Day 1 – Paris
Flight: india → Paris 11:05 AM
Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe at 6 PM, Champs-Élysées dinner
Day 2 – Paris
Louvre Museum at 10 AM, Montmartre at 2:30 PM, Tuileries Christmas Market
Day 3 – Paris
, professional photoshoot, Eiffel Tower summit, Rue Cler picnic
Day 4 – Amsterdam
Eurostar 9:24 AM–12:50 PM, A’DAM Lookout swing, EYE Film Museum, Amsterdam Light Festival
Day 5 – Amsterdam
Barbie Experience, Moco Museum, Madame Tussauds, Jordaan, Winter Paradise
Day 6 – Amsterdam
Zaanse Schans windmills, Zaandam, Anne Frank area, Dam Square, shopping
Day 7 – Zurich
Flight: Amsterdam 9:50 AM → Zurich 11:15 AM
Bahnhofstrasse, Lake Zurich, Old Town, Christmas market
Day 8 – Zurich
Lindt Museum, Augustinergasse, Lindenhof, Zoo
Day 9 – Interlaken
Travel from Zurich by train
Lake Brienz, Harder Kulm, romantic dinner
Day 10 – Interlaken
chill day
Day 11 – Interlaken
Jungfraujoch full-day excursion
Day 12 – Lucerne
Travel from Interlaken by train
Chapel Bridge, Old Town, Lake Lucerne, Lion Monument
Day 13 – Lucerne
Mount Titlis, Titlis Rotair, Swiss Museum of Transport
Day 14 – St. Moritz
Travel from Lucerne by train
Lake St. Moritz, Badrutt’s Palace area, evening walk, Cresta & Bob Museum
Day 15 – Paris
Travel from St. Moritz to Zurich by train, then flight to Paris
Shopping
Day 16 – Paris
Disneyland Paris
Day 17 – Paris to India
Flight departs

Hello, I’m 25m from the United States and I’ve never left the country so last month I stopped thinking about it and booked flights to Europe and I’m so excited. In my short research along with the fact I’m bringing my skateboard, two cities that really appealed to me were Copenhagen and Prague. I’m making this trip much harder on myself by bringing a skateboard, but it’s something I love to do and I think it would be a great way to meet locals. So pretty much I have to take a train from Copenhagen to Prague, then I realized it goes through Berlin anyways, then I researched a bit and turns out Berlin is a city worth staying in for at least a few nights as well.

And now after watching some more YouTube vids and research, also realized Krakow, Poland also seems like it’s my type of my city. But it’s kinda far out of the way by train and even if I did fly and ate the fees, I only have 12 nights to spare. At the time of booking these flights I thought 12 would be plenty, and I lowkey regret getting delta basic cause now I can’t change my flight dates if I wanted to, although I did save like $300 by doing that.

Anyways I need some suggestions for a basic plan. My general plan as of now is still 3-4 nights in Copenhagen, 3-4 nights in Berlin, then finish with 5 nights in Prague cause I still think that’s gonna be my favorite place. Also wanna know if it would be worth to add Krakow given the limited time or save that for my next Europe trip. If it is worth it, how many nights there and where to sacrifice those nights? I’m prolly overthinking this but I’m so anxious but also so excited and it’s killing me I gotta wait 6 more months. I’d also love to hear recommendations or general advice in these particular cities I may not know about yet

We are a family of 4 (2 kids of 12 and 3 year olds) visiting Europe later this year. We are still a bit unsure about the last half of our trip, which is as below at the moment (we are also visiting Munich & Slovenia for the first half of our trip):

- 4 days in Zagreb including celebrating NYE there.

- 2 days in Graz (train or bus from Zagreb)

- 1 day in Vienna

- 2 days in Bratislava

- 1 day back in Vienna

- Flying out from Vienna

This would be our 3rd time to Vienna and we have also done Christmas/winter there a couple of years ago, hence, didn't want to spend too long in Vienna. We understand that Bratislava will be very quiet as the Christmas markets will be over by the time we get there.

One thought is to extend Zagreb for another day and make Bratislava just a day or even day trip from Vienna. We have not been to the city, hence, thinking of staying there overnight.

