When
Jun 24–Jul 12
Europe, four countries,
nineteen days.
Late June into mid-July 2023 — Paris to Milan to Venice to Rome to Florence, then north through Cinque Terre and Lake Como, across the Alps via the Bernina Express, into the Swiss alpine villages of Wengen and Zermatt, and out via Zurich and Vienna. A grand circuit — culture-heavy in the south, mountain-heavy in the north.
01 / France
Paris — two days, classic.
Jun 24 → 26 · Eiffel · Louvre · Versailles option · onward to Milan
Stay
IHG Paris (Night 1) · Residence Inn CDG (Night 2)
Central Paris first night, airport hotel before early flight to Milan.
~$200/night
Day 01
Jun 24
Saturday
EWR → Paris.
- Overnight flight EWR → CDG, arrive midday Sunday
- Hotel check-in mid-afternoon, snack, recover from jet lag
- Eiffel Tower at 8:30 PM — golden hour shots, sparkle at 10 PM
- Late dinner near Champ de Mars
Day 02
Jun 25
Sunday
Louvre, sunset Eiffel, transfer to CDG.
- Louvre — pre-book 3 PM entry slot to skip the line
- Optional: Musée d'Orsay if energy permits (closer than it looks)
- Late afternoon dinner near Île de la Cité
- Transfer to Residence Inn at CDG for early Milan flight
Versailles is doable as a half-day add-on if you arrive earlier — RER C from central Paris, ~45 min each way.
02 / Italy (south)
Milan, Venice, Rome, Florence.
Jun 26 → Jul 3 · Duomo · gondola · Colosseum · David · seven days end-to-end
Stay
Milan (Expedia) · Venice (direct) · Rome (direct) · Florence (Booking.com)
Mix of bookings — Expedia for Milan, direct hotels in Venice and Rome, Booking.com for Florence (centro).
~$180/night avg
Day 03
Jun 26
Monday
Paris → Milan, then to Venice.
- Morning flight CDG → LIN, arrive ~10 AM
- Drop bags, head to Milan Duomo — climb the terrace for rooftop views
- Quick lunch in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
- Afternoon train Milan → Venice (~2.5 hrs)
- Evening: settle in, walk to nearby canal for dinner
Day 04
Jun 27
Tuesday
Venice — gondola, Doge's Palace, Murano-Burano.
- Early morning: Rialto Bridge before crowds, St. Mark's Cathedral
- Doge's Palace tour
- Afternoon vaporetto to Murano (glass) and Burano (colored houses)
- Sunset gondola ride at 5:30 PM (book via Viator)
- Late evening train Venice → Rome (~3.5 hrs)
Day 05
Jun 28
Wednesday
Rome — Colosseum, Palatine, Trevi.
- Spanish Steps morning walk
- Trevi Fountain (early to beat crowds, photos)
- Palatine Hill + Roman Forum (combined ticket with Colosseum)
- Colosseum — 5:55 PM entry (gold hour, fewer crowds)
- Dinner near Piazza Navona
Day 06
Jun 29
Thursday
Vatican, Sistine, Florence at night.
- Pasta-making class at Piazza Navona — 11 AM
- Pantheon walkthrough
- Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel — 4:30 PM entry
- St. Peter's Basilica — 4:30 PM (after Sistine)
- Dinner, then late train Rome → Florence (~1.5 hrs)
Day 07
Jun 30
Friday
Florence — Duomo, David, Uffizi.
- Duomo climb — 8:15 AM time slot (small group, fewer crowds)
- Baptistry of San Giovanni
- Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio
- Accademia — David, 1:30 PM entry
- Uffizi Gallery — 4 PM (closes 6:30 PM)
- Steak dinner — Trattoria Mario or Trattoria dall'Oste, 6:30 PM
- Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
David ticket times (1:30 PM Accademia) and Duomo climb (8:15 AM) need to be locked weeks in advance.
Day 08
Jul 1
Saturday
Florence II — market, breathing day, Pisa.
- Mercato Centrale morning — sandwiches, leather, food
- Ponte Vecchio shops, second museum if energy holds
- Optional: train to Pisa (1 hr each way) for tower + Miracles Square
- Evening train Florence → La Spezia (~2 hrs)
- Check in, dinner near the harbor
03 / Italy (north)
Cinque Terre, Lake Como, Bernina Express.
