I'm planning a 15-day Switzerland + Italy trip and I'm trying to figure out the best way to travel from Switzerland to Venice.
My Swiss itinerary is still flexible, but I'll likely be staying in areas such as Lucerne, Interlaken.

Venice would be my first stop in Italy.

For those who have done this route:

Which Swiss city is the best departure point for Venice?

Is the train the most practical option, or are flights worth considering?

How long does the journey realistically take door-to-door?

Would you recommend going directly to Venice or stopping in Milan first?

Hi everyone, I am going to Rome next month for 3 days (18-21 June). Since I am from Asia, I don't know much about Roman history or recent even Italian history.

There is so much culture and history in Rome and I feel like an absolute idiot to not know and not develop interest during my teenage years.

I have started to watch Youtube videos to know about the Roman Empire and hopefully, by next month, I get enough knowledge to enjoy and understand the references while I tour.

I have booked Colosseum for now. What other attractions/museums/places would you suggest for a beginner like me? I am willing to spend time reading and learning about it.

Also, I am overwhelmed by all the advance bookings (in many other cities in Europe), so if you'd want to suggest any place/museum to be booked in advance (in Rome or Italy), I'd highly appreciate it.

Thank you in advance for understanding.

Hi all, my partner and I are headed to Germany for my birthday and are now in the logistics phase of planning. I’m worried we’re packing in too much and am looking for feedback on potential itinerary options. Key dates we cannot change are: 

- Arrive in Berlin at 13:35 on July 6th
- Robyn concert at the Uber arena on July 8th
- Depart out of Berlin at 8:20 on July 16th

We've played around with a few different options and are now deciding between two potential itineraries. I’d love feedback on which itinerary seems better (and why), ways you think it could be improved or better optimized, and anything else I may be missing. We’re also open to cutting legs out completely but totally torn on which - I’ve been to Berlin and Prague before (though ages ago) but she hasn’t and I think she’d love them, but the last two locations also seem stunning.

*Option A: Berlin → Prague → Day Trip CK → Saxon Switzerland
*Jul 6: Arrive Berlin 3:35pm, easy evening 
*Jul 7: Berlin full day
*Jul 8: Berlin easy day + Robyn 
*Jul 9: Train to Prague, arrive early afternoon
*Jul 10: Prague full day
*Jul 11: Day trip to Český Krumlov by bus from Prague
*Jul 12: Prague → Bad Schandau direct train (~2.5 hrs), arrive midday, afternoon hike to Bastei
*Jul 13: Saxon Switzerland full day (Bastei trails + Königstein)
*Jul 14: Morning in Dresden Zwinger, train to Berlin (~2 hrs), arrive mid-afternoon — easy, relaxed last evening in Berlin
*Jul 15: Airport hotel, early bed/early flight

*Option B: Overnight in Český Krumlov
*Jul 6: Arrive Berlin 3:35pm 
*Jul 7: Berlin full day
*Jul 8: Berlin + Robyn 
*Jul 9: Train to Prague, arrive early afternoon
*Jul 10: Prague full day
*Jul 11: Prague → Český Krumlov (bus, ~3 hrs)
*Jul 12: Český Krumlov → Bad Schandau (~4-5 hrs transfer)
*Jul 13: Saxon Switzerland full day (Bastei + Königstein)
*Jul 14: Saxon Switzerland full day — second hike, explore more of the park
*Jul 15: Morning Dresden (Zwinger), train to Berlin, airport hotel near BER
*Jul 16: Early flight 

We would greatly appreciate any feedback or insight! Bonus for any tips or recommendations re: specific accommodations or areas to stay.

Thank you so much in advance for any help!

We’ll be in Europe for 12 days in October. We got our flights for stupid cheap last Black Friday, but that also meant we had to pick our arrival/departure airports before having planned anything else. After much deliberation and ruling out 20 different places, we finally landed on final itinerary. We’ll be flying into Frankfurt and out of Milan.

Is there anything we should heavily reconsider? Is there perhaps somewhere other than Ortesei that may be less crowded, or more easily reachable without a car, and still provide the same nearby hiking access?

Should we consider somewhere other than Florence all together?