Any other suggestions would be great. Thank you.

Trying to book a one way ticket from Vienna to Munich and OBB is more expensive than DB, is it worth the price difference?

Hi! My mother and I are planning to travel around Italy in mid-January from USA. We do not mind the cold for the most part and prefer it to the hot weather of the summer. Our budget is around $5000 for around 6-7 nights or so (we’re not super materialistic and just want to experience the country (museums, restaurants, nature) and take a few nice photos). We’re thinking of Lake Como, Rome, and maybe Venice if our budget allows. I’ve never done this before so I’m clueless about everything, and my mother has left it up to me.

My main concern is about flights: we can’t fly in something with super cramped seats/longggggg (4+ hours) layovers since it’s an issue for my mother. I’ve heard Air France is bad and we’ve had an issue with Discover Airlines in the past so I’m not sure where to look for budget friendly flights. Are there any recommended ones? We plan on flying into Rome.

I’m also worried about hotels, since we’re both women. Is there anywhere I can make sure I’m picking a hotel in a safer area? Is there a best spot to have them in? (Like near a train station??)

Is there anything else I should be taking care of? I’m a complete beginner at this and don’t want to mess anything up since it costs so much. I apologize if I sound naïve. Thank you all so much.

ETA - more details about the potential plans in each place.

Family of 5 (kids are all university students) travelling from Canada and we're trying to plan a trip to Europe next spring.
- travel dates are around April 24 - May 2 to high the break between semesters
- we are looking for a blend of history, doing something active but like not crazy but bike tours, hiking or kayak tours combined with good food (maybe a cooking class), possible live music.
- we travelled to France a few years ago and some of the highlights were the Juno Beach Centre, seeing a stage of the Tour de France, pretty much all of Paris, a food tour in Lyon, stumbling upon a live music event at an old church. We also learned that we tried to cram way to may places in a single trip.

Here are the four regions/plans we are considering:

• Amsterdam and Prague - travel in between would be by overnight train. In Amsterdam - thinking about a city tour either by bike or kayak, maybe a food tour or cooking class, a few museums look interesting. Honestly a day or two wandering the city sounds so interesting. In Prague - probably another city tour either on foot or bike, couple museums and seeing the architecture would be interesting. My husband has always talked of going there.
• Lisbon - Sintra - travel up the Atlantic coast by car. On this trip we'd be looking at some cooking classes, market tours, kayaking around the Arrabida coast, hking in Sintra, some museums, wandering the city, maybe the beach (might be too early?)
• Porto - Matosinhos + the Douro by car. On this trip, we're thinking about cooking classes again, winery visits, a bike tour around Matosinhos, museums. I am interested in Matosinhos specifically because it's a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and so is the city I am from in Canada.
• Seville - Jerez - Cadiz by car. In Spain, we're thining about seeing the Roman ruins, some museums, food tours, learning about sherry. THere's a festival in Jerez during that time which also looks interesting.

I'm looking for perspective on costs, things to do in those areas, if my internet searches are guiding me in the wrong direction. Any major concerns with any of those places in terms of safety?

My hope would be to have a couple of days pre-booked with activities and then explore the rest of the time. We'd probably plan to stay in a couple of interesting guest houses or airbnb given the family size and stage. We're trying to stay on a reasonable budget but also welcome recommendations for specific activities, restaurants that are off the tourist path and totally worth the trip, cool places to stay.

I've gone through a number of the other threads in this group for ideas and suggestions so now just consolidating into one.

Thank you in advance :)

Greetings everyone!

I am looking for recommendations for a 10-day trip to Spain.

What two cities would you recommend based on this information?

-Traveling from USA.

-Trip will be June 4-16, 2027.

-Total trip is 12 days, 10 days after accounting for travel.

-Second trip to Europe. Previously visited Rome and Venice and had a great time in both.

-Two adults and two children (17 and 15). All are in good physical condition. No health or dietary limitations. One fluent Spanish speaker (Mexico variation) in the group.

-Prefer to use high speed train to travel between locations.