Jul 2 → 5 · five villages by sea · ferry to Bellagio · scenic train to Switzerland
Stay
La Spezia / Monterosso (Airbnb) · Bellano (Airbnb) · Tirano (Eco Rooms)
Coastal Airbnb for Cinque Terre, lakefront Airbnb for Como, simple direct booking in Tirano.
~$150/night avg
Day 09
Jul 2
Sunday
Cinque Terre — five villages by train.
- Cinque Terre rail pass — unlimited hop-on-hop-off between the villages
- Riomaggiore → Manarola (sunset shot here is the postcard)
- Corniglia (the cliff-top one, 380 stairs up)
- Vernazza — best for swimming, harbor
- Monterosso — sandiest beach, evening drinks
- Sunset at Riomaggiore from the rocks
The full coastal hike (Sentiero Azzurro) is partially closed most years — check before committing. Train + boat is more reliable.
Day 10
Jul 3
Monday
La Spezia → Lake Como, ferry to Bellagio.
- Morning train La Spezia → Milan → Varenna (~4 hrs total)
- Ferry from Varenna to Bellagio (~15 min)
- Walk Bellagio's stepped streets, Punta Spartivento
- Ferry to Menaggio for dinner across the water
- Return ferry to Bellano for the night
Day 11
Jul 4
Tuesday
Bellano → Tirano, gateway to the Alps.
- Morning ferry to Varenna for a final lake walk
- Train Varenna → Tirano (regional, ~2 hrs)
- Check in, easy evening — Tirano is small
- Get rest before the early Bernina Express tomorrow
Day 12
Jul 5
Wednesday
Bernina Express — into Switzerland.
- Bernina Express 8 AM departure Tirano → Chur (~4 hrs of glaciers and viaducts)
- Reserve panoramic seats well ahead — they sell out
- Chur → Lucerne (~2 hrs, regular train)
- Quick Lucerne walk: Chapel Bridge, lake promenade
- Train Lucerne → Interlaken (~2 hrs through the Brünig Pass)
- Boat from Brienz to Interlaken if timed right (~1 hr scenic)
- Train up to Wengen — overnight, alpine village base
Long travel day on paper, but each leg is a scenic showcase. Eurail Global Pass covers most; Bernina Express has a mandatory seat reservation fee on top.
04 / Switzerland
Wengen, Zermatt, Zurich.
Jul 5 → 10 · Jungfrau region hikes · Matterhorn from Gornergrat · Glacier Express
Stay
Wengen (2 nights, Booking.com) · Zermatt (2 nights, Capital One) · Zurich (IHG)
Wengen for Jungfrau access, Zermatt for the Matterhorn, Zurich as final Swiss base before flying.
~$220/night avg
Day 13
Jul 6
Thursday
Wengen — Männlichen, Grindelwald hike.
- Cable car Wengen → Männlichen (top station, panoramic ridge)
- Männlichen → Kleine Scheidegg ridge hike (1.5 hrs, mostly downhill, easy)
- Train back to Wengen, or continue to Grindelwald
- Lauterbrunnen valley — waterfall walk if energy holds
- Dinner in Wengen
Day 14
Jul 7
Friday
Grindelwald First + Schilthorn option.
- Cable car to Grindelwald First — Cliff Walk, First Flyer if booked
- Bachalpsee hike (2-3 hrs round trip, alpine lake reflecting the Eiger)
- Alternative: Schilthorn (Piz Gloria) for Bond views
- Evening: relax in Wengen, prep for early Zermatt transfer
Day 15
Jul 8
Saturday
Wengen → Zermatt, Glacier Paradise.
- Morning trains Wengen → Spiez → Visp → Zermatt (~3 hrs, scenic)
- Drop bags, head up Klein Matterhorn (Glacier Paradise) for afternoon
- Highest cable car station in Europe — glacier palace, panorama deck
- Sunset back in Zermatt village, dinner
Day 16
Jul 9
Sunday
Gornergrat sunrise, Glacier Express.
