How many countries, really?How many countries, really?

Every first Europe itinerary starts with the same temptation. Paris, Switzerland, Rome, Amsterdam, Prague, all in ten days.

On a map it looks possible. On the ground it isn't a holiday, it's a transfer schedule. Our advice is simple: for a first trip of 10 to 16 nights, choose two or three countries and give each of them time.

Why fewer countries makes a better trip

Every time you change cities you lose part of a day. You check out, travel, find the new hotel and check in. Allow roughly half a day each time you change hotels. That's our planning assumption, and it varies with distance.

Run it on a ten-night trip across five cities. That's four moves, so about two days go on getting around. A fifth of the trip. With two cities you lose one day, and the other nine are spent in the places you flew to see.

There's a second cost. Rushed trips are tiring, and the people who suffer first are the ones who walk slowest: grandparents, small children, anyone carrying a day's worth of shopping. A plan that works for the slowest walker works for everyone.

A rule we plan around: stay at least two or three nights in each place you sleep. Anything shorter and you're mostly packing.

How many countries for how many nights

These are guides, not laws. A long train-friendly route can carry more than a route that needs flights between each stop.

Four routes that work

1. The Western classic: Paris and London. Paris and London are joined by the Eurostar, about two hours. Amsterdam or Bruges fit easily on either side. This is where most first trips begin. Note the visa: London needs its own UK visa, separate from the Schengen visa for Paris and the Low Countries. Two applications, two timelines.

2. The Alpine route: Switzerland, Austria, Bavaria, Prague. Switzerland's mountain passes, Austria's lakeside villages, Bavaria's castles and Prague's skyline are four countries on one Schengen visa. Pick two or three. Flying into one city and home from another (an open-jaw route) saves you backtracking.

3. Eastern Europe for value: Budapest, Kraków, Dubrovnik. This is the route for travellers who want more for the money and a trip that feels like discovery. These cities are far apart, so choose two as anchors and plan the flights between them, rather than trying to see all three.

4. Scandinavia: Norway, Iceland, Copenhagen, Stockholm. This part of Europe asks for the most restraint. Never more than two or three of the five. If Norway's fjords are the point of the trip, build the trip around them and don't squeeze them into a day excursion.

The visa catch

Almost every country in this guide is in the Schengen area, so one Schengen visa covers the whole route. Two things to plan around:

• The UK is separate. A London stop adds a second visa application.
• Your longest stay decides the consulate. For a multi-country Schengen trip you apply to the country where you spend the most nights. That means the nights you give each country affect where your visa appointment is. Our Schengen visa guide explains the rule.

When to go

• April to June: Gardens and terraces at their best, alpine meadows in flower, long evenings. Our most recommended window.
• July to September: The warmest and clearest weather, and the only realistic window for Nordic midnight sun. It's also the busiest, so for Indian school holidays book months ahead.
• November to December: Cold, often grey, with Christmas markets from mid-November. Hotel rates fall sharply.

Three questions to settle before you pick

1. How many nights do you genuinely have? Count nights on the ground, not the days on the ticket.
2. Who is walking? The pace of the slowest traveller sets the pace of the trip.
3. What would you regret missing? Name one or two things. Build the route around them and let the rest go.

If you're stuck on the third one, that's what a first conversation with a consultant is for.

Want a route built for you?

We plan Europe as one journey, not a list of cities. One named consultant chooses the countries with you, shapes the route and handles the visa and tickets. Tell us your dates, or see our Europe destination page.