27 countries · 24 languages · one border-free journey
Board a night train in Lisbon and wake up closer to Helsinki. One visa policy, one currency across most of it, and a lifetime of places in between.
The greatest hits
Eight cities that earn their reputations. Start here, then let the night trains take you further.
Italy · Veneto
A city built on water where every wrong turn is the right one. Skip the gondola queue at San Marco; take a traghetto across the Grand Canal for pocket change.
Don't miss, St Mark's Basilica, Rialto at dawn, the islands of Murano & Burano · Heads up, day-trip access fee (€5–10) applies on peak spring/summer dates
Italy · Lazio
Twenty-seven centuries stacked on top of each other, still serving dinner at midnight. Every piazza hides a Caravaggio or a fountain worth the detour.
Don't miss, Colosseum, Pantheon, Vatican Museums, Trastevere after dark
France · Île-de-France
The world's most visited city, and somehow still underrated. The museums are the headline; the neighborhoods, markets, and bakeries are the story.
Don't miss, The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Montmartre, a picnic along the Seine
Spain · Comunidad de Madrid
Europe's late-night capital: world-class art by day, tapas crawls that start at ten. The Prado, Reina Sofía, and Thyssen sit within one golden mile.
Don't miss, The Prado, Retiro Park, Mercado de San Miguel, Sunday's El Rastro market
Spain · Catalonia
Gaudí's fever-dream architecture, a beach at the end of the metro line, and dinners that refuse to start before nine.
Don't miss, Sagrada Família, Park Güell, the Gothic Quarter, La Boqueria
Netherlands · North Holland
Seventeenth-century canals, world-class museums, and a city best explored on two wheels, everyone else does.
Don't miss, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House (book far ahead), the Jordaan
Czechia · Bohemia
A fairy-tale skyline that survived the twentieth century intact. Cross Charles Bridge at sunrise and you'll have it nearly to yourself.
Don't miss, Prague Castle, Old Town Square's astronomical clock, a proper Czech pilsner
Greece · Cyclades
White villages balanced on a volcanic caldera, and the sunset that launched a million photos. Come in shoulder season and it's even better.
Don't miss, Oia at sunset, the caldera hike from Fira, Akrotiri's Bronze Age ruins
Now boarding
Ten places to point yourself first. Tap a row for the full city guide, story, weather, costs, and what's on.
Four compass points
The EU isn't one trip, it's dozens. Pick a direction and build from there.
Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Croatia. Ancient ruins, olive groves, island ferries, and dinners that start when the sun goes down.
France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Austria, Germany. Museums, vineyards, alpine rail lines, and cities you can cross by bike.
Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. Midnight sun, saunas, design capitals, and archipelagos measured in the thousands.
Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia. Castles, thermal baths, dramatic history, and some of Europe's best value.
Paperwork, minimized
Travelers from many countries (including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia) can visit the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Others need a Schengen visa, check what your passport needs before booking.
The EU is rolling out new border systems: the Entry/Exit System (EES) registers non-EU travelers at the border, and ETIAS, a small pre-travel authorization for visa-free visitors, is being phased in. Requirements are changing, so verify what applies to your trip on the EU's official travel pages.
Twenty-one EU countries use the euro (Bulgaria joined in 2026). Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Czechia, Hungary, and Romania keep their own currencies. Cards are accepted nearly everywhere; carry a little cash for markets and small towns. See our currency cheat sheet for live rates.
High-speed rail links most major cities, night trains are back in a big way, and budget airlines cover the gaps. A Eurail/Interrail pass can pay off if you're covering lots of ground.
One emergency number, 112, works in every EU country, free, from any phone. EU consumer and passenger-rights rules also protect you on delayed flights and trains.
Within the EU, mobile plans from an EU country roam at no extra cost. Visiting from elsewhere? An EU eSIM bought for one country works across all of them.
Venice charges day-trippers an access fee on about 60 peak dates (April–July): €5 if booked 4+ days ahead, €10 last-minute, for visitors 14+, applied 8:30am–4pm in the historic center. Overnight guests are exempt but must register for a QR code. Many other cities (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome) add a per-night tourist tax to your hotel bill instead.
Non-EU residents can often reclaim VAT (sales tax) on larger purchases when leaving the EU. Ask shops for tax-free forms and allow extra time at the airport for customs stamps.
Outlets run 230V with round two-pin plugs (types C/E/F) in most of the EU, pack an adapter. Tap water is safe to drink almost everywhere, tipping is modest (round up or ~5–10%), and pickpockets favor the same landmarks you do, so keep phones and wallets zipped.
Entry rules change. Always confirm current requirements on travel-europe.europa.eu before you fly.
Timing the trip
Mar – May
Tulips in the Netherlands, Easter in the south, mild cities before the crowds. The sweet spot for sightseeing.
Jun – Aug
Peak everything: beaches, festivals, midnight sun up north. Book ahead and expect company in the famous places.
Sep – Oct
Wine harvests, warm seas that linger in the Mediterranean, golden light, and shoulder-season prices.
Nov – Feb
Christmas markets from Strasbourg to Tallinn, Alpine skiing, and museums nearly to yourself.
Wish you were here
Beyond the greatest hits. Twenty-seven countries deep, the EU keeps handing you reasons to stay another week.
Marble streets inside medieval walls, and the sea in every direction.
A medieval city preserved in amber, with chocolate shops.
Baroque domes, a hilltop fortress, and the Alps on the horizon.
Europe's biggest medieval square, and its best-value city break.
Seven hills, yellow trams, and sunsets that earn the climb.
Harbour swims, world-class dinners, and bikes outnumbering cars.
Orange blossoms, flamenco, and tapas at midnight, Spain at full volume.
A pocket-sized capital with a dragon on its bridge and Bled up the road.
Every photo is a real place in the planner below
Night trains & fast lines
The continent's great luxury is falling asleep in one capital and waking up in another. A simplified look at the main corridors, hover any line for the route and rough journey time, or click one to load it straight into the trip planner below.
Simplified for clarity, this isn't the full network, and lines are drawn point-to-point rather than along the tracks. Book directly with the operators:
Your route, drafted
Tell us the shape of your trip and we'll sketch a day-by-day route across the EU, cities, travel legs, and what to do in each place.
Start with one city. The rest of the continent is a train ride away.
Plan your route