You are planning a short trip to Europe, maybe for the first time, but not sure where to start? Or you want to combine multiple European countries for your next trip but don’t know how to plan it? Even if you are heading to Europe for the first time, this multi-country Europe travel itinerary is a simple travel guide to plan your trip to Europe.
In about 5 days, this Europe travel itinerary will take you through two beautiful popular cities – Amsterdam and Brussels. So, whether you are traveling solo or not, this guide is curated to help you make the most of your trip in just 5 days.
One of the best things about Europe is that it is a landlocked continent, so it’s easy and less daunting to visit more than one country in one trip.
But as simple as it may sound, planning a multi-country Europe itinerary is not for the weak.
IN THIS POST:
- 5 things to know before you visit Europe
- How many days is enough for a multi-country Europe itinerary?
- Best ways to travel for a multi-country Europe itinerary
- 5 day multi-country Europe itinerary
- Amsterdam
- Brussels
- Best European countries to combine for a Europe trip
- How long should you spend in each city or country?
- Tips for planning a multi-country Europe itinerary
5 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU VISIT EUROPE
- English is not the official language. To my fellow English speaking travelers, do not expect that every local you meet in a European country speaks English. So, while you are planning to eat croissants and tapas, remember to learn the notions of the language.
- Plan to change your currency. The official currency of Europe is Euro € but there are exceptions to few countries like Switzerland, Sweden, Poland, Norway, Denmark, etc. In simple words, your USD or CAD notes are irrelevant here.
- Check if you need a visa or a visa entry fee. A common issue with some foreign visitors to Europe is that they confuse a visa-free country with a visa-on-arrival country. Your travel document may give you access to visa-free countries but you could pay a visa entry fee when you arrive.
- Summer seasons are the busiest and hottest periods to visit. If you want to enjoy your trip and make the most out of it, consider traveling in spring (April to June) or early fall (September to October). Most major European cities, attractions and landmarks are crowded in the summer. And the heat wave will make you uncomfortable!
- The locals are your friends. A simple ‘Bonjour’ or ‘Guten tag’ to a local before starting a conversation could get you out of a fix. So, make sure to respect the locals and smile when asking for directions.
HOW MANY DAYS IS ENOUGH FOR A MULTI-COUNTRY EUROPE ITINERARY?
There is no standard amount of days needed for a multi-country Europe itinerary but your travel days will depend on:
- your budget for the trip,
- your itinerary for each country,
- and how many destinations you plan to visit per country.
- The distance between each country
Let’s say, in this context, you plan to start with two countries only. I would affirm that a five or six day trip is enough for a multi-destination trip in Europe.
My pro tip for a European multi-country itinerary is to spend more days in the bigger city and less in the smaller city, since the latter would have more attractions and activities than the former.
For example, if you are combining Netherlands and Belgium, it is better to spend 3 days in Brussels and about 2 days in Amsterdam. This way, you have more time to visit all major attractions in Brussels.
Further reading: Solo Travel 101: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling Alone
BEST WAYS TO TRAVEL FOR A MULTI-COUNTRY EUROPE ITINERARY
Before buses became a thing in 2022, there was Eurostar – a fast and convenient way to travel between countries since 1994.
The Eurostar was (and is still) the major train line that runs within major Western European countries: France, Belgium, the Netherland, Germany and Berlin. A Eurostar train from Paris to Brussels costs about €45 (depending on the season) for a 1 hour 30 minutes trip. Fast right?
Then in 2022, buses became a trend after the COVID-19 pandemic. In France, Blablacar Bus and Flixbus have been the major players for multi-country travels within Europe, especially Western Europe. A bus trip from Marseille St. Charles to Barcelona Nord station could cost about €31 – a steal for budget travelers like me.
From my personal experience, both companies are reliable and I recommend them if you plan to travel on a budget (like me).
Let’s not forget our airlines. Thanks to budget airlines like Ryan Air, EasyJet, Volotea and Vueiling, traveling within Europe has never been easier. If you book your flights early, you could get fares as low as €25 (with a 10kg carry-on).
5 DAY MULTI-COUNTRY EUROPE ITINERARY
AMSTERDAM
Travel Guide: A 2 Day Amsterdam Travel Guide and Itinerary
DAY 1
This is the day you arrive at the city.
But here’s my trick. To save time and make most of the day, I travel overnight and arrive at the city the next morning – Day 1. This way, you can check in or drop your luggage at your hotel and go explore the city in the day.
If you still have time after your arrival, find your way to the Amsterdam Central Station and make your way to the canal. There, take a 1 hour boat cruise through the Amstel canal and explore the colorful houses along the canal.
Look out for the ‘house with six heads’ (not human heads though). It’s a story of a maid who cut off the heads of the robbers who broke into her masters house with a bread knife and hung their heads in front of the house. Right now, the heads on display are the heads of six Roman gods – three males and three females.
