Europe Itineraries: 5 Two-Week Routes by Train (First Trip to Full Eurotrip)

Part of our travel itineraries library · Amicly Editorial Team · November 1, 2026

Two weeks in Europe is enough for three or four cities, not seven. These five Europe itineraries each use 13 nights and trains of under five hours between bases. Each one says how many nights to spend where, and which city to cut if you only have ten days. Train times are typical fastest direct services. Check the operator's timetable for your date.

A Eurostar train leaving the Channel Tunnel. Photo: Billy69150, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Choose your route

• First time in Europe: London → Paris → Amsterdam (Route 1)
• Food, art and history: Rome → Florence → Venice (Route 2)
• Warm and cheaper: Barcelona → Madrid → Lisbon → Porto (Route 3)
• Best value, beautiful capitals: Prague → Vienna → Budapest (Route 4)
• Mountains and lakes: Zurich → Lucerne → Interlaken → Milan (Route 5)

Route 1: London, Paris, Amsterdam (the classic first Eurotrip)

Base	Nights	Getting there
London	4	Fly in
Paris	5	Eurostar from St Pancras, about 2 h 20 min. Arrive at least 60–90 minutes early for border and security checks.
Amsterdam	4	Eurostar direct from Paris Nord, about 3 h 20 min

Day trips: Windsor or Oxford from London, Versailles or Giverny from Paris, Haarlem or Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam. City detail: London and Amsterdam. 10-day version: 3 / 4 / 3 nights.

Florence and the Duomo. Photo: Olevy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Route 2: Rome, Florence, Venice (plus Cinque Terre or Lake Como)

Base	Nights	Getting there
Rome	4	Fly in
Florence	4	High-speed train, about 1 h 30 min
Cinque Terre (La Spezia) or Bologna	2	From Florence: La Spezia about 2 h 15 min with a change at Pisa; Bologna about 40 min
Venice	3	From Bologna about 1 h 30 min; from Florence about 2 h 15 min

Book Italy's high-speed trains (Frecciarossa, Italo) early, because prices rise as seats sell. Venice charges day visitors an access fee on set days in 2026. Overnight guests are exempt but must register. Use one Venice morning for the Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries tour. City detail: Rome itinerary. 10-day version: skip the middle stop.

Route 3: Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Porto

Base	Nights	Getting there
Barcelona	4	Fly in
Madrid	3	High-speed train, about 2 h 30 min to 3 h
Lisbon	4	Fly, about 1 h 15 min. No fast direct train runs between Madrid and Lisbon.
Porto	2	Train from Lisbon, about 2 h 50 min to 3 h 15 min

Fly home from Porto to save backtracking. City detail: Barcelona, Lisbon, Porto. 10-day version: drop Madrid.

Charles Bridge over the Vltava in Prague. Photo: DXR, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Route 4: Prague, Vienna, Budapest

Base	Nights	Getting there
Prague	4	Fly in
Český Krumlov (optional) or Salzburg	1–2	Shuttle or bus from Prague, about 3 h
Vienna	4	Prague–Vienna by train, about 4 h
Budapest	3–4	Train, about 2 h 40 min

This is the cheapest of the five routes for hotels and food, and the trains are easy. Pair it with a Danube river cruise if you'd rather sail between Vienna and Budapest. 10-day version: 3 / 4 / 3 nights.

The Lauterbrunnen Valley seen from Mürren. Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Route 5: Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, then Milan

Base	Nights	Getting there
Zurich	2	Fly in
Lucerne	3	About 45 min to 1 h
Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen	4	Scenic Luzern–Interlaken Express, about 1 h 50 min
Milan or Lake Como	4	Via Spiez and Brig through the Lötschberg base tunnel, about 3 h

Switzerland is expensive. A Swiss Travel Pass or a Half Fare Card often pays for itself in four or five days of mountain trains and lake boats. Do the arithmetic for your exact route before buying. 10-day version: skip Zurich and fly straight to Lucerne.

How to plan any Europe itinerary

1. Fly into one city and out of another (an "open-jaw" ticket). It usually costs about the same as a round-trip and saves a full day of backtracking.
2. Rail pass or point-to-point tickets? For three or four high-speed legs, booking individual tickets early usually beats a Eurail pass. Passes win on flexible, many-leg trips, but France, Italy and Spain still charge seat reservations on high-speed trains.
3. Keep train legs under five hours. Beyond that, a short flight saves time, even counting the airport.
4. Watch Monday closures. Many museums in Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam and Vienna close one weekday. Check each one.
5. Book timed entries first: the Last Supper in Milan, the Sagrada Família, the Vatican Museums, the Anne Frank House, the Uffizi.

Entry rules for Europe in 2026

The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully running since April 10, 2026 across 29 countries. Non-EU visitors now give fingerprints and a facial photo at the first border instead of getting a passport stamp. Allow extra time at that crossing, including the Eurostar terminal in London. ETIAS, a pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, has been announced for the last quarter of 2026 with a €20 fee and a transition period, but its start date has moved several times. Check the official EU travel site before you fly. The UK runs its own ETA scheme for many non-European visitors.

Europe itineraries: FAQ

How many countries can you visit in two weeks in Europe?

Two or three, comfortably. Route 1 covers three countries with only two train rides. Fitting five countries into 14 days means a travel day every three days.

What is the best Europe itinerary for first-timers?

London, Paris and Amsterdam, or Rome, Florence and Venice. Both have fast direct trains, English is widely used, and each city fills four days easily.

When is the cheapest time to travel Europe?

November and January to March, outside Christmas markets and school holidays. April–May and late September–October balance price and weather.

Is a Eurail pass worth it for two weeks?

Only if you make many legs, or want flexibility. For three or four planned legs, advance point-to-point tickets are usually cheaper.

Related itineraries: River cruise itineraries · Amsterdam 3 days · Venice: Secret Itineraries tour · All travel itineraries

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