***The Game Plan:***

**Day 1:** Fly into Frankfurt, take a train up the Rhein to a hotel in or between Koblenz and Mainz.

**Day 2:** Wander the wine country and immediate area, visit some vineyards, see some castles, enjoy the train ride.

**Day 3:** Same thing, but follow the Moselle to Cochem, and maybe Trier if we feel like going further down the line.

**Day 4:** Mostly a travel day. Take a train to Munich. Enjoy a few nearby sights if we have the time, otherwise just munch on local food, Weissbier and maybe have a nice dinner.

**Day 5:** Also mostly a travel day. Train from Munich to Bolzano or Chiusa/Klausen, bus to Ortesei. Check into hotel and chill around town.

**Day 6:** Take a nearby cable car or chairlift to good hiking areas. Hike and munch of food + booze from the huts along the way.

**Day 7:** More hiking! Maybe a good massage from wherever we stay.

**Day 8:** Bus back to Bolzano, train to Florence. Check into hotel, wander town, see some easy sights, have a decent dinner, find a wine tavern, wander the streets after a few too many glasses

**Day 9:** Visit some museums, see more sights, eat more food, drink more wine. Take a cooking class.

**Day 10:** More museums and sights, potentially an excursion into the country find if we can find a good tour/guide that won’t be an all day marathon.

**Day 11:** Train to Milan. Wander and enjoy Milan, maybe hit a museum, mostly taking it easy.

**Day 12:** Head to the airport, fly out of Milan, confront my rage about how train networks in the USA are nonexistent

Places that did not make the itinerary due to travel times, train routes or just not the vibe we wanted:

*Berlin
*Dresden
*Nuremburg
*Garmisch/Mittenwald
*Berchtesgaden
*Bavaria in general, unfortunately
*Freiburg/Schwarzwald
*Alsace
*All of Switzerland lol
*Venice
*Cortina
*Rome

Planning a last minute trip for July. We went to France/Spain last year for 2 weeks and Italy (sorrento, Rome, Dolamites, Venice) the year before. We loved both but want to explore new countries. We have 3 very adventurous kids (6,11,13) that love to hike, kayak, anything in the ocean, etc and want them to have plenty to do. But non negotiable is feeling like a European summer with coastal views and water days. Which would you pick and why? Would love all the recommendations

Hello everyone,

This is my first post in this sub. So far I have not really a lot of experience regarding traveling in general and usually other people planned my vacations but this time I try to involve myself a bit more and want to create a nice experience for me and my partner. Sadly we are on a tight budget and would like to travel as inexpensive as possible.

Due to a wedding I plan to travel to Lisbon this august and I have thought I might make it into a nice camping road trip. I have the following route in mind but if you guys think it does not make any sense or have better places to visit i am open for suggestions:

Start 15. August in Dortmund

Dortmund -> Reims, 6 h
Reims -> La Souterraine (LS1), 6 h
LS1 -> Léon, 5 h
Léon -> Candas, 7 h
Candas -> Lumbrales Salamanca(LS2), 5 h
LS2 -> Lisbon, 5 h

We will try to do sightseeing in those different places and enjoy the landscapes. If you know nice places in those areas we could visit please let me know.

Since we need to be back by the 28 August, we are not really flexible on the way back.
We will stay in Lisbon for 4 days and will head back to Dortmund this way:
Lisbon -> Burgos, 8 h
Burgos -> Lamérac, 7 h
Lamérac -> Reims, 8 h
Reims -> Dortmund, 6 h

In general I have a few questions for this kind of traveling in europe:

• Do you have any recommendations for sources where I can look up information regarding the tolls on my route?
• does this route even make sense?
• are there rules in france, spain and portugal I need to know?
• I looked up a few different campsites and it seems in france the campsites are about 20€/night but in spain it seems to be rather expensive with about 40€/night. Are this realistic prices?

My family is celebrating my mom’s 70th birthday in Sardinia in Summer 2027. My husband and I (mid-30s) are planning to spend a week there, and that portion of the trip is already set, Sardinia is one of our favorite places in the world. We’re trying to decide where to spend the 10 days before Sardinia, and we’re feeling stuck.

