My wife and I are mid 30s looking for a 9 day getaway and are pretty much sold on Poland. We are now in the process of trying to decide what path we should take. We would like this trip to be relaxing and have great food and drinks while we explore the many wonderful cities and museums.

The only definite city we want to end up in is Krakow. We enjoy spending 3 days the first place to help with jetlag and we know we need atleast 3 days in Krakow to do a day trip outside the city. So far we came up with two options.

Option 1: Gdansk 3 days, Torun 1 day (split up the long train south), Wroclaw 2 days, Krakow 3 days.

Option 2: Gdansk 3 days, Warsaw 3 days, Krakow 3 days.

It will be our first time in Poland and do not know when we will ever be back. Feels a little weird maybe not doing Warsaw but Wroclaw and Torun sound great. We are open to all suggestions and appreciate any help on how to plan this trip. Thanks in advance!

So Im heading to romania next month, probably bucharest first then maybe cluj or brasov. Everyone keeps telling me to rent a car but tbh I'm not fully convinced yet coz the like the train between major cities, is it actually that bad? I don't mind a longer journey if it's cheap and reliable. But I keep seeing people say you're missing out on a lot without a car, especially for smaller villages and mountain areas. Also how are the roads outside the cities? I've heard mixed things, some people say it's fine others make it sound like a rally stage. And cost wise, is renting genuinely affordable there or does it add up quickly once you factor in fuel, insurance and tolls? Would love to hear from people who've done both and whether they regretted one over the other 😄

Just finished 14 days across Rome, Florence, Lake Garda, Venice, and the Swiss Alps with two families and two babies under 2. No tour operator, planned everything ourselves.

A few things nobody warned us about:

Cobblestones in Florence will destroy your stroller. Ours didn't make it past day 8.

The Italy to Switzerland train connection needs at least 90 minutes buffer. We had 30. Paid €520 in emergency taxis to make it.

Rome Metro pickpockets are genuinely professional. Wallet gone in under a minute in a crowded carriage.

Switzerland looked like a desktop wallpaper the moment we crossed the border. Not exaggerating.

Our 21 month old went silent for five minutes on top of Rigi mountain. None of us knew what to say either.

Happy to answer questions on any part of this: Swiss Travel Pass, Airbnbs, GetYourGuide bookings, toddler logistics, costs.

I travel almost every other week and I’m always at the airport 2 to 3 hours early. Never had a problem. This time, about 30 of us got stuck at passport control because the new EES (Entry/Exit System) went down. Staff told us to wait and said Ryanair would hold the flight. The system never came back up while we stood there, around 30 minutes, and at some point in that wait it tipped past the scheduled gate close. Then we were told the plane left without us. Only options were to rebook with a fee, or complain, though there was no one to complain to at Gothenburg Airport.

Reached out to Ryanair after, and of course it was “not our fault.” So now I’m out of pocket and had to book my own replacement flight three days later.

Anyone dealt with this since the EES rollout? Did you get anywhere?

Edit: To be clear, I arrived on time and checked my luggage fine. The only issue was passport control, where we were all in line and the system just stopped. This is the new EES, and our flight was to a non EU Balkan country, so the extra border check applies to us. I’m not really mad at Ryanair, I use them often because they’re cheap and convenient. I just don’t get who I’m supposed to blame, because this clearly isn’t on me for not being two hours early at the gate. I’m always at the airport early, just not standing at the gate. And the police said Ryanair told them they’d wait, and there was even time to pull our bags off the plane. Because of all this I’m stuck four extra days in Gothenburg paying for everything. It’s just mad.

Hi all,

Just getting some insight on what people think of our itinerary and if we are missing anything/should consider something outside of what we have planned. We have Christmas in Paris and new years in Meribel. For context too, we are bringing our 2 year old daughter so we have purposely booked more days in some places that we probably would have if we didn’t have our toddler with us.

We also are training everywhere.

• 6 nights - Paris, France

• 8 nights - Meribel (skiing), France

• 1 night - Chambery, France

• 1 night - Turino, Italy

• 5 nights - Florence, Italy

• 5 nights - Rome, Italy

Does this sound good? Any recommendations for things along this route? Keen to hear feedback. Thank you!

I am planning on driving into mainland Europe and going through some countries (France / Belgium / Luxembourg / Switzerland / Andorra / Spain) from late July to mid August.

I was just wondering how necessary it is to book campsites. I have found many campsites, and for most campsites I wouldn’t be staying for more than 1 night. Would it be necessary to pre book / prepay or would arriving on the day be ok?

Hi all, a day ago I posted on my very barebones trip plan and got eviscerated.

For those that took the time and effort to actually make helpful comments, I thought i’d provide this update based on all your advice.