- Gornergrat Bahn — early train up for clearest Matterhorn views
- Hike Gornergrat → Riffelberg → Riffelalp (downhill, lake reflections)
- Glacier Express Zermatt → Zurich — 8 hours, the world's slowest express, panoramic windows
- Evening arrival Zurich, dinner near the lake
Glacier Express needs seat reservations (~$50 supplement on top of Eurail). Worth every cent for the route.
Day 17
Jul 10
Monday
Zurich — Lindt, lake, then to Vienna.
- Morning at Lindt Home of Chocolate (Kilchberg, 15 min by tram + ferry)
- Old town walk: Niederdorf, Grossmünster, Bahnhofstrasse
- Lake Zurich boat tour (1 hr)
- Evening flight Zurich → Vienna
05 / Austria
Vienna — two days, imperial.
Jul 10 → 12 · Schönbrunn · Belvedere · Stephansdom · Naschmarkt
Stay
IHG Vienna
Central Vienna, walking distance to Stephansplatz and the Ringstrasse.
~$170/night
Day 18
Jul 11
Tuesday
Vienna — Schönbrunn, Belvedere, Stephansdom.
- Schönbrunn Palace and gardens — morning, before crowds
- Belvedere — Klimt's "The Kiss"
- St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) — climb the south tower
- Naschmarkt for late lunch
- Café Central or Café Sacher for the classic Sachertorte
- Evening walk along the Ringstrasse
Day 19
Jul 12
Wednesday
Fly home.
Last walk through the Innere Stadt, coffee at Café Hawelka, transfer to VIE airport for the flight back to EWR.
06 / Logistics
Transport & tickets.
Most of this trip ran on rail. Eurail Global Pass covered the bulk; a handful of supplements (Bernina, Glacier Express) and city-specific passes filled the gaps. Book the timed entries (David, Duomo, Sistine, Last Supper if added) the day reservations open.
| Item | When to book | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eurail Global Pass | 2–3 months out | 10-day flexi covered most of it |
| Bernina Express | 1 month out | ~$25 seat reservation supplement, panoramic car |
| Glacier Express | 1 month out | ~$50 reservation, 8-hour scenic, panoramic car |
| David / Accademia | 3–4 weeks out | Specific time slot, 1:30 PM is sweet spot |
| Duomo Florence climb | 3–4 weeks out | 8:15 AM slot, small groups |
| Vatican / Sistine | 1 month out | 4:30 PM combined ticket avoids morning crowds |
| Colosseum | 2 weeks out | Combined with Forum + Palatine, 5:55 PM gold hour |
| Pasta-making class Rome | 2 weeks out | Piazza Navona, 11 AM, ~3 hours |
| Sunset gondola Venice | 1 week out | Viator, 5:30 PM, shared boat |
07 / Lessons
What I'd change.
Honest notes after 19 days — what worked, what I'd reroute, what surprised me.
Pacing
One night in Milan was the right call.
The Duomo and Galleria are stunning, but Milan is more of a transit and shopping city than a destination. One day, terrace climb, train onward — perfect ratio.
Add
Three nights in Rome, not two.
Rome packs in more than you can metabolize in two days. The Vatican alone deserves half a day clean. Three nights would have let me fit Trastevere properly without sprinting.
Skip
Pisa is a 30-minute photo stop, not a destination.
Lean tower, miracles square, done. Don't build a day around it. Treat it as a stretch on the way between Florence and the coast if convenient — otherwise skip entirely.
Best of trip
Bernina Express was the trip's surprise highlight.
Better than Glacier Express, honestly. Tirano → St. Moritz → Chur, four hours of glaciers, viaducts, and pasture. The Brusio circular viaduct alone is worth the ticket.
Stay
Wengen beats Lauterbrunnen as a base.
Car-free village, alpine quiet, instant access to Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg. Lauterbrunnen has the famous waterfalls but is busier and lower; Wengen is the better sleep spot.
Tickets
Book reservations as a system.
David, Duomo climb, Sistine, Glacier Express — all on the same day reservations open. Make a single block on your calendar 90 days out and knock them out in one sitting. The hardest are the timed ones (David, Duomo).