Planning a first trip to Europe comes down to a handful of decisions made in the right order. Use this page as a checklist, then open the guide for your destination for specific advice.
1. Choose Your Route and Pace
For a first trip, fewer bases usually make a better trip. Two cities in a week leaves time to enjoy each one; four cities in a week means much of it is spent packing, checking out and in transit.
Count every move between cities as half a day. Even a short train ride involves checking out, getting to the station early and finding your next hotel.
If you fly overnight from the United States, keep your first day light: an easy walk, an early dinner and a full night of sleep before your biggest sightseeing day.
2. Decide Where to Stay
Choose the neighborhood before the hotel. Staying within walking distance of the places you will visit most, or close to a metro station, saves time every single day.
When you compare options, look at the walk or ride to the main sights, how the street feels at night, noise, the route from the airport or train station, and the full price including local tourist taxes, which many European cities charge per person, per night.
3. Build a Realistic Budget
Plan your budget per person and per day: accommodation, food, local transport, and sights or tours. Then add the one-off costs: flights, trains between cities, airport transfers and travel insurance.
Our trip cost guides state their assumptions, such as travel dates, hotel category and number of travelers, so you can adjust the numbers to your own trip. Prices change, so treat every estimate as a starting point and check current rates before you book.
4. Plan How You Will Get Around
In most large European cities, walking and public transport are the easiest ways to get around. A rental car is usually more trouble than it is worth in a city center, but it can make sense for countryside regions.
Between major cities, high-speed trains often run from city center to city center, which can make them faster door to door than a short flight. Before you land, know how you will get from the airport to your hotel: train, metro, bus, taxi or a pre-booked transfer.
5. Know What to Book Ahead
Some sights use timed-entry tickets that can sell out, especially in spring, summer and holiday periods. Well-known examples include the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, the Vatican Museums in Rome, the Louvre in Paris and the Alhambra in Granada.
Book these as soon as your dates are set, together with your hotels and any long-distance trains. Most restaurants, local transit tickets and smaller museums can usually wait until you arrive.
6. Before You Go
Check the entry requirements and passport validity rules for every country on your route on the U.S. Department of State country pages at travel.state.gov. Rules can change, so check again shortly before you travel.
Decide how you will use your phone abroad (an eSIM, an international plan from your carrier or a local SIM), check whether your cards charge foreign transaction fees, and consider travel insurance that covers medical care abroad.