Be inspired by our European itineraries, then let our local travel designers tailor your journey to your interests, preferences and pace.
From Milan to Venice through lakes and mountains: villas and boats on Lake Como, Verona and Lake Garda, three nights in Val Gardena with the Seceda ridge and Alta Badia, and a last evening in Venice. 4-star hotels.
Price on request
The classic first trip to Italy, by high-speed train: the Colosseum and the Vatican in Rome, the Uffizi and a Chianti day from Florence, then Venice by water taxi. Central 4-star hotels and guided visits that skip the lines.
Price on request
A loop across Sicily from Palermo to Taormina: street food and Arab-Norman mosaics, Cefalù, the Valley of the Temples, the Baroque towns of Ragusa, Modica and Noto, Siracusa's Ortigia and a guided day on Mount Etna.
Price on request
Three cities by rail: afternoon tea and Borough Market in London, the Eurostar to Amsterdam for canals, bikes and Van Gogh, then Bruges for beer, chocolate and a day in Ghent. Three nights in each city.
Price on request
Nine nights in three bases, Brussels, Strasbourg and Basel, with guided day trips to Ghent, Bruges, Colmar, Zermatt, Mount Pilatus and Bern. First-class trains and 3-star hotels by the station; a lot of ground covered in one trip.
From €2,999 per person
A honeymoon between Rome and the sea: private visits of the Colosseum and the Vatican, three nights in Positano with a private boat day to Capri, then two quiet nights in Ravello above the coast. 5-star hotels.
Price on request
Our designers’ take
The best 10-day Europe itinerary covers two or three countries with three or four bases, linked by fast trains: Paris and the Swiss Alps, Brussels, Alsace and Switzerland, or London, Amsterdam and Bruges. Ten days is too short for five countries; it is the right length for two or three neighbors that share a rail line, with three nights in most bases. Below are the routes we sell and build most, with train times and 2026 prices.
Ten days means nine nights. Fly into one city and home from another: an open-jaw ticket usually costs about the same as a round trip and saves a day of backtracking. We book the trains, seats and hotels near the stations, and forward heavy luggage when a route has many changes.
This is our Belgium, Alsace and Switzerland by train, from €2,999 (about $3,420) per person with 3-star hotels, first-class trains and private guides. Basel to Lucerne is about an hour by train.
Suits food lovers and travelers who prefer one hotel for four nights.
This is our London, Amsterdam and Bruges by train, with 4-star hotels and the Eurostar, priced on request. Eurostar also links London to Paris in about 2 h 16 if you would rather finish in France.
Suits first-time visitors who want three different cultures with short train rides.
Paris to Zurich is about 4 h 05 on the TGV Lyria, then 41 minutes to Lucerne; Lucerne to Interlaken about 1 h 50. Fly home from Zurich. Our 10-day France and Switzerland itinerary has a version with Annecy and Zermatt.
Suits travelers who want one great city and the mountains.
Other shapes that work in ten days. In December, our Germany Christmas markets by train runs Munich, Nuremberg, Dresden and Berlin in nine days, from €2,299 (about $2,620). In central Europe, our Budapest, Vienna and Prague by train fits eight days with 5-star hotels, priced on request. Italy and Switzerland fit in seven, as our lakes week shows, with three days to spare for Lake Como. Italy on its own also fills ten days well: our Rome, Florence and Venice by train follows the classic first route, and our 10-day Italy itineraries add the Amalfi Coast and the Dolomites.
How we plan the order. We put the big city first, while you are fresh from the flight, and the mountains or the countryside last, when you want space. We avoid one-night stops and choose open-jaw flights that save a day: into Paris and out of Zurich, into London and out of Brussels, into Brussels and out of Basel.
Budget in 2026. Our published 10-day multi-country trip starts at €2,999 per person with 3-star hotels and first-class trains. Custom versions with central 4-star hotels, trains and guided visits usually cost about €250 to €450 (about $290 to $520) per person per night, so roughly €2,300 to €4,000 for nine nights, before flights; Switzerland and London sit at the top of that range, Belgium and Alsace lower. Our guide to what a tailor-made Europe trip costs and the trip cost calculator break it down.
Train times we use in 2026. Paris to Brussels about 1 h 22 and to London about 2 h 16 by Eurostar; Paris to Geneva about 3 h 10, Basel 3 h 05 and Zurich 4 h 05 by TGV Lyria; Munich to Zurich about 3 h 30. Our guide to traveling Europe by train covers classes, seats and luggage.
Season, and what changes in winter. May, June and September suit every route; the tulips around Amsterdam bloom from late March to mid-May. From late November, Routes 1 and 2 pick up the Christmas markets of Strasbourg, Colmar, Brussels and Bruges, and Germany's markets run until December 23 or 24. In the Alps, the Pilatus cogwheel railway closes after November 29, 2026 and some lake boats reduce service, so we swap in winter activities.
Accessibility. Trains make multi-country trips easier for limited mobility: we book assistance at every station (SNCF, SBB and Eurostar each have their own service) and choose step-free hotels near the stations. Our guide to the most accessible cities in Europe helps choose the bases.
With more time, see our two-week Europe itineraries. Our guide to planning a multi-country trip without rushing and the trip length planner help you choose, and plan your trip brings a priced proposal within 48 hours.
Christmas markets by train in Europe: five rail itineraries with 2026 dates, journey times, first class, luggage rules and reservation tips from our designers.
London to Amsterdam and Bruges by train in 2026: Eurostar times and fares, the change in Brussels, the new EES border check at St Pancras, classes, luggage.
Prague, Vienna and Budapest by train: the best order, 2026 journey times and fares, nights in each city, Railjet First Class and step-free travel tips.
Two or three, with three or four bases and no stop shorter than two nights. More than that and a third of your trip goes to packing and stations. Neighbors on one rail line work best: Belgium, France and Switzerland, or England, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Paris for three nights, Lucerne for three and the Jungfrau region for three, flying into Paris and home from Zurich. It combines one great city with lakes and mountains, linked by two comfortable trains. London, Amsterdam and Bruges is the best alternative if you prefer cities.
By train between neighboring countries: city center to city center, no airport security and luggage at your seat. Paris to Brussels takes about 1 h 22, Paris to Geneva about 3 h 10. Fly only for long jumps, such as Paris to Rome or Prague.
Our 10-day Belgium, Alsace and Switzerland trip starts at €2,999 (about $3,420) per person with 3-star hotels and first-class trains. Custom trips with central 4-star hotels usually run €250 to €450 per person per night, before flights.
It is possible but tight: three nights in Paris, three in Lucerne or Interlaken and three on Lake Como, with one long train day of about five and a half hours from Paris to the Jungfrau region. We usually suggest choosing two of the three, or taking 14 days.
May, June and September: long days, open mountain lines and fewer crowds than July and August. Late March to mid-May adds the tulips around Amsterdam. December is good for the Christmas markets of Alsace, Germany and Belgium, but expect short days and closed mountain railways such as the Pilatus cogwheel line.
Two minutes, three steps. Free and without obligation.