After your boat cruise, you can grab an early dinner at the steak or pasta restaurants along the Damrak Avenue and explore the Dam Square later.
If you have time, take a quick tour of the Royal Palace Amsterdam (if they are open to the public) and window-shop at Kalverstraat.
DAY 2
For today, you will do a bit of walking. Remember, prioritize free and major attractions in the city and don’t stress about attractions that are too far from you.
After breakfast, start your day with a 5-minute train ride from Amsterdam Central Station to Zaandam and take in the picturesque architecture around you.
After about 1 hour in Zaandam, return to the Central Station and take the free ferry on the canal (right at the central station) to the NDSM Werf to see the graffiti paintings. When you are done seeing the graffiti, take another ferry or a bus from NDSM Werf to Adam Lookout. If you can, take the elevator to the rooftop and take a view of the city.
By afternoon, take a ferry back to Amsterdam Central Station and can find a tram to the Residence Flower Market to see the beautiful flowers and tulips. After your time at the market, find your way to Anne Frank Museum to read her diary.
When you are done reading her diary and exploring her hideout, find your way to the Tulips Museum to see the beautiful tulips. When you are done, explore the Jordaan area and walk along the canal.
If you feel up to it, wander through the Red-Light District in the evening.
DAY 3
For this day, you will visit the high spots of the city in the day and book a late afternoon train or bus ride to Brussels.
Rent a bike or take a tram to the Rijksmuseum. Explore the museum for about 30 minutes or an 1 hour and head to the Rijksmuseum Garden just beside it.
From the Rijksmuseum Garden, the Moco Museum is just ahead. It’s not so big, so a 30 – 45 minutes tour is enough.
Behind Moco Museum is the Van Gogh Museum. After spending time with Van Gogh, explore the beautiful Oud Zuid area and walk through Vondelpark.
By late afternoon, you are packed to continue to Brussels to continue your 5-day multi-country Europe itinerary.
Depending on your choice of transport, you can take a 2 hour train from Amsterdam Central to Gare du Midi, Brussels. For me, I took a 3 hours 45 minutes Blablacar Bus ride from Amsterdam Sloterdijk Station to Gare du Midi, Brussels for €9 (including road stops).
After you arrive at Brussels, you can have dinner at any restaurant of choice and retire for the night.
Travel Guide: A 2 Day Brussels Travel Guide and Itinerary
BRUSSELS
DAY 4
Before you hit the hot spots in the city, you must know that Belgium is a bilingual country. You will find street signs in French and Dutch so choose one language for your Google Map.
Here’s what you can do on the fourth day of your multi-country Europe itinerary in Brussels:
- Take a selfie with the Mannekin Pis
- A quick tour of the Grand Place
- Do some window Shopping at St. Huberts Gallery
- Barely 5 minutes away, you will find Mont des Art Garden. Explore the garden and don’t forget to take some pictures.
- Take a tram to The Atomium and if you have the time, take the elevator to the top.
- Visit the miniature European monuments at Little Europe.
- If you are nerd or curious about science, make a quick stop at The Planetarium
- Make a quick stop at the Delirium Cafe and relax with a glass of beer.
- Grab a late lunch at a French Fries shop, and a chocolate bar to munch on your way.
DAY 5
Today, you’ll continue exploring the city and we’ll start from:
- The beautiful St Mary’s Royal Church. Please ensure that the church is open to the public on the days you plan to visit.
- Barely 2 minutes from the church, take a walk through the Botanical Garden (Jardin Botanique)
- About 10 minutes walk from the garden, you will find the St Micheal and St Gudula Cathedral and get lost in it.
- Visit Our Lady at Sablon and explore the Gothic architecture inside it.
- When you are done with the church, cross over to the Egmont Park and Palace and explore the greenery.
- Visit the Royal Museum of Fine Arts and join the choirs at St Jacques Coudenburg Cathedral
- Barely 2 minutes from the cathedral and behind it is the Brussels Palace (Palais de Bruxelles). Don’t forget to explore the gardens behind the palace.
- Right opposite the palace, you can stroll through the Brussels Park (Parc de Bruxelles).
- Find your way to the Cinquantenaire Park and grab a waffle while you explore the park.
You may not have time to see the Comic Trails or stroll around the Midi area of Brussels, but this itinerary will get you through the popular attractions in no time.
By evening of Day 5, you should be packing up and ready to head back your home country by morning.
BEST COUNTRIES TO COMBINE FOR A MULTI-COUNTRY EUROPE ITINERARY
To strike a balance in your adventure, I recommend combining a busier vibrant city with a calm cultural city. Combining two busy popular cities at a time can be overwhelming and less thrilling too. A mix of flair and culture should be the aim of your trip.