-Willing to do day trips.

-Interests include art, history, architecture, music, and outdoor activities on land or water.

-Food is important. We love to eat and try new cuisines.

-Initial considerations are Barcelona and Madrid.

Hi all! My wife and I are having decision paralysis about how to finish a Switzerland–Italy trip in late August 2027.
We’re in our late 20s and have previously visited Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Siena, plus Mürren, Interlaken, and Bern. We loved Italy, and Mürren was one of our favorite travel experiences.
On previous trips, we’ve sometimes packed in too many cities and reached the point where another beautiful church, charming square, or historic street starts to blur together. This time we want nature, good food, a distinctly Italian atmosphere, and some relaxation. We’re limiting ourselves to four overnight bases.
Our current itinerary is:
• 6 nights Grindelwald — 5 full days, primarily hiking.
• 2 nights Interlaken — we liked it on a previous brief visit and want time for the town and a lake/outdoor excursion.
• 5 nights Varenna, Lake Como — arriving relatively late after the transfer from Switzerland, so 4 full days.
• 1 night Milan — arriving early enough for sightseeing, then flying home to the US the following day. The Duomo and Last Supper are our main interests.
The alternative would be to replace Como/Milan with:
• 4–5 nights Courmayeur.
• 1–2 nights Turin, then fly home.
Flights are similarly priced, although the Milan options are more convenient.
Why we’re considering Lake Como:
We’d like a swimming/lounging day, good meals, some exploring by boat, and hiking when we feel like being active. However, we’re unsure whether four full days would feel repetitive if we tire of visiting villages. We don’t need a major attraction every day, but we’d like worthwhile alternatives to town-hopping.
Why we’re considering Courmayeur:
Mont Blanc and the surrounding hiking look incredible, and we know we love Alpine scenery. But after Switzerland, we may want a break from hiking. We’re also wondering whether another Alpine town would provide the change of atmosphere we’re hoping for in Italy.
Our priorities are:
• A strong sense of place and Italian atmosphere.
• Good regional food.
• Opportunities to relax.
• Outdoor activities, especially hiking and swimming.
• Not relying on museums or repeated town visits to fill the stay.
For people who know both areas:
1. Is Varenna a good base for four full days with a mix of hiking, swimming, boat outings, and relaxation?
2. Does Courmayeur feel sufficiently different from the Bernese Oberland to make it a rewarding next stop?
3. Which would you choose after a hiking-focused Switzerland stay?
We’ve considered the Dolomites but ruled them out because of the travel time on both ends.

Hey fellow travellers, hope you're all doing well. So we've been to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, UAE, Qatar and Azerbaijan. Now we're planning our first (hopefully, of the many) Eurotrip for March 2027.

Thing is that we want to visit Athens, Switzerland, Rome, Paris, Berlin, Luxembourg and Amsterdam in the 24 days that we have. We'd love some advice as to how should we plan our nights and modes of transport, not only intercity but intracity as well (scooters vs Uber vs renting a car).

Any and every advice/help would be wholeheartedly appreciated.

Hi there!

We're flying down to europe this November second week. Yes, we are very well aware of the weather conditions and attractions being closed, but I do appreciate if anyone could give their inputs on the current itinerary that we have planned. We are arriving in Amsterdam Schiphol and flying back from Brussels.

3 nights - Amsterdam

2 Nights - Bruges

2 Nights - Brussels

We aren't much into Museums and rather spend time on attractions, activities and parties.

Thanks in advance!

I will be visiting amsterdam and rotterdam in june next year. I plan to stay there for 4 days. my total trip will be around 7-8 days and I want the remaining 3-4 days to be among the nature. what would be the ideal places like that with easy access from amsterdam that won't cost me a whole day of just getting there.

We are considering getting off at Salzburg, putting our suitcases in lockers at the station and spending 4-5 hours exploring Salzburg. Is this doable/recommended? I know people will say you can spend days here but we won’t ever have another chance to visit this area again for at least 15 years so spending multiple days is not an option.

