A 10-day Europe trip for first-timers: how many cities, and in what order

A 10-day Europe trip works best with three or four home bases, not six or seven. Pick one region, such as Italy, or France plus Switzerland, fly into one city and out of another, and give each base at least two nights. Because Thai travellers need a Schengen visa, the country where you stay longest also decides which embassy you apply to.

How many cities fit in a 10-day Europe trip, and how many nights in each?

For a first Europe trip, count nights before you count cities. A travel day usually loses half a day to checking out, getting to the station and checking in again, so give each city at least two nights and keep the first and last days loose for flights.

How would you order a 10-day Italy-only route?

A one-country route keeps the visa question simple, because Italy is both the longest stay and the first entry. Here is one order to adapt, flying into one city and out of another.

1. 1Days 1 to 3: RomaLand in Rome and use the first nights to adjust to the time zone and see the old centre.
2. 2Days 4 to 5: FloransaTake a morning train, then spend the time on walking the city and its museums.
3. 3Days 6 to 7: VenedikLeave room for slow walking and choose lodging that is easy to reach from the station.
4. 4Days 8 to 10: MilanoEnd in Milan and fly home from there, keeping the last day for checkout and the airport transfer.

How does the route you choose affect your Schengen visa?

Your route decides where you apply. The European Commission says to apply to the country you plan to visit, and if you visit several, to the country where you spend the longest time, or the one you visit first if the stays are equal.

A Schengen visa is generally valid for every Schengen country, for no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, so the routes above sit well inside that. Ireland and Cyprus are not full Schengen members and the UK is outside Schengen altogether, so check their entry rules separately.

When should I go if I want the northern lights or Christmas markets?

Season can shape the route, because some places suit particular months. The facts below come from each country's tourism board.

• Visit Norway says the northern lights season runs from late August to late March.
• Visit Finland says the season in Finland runs from late August to early April, and summer nights are too bright to see the lights.
• The German National Tourist Board says Christmas markets open during Advent, starting in late November.
• The Austrian National Tourist Office says most Christmas markets open in the second half of November.

For Christmas markets in depth, read “Christmas Markets in Europe: A Planning Guide”, which goes further than this page.

When does a multi-city Europe trip need your phone and a data connection?

A multi-city route needs your phone more than expected, because train tickets, lodging confirmations and maps all sit on it. Have data working from the moment you land in the first city.

• Open train tickets and booking codes at the station on each travel day.
• Navigate from the station to your lodging and keep an offline map as a backup. See “Offline maps that actually work when the data runs out”.
• Follow delay and platform changes in the operator's app.

Choosing a SIM or eSIM that works across countries is covered in “Preparing for a Multi-Country Europe Trip: Which Internet to Use, SIM or eSIM”. Our Europe plans page shows data options for a cross-border route.

See data plans for Europe

Common questions about a first Europe trip