First trip to Europe: a two-week itinerary for first-timers

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Two weeks is enough for a first taste of Europe, as long as you resist the urge to see ten countries. The trips people remember fondly are the ones with fewer bases, more nights in each, and short hops in between. This plan uses four or five cities joined by train, and you can swap any of them for somewhere that matters more to you.

The rule of thumb: two to four nights per stop

Every move costs you most of half a day: checking out, getting to the station, the journey, finding the new place, getting your bearings. With two nights somewhere you get one full day; with three you get two. On a fortnight, four or five bases is comfortable and six starts to feel like a commute.

A classic two-week route

London (3 nights): museums, many of them free, the South Bank walk, a market or two. Fly in here or into Paris, whichever is cheaper from home.
Paris (4 nights): by train through the Channel Tunnel. Give it four nights so you have time for one of the big museums, a neighbourhood like the Marais or Montmartre, and a day trip to Versailles.
Amsterdam or Brussels and Bruges (2–3 nights): a short hop by high-speed train. Canals, cycling, galleries; or Belgian beer, chocolate and medieval squares.
Switzerland or Germany (2 nights): a lake and mountain stop such as Lucerne or Interlaken, or a city such as Munich or Berlin, depending on whether you want scenery or history.
Italy (3–4 nights): Venice, Florence or Rome. Fly home from here rather than returning to where you started.

That is the "greatest hits" shape. Equally good alternatives: Spain and Portugal (Lisbon, Seville, Granada, Madrid, Barcelona), or central Europe (Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest), which tends to be cheaper and is easy by train.

Book an open-jaw flight

Fly into one city and out of another. An "open-jaw" or "multi-city" search often costs little more than a return, and it saves you a full day backtracking to your arrival airport.

Getting between cities

Trains are the best way to travel between neighbouring cities. City centre to city centre, no security queue, and luggage limits are relaxed.
High-speed trains in France, Italy and Spain are often cheaper booked ahead and can sell out at busy times, so reserve the long legs once your route is fixed.
Budget flights make sense for long jumps (London to Rome, Paris to Lisbon), but add the time to reach outlying airports and the baggage fees before deciding they are cheaper.
Buses are the cheapest option and fine for shorter routes.
A rail pass can be worth it if you plan many long journeys, but on a short trip with a few legs, individual tickets are often cheaper. Do the sums for your route.

Pacing each day

Plan one big thing per day (a major museum, a palace, a day trip) and leave the rest loose for walking, cafés and getting lost.
Book timed-entry tickets for the famous sights in advance; many sell out in summer.
Build in a slow day around the middle of the trip. Laundry, a long lunch, a park. You will need it.
Stay central, even if it costs more. Time is the scarcest thing on a two-week trip.

Before you go

Entry rules: many visitors can enter the Schengen area visa-free for short stays, but rules depend on your passport, the UK is outside Schengen, and new registration systems have been introduced in recent years. Check the official EU and UK government sites for your nationality.
Money: cards work almost everywhere, contactless is normal; a card without foreign transaction fees saves money. Carry a little cash for markets and small cafés.
Phone: an eSIM covering the whole of Europe is the simplest option.
Pickpockets: busy metros, tourist sites and station concourses are where it happens. Use a zipped bag worn in front.

When to go

Late spring (May to early June) and early autumn (September) give the best mix of weather and crowds. July and August are hot and busy; winter is quieter and cheaper, with short days and Christmas markets. Planning your own route, or wondering whether a city is worth the detour? Ask in the comments, and share the itinerary that worked for you.