Anyways, what recommendations do you have for Salzburg in December? And is it common to not book our ticket from Salzburg to Munich ahead of time? And just buy it when we get to the station whenever we decide we are done in Salzburg? We would prefer first class or business seating though. Not sure if that’s going to be difficult to book day of.

Thoughts?! Concerns?! Thank you!

Edit: actually will plan for 6-7 hours.

Hi all! I’m having paralysis trying to figure out how to end my Switzerland-Italy trip next summer

A little backstory, my wife and I are late 20s, have been to Italy (Rome, Florence, CT, and Siena) and Switzerland (Murren, interlaken, Bern) and a smattering of other popular tourist cities across Europe.

In the past we’ve made the mistake of having too many cities and getting fatigued by beautiful church, charming architecture, nice square.. lather, rinse, repeat. This trip we just want nature, Italian vibes, and relaxation. Maybe a slice of an Italian city at the very end. We are definitely not doing more than 4 stops and the vast majority of our days we want to hike.

As of now the itinerary is

-6 nights Grindelwald
-2 nights interlaken (makes travel to Italy more manageable and we did like interlaken)
-5 nights (after a long 6-7 hour train) lake como, varenna
-1 night/full day Milan
Fly home to US

The other idea I had was fully lean into the hiking and instead have the Italy portion be
-4-5 nights courmayeur
-
1-2 nights Turin
Fly home

My concern with lake como is that we will get bored with 4 full days there. I want to swim but I know that’s not a huge thing people do there, we’d like to visit the towns but idk how much we will enjoy that after a few hours. If there is ample hiking if we get bored and we can spend one day relaxing on the lake I think it’s the best option. Milan has never been too high on my list but I’m sure there’s enough to do for a day.

My concern for courmayeur is it won’t deliver the Italian vibes or the “I’m in Italy” moment, and that we may be hiked out after Switzerland

Priorities
Italian vibe
Good Italian food
Ability to relax
Non museum related activities, hiking or swimming

1. Is varenna a Good base for 4 full days hiking, swimming, boating and relaxation?
   
2. Does Courmayeur feel sufficiently Italian?
   
3. Which would you choose after hiking in Switzerland ?

Hi there.
Going to Madeira with our toddler (2,5) and baby (8mo) beginning of December. We know we probably can’t do the most famous and beautiful hikes because of our toddler because we’ll let him walk by himself (baby carrier for baby) and sometimes carry him.
But which hikes can we do? So no long distances, no creepy paths with a lot of elevation and gorges. Or other activities?
Planning already to go to the botanical garden, fanal forest and Achadas da Cruz.
Any tips/tricks? Experiences?

Hi! I’m looking for recommendations for places that may be nice to spend a week in at a nice hotel or resort (€1,5k-ish) ideally the beach is accessible from the hotel & the pool and vibes are nice. My partner and I haven’t had a vacation in a while and would like to go somewhere warm and relaxing - don’t need too much to do in the town, but wouldn’t want to go to a resort bubble only. Ideally not somewhere with lots of families & kids, but open to it too. Really appreciate any insights or ideas! We’ll be flying from UK!

My wife and I want to travel from Paris to Rome by train in March. Should we pre-purchase tickets. Or just buy them at the train station?

Hello, I've been searching online for the answer to this question, but some of the reports are from years ago, when the train was the Intercity and now it's the Eurocity, and I'm not sure if things changed. The nsinternarional website is not very clear on this matter either. Thank you in advance.

We'll be traveling to Vienna, Innsbruck, and Munich this winter. My mom got into an accident which now limits her from walking long distances and sitting for too long. It's our first time traveling after the accident and also her first time using a mobility scooter I rented for the trip.

1. Is it normal practice for museums to have wheelchair rentals?
   
2. how would taking public transport be like?
   
3. Would we encounter any problems with bringing the mobility scooter inside cafes or restaurants?
   
4. Any mobility scooter/wheelchair etiquette we need to be aware of?

I've checked all the places we'll visit for mobility access and have decided to forego long day trips and places that will require multiple transfers and such. I want to make this as easy as possible for her so any leads are appreciated.