Our travel style tends to be very different from the typical European itinerary. We don’t enjoy moving every day, checking off attractions, or spending our vacation standing in lines. We prefer to immerse ourselves in an area and travel slowly. A few things we love:
- Natural beauty
- Fewer crowds and discovering places that feel authentic and less touristy and the ability to wander around without a strict agenda
- Small towns and villages
- Water!! Lakes, rivers, or coastline for swimming
- Mountains for views and hiking
- Scenic drives or train rides
- We are big foodies so local food, wine, and beer

We would ideally stay in only 2-3 locations maximum over the course of 10 days. One thing that may help describe our preferences: our favorite place we’ve ever visited is Sardinia, while our least favorite was the Amalfi Coast. We were there in the off-season and still found the crowds, traffic, and overall tourist atmosphere overwhelming. We don’t need famous sights. We rather spend an afternoon swimming in a river, hiking to a viewpoint, or sitting in a small piazza with a glass of wine.

We’re completely open to renting a car if it gets us away from the more touristy areas. The only real caveat: we’d like the final destination to have a direct flight to Sardinia (Olbia preferred, but we’re flexible).

A few ideas we’ve considered:
Fly into Zurich and explore lesser-known areas of the Swiss Alps by car; Zurich + train/car to the Salzburg region and Austrian Lake District; Fly into Bergen, road trip through western Norway, then train to Oslo and fly to Sardinia; Albania (which sounds amazing, but the flight connections to Sardinia seem less convenient)
For travelers who enjoy slower, nature-focused trips, where would you spend 10 summer days in Europe before heading to Sardinia?
Thanks in advance!

Hi all,

I’m arriving at Milan Malpensa (MXP Terminal 1) at 6:45 AM on 22 July 2026 (International flight). I’ll have checked luggage and need to clear immigration + baggage claim.

My next flight is a separate Ryanair booking from Bergamo (BGY) at 12:20 PM, also with checked luggage.

The only direct shuttle I can find leaves MXP at 9:15 AM and arrives BGY around 11:00 AM, giving me ~1h20 before departure.

Is this doable or too risky with Ryanair bag drop/security times at BGY in summer? Also, are there any earlier transport options I might be missing? I checked Flixbus etc. but could not find a bus between 8AM to 9AM.

Appreciate any real experience from people who’ve done MXP → BGY transfers. Thanks!

Hi everyone,
Planning my first solo Europe trip in mid-June.

I'll be flying in from Istanbul and currently thinking:
Switzerland (4 days) → Vienna → Prague → Budapest → Italy

I have around 12 days but could extend to 15 if it's worth it.

A few questions:

• What's the best way to get around on this route? Eurail pass, point-to-point trains, buses, or budget flights? I'll be travelling with a cabin suitcase and backpack.

• If you had 12–15 days, how would you structure this route? Anything you'd skip or add?

• Any mistakes first-time solo travelers commonly make on a route like this?

Thanks

I have booked the flights to Germany for the exhibition for work , after that I wanna go Berlin and two other city’s in Germany, and then plan to go Italy and France and Swiss or maybe Switzerland, have been looking forward to go Europe for a very long time
So my question is for the first time , should I just roughly go around Europe and try visit as many countries as I could , just for a hint and feelings for the first time , also feel the distance and generally geography of Europe. And next time I’ll go deeper into the Europe to explore.

Or should I just go for one or two countries to slowly get to feel the country.

Romania to Hungary then after a few days Hungary to Poland that goes through slovakia and then after a few more days Poland to Latvia going through Lithuania.

Later this year in early September (3rd to 18th), my partner and I have booked round-trip flights to Nice. We’re on a somewhat tighter budget, but found great flights and we’re seeing plenty of AirBnBs in our price range. We will NOT have a car.

We’re planning on having two bases, doing approx. one week in Nice and one week in Marseille. We also have plenty of day trips eyed up for each area that I’ll expand on in a moment. We’re at the stage where there’s a ton we want to do, but need to start thinning out some of the options so we can get our accommodation dates locked and booked.

First question: Our flights are round-trip to Nice, and arrive at 1:25pm. Since the first day is usually a write-off anyways, and we have to return to Nice to fly out at the end of our trip, we wondered if it made sense to immediately take the train to Marseille on that first day and start our trip with that leg to work backwards to Nice. This avoids losing a day at the end of the trip as well having to backtrack and stay a night next to the hotel. Our flight leaves Nice at 3:00pm, but I don’t feel comfortable leaving all the way from Marseille the same morning.