My NEW plan is to fly out for two weeks, the exact days do not matter, but it will be sometime in september or october.

Budapest 4 nights

Stopover in Bratislava for a day

Vienna 2 night

Prague 2 nights

Berlin 4 nights

The flights will cost €800, and i’ve moved to €90 per night for accomodation, €40 per day for food, €200 on trains, and £500 on tourist sightseeing stuff. This works out to roughly €3000.

Regarding remote work, as it completely based outside of the EU and will be less than 4 hours every day, it is not my primary purpose nor counts as work locally so I think it should be okay in the legal gray area. Additionally, i’ll stick to hotel wifi instead of trying to work on trains.

I really appreciated the outflow of responses from people who provided genuinely beneficial feedback, and I hope my adjusted schedule is a better planned one if still very rushed through these countries.

Hi all - wasn't sure where else to ask this. Currently spending an amazing few days in the Bernese Oberland before I'll be moving onto Austria. I absolutely love it here, it's literally all my childhood dreams of being in the wildflower-ridden meadows of the Swiss alps come true and could probably spend another week just hiking and exploring. I wasn't initially planning to go to Zermatt but I've really gotten in my head about it after reading dozens of posts saying you can't miss the Matterhorn in Switzerland and seeing it is such a uniquely magical experience, lol. I've started wondering if I should ditch my last day in the B.O. to day trip to Zermatt, especially since the weather is forecasted to be clear, but it feels so out of the way. Thoughts? Is it really worth it? Thanks in advance hahaha

Is 9 nights for these 3 cities too aggressive? Traveling with family and two kids ages 10 and 12. We would overnight train from Krakow to Budapest. Christmas markets in Vienna is a main focus. Chatgpt says it's doable but want to get some real life opinions.

I'm looking to spend 15 days in Norway late August. I'm a huge nature lover and wanting to see the Fjords and also hike a bunch. I'm thinking about spending a week based out of Bergen then flying(or train) up to Tromso and spending a week there.

Does this sound like a decent plan or should I split up my locations differently?(on a different note, my original trip idea was to rent a car in Oslo and work my way up to Tromso, but one way car rentals are insane)

Hi guys! In July I am doing a month-long solo trip before my semester abroad begins. I would love to visit Italy (some places I saved: Ortigia Sicily, Verona, Dolomites for day hikes) but I've heard Italy and France are terrible to go in August (weather, crowded). I'm thinking to make some weekend trips during the semester so I can experience Italy in the best weather. So, where are the best places to visit Europe in August? My current itinerary looks like:

* 4 nights in Lisbon

* 3 nights in Porto

* 4 nights in Madrid

I still have two weeks before moving into my dorm after Madrid. I would love to visit some beachy places to relax, I don't mind a hike either. I like most things except big crowds of sweaty people in the heat.

Have at it, everyone. Disclosure: used Gemini to inform some of the recommendations, but have heavily edited this to focus on the things that are important to us -- prioritizing authentic culture, outdoor experiences, and local food and drink while avoiding "tourist" traps as much as possible. Hoping to strike a good balance between active and relaxed pace, so please be brutally honest!

Day 0:

• Fly out of Washington Dulles (IAD) to Amsterdam (AMS) in the evening.

Day 1:

• Train to Amsterdam Centraal, Tram to Dam Square. Bag drop at hotel (W Amsterdam).
• Coffee at Café Hoppe, explore Nine Streets / Jordaan.
• Lunch at Café restaurant van Kerkwijk or Buffet van Odette.
• Afternoon break at hotel.
• Provisioning at De Kaaskamer.
• "Those Dam Boat Guys" Canal Cruise (Pre-booked).
• Dinner at Café de Reiger or Lotti’s.

Day 2:

• Van Gogh Museum (Pre-booked).
• Lunch in Museumplein area; explore Spiegelkwartier & Rijksmuseum Gardens.
• Dinner at Restaurant De Kas (Pre-booked).

Day 3:

• Rent e-bikes, ferry to Amsterdam-Noord, cycle Waterland Polder Route.
• Lunch at Café de Karper (Durgerdam) or Café de Ceuvel (Noord).
• Mid-afternoon drinks at Brouwerij 't IJ and/or Brouwerij De Prael.
• Dinner at Moeders or Café restaurant van Kerkwijk.

Day 4:

• Rijksmuseum (Pre-booked).
• Explore De Pijp district & Albert Cuypmarkt.
• Cheese tasting at Fromagerie Abraham Kef.
• Dinner at Café Parlotte (Pre-booked).

Day 5:

• Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder.
• (Note: Might substitute this morning with a half-day trip out to Zandvoort.)
• Lunch & shopping in Jordaan.
• Dinner at MOS Amsterdam (Pre-booked).