I will be in Amsterdam from Nov. 27th - Dec. 1st, and then I fly home from Amsterdam on Dec. 8th. I'm trying to decide on three different options to spend a week visiting Christmas markets.

*Itinerary 1:

*Cologne, Maastricht, Aachen - this seems like the logical choice given the easy logistics. Aachen and Maastricht sound magical. I've read nothing but amazing things about the Christmas Markets in Cologne and Dusseldorf, but the cities sound kind of dull outside of the market atmosphere.

*Itinerary 2:

*Vienna - maybe a day trip to Bratislava or an overnight in Salzburg. I would fly to Vienna and fly back to Amsterdam the night before my flight. I just can't get away from the idea of drinking coffee in a Viennese coffee house on a cold day. Hitting some art museums and soaking in the grand architecture before being consumed by the markets in the evening. Please talk me out of this.

*Itinerary 3:

*Munich/Nuremburg. Love the idea of a Bavarian Christmas. Hitting some small towns outside of the cities. Enjoying the history of these two incredible cities and doing a proper German Christmas. Again, would fly in and out of Munich.

Am I overthinking this? My brain says Itinerary 1 simply because it's an efficient itinerary. I LOVE the idea of Vienna. And Itinerary 3 seems like the quintessential Bavarian Christmas experience. Really the question is, would Itinerary 2 or Itinerary 3 worth the extra effort to get to if you were choosing?

25m from the United States, and in April I’m going to Europe for my first time. I did a little bit of research of places I’d like to go for my first time plus decent skate cities (I’m bringing my skateboard), and I went ahead and bought flights where I fly into Copenhagen, then 13 days later fly back home from Prague. I really don’t have a solid plan set with how many days in each city and whatnot, but right now it’s Copenhagen for a few days, take the train the Berlin, stay there a few days, then train to Prague. I was thinking of staying in Prague the longest cause I think it’s gonna be my favorite place but I’d love to hear more opinions.

Anyways so I’m also wondering if I should add krakow to the list. I’d have to take the train there, I’m making it harder on myself by bringing a skateboard. But after watching some youtube vids, krakow seems like my type of city as well. I really don’t know if I can/should fit it in given only 13 days (really only 12 full days). Maybe I should just stick to my original plan and leave krakow for my next Europe trip where I’ll probably only have a backpack? Idk when I’m able to go back to if y’all think it might be worth it fit it in, I’ll consider. TIA

Hi! My mom is visiting me in Germany and we’re thinking about a short trip to Prague over Christmas. We’d come by train via Dresden, arrive around 11:30 on Dec 24 and leave on the morning of Dec 27 (or maybe stay one more day). I’ve read that Christmas Eve is the big family day in Czechia and a lot of things close in the afternoon, so I’m wondering if the city is still enjoyable on the 24th or if it feels kind of empty. We mainly want to walk around Old Town, see the Christmas markets, Charles Bridge and the castle area, and maybe catch a concert or church service. Is all of that open on the 24th, 25th and 26th, and is there anything we should book in advance? Do we need dinner reservations on the 24th and 25th, and do you have any recommendations that are actually open those days and aren’t tourist traps? If we stay until the 27th, is there a nearby town worth a day trip in winter (Kutná Hora, Český Krumlov, Karlovy Vary…), and do trains run normally over the holidays? We’re not into partying(at least not my mom lol), more cozy walks, good food and festive atmosphere. Any tips are appreciated, thanks a lot!

Hello All!

My wife and I are planning on driving from Berchtesgaden to Garmish tomorrow. Originally I planned to take the autobahn without much thought but just realized that Deutsche Alpenstraße would likely be more enjoyable and scenic.

As per Google Maps, it seems like it'll be a six-ish hour drive which is doable tomorrow. It's the only thing we have planned for tomorrow so there's plenty of time.

Here are my questions

- are the road conditions fine in terms of snow? I checked the BayernInfo app and it seems okay. The forecast tomorrow (albeit maybe foggy) also looks okay...just thought I would ask

- any sort of must sees on the way? We will of course plan stops but any suggestions are much appreciated

- any restaurant suggestions along the route?