When I looked into this option, my main concern arose around the train times to Marseille. From what I gather we would need to book our train tickets in advance for a specific time slot. I’m worried that should we book a train too close to our arrival time, we may miss it if there’s any delays or trouble getting out of the airport. My other worry though, is booking a train too late just makes the day incredibly long, with us only getting to our accommodations around 9:00pm after a long day of travel. That feels like too much. There is the option of stopping halfway, but unpacking/repacking for a single night seems more hassle than it’s worth.

What would be your recommendations for doing this leg? We kinda hoped to do some beaches in the area so the earlier into September we go the better. Also, would we benefit from any specific rail passes if we’re planning day trips too?

Second Question: The idea was to stay close to the beaches in Marseille down in the Bonneveine/La Plage area (no, the irony is not lost on me). Has anyone been in this area and can give their thoughts? I know Marseille is technically the one of the most dangerous cities in Europe, but that comes from a lot of gang issues in the north of the city. I’m not freaking out since the numbers are still mild compared to many other cities in the world, but I do want to make sure we take caution in knowing where the safe areas are. Our other option would be to stay further down the coast toward La Ciotat but I don’t know if that makes it too far for some of our hopeful day trips below.

Third Question: Day trips! Here we go, this is the part where I’m having difficulty culling some of the options we have for day trips, as it feels like there’s so much to see in the area. I’m a longtime lurker in this sub and see the million posts of people with super packed itineraries, and so I’m trying my best to not be one of them. So, below is our “mega-list” of options we’ve already done the once over on, and now need further help in what to cut. We’re operating under the assumption that we’re spending 7 days in each base:

From Nice:
* Antibes: My partner is very into art, so going down to see the Picasso museum is definitely high on his bucket list, and I’d be interested in doing a walking tour. There’s also Juan-les-Pins nearby in case we’d like to spend some time at the beach as well in the afternoon.
* Villefranche-sur-Mer/Èze/Monaco/Menton: These four towns/cities keep being suggested to us and we’re really interested in exploring them. I would likely group them two at a time, like Monaco/Menton, and maybe do Èze in the morning before heading to Villefranche to spend some time at the beach if it’s a nice day. Monaco I don’t intend to spend very long in, in fact, I hope to not spend money there at all if possible because of how costly it is. That being said, it would be really fun to walk around for a couple of hours and ogle at some of the luxury.
* Italy/Sanremo: I’m the most unsure about this one, because Sanremo has always had a special little place in my heart due to the Sanremo music fest producing some of the main songs I’d listen to on repeat when I met my partner. It would be really fun to go out for a nice meal in Italy and visit Sanremo, but I’m honestly not sure what else I would do there. I’m kinda willing to drop this unless I hear of something that really piques my interest.

From Marseille:
* Arles: I said my partner was into art but Van Gogh is his favourite painter, and thus really wants to go to Arles where he lived for some time. This is a must.
* Cassis: Cassis looks absolutely beautiful and is very close to Marseille, so we could fit this in one afternoon or evening for a few hours. Don’t need to spend a whole day here but proximity makes getting here easy.
* Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer or La Ciotat: Which one of these would be nicer for a beach day? If we’re unable to be close to a beach in Marseille, I’d like to have a good beach day option.
* Îles du Frioul: I’d personally like to spend a good portion of a day touring the islands as I’m always interested in historical forts, but I’m curious on what’s the best way to get around the sites once we get there.

I know some of these places can be busy, but hopefully since we’re travelling just after peak tourist season we can avoid the bulk of the crowds. It would be nice to know which ones should be avoided on weekends.

I know this was a long read so I appreciate you getting through it and any advice you can give us!

Hi all! My girlfriend and I have a tremendous opportunity this summer to spend 4 weeks in Europe. 2 of those are accounted for (Greece trip with her family in Athens, Costa Navarino, and Crete).

We could use your help figuring out how to spend the last 2 weeks, which will be in mid-August. We will end the first leg on Crete. Where should we go from there? We would like to stay in the Balkans area.

A few extra details to help hone in on the right answer for us. We are mid-20s, and enjoy being active outside: think running, cycling, swimming, hiking, etc. We like big adventures (we have both done extended bike touring, long triathlons, multi-day hikes, etc.) We want to use this time for both adventure, and also relaxation, though probably not partying. We are truly open to anywhere in the Balkans, and we’re especially interested in areas that Americans don’t frequently visit, since we have so much extra time to explore. Budget is moderate (not shoestring, but we won’t be “balling out”).

