How to plan a multi-city Europe itinerary
Prioritize no more than one city every three days to avoid burnout and excessive travel time. Use a 'hub and spoke' model, selecting three major anchor cities connected by high-speed rail, and fill the gaps with regional day trips.
- Budget
- $240 per day
- Duration
- 14 days
- Best Time
- May, June, or September
- Visa Required
- Depends on your nationality; check the ETIAS requirements for your specific passport.
Step by step
Pick a theme
Don't try to see the whole continent. Focus on a region like Central Europe (Prague, Vienna, Budapest) or the Mediterranean (Rome, Florence, Nice). This keeps transit times under 5 hours per leg.
Use the 'Open Jaw' flight method
Book a 'multi-city' ticket, flying into your first city and out of your last. This saves you from wasting an entire day and $150+ retracing your steps back to your arrival airport.
Prioritize rail over air
Check the travel time from city center to city center. A 4-hour train ride is almost always faster and less stressful than a 1-hour flight when you factor in security, transfers, and airport distance.
Draft a 'flexible' schedule
Plan your accommodation and train tickets for the full trip, but keep your daily activity list to one 'must-do' per day. Everything else is a bonus.
Questions people ask
Is an Eurail pass worth it?
Only if you plan on taking long-distance trains every 2-3 days. For shorter or infrequent trips, booking individual 'point-to-point' tickets 60 days in advance is almost always cheaper.
Should I pre-book museum tickets?
Yes. For major attractions like the Louvre or the Colosseum, pre-booking saves you from 2-hour lines and ensures you actually get in.
- Food
- $50 per day
- Transport
- $40 per day (prorated rail passes/local transit)
- Daily Total
- $240 per day
- Accommodation
- $150 per night
Packing
- Lightweight 40L backpack (carry-on size)
- Universal power adapter with USB-C
- Comfortable walking shoes (broken in for at least 2 weeks)
- Packing cubes to separate city-specific items
Itinerary
- 1 — Casual dinner near your base; no major plans. — Arrival and hotel check-in. — Walk the city center to get your bearings. — Stay near a major train station or metro line to minimize luggage hauling.