Read Europe as regions such as France, Italy, Spain, not as a pin.
Paris-Lyon-Provence is the spine.
Regions
- France — France is stop 1 in a Europe map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Italy — Italy is stop 2 in a Europe map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Spain — Spain is stop 3 in a Europe map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Portugal — Portugal is stop 4 in a Europe map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Greece — Greece is stop 5 in a Europe map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Switzerland — Switzerland is stop 6 in a Europe map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
Routes
- Paris-Lyon-Provence — Paris-Lyon-Provence — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Rome-Florence-Venice — Rome-Florence-Venice — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Madrid-Seville-Barcelona — Madrid-Seville-Barcelona — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Lisbon-Porto-Douro — Lisbon-Porto-Douro — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
Icons
- France — Why France photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Italy — Why Italy photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Spain — Why Spain photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Portugal — Why Portugal photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Greece — Why Greece photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
Pairings
- Slow pair — Pair France with Italy; drop a third stop before you add one.
- Weather pair — Do not force a wet coast and a dry highland into the same week.
- Honeymoon pair — Two city nights plus three quiet nights recover better than a trophy circuit.
Dropping the third city is usually a gain.
When to goPlacesHow to travelCultureCostHoneymoon notesToday