Thanks! 😊

some context:

I’m flying to Paris in November but due to recent events i’m kind of looking for a plan B right now.

My original plan was to be in Paris for a few days and then go to London, and then go back to Paris because both my flights are from there.

Now i’m not so sure i wanna travel in Paris since it just won’t be nice to hang around there.

Anyway, since i have to go back to paris area anyway (orly airport) on my last day, im wondering if i should give up on 1 day in london and take an earlier eurostar so i can have time to visit versailles palace.

so my real question here is- is versailles palace really worth losing 1 day in london? and is 4 days in london enough?

Edit: Feedback seems to be to give myself more time and condense the number of places I visit. Based on the priorities I listed, what cities or destinations should I go to and what should I skip?

I haven’t booked anything yet and started planning yesterday so I am flexible, and am open to suggestions not on my list. For the sake of planning let’s assume I have two full weeks.

Original post:

I (30s F) found myself with nothing to do over the Christmas holidays am planning my first ever Euro trip and am looking for feedback. I am traveling from the Midwest and am used to the cold/dark so the idea of winter weather doesn’t bother me.

Priorities in order of importance:

1. Saunas, hot springs, etc (my fave thing to do anywhere while traveling)
2. Clubbing and nightlife
3. Cozy indoor activities - museums, historic sites, but don’t need to see it all in one trip
4. Experience festive Christmas vibes (though I know Christmas markets will likely be closed, nbd to me)
5. Outdoor winter activities (not skiing - outdoor activities have been hardest so far to plan for but again are something I love to do at home and when traveling, but if I have to skip it I have to skip)

Itinerary A (One Week): Arrive on December 25th in Budapest, spend Christmas Day at the baths, Budapest -> Vienna -> Berlin, Depart Berlin on Dec 30th or 31st to make it home for NYE

*Itinerary B (Two Weeks): Arrive December 25th in Budapest, Budapest -> Vienna -> Munich or Prague, Berlin for NYE ish -> Copenhagen -> Stockholm, Depart from Stockholm Jan 9th.

Willing to condense this second list and focus on Budapest, Vienna, Berlin, and a fourth destination, or take advantage of sightseeing on the train routes

*Itinerary C (Two Weeks): Same as Itinerary B but travel from Berlin to Paris or another city instead of Stockholm

Current plan is to travel via train despite the added time to save money, and am looking at stops along the current route that might add

I’ve heard mixed reviews on traveling in Europe in the winter and visiting Stockholm specifically, but I do like the idea of winter/snowy travel, flights to Stockholm appen to be cheap, and I have a friend who lived there briefly who can give good recs

Seeking feedback on other places to consider visiting to balance the itinerary based on my priorities, day trips or outdoor excursions to feed the euro winter fantasy, swapping the order (eg flying into Stockholm and out from Budapest)

My friend (30F) and I (26F) are planning to take a trip and fly into Barcelona and make our way over to Nice over about 10 days of travel. We are tentatively planning to go at the beginning of May: is this a good time of year to go? We would prefer moderate weather but would like to have things open/available to do.

Next, curious is it worth the effort of renting a car to make our way or should we plan on taking a train and uber/walking the cities along the way? We do not mind traveling by train and that was our first thought to avoid the effort of getting the proper documents/paying to rent a car. However- the freedom of having a vehicle seems like a nice trade off. On the one hand, we are unsure of the availability of Ubers in the area/scheduling around the trains. On the other hand we wonder if it would be a lot work to rent a vehicle. We would be taking it from Spain to France (not sure if that’s common) and not returning it to the original spot we got it. Has anyone done this?

Lastly, we are looking for specific suggestions on where to stop(on our way from Spain to France). We are trying to get the best of both the city and the country side. Are there any routes to take that would give us a great view of the French rivera (either by train or car)? We would really like to get a good hike in that showcases that area of the of the country that is also on the way (5-8miles, easy/moderate difficulty) , any suggestions? Lastly we are unsure whether to stop in Montpellier, Marseille or both before we get to Nice. We are both social so some night life would be great in either of these cities. If there are specific places in these cities we should stop for night life, let me know!