Day 6:

• Eurostar train from Amsterdam Centraal to Antwerp Central. Bag drop at hotel (Sapphire House).
• Explore Grote Markt.
• Dinner at Billies Bier Kafétaria (Walk-in).
• Post-dinner drinks at De Vagant, live jazz at De Muze.

Day 7:

• Explore Eilandje District & MAS Museum roof.
• Red Star Line Museum and lunch along marina docks.
• Design & antique shopping on Kloosterstraat, tour Handelsbeurs.
• Dinner at Fine Fleur (Pre-booked).

Day 8:

• Train to Ghent.
• STAM City Museum, Gravensteen Castle, Saint Bavo’s Cathedral & Crypt.
• Lunch at Brasserie Pakhuis.
• Chocolates at Joost Arijs.
• Late afternoon Ghent Canal Cruise (De Bootjes van Gent).
• Train to Antwerp.
• Dinner at Otomat Sourdough Pizza.

Day 9:

• Train to Kalmthout.
• Hiking in Kalmthoutse Heide.
• Lunch at De Vroente Visitor Center Café.
• Train back to Antwerp.
• Dinner at Elfde Gebod.

Day 10:

• Train to Bruges.
• Explore Minnewater, Markt Square, Belfry Tower, and Basilica of the Holy Blood.
• Late afternoon Canal Cruise (Rederij Gruuthuse).
• Dinner at Cambrinus (Pre-booked) or Café Vlissinghe.
• Late train back to Antwerp.

Day 11:

• Late morning walk to Conscienceplein & St. Charles Borromeo.
• Lunch in Antwerp.
• Train to Brussels Central. Bag drop at hotel (Brussels Marriott Grand Place).
• Walk around Grand Place & Delirium Café.
• Dinner: Fin de Siècle.

Day 12:

• Tour Maison Hannon.
• Chocolate tasting at Brigitte.
• Lunch at Kafei.
• Self-guided walk-in tour at Cantillon Brewery.
• Drinks at La Fleur en Papier Doré.
• Final nightcap at L'Archiduc.

Day 13:

• Noon flight home out of Brussels (BRU).

Hi all, i’d love some advise and input.

I have the availability to work remote, and have a bit saved up. I’m 21, live in Australia, and have travelled to a few asian countries on my own.

I will be working 1am-9am local time, but hoping this should be okay. I’d like to visit as many countries as I can while still experiencing them.

My current plan is to fly out Friday night, Arrive Sat night, then do the following:

Copenhagen 2 nights (it is the cheapest return)

Day trip to Malmo and Lund (Sweden)

Berlin 3 nights

Day trip to Szczecin (Poland)

Prague 2 nights

Vienna 2 nights

Day trip to Bratislava (Slovakia)

Budapest 3 nights

Fly back to Copenhagen for the flight.

I’ve budgeted €750 for the flight to and from Australia, €75 per night for accomodation, €20 per day for food, and €200 on trains, and £500 on tourist sightseeing stuff. This works out to roughly £2500, is this reasonable?

Is it possible for me to get an eSim and use that to hotspot while I travel on a train or should I stick to hotel wifi?

Edit: Thank you to those that were helpful, and i’ll increase my food budget to €35 a day, and overall budget to roughly €3000. I’ll also skip the Poland day trip, and although i’m flying into copenhagen, i’ll go across the bridge to Sweden that day, and save the two nights for when I fly back from Budapest (Flights are only €50)

For those who gave input, I’ll be taking half days from work, only 4 hours, so majority of my time will be spent on tourism. My schedule will be more like 5am-9am work, train, sightsee, train back, and in bed by 10pm.

Thanks to the helpful comments!

My group is trying to take the Adria intercity night train from Budapest to Split in July. However, when I go to the website to buy tickets, it gives me a message saying I can’t purchase tickets since I’m in the US and refers me to the customer service page. The customer service page does not provide any information on how to purchase tickets. Does anyone know if I can purchase tickets online or do I have to do it when I get to Budapest?

I am planning to visit switzerland this summer with my husband. Here is what I was thinking for our itinerary:

• Day 1: Arrive late at night in zurich
• Day 2: Travel to lucerne, explore the town, go to the transport museum, do the boat tour, maybe the funicular in stoos
• Day 3: Do rigi/mt pilatus, maybe both if time permits but will prioritize rigi. Do the cogwheel in rigi
• Day 4: Leave for interlaken and make this the home base for the rest of the trip. Explore interlaken the town and do paragliding
• Day 5: Explore lauterburren and grindlewald, see jungfraujoch if weather permits
• Day 6: Explore murren
• Day 7: Do the golden train from interlaken to montreux. Spend some time in montreux and then go back to zurich.
• Day 8: Go home.

