6 Weeks in Europe Travel Itinerary
+ Top Attractions (By Train)

Among Dublin's top attractions is the country's largest church, the 800 year old gothic St. Patrick's Cathedral. Nearby are several stunning medieval structures, including the Christ Church Cathedral and Dublin Castle. Adjacent to these historic structures is the popular Temple Bar District, which is known for its many pubs and thriving nightlife scene.

In Central Dublin you'll find the Irish Whiskey Museum offering tours and tastings, the incredible Trinity College Book of Kells Library with its famous Long Room, and the marvelous 17th century St. Stephen's Green, a beautiful tranquil park in the middle of the city. Nearby is the National Museum of Ireland Archaeology featuring many important artifacts and treasures, as well as the National Gallery of fine art.

The iconic Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland's most popular tourist attractions, featuring trails along the edges of these lush steep cliffs from which you can enjoy gorgeous views above the rugged coastline. Many tours to the CLiffs of Moher also include a stop in the picturesque seaside town of Galway, which is known for its vibrant green scenery and lovely historic buildings.

London is a massive urban metropolis with thousands of years of history and countless things to do. The city is also known for its extremely diverse cuisine offerings from around the world, which includes an amazing variety of street food as well.

You'll find many of London's most iconic sights in the Westminster neighborhood, including the Big Ben clock tower, the breathtaking Palace of Westminster, and the royal Buckingham Palace where you can witness the changing of the guard. Be sure to also visit the magnificent 900 year-old Westminster Abbey, which hosts the tombs of Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, and more. Just across the River Thames from Big Ben is the famous London Eye Ferris Wheel, which offers stunning views high above the city.

In the City of London neighborhood you'll find the famous riverfront Tower of London, a royal fortress and castle with an extensive 900 year-old history. Here you'll find many exhibitions and rooms to explore, including the priceless Crown Jewels collection.

Adjacent to the Tower of London is the iconic Tower Bridge, which hosts a transparent glass floor you can walk along suspended between the bridge's towers. This area also hosts the Leadenhall Market, which was used portrayed as Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films, as well as the colossal and extravagant St. Paul's Cathedral, which offers amazing views from the top. Just across the river is the tallest building in the European Union, the London Shard, which hosts incredible views over the city.

Note that it's possible to visit Stonehenge (along with Salisbury) via an inexpensive tour directly from London or Bath. Alternatively you might choose to visit the site via public transportation and include a few more sights along the way.

Salisbury is home to the impressive Salisbury Cathedral, which houses the best surviving copy of the Magna Carta document, a very important historical document. You'll also find a beautiful ornate cloister here, which is the largest in England. Salisbury also hosts the Salisbury Museum, displaying archaeological finds from Stonehenge.

Portugal's charming seaside capital is quite picturesque and offers an amazing cuisine. The Baixa neighborhood hosts several marvelous historic squares, including the vast waterfront Comercio Plaza surrounded by lavish buildings, as well as the Praca Luis de Camoes and Rossio Square. Baixa also hosts the stunning freso-covered Church of Sao Roque, and the mesmerizing ruins of the 14th century Carmo Convent.

You'll find several brilliant fairytale-like castles and palaces within the UNESCO listed Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, which is located in the forest-covered hills west of Lisbon.

The most popular and impressive palace within the park is the colorful and breathtaking Romanticist-style National Palace of Pena, which sits atop a mountain surrounded by vast lush gardens. This fantastical multi-colored palace looks like a giant fortified castle and features many intricate lavish rooms with historic furnishings, as well as a lovely cloister.

Barcelona is a massive city and the capital of Catalonia and is best known for its many wondrous and highly intricate structures designed by the famous Antoni Gaudi, which comprise many of Barcelona's top attractions. Be sure to make advanced reservations for Gaudi's most popular attractions, including La Sagrada Familia, Casa Battlo, Casa Mila (or La Pedrera) and Parc Guell.

