If you ask us , the best way to travel Europe is by land. You can slow down to soak up the atmosphere and really get to know the places you are visiting. But this also means you need a bit more than a week or two to check out the continent.

This article focuses on taking it slow for 6 weeks, exploring the cities and countries by train, bus or rental car. When it comes to accommodation, we prefer guest houses and budget hotels.

5 days in London

I assume you will fly into London, as it’s one of the best hubs for travel to Europe. This makes London your first stop on this itinerary and five days gives you quite enough time to check out the main sights.

You may start with the free things to do which will easily eat up a couple of days. British Museum is a must-see place. We spent about half a day here and we only saw the exhibitions we were interested in. And if you like museums, there are plenty which are free to visit: Natural History Museum, Science Museum, National Gallery , Tate Modern, Tate Britain , Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of London, Horniman Museum , Museum of London Docklands and Royal Air Force Museum.

On another day, you can watch the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and then stroll through the parks. I liked Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park a lot. Needless to say, you have to take a photo with Big Ben and walk on Tower Bridge.

Budget permitting, you can either consider seeing the city from above – London Eye or the Shard – or taking a day trip to Stonehenge, for example. If you like Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon is another good idea for a day trip.

Accommodation in London costs from 85 USD a night if you book about 1 month in advance.

I really like Bayswater because it has quick access to two tube stations and is within walking distance of Hyde Park, but there are other great options, too.

London to Paris by train or bus

Eurostar offers quite a lot of train connections per day between the two capitals. Prices start at 130 USD one way but it depends a lot on when you plan to travel and how far in advance you check the prices. Bus tickets start at 30 USD one way.

It takes 2 ½ h to get to Paris by train and about 10 hours by bus. So the choice is between a fast way to travel and taking it slow. You may choose the overnight bus so you are speared spending more on accommodation.

3 days in Paris

Three days are enough to check out the main sights and get a taste of what Paris is about. Make sure to include The Eiffel Tower in your itinerary, whether you opt to view the city from above or just take a selfie with the landmark. The Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, and the Pantheon should not be missed either. Plan for a day to visit museums, with Louvre being the highlight. Budget permitting, include a river cruise and some wine tasting.

Accommodation in Paris starts at 76 USD a night if you book 1 month in advance. Staying close to a metro stop is always a good idea and in this case, some sights are also within walking distance.

Paris to Amsterdam by train or bus

Thalys (high-speed train) offers several connections a day, with two of them being non-stop. Prices start at 110 USD but they depend on when you travel and how far in advance you check the prices.

Bus prices start at 35 USD one way.

The train takes 3 ½ h whereas the bus takes 8 ½ h to connect the two capitals. Again, you can opt for an overnight bus , thus saving on accommodation.

2 days in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a compact city and you can easily check out the main sites during two days. Explore Leidesplein – the English Square – and then take a stroll in Vondelpark. Don’t forget the many museums, including the famous Van Gogh Museum, Rembrandt House Museum, and Anne Frank House. Budget and time permitting, you may take a sightseeing cruise.

Accommodation in Amsterdam costs from 265 USD a night if you book 1 month in advance. But you will within easy reach of the sites.

Amsterdam to Frankfurt by train or bus

Bahn.de is the site you need to check out for the trains connections going to/from Germany. There are a lot of non-stop options and prices start at 45 USD one way.

Bus tickets start at 15 USD.

The train takes 4 hours, whereas the bus takes 6 ½ h but it’s an overnight bus, so you will save on accommodation.

2 days in Frankfurt

Start your stay in Frankfurt with exploring Romerberg, the center of the Old Town. Take a walk to the Iron Bridge and don’t forget to take a selfie here. Check out St. Paul’s Church and Bartholomew’s Cathedral. There are also many museums to explore, including Goethe’s house. Head to Main Tower for amazing views of the city.

Budget and time permitting, you may want to check the superb Palmergarten, one of the largest botanical gardens in Germany. And if you still have time, the Zoo can be a fun way to end your stay here.

Accommodation in Frankfurt costs from 47 USD a night if you book 1 month in advance.

Frankfurt to Prague by train or bus

Train tickets start at 60 USD one way, whereas bus tickets cost from 16 USD. You can also take a combo of bus and train, depending on how long you want to spend in transit.

3 days in Prague

Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, The Old Town Square and Tyn Church are all very well known among travelers and require your attention…and selfies. Don’t forget to check out the Jewish Quarter and the Cemetery, as well as Wenceslas Square.

If you choose to visit Prague before Christmas, you must allow a day to check out its Christmas Markets.

Accommodation in Prague starts at 43 USD a night if you book 1 month in advance.

Prague to Bratislava by train or bus

There are trains operating this route but they are regular ones, not high speed. And they start at 10 USD one way. Bus tickets also start at 29 USD (yes, you read that right!)

Both trains and buses take 4 hours so you may just go with the cheapest option.

2 days in Bratislava

Bratislava is super compact and easy to tackle. Start with the free things to do which will keep you busy for a while. Walk through the Old Town, check out the Danube Promenade and you must see the lovely Blue Church.

Bratislava Castle is nice to visit, as well. But if you have time, you want to take a day trip to Devin Castle. During winter you cannot take the cruise on the Danube, though, but there are buses available.

Accommodation in Bratislava starts at 47 USD a night if you book 1 month in advance.

Bratislava to Budapest by train or bus

There are trains between the two capitals and you have options to choose various departure hours. Train tickets start at 10 USD one way, whereas bus tickets cost from 18 USD one way.

