 3rd/4th to the 10th). I spent about 5 months abroad last year(4 months was studying abroad in England and I spent 8 weeks solo traveling throughout Europe(the northern, western and eastern countries) before and during that. I will be traveling from the US, more specifically out of either EWR or JFK.

I'm itching to go somewhere new and I haven't been to Southern Europe yet. The top three countries I'm considering are Portugal, Spain, or Italy. I was going to stick to one or two cities, as I will only be here for a week. The top three cities I have in mind are Lisbon, Barcelona, or Rome. As for travel interests, I like looking at old architecture(I visited soo many cathedrals and castles last year), learning about the history and the art of the city/country I'm visiting, and trying the local food. I was born and raised in New Jersey, so I ate a lot of Italian American food. I'm curious how the real thing would taste in comparison. But I also do like the taste of Spanish food and Portuguese food sounds appealing too. I feel like all three of these cities would have no problem meeting my travel interests, which makes it even harder for me to pick one city.

Now the question I have is if you were in my shoes, and you had to pick one country out of my top three, which one and why? Have you travelled to any of the countries I listed during early November?

Hi, I’m planning to travel to Europe in July and August for about a month.

Anyone knows how can I rent a car for one month but not too expensive ? I checked the rental platforms and they all charge by day. I don’t know if there’s any local stores or website that offer a relatively affordable price for a month rental?

Thank you!

Hi! My family needs to travel to Budapest mid August. While not an idea time due to heat and crowds, we have a family event to attend. My husband would also like to visit his brother near Venice, so are considering flying home from Venice early September. I know it’s a bit random to start in Budapest and end in Venice, and quite the distance in between… but could anyone recommend some itinerary ideas or destinations between? Criteria include comfortable temperatures (not too hot), kid friendly, and activities such as mountain hikes and gondolas, or water destinations at beaches or lakes. Willing to use any form of transportation including car rental, train or flight.

We are going to land in Naples and fly out of Milan, part of the trip involved driving out to Rome then to tuscan country side, after to florence, then to venice (where will stay and leave the car on the mainland), from there were going into the dolomites to hike 2 days, from there to lake como; specifically to the eastern shore, from there to Milan where we also drop off the car.

Now my question is whether this kind of trip is better in a car or just to use public transportation.

Because while i love driving, i am also unfamiliar with Italian vehicular law and i know there are places tourists cant enter with vehicles and the whole parking fiasco is a nightmare.

Hello, I am going on a hybrid work-pleasure trip in the next two weeks and I was seeking advice on how to travel between the cities on my itinerary in the best fashion. It is relevant that I am 25 and American.

• July 12: Flight to Amsterdam, heading directly to Leuven for business
• July 13-17: Leuven (everything after this is personal travel)
• July 18: Leuven to Brussels
• July 19: Brussels to Amsterdam
• July 19-22: Amsterdam
• July 22: Amsterdam to Antwerp
• July 23: Day trip to Bruges, return to Antwerp
• July 24: Antwerp to Delft
• July 25: day trip to the Hague
• July 26: Delft/Hague to Amsterdam, where I am flying

Yes, I get that its not the most effective to visit Amsterdam in the middle of the trip but it's just sort of how it had to happen because I coordinated that part with a friend. Anyways, because there is a lot of travelling in between the netherlands and belgium, as well as some sections where I am travelling just inside of both countries, I wanted to ask: are there passes or things I should know about that would make my travels cheaper, assuming I am taking trains between all destinations?

I've looked into Eurail Benelux, which is $119 for 3 days of travel-- it turns out that for the 3 international bits (Bruss-> Ams, Ams->Antw, Ant->Delft, I think I can get Ams->Leuv reimbursed from my work) it comes out to about the same price. In that case, for max flexibility, I should probably get an Eurail pass since it theoretically gives me more flexibility than if I bought the tickets for those legs directly, right? If anyone has any experiences with Eurail, I'd love to hear it, especially before shelling out >100 dollars haha

But I'm left wondering if there are better options, that I'm missing. I've looked into NS seasonal passes, but you have to be a Dutch resident in order to benefit from them. I think this is also the case with any sort of loyalty or discount scheme with Belgium domestic trains, but I could be wrong.

For the domestic travel within Belgium and NL, I'm under the impression that city-to-city tickets (off-peak) are usually <10 euro each, maybe even cheaper given I am a "youth" but I also wonder if there are day-passes etc. Especially if they offer reciprocity with regional travel. Also if anyone knows anything about regional travel (like if there are things that I can buy into that give me access to multiple forms of regional travel, or if I have to. sigh download a new app for each city I visit). Thanks in advance for any insight, and I welcome any opinions about my itinerary, even though my accomodations are already booked.

Hi everyone,
I’m planning my first solo trip in early October (around 5–11 October) starting from Munich.
I’m looking for a destination in Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, the Canary Islands, or Greece) where I can stay active: exploring the coast (by scooter or bike), enjoying local food, and going out in the evenings to bars to meet people and socialize.
I have a few questions:

1. Duration / timing:
I’ll be visiting a friend in Munich for Oktoberfest on October 3rd, so I could fly out the next day or on Monday.
I’m unsure what makes more sense:
stay until Sunday and do a full week trip, or
return on Friday/Saturday and spend the weekend back in Munich with my friend.

2. Destination / travel style:
I find the Algarve in Portugal really interesting. However, since it’s more of a region than a single city, I’m worried that 4–5 days might not be enough to properly explore it.
Would it make more sense for a short trip like this to focus on a single city, or choose a place like Gran Canaria where you can stay in one base but still have plenty of variety?

3. Accommodation:
I usually book Airbnbs, since I’m out exploring most of the day anyway and don’t need hotel facilities or full board.
Would a hotel actually be more convenient for this kind of trip?
Hostels or shared dorms are not an option for me.

I’d really appreciate your experiences and any general tips for first-time solo travel.

So I have my honeymoon coming up. We’re trying to decide what would work best, specifically at the end of the trip. Our current plan is 4 cities over 2 full weeks from the US.

Fly overnight into Jerez on a Saturday in September.

Leg 1:
Stay 3 nights around Cadiz (Puerto de Santa Maria) in a friends condo. Planning on renting a car and doing day trips to Sevilla/Cadiz. Just getting the lay of the land.

Leg 2:
Stay 4 nights in Costa Del Sol (Fairmont La Hacienda). Really mostly beach/relaxatijn. Maybe a quick trip to the Strait of Gibraltar.

Leg 3:
Fly to Bordeaux. Stay at Cabot Bordeaux for 2 nights. Golf/wine tasting and hanging is the plan here. Debating staying another night in the city in Bordeaux but tbd.

Leg 4:
Fly to Barcelona, stay 3/4 nights depending if we do only 2 nights in Bordeaux. Exploring the city. Staying about 20m outside of the city at a cool hotel I found that’s a bit more relaxed slower pace. Fly home that Saturday.

Now the question is. What do you suggest we do at the end of the trip. Bordeaux seems crammed with only 2 nights and 2 of the 3 days we’d be there being travel days. But Barcelona seems like a good place to stay the extra night. It seems like it makes more sense to have an extra night in Bordeaux since we’ll have 2 full days in Barcelona (with 2 travel days). It seems slightly tight at the end but not awful.

Do far we’ve booked the flight there, Fairmont and Cabot. So that’s locked in. Just need to figure out the end of the trip.