The fairytale-like Casa Batllo is a highly eccentric building featuring many fantasy-like elements, with very trippy and colorful rooms. Nearby is Casa Mila (or La Pedrera), a tall building known for its fantastical spire-covered roof, which features winding walkways and terraces set amongst surreal architectural features.

La Sagrada Familia is a towering basilica that's nearly 560 feet (170 m) tall and has been under construction for nearly 140 years. The basilica's exterior showcases a hyper-complex mix of gothic and art nouveau architecture, with multiple giant towers. This basilica's interior is breathtakingly aesthetic, with vibrant rainbow-colored stained glass windows, and massive white columns that support highly intricate geometric flower-like patterns on the ceiling.

In the foothills of Barcelona is Gaudi's iconic Parc Guell, a fantasy-like park with many amazing and colorful unique structures, including the famous mosaic tile terrace overlooking Barcelona. The park also hosts oddities such as it gingerbread-like houses, Doric column rooms, and palm tree-like colonnaded footpaths.

The French capital of Paris is a massive city full of striking monuments, world-class museums, and lovely historic buildings. Paris also offers an amazing array of cuisines from around the world, especially from Southeast Asia. For several popular attractions it's necessary to book tickets in advance, including the Eiffel Tower's elevator, the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay Museums, and the Paris Catacombs.

The iconic Eiffel Tower is over 1,050 feet (320 m) tall, hosting observation decks from which you can enjoy incredible panoramic views over the city. Visit the Montparnasse Tower's observation deck for stunning views high above the city and of the Eiffel Tower. Enjoy picturesque views below the tower from the expansive Champ de Mars park and the beautiful Trocadero Gardens.

The magnificent Arc de Triomphe also hosts an observation deck towering above the famous Champs-Elysees, a grand avenue lined with high-end shops and boutiques. Just outside of Central Paris is the gorgeous and highly ornate Sacre-Couer basilica, which offers amazing views over the city.

Paris's Ile de la Cite island in the Seine River hosts the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, an elegant and highly elaborate medieval church. Also on the island is the ultra-lavish 13th century Sainte-Chapelle, a former royal chapel with breathtaking stained-glass windows. Adjacent is the castle-like Conciergerie, a medieval royal palace later used as a prison, which features Marie Antoinette's preserved prison cell on display.

In the area surrounding Paris you'll find several prominent attractions, including grand castle-like chateaus, Disneyland Paris, and the UNESCO-listed Chartes Cathedral. Among these attractions however, the most popular is the iconic Palace of Versailles, which is also the nearest to Paris and can be quite easily reached by car or public transportation.

Be sure to purchase tickets for the Palace of Versailles at least one week in advance as it is extremely popular and impossible to visit without an advanced reservation. The Palace of Versailles is truly massive, hosting many highly ornate decadent rooms, most notably the Royal Apartments and opulent Hall of Mirrors.

Surrounding Versailles is a seemingly endless expanse of landscaped gardens and parklands, which host many grandiose fountains, sculptures, several smaller lavish palaces, a towering artificial waterfall, and a gigantic man-made lake which you enjoy in a paddle boat.

The capital city of Belgium is known for its stunning architecture representing various time periods from the medieval era to the neoclassical and present. While in Brussels be sure to indulge in delicious Belgian waffles.

The UNESCO listed Grand Place Square is the city's most iconic sight and is considered to be one of the finest squares in Europe, surrounded by strikingly elaborate and opulent medieval buildings, many of which are embellished with gold. A bit northeast of Grand Place is the decadent Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert, an elegant 19th century arcade-style shopping mall. Nearby is the St. Michael & St. Gudula Cathedral, a marvelous gothic medieval church.

Just east of Grand Place is the Mont des Arts (Hill of Arts), a sloped urban complex built around a park and gardens which offers stunning views over the city. Nearby is the grandiose neoclassical Royal Palace of Brussels, an 18th century palace which you can tour in late Summer. The area around the Royal Palace also hosts the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Musical Instruments, and the beautiful Eglise Notre Dame du Sablon, a highly ornate gothic church.