Countries and cities that you can combine for multi-country Europe itinerary are:
- Amsterdam and Brussels
- Luxembourg and Brussels
- France and Monaco
- France (Marseille) and Barcelona
- Amsterdam and Berlin
- Vienna and Prague
- Budapest and Croatia
- France and Switzerland
- Albania and Greece
- Spain and Portugal
and the list goes on. To get the most out of your trip, make sure you balance big cities with cultural cities.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU SPEND IN EACH COUNTRY OR CITY
For me, it all depends on your budget and your length of stay.
For example, find out how many attractions, activities and experiences that are available in each city. Then, rank them according to the most popular or must-see attractions. This way, you prioritize the main attractions within a short time.
A 2 day visit to Brussels is enough to see the major attractions but Paris will require about 3 – 5 days of visit to cover just the major attractions.
You also need to consider your budget for this trip. Your budget covers your length of stay in each city, accommodations, travel arrangements between each country, and how much you plan to spend in each city.
If you are thinking of day trips in each country, it will require an additional day to your budget.
Don’t forget to pace yourself. Feel the city, watch the people, eat and enjoy their food, and avoid rushing through countries or cities so you won’t exhaust yourself.
TIPS FOR PLANNING A MULTI-COUNTRY EUROPE ITINERARY
Before you book your flight, consider if you want to fly straight to the farthest destination on your itinerary and leave from the nearest destination to your home country or fly from your home country to your first destination, and then the second destination.
But remember the Schengen visa rule: you must arrive at the country or destination of your visa and leave from that same country.
That is, if your Schengen visa is issued by France, you have to arrive in France, visit other countries on your list, and travel back to your home country from France.
Continue reading: 47+ Travel Hacks and Tips for A Perfect Trip
To get the most out of your European adventure, here are few tips you must consider before planning a multi-country Europe itinerary:
- Do not arrive at your destination at night. it is unsafe and not recommended because you don’t know the city by heart.
- Plan your itinerary by clusters. For example, combine countries in Western Europe and combine countries in Eastern Europe.
- Start with the busier or popular city. Busier or popular cities give off the thrill that you need at the beginning of your vacation. Then visit the calmer less popular countries later.
- Plan your travel route and transport in advance.
- Consider day trip if you plan to spend more time in the country. For example, while in Amsterdam, you can plan day trips to The Hague or Rotterdam.
- Don’t overpack. European cities are known for their steep landscapes, so hurling a big luggage through a slope or stairs will not be convenient for you.
- Don’t saturate your Europe travel itinerary with activities. While your aim is to hit the city’s hotspots quickly, you also need to pace yourself and observe the city and it’s locals.
- Set a realistic budget. Forget what travel influencers are showing you on social media and stick to what fits your budget. If you can only afford a hostel at the moment, book it!
- In the topic of budgeting, consider staying in hostels. If you travel solo like me, lodging in a hostel is a great way to meet and mingle with other travelers.
- Remember to change your currency. Euro is the official currency in most European countries and your USD notes will not be accepted here. If possible, get an EU debit card from an online bank to avoid paying high exchange fees.
- Plan for a local sim. Thanks to virtual e-sim or sim providers, you can travel through Europe and stay connected with your friends and family back home.
- Don’t forget your insurance. While we boast of free healthcare in Europe, it is important to remember that your insurance may not cover you in Europe. So, get a simple travel insurance to cover you during your multi-country itinerary.
- Don’t look too flashy or roam around like an ignorant tourist. If you don’t want to attract pickpockets, ditch the berets or wear casual comfortable clothing and leave your prized jewelries at home.
- Save your money. I understand that some French skincare products are cheaper in Europe than in the USA. When you get to a French pharmacy, don’t succumb to the skincare hype. Buy only what you need and save your money incase of emergencies.
- Document your adventure and make memories. If you don’t have a digital camera, your phone is more than enough. Take notes of the cities you visited, take photos of the attractions, create videos and collate them into a travel folder or album so you can re-visit them anytime.
CONCLUSION
Remember, the goal here is to make the most out of your visit and have a great travel experience while traveling through Europe.
Traveling to multiple cities across Europe is an thrilling adventure—you’ll get to see and feel new cultures, eat amazing food, and see some cool awesome places.
Planning a multi-country country Europe itinerary sounds stressful already, but it’s actually exciting when you break it down. Pick the cities that you love, figure out how to get around, set a budget and document your memories. Stay organized, pack smart, and go with the flow of the city—you’re in for the trip of a lifetime.
Picture a scoop of gelato in Rome, Prague’s cobblestone streets, canal rides in Amsterdam, or the hourly glittering lights at the Eiffel Tower. If if sounds good to you, then make it happen!
I hope that this itinerary will be your complete guide of what you can do in Europe and countries you can combine for a multi-country Europe vacation in 5 days.
I have more adventures for you to read on the blog!
Happy Travels!