One initial thought was to do a bike tour in Romania- Transfagarasan and Transalpina – the highest roads in Romania, if that gives you an idea of what we’re thinking about.

Let me know if you have any fun ideas for us!

Trip dates:
7 June – 10 September 2026 (flexible)

We will start from Barcelona and entering the route through France.
I'm trying to build a strong itinerary by balancing sightseeing and nightlife

We want to have slow pace, and we dont want to spend few days in a small city that has same vibes like usual EU places just to check box.

What we are looking for:
Biggest cities, nightlife / social energy, highlights/experiences of Europe. We want to experience Swiss alps/Bernina Express in this trip.

What we don't want:
We dont want to spend 2-3 days in a small city along the route just to check the boxes; day trips are ok but we want to base ourself for min. of 1 week in the city we are visiting (if it is a big city)

What we already seen:
Greece, Spain, Portugal, Malta, Budapest, Sofia, Warsaw, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Utrecht

Current Plan:

7-13 Jun: Nice / French Riviera
14-18 Jun: Lyon
19-20 Jun: Zürich / Lucerne
21-22 Jun: Chur / St. Moritz area
23 Jun: Bernina Express to Tirano, then continue to Milan
23-30 Jun: Milan + Bologna
1-4 Jul: Ljubljana
5-9 Jul: Split
10-16 Jul: Vienna
16-21 Jul: Prague
22-28 Jul: Krakow
29-31 Jul: Vilnius
1-3 Aug: Riga
4-6 Aug: Tallinn
7-9 Aug: Helsinki
10-14 Aug: Stockholm
15-19 Aug: Bergen or Oslo
20-22 Aug: Copenhagen
23-31 Aug: Berlin + Hamburg
1-4 Sep: Rotterdam
5-8 Sep: Brussels / Ghent
9-10 Sep: Luxembourg City

If the budget is no issue, what would you revise in the itinerary? Do you think Baltics are worth it? What experiences we are missing, what cities should be skipped or changed?

Thanks

I'm hoping some of you could give some pointers for me to research from. I'm not from the continent so I feel like there are a lot more countries/areas to explore that I haven't heard of, and most of my googling gives 'big city vibes' annoyingly. Living in Wales atm hence Europe travelling.

I'm trying to plan a trip for a week in September as a couple. We've done a couple short (2-4 day) trips in parts of Europe and we're a bit sick of the big cities. We plan to do week-ish trip to somewhere a bit more rural (maybe similar to a cabin rental) and either train or drive to nearby light hikes or smaller towns.

Main issue I'm finding is we're a bit overdone with Germanic Europe. In the past couple years, we've done (most of these multiple times each): Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany as well as Croatia, Greece (during winter tho), Scotland, Italy and soon Portugal. Lightly warm would be nice but not melting temps lol.

So far I've been thinking maybe southern France (never been besides a day in Paris). I had also been debating on Tegernsee but that's still Germany. It was stunning and mountains+beers are an ideal combo but trying to escape all the germanic architecture.

Any ideas? Don't have the budget for Asia or somewhere further atm so planning to stick to Europe for this week trip.

Hi guys I had a quick question. My parents want to take a rental car from Grindelwald to Lake Como this June, but what appear to be the shorter routes seem closed. The current estimate one way on google maps is 5 hours. Does anyone know whether the information on closed routes is accurate? Or if there are any other routes to take? We plan to go a little after June 10.

Also in addition, which area is more ideal to park in, Bellagio or Varenna?

My girlfriend and I want to plan Christmas in Europe. We’re between Austria Vienna, Salzburg, or another village you might recommend and one other country. Most likely going for 10 days. Our options are Prague, somewhere in Germany or somewhere else you recommend. Everyone please drop down your experiences and what you recommend. Looking for highly festive, good food, markets, and just a beautiful atmosphere for the holiday season. We’re in our mid- late 20s and busy crowds don’t bother us to much.

We (myself, my husband and two teen sons) are hoping to get a NightJet from Innsbruck to Hamburg in December - I know it's a long way out but my work is about to get busy and the next time I blink might be October and I want to have all my ducks in a row before the tickets go on sale!

We're travelling just after the timetable change (I believe it's December 12th this year).

We did the Paris-Berlin trip on Nightjet a few years ago and I found the booking a bit stressful - we really wanted two adjoining double rooms and there are very few per train, and I couldn't get any clear idea of when the tickets were actually going to come on sale. In the end I searched a few times a day from 3 months before and one day, bam, there were the trains and we got what we wanted.