Bruges is a stunning city with countless medieval structures, best enjoyed by walking around and exploring. The large city center is the historic medieval area of Bruges, consisting of many islands created by many winding canals and rivers.

A very popular activity in Bruges is to take a small boat ride along the medieval city's canals for a scenic sightseeing tour. Two of Bruges' most gorgeous canal viewpoints include the Brugge Fotoplaats Photo Point and the Wollestraat Bridge, which both overlook elegant medieval buildings along the canals, with the bridge offering picturesque views of the Church of Our Lady of Bruges.

Amsterdam is a stunning city consisting of countless lovely canals lined with many charming historic buildings. Most of the city's sights are concentrated around the city's center and the Museumplein square. The best ways to enjoy the city are to walk or bike around and enjoy the beautiful scenery and canals, and to also take a boat tour through the canals. Amsterdam is also the city of bikes, and many sightseeing tours via bike are available.

Just outside of Amsterdam are many amazing attractions which are easily reached via public transportation or car. Additionally, tours from Amsterdam are available which combine several of these popular attractions.

One of the most iconic sights of the Netherlands is Zaanse Schans, which hosts many historic windmills and houses along the Zans River, set amongst the idyllic Dutch countryside and many small canals.

The capital city of Germany is home to many great museums and monuments. Two great spots to view the Berlin Wall are at the Berlin Wall Memorial north of the city center and the longer East Side Gallery along the river east of the city center.

Berlin's other three most iconic attractions are all located next to each other, including the Reichstag Building which you can climb to the top of for excellent views, the grandiose Brandenburg Gate, and the massive Holocaust Memorial to the Jews of Europe, a very striking and unique monument.

Another very popular attraction is the Checkpoint Charlie preserved guardhouse, which sits on the former border between East and West Berlin. The massive Berliner Fernsehturm TV tower is an iconic symbol of Berlin which hosts a panoramic observation offering amazing views over the city.

Prague is a stunning Bohemian city and the capital of the Czech Republic, full of beautiful and historic Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque style buildings.

It's very scenic to walk amongst the many historical structures of Prague's Old Town, especially around the Old Town Square. This square hosts the famous medieval Prague Astronomical Clock, as well as the imposing 14th century gothic Church of Our Lady before Tyn and the lavish baroque St. Nicholas' Church. Be sure to climb to the top of the clock tower for fantastic views over the Old Town.

Near the Old Town Square you can tour the elegant baroque Klementium Library which is famous for its gorgeous and highly ornate interior. Other highly recommended attractions in Old Town Prague include the stunning Powder Tower (a massive medieval city gate), and the extravagant intricately decorated Spanish Synagogue.

Austria's capital of Vienna is a magnificent city which hosts many festivals and palaces. In the city center is the vast royal 13th century Hofburg Palace, which sits upon both the grandiose Heldenplatz (Heroes Square) and Michaelerplatz plaza.

The Hofburg Palace hosts the lavish Imperial Apartments, as well as the Imperial Treasury and the breathtaking Austrian National Library with its majestic grand hall. Also within the palace complex is the Albertina Museum, and adjacent to the palace you can tour the stately Vienna Operahouse.

Munich is the capital of Bavaria in Southern Germany, a city with many attractions including palaces and many museums. Try to visit Munich on Sunday as many museums offer free entrance or reduced prices, including the Glypothek, Pinakothek der Moderne, Alte Pinakothek, and Bavarian National Museum.

Most of the city's museums are concentrated just northwest of the historic center in the Kunstareal art district. The Alte Pinakothek contains art from the 14th-18th centuries, the Neue Pinakothek contains art from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the Pinakothek der Moderne is a modern and contemporary art museum.

Also in Kunstareal is the Egyptian Museum Munich, the Glypothek containing ancient Greek and Roman sculptures, the Lenbachhaus museum of contemporary art, and more. The latter two museums sit on the striking King's Square.