The train takes 2 h 42 m whereas the bus takes 3h 45m to connect the two capitals. If you can grab a good price for the bus, you may as well choose that.

There used to be boats between the two cities, but nowadays they seem to connect only to Vienna.

5 days in Budapest

Budapest is a large city and offers a lot of things to do. Start with the free ones , of course. If you travel during winter, the Fishermen Bastion is free to visit! You must check out Heroes Square and the City Park, as well as stroll along the Danube and explore Buda Castle. For some more lovely views, go up on Citadella.

If you love to walk as much as we do, you can try these walking tours which we have done in Budapest. Plan to spend half a day (or more) exploring Szentendre, the lovely village near-by, famous for its art galleries…and martipan museum.

If you visit the city during summer, check out the Roman ruins of Acquincum; any time, the Transport Museum is worth exploring.

Time permitting, you can take a day trip to Eger and check out this charming city.

Accommodation in Budapest costs from 38 USD a night if you book 1 month in advance. You’d want to stay close to Vaci utca or Rackozi ut.

Budapest to Vienna by train, bus or boat

There are both trains and buses to easily travel between the two capitals. Train tickets start at 5 USD one way, whereas bus tickets start at 21 USD one way.

The train takes 2h 40 min, whereas the bus takes 3 hours. Not much of a difference but you can save money by taking the bus.

4 days in Vienna

Vienna is a large city to explore, but the city center is compact and easy to tackle. You can with exploring the Ring Strasse , as this is a free thing to do. The Schonbrunn gardens are also free to check out and you can climb all the way to the Gloriette.

Budget permitting , you can check out the many museums, including the Technology Museum and the zoo. If the weather is decent, head up to Danube Tower for some interesting views of the city.

Some itinerary ideas for 3 days in Vienna can be found here and if you visit during winter, you should check out the Christmas Markets .

Accommodation in Vienna starts around 42 USD a night if you book 1 month in advance.

Vienna to Zagreb by train

There is a regular train, non-stop, connecting Austria’s capital to Croatia’s capital. The ride is almost 7 hours and prices start at 55 USD one way.

Bus tickets start at 17 USD and it only takes about 4.5 hours to travel between the two cities.

3 days in Zagreb with day trip to Plitvice Lakes

Start exploring Zagreb with the Upper and Lower Towns. The Upper Town is the Medieval part of the city with its beautiful and interesting buildings. Don’t miss the Old Town Gate and checking out the churches and the cathedral.

You can easily spend a day checking out the museums, including (the weird) Museum of the Broken Relationships. On a serious note, don’t miss the Archaeological Museum.

And since you are in the area, make sure to add a day trip to Plitvice Lakes to your trip. The area is superb and you get to hike on the trails and see the amazing lakes.

Accommodation in Zagreb, starts at 21 USD per night if you book 1 month in advance but it does depend on the area you are staying in.

Zagreb to Venice by train or bus

There aren’t any direct trains between the two cities, but with connection the journey takes little over 8h. Train tickets start at 50 USD one way. Direct bus tickets start at 68 USD one way.

3 days in Venice with a day trip to Murano and Burano

Venice is not a large city and can be easily explored in two days. You should take a vaporetto to see the city from the water. Make sure to check out Doge’s Palace, the Bell tower at st. Mark’s and the clock tower.

Allow for a day to take a trip to Murano, Burano and Torcello. These are beautiful and totally different than Venice. But , just as Venice, they are very popular with tourists.

And although it may get crowded and expensive, the Carnival in Venice is one of the best festivals to attend in Italy.

Accommodation in Venice costs from 139 USD per night if you book 1 month in advance.

Venice to Bari by train

Tren Italia runs many connections between the two cities. There are several departures hours available and the ride is 7h 12 min and prices start at 60 USD one way.

Buses cover the same distance in about 15.5 hours and the prices start at 131 USD one way.

3 days in Bari with day trip to Alberobello

Bari is super compact and easy to tackle, especially if you choose to stay close to the train station. The Old Town is interesting but also quite confusing. Don’t worry, at one point you’ll find your way out of it. The new town center spans from the train station towards the Old Town and is a mix of shops, restaurants, and places to eat gelato.

While here you should take a day trip to Alberobello . The bus (or train) ride take quite a bit so you will lose 4 hours in transit but the superb trullis are worth your time.

Accommodation in Bari starts at 57 USD per night if you book 1 month in advance.

Bari to Rome by train or bus

Tren Italia offers connections between Bari and Italy’s capital city. The travel time is about 4 hours and prices start at 30 USD one way. Bus tickets start at 18 USD one way and the travel time is 5.5 hours.

2 days in Rome

Rome is an incredible city and you can easily spend two days just exploring it and focusing on the free things to do. Budget permitting, include the Forum and the Colosseum in your itinerary. There is a combined ticket and you can check the sites out on two different days.

Accommodation in Rome starts at 75 USD per night if you book a month in advance.

Important note: before planning your trip around Europe, check your visa entry requirements. European Union nationals can travel visa-free between these destinations.

Do you like this itinerary and want to personalize it to fit your needs? Drop me a note. I can help.

Nota bene: The prices are via Rome2Rio. The article includes links which are considered affiliates. Booking through them may earn me a small commission.
The accommodation prices are valid at the time this article was updated and may change without notice.
The post was last updated in March 2023.