With one week in Europe, you have an infinite number of possibilities for coming up with your “perfect” itinerary. Do you dream of visiting world-class cities like Paris, Barcelona, or Venice? Or would you rather hike the Alps, go on a scenic train ride, explore the beautiful beaches and coastal towns in southern Europe, visit fairytale towns and castles, island hop in Greece, or go on an unforgettable road trip in northern Europe?
There are an endless number of ways to plan a European vacation.
In this article we list 25 ways to spend one week in Europe. 25 itineraries are a lot to choose from, so at the end of this article we give suggestions to help you pick the best Europe itinerary for your traveling style and the season that you plan to visit Europe.
About These Itineraries
Before I start listing itineraries, there are a few important things to know, especially if this will be your first trip to Europe.
With seven days, you have enough time to visit two big cities or one big city with day trips. A road trip through one small region can also easily be done if you have one week in Europe.
With 7 days, you really only have six full days for sightseeing. These seven-day itineraries start on your arrival day. If you arrive midday on the first day, what you get to see and do will be limited. And if you are arriving to Europe on a red-eye flight (for example, if you live in the United States or Canada), you will have to deal with some level of jet lag on day one (and maybe even day 2). Some of you will be rock stars and hit the ground running and have a great first day. But most likely, you’ll be groggy, tired, and yearning to take a nap.
I know that it is tempting to see as much as possible, but for each new city you add to your itinerary, you will lose roughly half a day in travel time. Sure, you can zip through five cities in seven days, but mostly you will be looking at the inside of a train and lose valuable time packing and unpacking.
The itineraries on this list strike a balance between being just busy enough that you get to do a lot in a short period of time, but not so fast as to feel like you are always in a race.
Here are 25 wonderful ways to spend one week in Europe.
One Week in Europe
25 Suggestions on How to Spend 7 Days in EuropeLondon & Paris

Day 2: London
Day 3: London
Day 4: London
Day 5: Train to Paris in the morning
Day 6: Paris
Day 7: Paris
Paris & Amsterdam

Day 2: Amsterdam
Day 3: Amsterdam
Day 4: Morning train to Paris
Day 5: Paris
Day 6: Paris
Day 7: Paris
Rome & the Amalfi Coast

Day 2: Rome
Day 3: Rome
Day 4: Travel to Amalfi Coast, Visit Pompeii
Day 5: Amalfi Coast road trip
Day 6: Capri
Day 7: Sorrento, return to Rome in the evening
Florence & Tuscany

Day 2: Florence
Day 3: Florence
Day 4: Tuscany
Day 5: Tuscany
Day 6: Tuscany
Day 7: Tuscany, return to Florence or Rome for your flight home
Rome, Florence & Venice

Day 1: Arrive in Rome
Day 2: Rome
Day 3: Rome
Day 4: Morning train to Florence
Day 5: Florence
Day 6: Morning train to Venice
Day 7: Venice
Barcelona with Day Trips

Day 1: Arrive in Barcelona
Day 2: Barcelona
Day 3: Barcelona
Day 4: Barcelona
Day 5: Day trip from Barcelona: Montserrat
Day 6: Day trip from Barcelona: Girona
Day 7: Day Trip from Barcelona: Costa Brava
Portugal: Lisbon & The Algarve

Day 2: Lisbon
Day 3: Day trip to Sintra from Lisbon
Day 4: Drive to the Algarve
Day 5: Algarve
Day 6: Algarve
Day 7: Algarve, return to Lisbon in the evening
Switzerland: Lucerne & the Jungfrau Region

Day 2: Jungfrau region
Day 3: Jungfrau region
Day 4: Jungfrau region
Day 5: Jungfrau region
Day 6: Jungfrau region
Day 7: Morning train to Lucerne, explore Lucerne, sleep in Lucerne or near the Zurich airport
Austria: Vienna, Salzburg & Hallstatt

Day 2: Vienna
Day 3: Vienna
Day 4: Travel to Salzburg in the morning, visit Salzburg
Day 5: Salzburg
Day 6: Hallstatt
Day 7: Travel to Vienna or Munich
Germany: Munich & Bavaria

Day 2: Berchtesgaden
Day 3: Drive to Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Day 4: Neuschwanstein
Day 5: Zugspitze
Day 6: Munich
Day 7: Munich
Ireland Road Trip

Day 2: Drive to Killarney, visit the Rock of Cashel
Day 3: Ring of Kerry (Skellig Michael optional)
Day 4: Dingle Peninsula
Day 5: Drive to Doolin
Day 6: Cliff of Moher
Day 7: Galway, return to Dublin
Croatia & Montenegro

Day 2: Split
Day 3: Hvar or Brac
Day 4: Dubrovnik
Day 5: Dubrovnik
Day 6: Kotor, Montenegro
Day 7: Kotor, return to Dubrovnik
Paris & the Alsace Wine Region

Day 2: Paris
Day 3: Paris
Day 4: High-speed train to Colmar
Day 5: Alsace wine region
Day 6: Alsace wine region
Day 7: Return to Paris by train
Norway: The Lofoten Islands