To the southeast of the historic center you'll find the Deutsches Museum, the largest science and technology museum in the world. Further out from the city center to the north are the incredible futuristic structures of the BMW Welt and BMW Museum showcasing many vehicles.

Southwest of Munich near the Austrian border you'll find the lovely town of Füssen and the village of Hohenschwangau, which hosts two magnificent castles that belonged to King Ludwig II of Bavaria. To reach Füssen you'll need to take 1 or 2 trains from Central Munich, which takes about 2 hours. It's highly recommended that you purchase your tickets for the castles ahead of time as they tend to be in very high demand, resulting in a long wait before being able to tour the castles.

Before visiting the castles you can enjoy the beautiful medieval center of Füssen, where you'll find the impressive Hohes Schloss Füssen, a castle you can admire from outside. Adjacent is the beautiful 9th century Benedictine Monastery of St. Mang, which is best viewed from just across the river. Also nearby along this river is the beautiful Lechfall Waterfall.

The picturesque city of Venice features stunning and rustic Venetian architecture set amongst countless canals and public squares. Be sure to wander the canals and streets while you're in Venice to enjoy the brilliant architecture of the magnificent city.

The wide Canal Grande winds through the city and is lined with many historic lovely structures. Only a few bridges span the Canal Grande, including the Scalzi Bridge near the train station, and the iconic Rialto Bridge, which leads to the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square).

Florence is the capital of Italy's Tuscany region and is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance. Within the city's historic center you'll find many rustic Renaissance-style buildings and plazas, the most popular square being the Piazza del Duomo. This square hosts the magnificent 13th century Duomo Cathedral, the Giotto's Bell Tower which you can climb for stunning views over the city, and the lavish and intricately decorated Baptistery of St. John.

The Museum of Opera houses all of the art works from the Duomo Cathedral including statues by Michelangelo. It's also possible to climb up to the cathedral's Brunelleschi Dome for more fantastic views.

The city of Pisa is a must-see quick stop for any trip to Italy, located west of Florence and southeast of Cinque Terre. Pisa's most popular attraction is the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa, an elegant and ornate bell tower which sits on the city's Piazza del Duomo, plaza adjacent to the gorgeous romanesque Pisa Cathedral.

The piazza also hosts the lovely medieval Pisa Baptistery, a striking round domed structure. Be sure to climb to the top of the Leaning Tower to enjoy amazing views over the piazza, cathedral, and sections of the medieval walls that surround the city. Other notable attractions in Pisa are located along the Arno River, including the Blu Palace and the Church of Santa Maria della Spina.

Italy's capital city is also known as the eternal city as it contains many well-preserved ancient structures alongside medieval, Renaissance, and modern buildings.

Rome's most famous sight is the ancient Roman Colosseum, a strikingly well-preserved amphitheater that's over 2,000 years old and quite large. Be sure to visit the Colosseum in the day, but also see the structure at night when it lights up. Adjacent to the Colosseum is the imposing Arch of Constantine, as well as the entrance to the massive Roman Forum area.

The Roman Forum contains countless ancient structures from different time periods including ancient temples, palaces, squares, government buildings, and much more spread out over a massive area. The entire Forum is incredibly stunning, and would take many hours to fully explore and enjoy.

Across from the Roman Forum are the ancient remains of the Trajan Forum and Trajan's Market which sit just below the streets with balconies providing views over the ruins. Both the Roman and Trajan Forum are open for night tours when the ancient structures are majestically lit up.

The ancient Roman city of Pompeii is definitely the most popular archaeological site around Naples, but definitely not the only one. This vast ancient Roman city was buried in ash nearly 2,000 years ago following the eruption of the nearby Mt. Vesuvius. As a result, many of the structures of ancient Pompeii have been quite well-preserved including theatre, stadiums, monuments, and countless houses and villas that you could explore for multiple days.

Nearby Pompeii are the very well-preserved ruins of Villa Oplontis, an elegant villa used by the wife of Emperor Nero.