I did the booking last time on the NightJet site, and I distinctly remember being able to see the assigned berths before I finalised the booking, but I've done a few dummy searches for November this year to check prices and options, and it really doesn't show you the allocated berths now, and when I did it for the last possible date that they've got for sale, it told me that passengers would be in different cabins. Is this because there are 4 of us, and by default we'll be in 2 separate cabins, or is that actually telling us that we'll be split up with strangers? Our kids are a bit older now (mid-teens) but I'm still not doing the trip if they'd be sharing with strangers. We could also do a private couchette but I'd prefer the proper sleepers and we're happy to pay that difference.

Also, with only being able to book 2 months in advance, I'm aware that we might not get the train we want. Does anyone have any advice what to do as backup plans, also in case of train cancellations? At the moment I think I might book an extra night in Innsbruck with free cancellation and be ready to get a very long day train the next day.

Hi guys,

Planning a 8 night trip in September(post labor day weekend) from South east US. Was considering South of France (Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Eze/Villefranche) vs a trip to Portugal (Lisbon, Porto, Algarve/Madeira). We have never been to either of these two countries.

Main priorities are weather (warm but not insanely hot), beaches, sightseeing, and good food.
Would love to hear your thoughts on which one would you guys recommend, or if someone has done such a trip during these dates.
Thanks in advance

Flew into Paris and took trains to Bern (3 nights) which was used as a base to go into the mountains each morning. A day each for Kandersteg and Lauterbrunnen valley and returned to Bern around 5 pm.

Train to Lausanne where we spent 2 nights, Lavaux terrace vineyards were incredible, lovely city.

From Lausanne we went to Lyon and spent 4 nights and had a delightful time, Lyon back to Paris for another 4 nights and then departure. Enjoyed Lyon quite a lot and Paris was great but not really as much for us given the insane crowds, spent more time wandering smaller areas and avoided the main attractions.

If i could go back maybe would’ve added one more night in Lausanne so we could do more hiking but otherwise a fantastic trip with really comfortable intercity travel and a wide variety of things to see and do!

Flying in and out of Munich and driving a loop through three bases over June 5-22 (2 adults + 1 elementary-age kid). Staying at a hotel in each base. Looking for any and all feedback on the plan below - pacing, individual days, things to skip, things we're missing, whatever stands out.

One note for context: our kid has several serious food allergies (peanut, hazelnut, egg), so dining takes some planning and we will do most evening meals at the hotels we've chosen or vetted options near them. We've tried to account for that as best we can, but happy to hear thoughts there too.

Leg 1 — Berchtesgaden (6 nights, Jun 5–11)

• Fri Jun 5 — Land around 8AM, pick up car, ~2h drive to Berchtesgaden with an easy lakeside/playground stop en route or alternatively a visit to Freizeitpark Ruhpolding. Check in, explore town.
• Sat Jun 6 — Day trip to Salzburg (Hohensalzburg fortress + funicular, Getreidegasse, Mönchsberg elevator).
• Sun Jun 7 — Almbach Gorge walk + the Hans-Peter Porsche Traumwerk model museum.
• Mon Jun 8 — Königssee. Early boat to Salet, hike to the Obersee/Fischunkelalm, stop at St. Bartholomä on the way back.
• Tue Jun 9 — Cross into Austria: an alpine toboggan/summer-luge run, then toward Wolfgangsee. Option of the Schafberg cog railway or Hallstatt, with a swim/playground stop in St. Gilgen.
• Wed Jun 10 — Werfen ice caves (Eisriesenwelt) + optional Hohenwerfen castle.
• Thu Jun 11 — Drive to Ortisei via Innsbruck (Nordkette cable car or just a playground + lunch break). Check in.

Leg 2 — Val Gardena / Dolomites (6 nights, Ortisei, Jun 11–17)

• Fri Jun 12 — Seceda cableway up; hut-to-hut hike with lunch at a rifugio.
• Sat Jun 13 — Easy day: hotel pool/spa, Val d'Anna walk, town + playgrounds.
• Sun Jun 14 — Via ferrata (Gran/Small Cir) with a guide; easy afternoon.
• Mon Jun 15 — Easy hike on the Alpe di Siusi (Monte Piz / Monte Seuc loop) + hut lunch; spa or relax afternoon.
• Tue Jun 16 — Adolf Munkel Trail beneath the Geisler/Odle peaks.
• Wed Jun 17 — Scenic drive to Munich via Mittenwald (optional Leutascher Geisterklamm gorge walk + town/lunch). Check in.

