Your First Trip to Europe: Paris, Florence, Rome & Barcelona

  1. Lock your dates, party and budget
    10 min
    Lock the frame first

    This trip works because it does four cities well instead of eight in a blur: Paris (4 nights), Florence (3), Rome (5), Barcelona (3) — about 15 nights plus two travel days. Trains link Paris to Italy; one short flight hops Italy to Spain. Book in this order over about 6 evenings: flights, trains, stays, timed entries, then pack.

    • Pace rule: one big sight per day plus one neighbourhood walk. Two big sights in a day burns the next day.
    • Budget rule: mid-range hotels plus one good meal a day. Write the ceiling now and judge every booking against it.
    • Who this fits: US passport holders comfortable booking online, walking 6–8 miles on sight days, and carrying their own bags onto trains.

    Route at a glance

    • Days 1–4 Paris → Day 5 train to Florence → Days 5–7 Florence → Day 7 train to Rome → Days 8–11 Rome → Day 12 fly to Barcelona → Days 12–14 Barcelona → Day 15 fly home.

    To do

    • Arrival and return dates with a morning landing at CDG preferred. This is what every booking reads back.

    • Adults, children and any mobility limits. Stops assume stairs, cobbles and station walks.

    • One figure for the whole party covering flights, trains, stays, tickets, food and city taxes. Later steps compare spend against «Total budget».

    • If anyone needs a slower pace or a rest day, agree now which day you will drop (Day 10 baroque walk or Day 11 Trastevere bend easiest).

    To note down

    Your arrival and departure dates

    How many travelers

    Total trip budget in USD