Day 2: Lofoten Islands
Day 3: Lofoten Islands
Day 4: Lofoten Islands
Day 5: Lofoten Islands
Day 6: Lofoten Islands
Day 7: Fly to Oslo for your flight home
Poland: Warsaw & Krakow
The French Riviera

Day 2: Nice
Day 3: Villefranch-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Day 4: Monaco & Eze
Day 5: Antibes and Cannes
Day 6 & 7: More time in the French Riviera or two days in Provence with an overnight stay in Avignon
Scotland: Edinburgh & the Isle of Skye

Day 2: Edinburgh
Day 3: Edinburgh
Day 4: Drive to the Isle of Skye
Day 5: Isle of Skye
Day 6: Isle of Skye
Day 7: Isle of Skye, return to Edinburgh
Copenhagen & Stockholm

Day 2: Copenhagen
Day 3: Copenhagen
Day 4: Fly to Stockholm
Day 5: Stockholm
Day 6: Stockholm
Day 7: Day trip to Sandhamn, Sweden
Greek Islands

Day 2: Santorini
Day 3: Santorini
Day 4: Naxos
Day 5: Naxos
Day 6: Mykonos
Day 7: Mykonos
London & the Cotswolds
Iceland

Day 2: Reykjavik
Day 3: Golden Circle
Day 4: Landmannalaugar Day Trip
Day 5: South Coast of Iceland
Day 6: South Coast of Iceland
Day 7: South Coast of Iceland
Budapest, Vienna & Bratislava

Day 2: Budapest
Day 3: Budapest
Day 4: Travel to Vienna
Day 5: Vienna
Day 6: Vienna
Day 7: Bratislava day trip from Vienna
Slovenia: Ljubljana & the Julian Alps

Day 2: Ljubljana
Day 3: Day trip to Predjama Castle & Škocjan Caves
Day 4: Lake Bled
Day 5: Lake Bohinj
Day 6: Vintgar Gorge
Day 7: Hike the Julian Alps
Berlin & Prague

Day 1: Arrive in Berlin
Day 2: Berlin
Day 3: Berlin
Day 4: Road trip to Rakotzbrücke and Bastei Bridge, sleep in or near Dresden
Day 5: Prague
Day 6: Prague
Day 7: Prague
Norwegian Fjords

Day 2: Kjeragbolten
Day 3: Hike Pulpit Rock, drive to Trolltunga
Day 4: Trolltunga
Day 5: Flam (Norway in a Nutshell) Day 6: Drive to Bergen
Day 7: Bergen
Our Recommendations
25 itineraries are a lot to choose from. Here are our recommendations on how to spend one week in Europe, depending on your traveling style and interests.
First Time to Europe
If it is your first time to Europe, these are our top picks:
- London and Paris
- Paris and Amsterdam
- Rome, Florence and Venice
- Barcelona with Day Trips
- Greek Islands
Big Cities
If you prefer to spend your time in world-class cities:
- London and Paris
- Paris and Amsterdam
- Rome, Florence and Venice
- Barcelona with Day Trips
- Warsaw and Krakow
- Berlin and Prague
- Budapest, Vienna and Bratislava
For Families
For families, our top picks are:
- Scotland and the Isle of Skye
- Switzerland: Jungfrau region and Lucerne
- Slovenia: Ljubljana and the Julian Alps
- Iceland
- Bavaria, Germany
For Couples
Whether it is your honeymoon or just a romantic getaway, we recommend:
- The Greek Islands
- French Riviera
- Florence and Tuscany
- Paris and the Alsace Wine Region
- Paris and Amsterdam
- Croatia and Montenegro
For Hikers
If hiking is your thing (like us), our top spots on this list include:
- Norwegian Fjords
- The Lofoten Islands in Norway
- Slovenia and the Julian Alps
- Scotland: Edinburgh and the Isle of Skye
With More Time
Can you swing another week off of work? For an epic trip to Europe, combine two of these one-week itineraries into a two-week holiday. Here are six great combinations:
- One week in Bavaria with one week in Austria (Salzburg, Hallstatt & Vienna)
- Norwegian Fjords with the Lofoten Islands
- Scotland and Ireland
- Croatia and Montenegro and one week in Slovenia (as a bonus, visit Plitvice Lakes on the drive between Slovenia and southern Croatia)
- Visit Paris and the Alsace wine region then continue traveling south to Lucerne and the Jungfrau region of Switzerland
- Combine Budapest, Vienna and Bratislava with Prague and Berlin
If you are looking for more great European itineraries and you have 10 days, read our post 10 Days in Europe: 10 Amazing Itineraries.
Are You Designing a Custom Europe Itinerary?
These itineraries make a great starting point for designing your own custom Europe itinerary. For more tips and tricks to help you plan the perfect itinerary, consider reading this article:
7 Things to Know When Planning Your First Trip to Europe
For more travel ideas, visit our Travel Itineraries page. Check out our detailed itineraries for Africa, Asia, Oceania, North and South America, and Europe.