Leg 3 — Munich (5 nights, Jun 17–22)

• Thu Jun 18 — Old town: Marienplatz, Viktualienmarkt, St. Peter's tower; Deutsches Museum (Kinderreich).
• Fri Jun 19 — Day trip: leaning Legoland Günzburg, alternatives are Nymphenburg + Hirschgarten or the English Garden.
• Sat Jun 20 — Hellabrunn Zoo with friends who live in the area.
• Sun Jun 21 — Allianz Arena tour + Sea Life / English Garden .
• Mon Jun 22 — AM flight home.

Thanks in advance for any feedback - first time doing a trip on this route, so all perspectives welcome.

Hey there! I'm finalizing the itinerary for my family's trip to Portugal for next month (June), with two adults and two kids (6 and 14). I've landed on the following loose itinerary:

* Lisbon for 4 days/5 nights (booked)
* Night in Obidos
* 2 nights in Evora
* 3 nights in Algarve
* Final night in Lisbon

We'll rent a car after Lisbon. Here are my questions:
* For Obidos, should we stay in the Pousada de Castelo with the kids? It looks amazing, but I can't tell if it's kid-friendly or, for that matter, safe for a 6 year old. If not, is there a better spot for a family?
* For the Algarve, I'm debating between Sagres, Tariva, and Salema, but open to other ideas. My husband will want some beginner-level surfing, and he and my oldest love to fish. I'm keen to explore the scenery and also a coastal village/town vibe. What would be good for a family like ours?

Thanks!

I'm traveling to Madrid for a few weeks in September, and figured I'd come to Italy early to do the Dolomites beforehand. I'm going to have a full suitcase with me because of the length of time, but am not sure what to do.

I don't want to pay for the hotel room in Madrid to leave my stuff there, just to bring a smaller bag to the Dolomites. It would save a lot of money to bring everything to the Dolomites THEN bring everything to Madrid, but I feel like it'd be annoying carrying that all around?

I'm also not sure how to do this Dolomites trip. All the rifugios are booked, which is expected, but all the Airbnbs are exorbitant lol.

It seems there's 2 "sides" to the Dolomites:
Side 1: the Ortisei/ Val Gardena / Val di Funes side and Side 2: the Misurina / Tre Cime / Cortina side.

So if it's only 2 airbnbs I have to book, then I don't think bringing all the luggage will be a big issue. But where's even the best areas for this? And how important is a car if I'm carrying lots of luggage?

I apologize if this is a repeat post, but after just returning from Norway, I want to remind travelers to avoid Dynamic Currency Conversion. Always choose the local currency to avoid unnecessary fees.

My family of 5 is getting on a European Sleeper train from Prague to Amsterdam in a few days, as well as 2 train rides from Amsterdam to Maastricht (overnight stay), then Maastricht to Paris in a few weeks.

We're in Europe for ~1 month so almost everyone has 1 large suitcase, 1 handcarry-sized suitcase, and a personal item (backpack or handbag). My grandparents are also carrying all their medicines, etc. Due to unexpected complications with moving out my old apartment, etc., our bags are heavier than planned, being right at the airline limits.

My grandma can't carry much except a few small personal items, and grandpa probably also shouldn't be lifting too much. So it's really just me, my uncle, and mom who can do the big grunt work of hauling up our luggage up the train steps (mostly my uncle if we're being honest).

I'm thinking of some assembly line system to efficiently get the bags in and stored, but I'm wondering if there are any other tips to help this process and be a little less annoying to everyone else onboard? E.g. Optimizing luggage storage/overhead compartment space? Are there safe bag shipping or check-in options? We're not staying at each place for long (exception of Paris: 6 days), so we really need to get our bags on time in Amsterdam and Maastricht. We have the larger rooms on the sleeper train, so hopefully that's enough storage, but a little worried about the daytime trains.

edit: to clarify, we’re already in Europe so cutting down on luggage isn‘t an option apart from shipping items back home which we might consider at this point. We’re already doing laundry, etc. a lot of what’s taking up weight/space are not necessarily clothes.