How to plan two weeks in Europe

Two weeks in Europe is the classic first big trip, and the classic mistake is to try to fit in a country a day. Europe is compact, the trains are good, and the temptation is to see it all. The result is a blur of stations and a camera roll of places you barely remember.

A better plan chooses fewer places and gives them room.

Decide what kind of trip it is

Before you pick cities, decide what you want. A trip of art and architecture looks different from one of food, coastline, mountains or history. Write down the three things you most want from the two weeks and use them to filter every idea.

Also be honest about your pace. Some people are happy with three nights a place; others want a week in one region. Both are right. The mistake is to plan for a pace that nobody in the group enjoys.

Choose when to go

Europe changes a great deal through the year. Summer is warm, long and crowded in the famous places, and parts of the south become very hot. Spring and autumn, often called the shoulder seasons, tend to give a good balance of weather, light and quieter streets. Winter suits cities, markets and the mountains, though days are short and some seaside places close.

Check the dates against school holidays and big events in the places you want. The country guides on this blog each have a "when to go" section.

Choose three or four bases

For fourteen days, three or four bases is plenty. Two could be right if you want a slow trip. Each place should earn at least two or three nights; a single night is a stopover.

Build the route as a line, not a web. Take a look at a map and join places that are easy to travel between: a capital and a nearby coast, two cities on one rail line, a city and its mountains. The pairs that work together might be a Mediterranean coast with a great city, or an Atlantic coast with a hill town. How many days to spend in each city helps with the split.

If you fly in and out of different cities, you never need to double back. Compare that with a return to the start before deciding.

Think in regions, not countries

Border crossings in much of Europe are easy, but each country has its own language, currency, transport systems and rules. Fewer countries means fewer things to learn. A trip in two countries with a lot of time is often more satisfying than one in six.

Some places also fit together by character. A trip along a coastline can connect several countries or towns by train or ferry. Others are best done as a loop around one country. There is no reason to cross a border just to say you did.

Use trains where they suit

Trains are often the best way to move between European cities. They go from centre to centre, you can use the time to read or look out of the window, and there is no security queue. Take a look at train travel in Europe for how tickets and reservations work.

Some journeys are better by other means. Islands may need a ferry or a flight, mountain regions can be easier by car, and long distances may be better flown. Pick the mode for each leg, and check the real timetable for the dates you plan to travel. Timetables and booking rules vary by country and operator, so look at the operator's own site.

For more freedom in the countryside, renting a car abroad covers what to check. A car is awkward in big cities, so many people use one for only part of a trip.

Time the bookings

Some things in Europe sell out early in peak season: rooms in small towns and on coasts, popular timed entries, ferries with vehicles and reservations on long-distance trains. Book those once your dates are firm. Leave the rest flexible. If you are unsure how early to book each thing, read how far in advance to book.

Keep the booking confirmations together with the plan, so that you can find any of them without signal.

Plan for money

Countries in Europe use different currencies, though many share one. Most places take cards widely, and a small amount of cash helps in markets, small cafés and some public toilets. Before you go, check what your bank charges for use abroad, and which card to use where.

Tipping customs vary from place to place. Look up the norm for each country you visit and do not worry about it too much.

Costs also vary widely between regions. Budget more for the north and the biggest cities, less for the south and east. Set a daily figure for food, local transport and activities, and keep a running total. If you are travelling with others, logging each cost as you pay keeps it simple.

A sample shape

This is a shape, not a prescription, with the days mapped to a general idea.

• Days 1 to 4: a large capital. Arrive, recover, see the main sights, eat well.
• Days 5 to 8: a smaller city or a region reached by train. A slower pace, one day trip.
• Days 9 to 12: a coast, lakes or mountains. Time outdoors and a lot of unplanned hours.
• Days 13 and 14: a final city or the way to your flight, with a gentle last day.

Within each block, keep one afternoon open and give the first day half the usual ambition.

Pack light

You will carry your bag on and off trains, up steps and across cobbles. Pack for the climate in layers, choose shoes that handle walking, and keep to a bag you can lift easily. You can wash clothes on a trip of this length. Make the list from the trip, not from habit.

Before you go

• Check your passport's expiry date against the entry rules of each country.
• Look up whether you need a visa or an entry authorisation for the places you visit. Rules depend on your nationality and change over time, so use each country's official government site and your own government's travel advice.
• Arrange travel insurance.
• Sort out your phone, whether an eSIM, a local SIM or roaming.

What to do next

Pick your season, then pick two or three regions that you can connect by train, and give each at least three nights. Once the shape holds together on a map, book the pieces that will sell out first.