Photo Credits:
- Colosseum (in post and as cover photo): prochasson frederic/shutterstock
- Portugal: artem evdokimov/shutterstock
All rights reserved © Earth Trekkers. Republishing this article and/or any of its contents (text, photography, etc.), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
Comments 54
Hi, we are looking for somewhere fun to go for 1 week during Thanksgiving and 1 week during late March. Our family is two adults and two teens. I’m leaning towards direct flights out of our airport (Denver) to cut down on travel time. What do you think about Frankfurt or Munich and traveling around that area, either in Germany or Austria? Another option is Japan for one week, which could be nice during cherry blossom season. I’m wondering if late November is a non-ideal time to travel to Germany, or if you have any ideas for us? Thank you!
Author
Hello Amy. We haven’t been to Germany that late in the year, and as far as weather is concerned, you could see some snow, which would make southern Germany and Bavaria especially beautiful, or it could just be cold. However, there is a chance that the Christmas markets open in late November. We visited London early December last year and in London, some Christmas markets were open by the last week of November. If the same is true for Munich or Frankfurt, then that is a good reason to go, if you want to see some German Christmas markets. We will potentially be visiting Vienna and Prague the first week of December this year (partly to catch the Christmas markets) but have similar concerns about the weather at that time. London for one week is very nice and we have a one week London itinerary for that time of year. And anything in southern Europe will be warmer, if temps are a concern.
In March, Japan sounds great. You could stay in Kyoto the entire time to keep things easy. There are some great day trips to do from Kyoto as well, such as Nara and Himeji Castle. In Europe, we have visited a lot of places at the end of March. I recommend Paris & Amsterdam, Barcelona with day trips, or Croatia & Montenegro (we did this in early April and it was wonderful).
Cheers, Julie
Hi Julie, These are some great ideas and things to consider, thank you very much and I really appreciate your insight! Because of your website we have been inspired to travel whenever we can and to try new travel experiences. I hope you have a nice visit to Vienna and Prague if you end up going in early December.
Thank you,
Amy
Hello! Thank you, this is very helpful. Our family is going to Europe for 2 weeks in June. We know we are going to Paris and London. We were thinking about the Cotswolds for a type of English countryside, do you have any tips? We also want to go to one other city, do you have any recommendations?
It is our first time to Europe! And we are traveling as a family of six (13, 10, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa
Author
Hello Kaitlyn. We have not been to the Cotswolds yet but I think that would make a great addition to a Paris London trip, especially if you have two weeks. But unfortunately I won’t be able to offer travel advice for the Cotswolds. If you want to add on another city, Amsterdam is a great option, as is Edinburgh or the Alsace Region in France (you can travel by high speed train from Paris to the Alsace region). Let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers, Julie
Hi We are a family of 5, one of my kids is Autistic. We are planning our first ever trip to Europe. it will be 10 days trip and my kids wanted to see Paris and I would like to visit a friend in Ireland. Please suggest a antennary for 10 days trip to Europe from Canada.
Author
With 10 days, you could do something like this: Day 1: arrive in Paris, tour Paris; Days 2 & 3: Paris; Day 4: fly to Dublin; Day 5: Dublin; Days 6 & 7: get to and attend friend’s wedding; with your last 3 days, you could visit the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Moher and Dingle Peninsula. Then return to Dublin to fly home. Cheers, Julie
Hi, I’m a college student and have a 7-day open of travel and would likely stay in hostels. I would like to see 3 cities if possible was thinking of Italy would you have any suggestions or advice? Also, I have a three-day break and would like to see one of the Nordic counties would you have any suggestions if not a Nordic County a city I can spend three days in? (I’ve been to Greece, Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and the British isles would like to go somewhere new)
Author
Hello Andrew. With 7 days in Italy, you can do Rome, Florence, and Venice if you don’t mind moving quickly. You shouldn’t have an issue finding good hostels in each of these three cities. Visit those three cities in that order, or reverse it and go Venice to Florence to Rome. We have tons of info about each of these cities (including budget hotel options) in our Italy Travel Guide. As far as Nordic destinations, Stockholm is an interesting city with some nice day trip options. Copenhagen is another good option. If you like hiking, you could visit Stavanger, Norway and hike Pulpit Rock and Kjeragbolten with 3 days (I think this would be a great option!). Cheers, Julie
Hi! Love these ideas and your amazing website! We are traveling from Boston and meeting friends for a few days in late August in Ireland. We have 16 total days where we could travel within Europe, as long as we end in Ireland. Any suggestions for other European cities we should travel to while we are there? It’s hard to narrow down our options when we have such an open itinerary! Thank you!
Author
We took an 18 day trip through Scotland and Ireland and you could put together a trip using our Scotland Itinerary and Ireland Itinerary. It is a beautiful trip through Europe, a nice mix of a few cities but outdoor destinations as well. You could also do Amsterdam to Paris to London to Dublin. Or, do 5 days in London plus our Ireland Itinerary. Have fun deciding! Cheers, Julie