What do you think of this plan? Does Anyone have any suggestions or critique about it or what to do in any of these areas? Im also very confused about the swiss travel pass. Which swiss travel pass should I buy? Is it even worth it? My husband is a huge train nerd I really want to book him the golden train ride, but is first class worth it?

Hello, I am currently trying to plan a trip from switzerland to Italy for approx 14/15 days. I have a rough itinerary that I am trying to make but am a little overwhelmed by everything i have seen online. Any feedback would be appreciated on whether this is too much or not. Note: I also am going to be staying in hostels etc so trying to make this as cheap as possible (especially with switzerlands trains and trying to figure out which pass is right for me!). I have also been to Italy once before so that is why I have missed certain places. Thank you!

*Day 1 - Fly into Zurich, Train to Lucerne & Stay in Lucerne - explore during the day

*Day 2 - Train to Stoos, complete Stoos ridge Hike, train back to stay in Lucerne

*Day 3 - Train to Interlaken - Currently trying to work out whether I should stay in a hostel in Interlaken, Grinderwald or lauterbrunnen as a home base? But i have also heard to stay in Wengen or gimmelwald?? I am unsure where to make home base vs day trips :(

*Day 4 & 5 - Staying in Interlaken/Grinderwald/Lauterbrunnen - Again any advice for activities that are cheaper or free hikes would be great lol (or what to splurge on!)

*Day 6 - Train to /Stay in Brig 1x night ?- any good activities here? I mainly chose this to be able to train straight to milan the next day.

*Day 7 - Brig to Milan, explore Milan for the day and stay 1xnight

*Day 8 - Train from Milan to Rome, stay in rome

*Day 9-10 - stay in rome 2 more nights?

*Day 10 - Train to Naples, stay in Naples 1x night -

*Day 11-14 - I want to stay somewhere near Amalfi thats cheaper so I thought either sorrento for day trips to capri, positano etc or 1x night in sorrento and 2x nights in positano or something like that?

*Day 14/15 - Train back to Naples to fly out of.

Thank you so much for any help :)

Hi all,

Would like feedback on the below itinerary - I know it's a bit crammed.

Looking at going in/out of Split as we've found a really good airfare deal. My partner really wants to do Split and Dubrovnik while I'm pushing for Perast, Kotor & Mostar.

Anything we should cut or modify? Again, I know it's a lot to pack in in about ten days.

Thanks for your suggestions and recommendations!

Day 1| Flight/Travel arrive in Split

Day 2 | Split - Palace, Old Town

Day 3 | Early morning Ferry to Hvar – Hvar Town/beaches – stay on Hvar

Day 4 | Hvar AM - late afternoon ferry to Dubrovnik

Day 5 | Dubrovnik

Day 6 | rental car pick up on previous day - Drive to Kotor/Perast - stay overnight here or just day trip?

Day 7 | Drive back to Dubrovnik/Croatia - head north

Day 8 | Drive to Mostar & Kravica waterfalls- stay in Mostar?

Day 9 | Continue drive back to Split for return flight 8PM

Hi folks
Me and my friends are looking for a mix of everything ranging from sightseeing, scenery, culture to great parties, adventures and overall good fun.

We have narrowed the list down to these places:
Amsterdam
Berlin
Munich (with day trip to Bavarian alps)
Prague
Budapest
Split/Hvar

We want to drop one of these places as it will become too hectic to cover all of them.

Can you folks please recommend what we should do and any other ideas of where we can go?

(Also would appreciate it if you can suggest some activities that we can do)

Hi everyone! I’m planning my first Europe trip next month and would love to get some advice on my itinerary. 😊

I’ll be traveling solo during the first week of June, and while I still haven’t finalized the specific places I want to visit, I want to make the most out of my first time in each destination. I’ve already booked only the paris-milan transfer.

Here’s my current itinerary:

*🇫🇷 France (June 4–6)

June 4 – Arrival in Paris at night
June 5 – Full day in Paris (planning to take the hop-on hop-off bus and visit tourist spots like Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower)
June 6 – Louvre Museum during the day
Flight to Milan at 9 PM

*🇮🇹 Italy (June 7–10)

June 7 – Lake Como day trip (overnight stay in Milan) should I push?
June 8 – Early morning train to Rome + explore Rome for the rest of the day
June 9 – Florence day trip from Rome
June 10 – Full day in Rome

*🇪🇸 Spain (June 11–14) optional

Flight to Barcelona (not yet booked)
June 11–14 – Barcelona
June 14 – Flight back home

I haven’t booked my flight home yet because I’m still deciding whether I should continue with Spain or extend my stay in Italy instead.

Would really appreciate your thoughts on whether this itinerary is doable, especially for a first-time solo traveler. Thank you!

**Edited: Will drop the Spain and spread it to Rome and Florence instead. Thank you for the feedback!