https://mad-traveller.com/tags/europe/ Recent content in Europe on Mad Traveller Hugo -- gohugo.io en Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/hungary-2-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/hungary-2-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Two days in Hungary means two days in Budapest, full stop, and anyone pitching you a Lake Balaton or Eger side trip on top of that is selling you a rushed afternoon that does neither place justice. Hungary is in the EU and the Schengen zone, but it still runs on the forint (HUF), not the euro, so ignore any price quoted in euros. ETIAS travel authorization isn’t required yet either, it’s still pending and now expected closer to 2027, so a passport gets you in for now. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/hungary-3-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/hungary-3-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Three days in Hungary means two days in Budapest done properly, not four, and one real day beyond the city rather than a rushed loop chasing five towns. Hungary is in the EU and Schengen, but everything is still priced in the forint (HUF), not the euro, so think in thousands of forint, not tens of euros. ETIAS is not yet live (expected around 2027, check travel-europe.europa.eu/etias before you fly), and the US State Department rates the country Level 1, its safest tier. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/hungary-4-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/hungary-4-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Four days in Hungary means two days doing Budapest properly, a full day out at the Danube Bend, and a full day trip to Eger for the wine cellars, not another half-day bolted onto the city center. Hungary is in the EU and Schengen zone but still runs on the forint (HUF), not the euro, and ETIAS travel authorization isn’t live yet, expected closer to 2027. The US State Department rates the country Level 1, its safest tier. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/hungary-5-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/hungary-5-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Five days in Hungary is enough to stop treating it as “Budapest plus some spare time” and actually leave the city, which is the whole point of a whole-country itinerary. Two days cover Budapest properly, day 3 goes to the Danube Bend, and days 4 and 5 split between Eger’s wine cellars and a taste of Lake Balaton. Everything here is priced in forint (HUF), not euros. Hungary is in the EU and Schengen, but it never adopted the euro and has no target date to, so any site quoting you in euros is guessing. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/hungary-6-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/hungary-6-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Six days in Hungary is enough to actually earn the word “loop”: two days in Budapest, a Danube Bend day, an overnight in Eger for the wine cellars, a night at Lake Balaton, and a last night in Pecs, the Mediterranean-feeling south nobody adds to a rushed trip. Everything below prices in forint (HUF), not euros; Hungary is in the EU and Schengen but never adopted the euro and has set no date to. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/hungary-7-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/hungary-7-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Seven days is a full week, and a full week in Hungary should mean an actual loop, not seven days of side trips radiating out from the same hotel. This route spends two days in Budapest, then heads north to the Danube Bend, northeast to Eger’s wine cellars, and south to Lake Balaton and Pecs before circling back. It’s priced in forint (HUF); Hungary is in the EU and Schengen, but it never adopted the euro. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/romania-2-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/romania-2-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Two days in Romania is two days in Bucharest, full stop. Anyone selling you a two-day loop that also fits Bran Castle, Brasov and a mountain road is selling a rushed, expensive mess: Romania is a large, regionally varied country, and Transylvania alone deserves its own multi-day trip, not a rearview-mirror glimpse from a moving car. What a weekend gets you honestly is the capital: the Palace of the Parliament, the Old Town, Revolution Square and the Village Museum, at a fraction of what a rushed Transylvania add-on would cost. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/romania-3-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/romania-3-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Three days in Romania buys two full days in Bucharest and one long day up the Prahova Valley. It does not buy Transylvania. Anyone promising Bucharest, Brasov, Sighisoara, Sibiu and the Saxon villages in 72 hours is selling a route you will see through a car window at speed. This itinerary keeps Bucharest honest across two full days, then spends day three on one deliberate taste of Transylvania: Peles Castle, Bran Castle and Brasov. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/romania-4-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/romania-4-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Four days in Romania is Bucharest plus one real slice of Transylvania, not a greatest-hits tour of the whole country. Anyone promising Bucharest, Bran, Peles, Sighisoara, the painted monasteries and the Danube Delta in ninety-six hours is selling a rushed, overpriced mess. Romania is a large, regionally varied EU country priced in the Romanian leu (RON), not euros, and now a full Schengen member, so there are no routine border checks crossing in from other Schengen states. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/romania-5-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/romania-5-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Five days is enough to do Transylvania properly: one day in Bucharest, then a loop through Brasov, Bran, Peles Castle, Sighisoara and Sibiu, with a car handling the driving between them. It is still only Transylvania, and this route says so upfront instead of pretending five days also covers Bukovina’s painted monasteries or the Danube Delta. The 2 day itinerary and 3 day itinerary stay closer to Bucharest with a single Transylvania taste; the 4 day itinerary runs a shorter version of this same loop. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/romania-6-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/romania-6-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Six days in Romania buys real depth in Transylvania plus one honest step beyond it, not a loop through every region the country has. Romania is a large, regionally varied EU country priced in the Romanian leu (RON), not euros, and since land borders joined Schengen on 1 January 2025 it is now a full Schengen member, so there are no routine checks crossing in from other Schengen states. What six days actually covers, done properly: Bucharest, a Brasov base for Bran and Peles castles, Sighisoara’s genuine Vlad the Impaler connection, Sibiu’s old town, and Bukovina’s painted monasteries as the one region added on top. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/romania-7-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/romania-7-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Seven days is Romania’s sweet spot, and it is still not enough to see the country. This route spends five days doing Transylvania properly, the same spine as the 5-day itinerary, then adds two more for Bukovina’s painted monasteries, one of the best regional add-ons Romania has. That covers Bucharest, Brasov, Bran, Peles Castle, Sighisoara and Sibiu, plus Voronet and its neighbors, which is two regions out of the five or six Romania actually splits into. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/united-kingdom-2-day-itinerary-no-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/united-kingdom-2-day-itinerary-no-traps/?v=1 Two days in the UK means London, full stop. The country is four nations, England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and London is the capital of all of it, but 48 hours doesn’t stretch to Edinburgh or the Cotswolds without turning half your trip into a train transfer. The real traps here aren’t the sights, they’re the overpriced chain cafes ringing Leicester Square and the tourist tat shops lining Oxford Street. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/united-kingdom-3-day-itinerary-no-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/united-kingdom-3-day-itinerary-no-traps/?v=1 The United Kingdom is four nations, not one, but three days only gets you to London, and that is the correct call, not a compromise. This itinerary spends two full days on London’s actual icons, then trades day three for a single train trip out of the city rather than an ambitious sprint to Edinburgh you do not have time for. Bring a passport and book your ETA before you fly, budget in pounds sterling (never euros), tap a contactless card on the Tube, pack a rain layer regardless of the forecast, and expect London to be expensive and, pickpockets aside, very safe. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/united-kingdom-4-day-itinerary-no-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/united-kingdom-4-day-itinerary-no-traps/?v=1 Four days is enough for exactly two bases, not three: two days in London for the icons, then a train north for two more in Edinburgh. That is the honest shape of this trip, and trying to squeeze in Bath or York on top of it turns a good four-day plan into a rushed one. The United Kingdom is four nations, England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and London is only the capital of one of them; Edinburgh is Scotland’s own capital, with its own castle and its own identity, not a regional England outpost. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/united-kingdom-5-day-itinerary-no-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/united-kingdom-5-day-itinerary-no-traps/?v=1 The United Kingdom is four nations, not one, and five days is enough to see two of them properly if you resist the urge to sprint across all four. This itinerary spends three days on London’s actual icons plus one train day trip, then rides the LNER line north for two days in Edinburgh, Scotland’s own capital, rather than England’s. Bring a passport and book your ETA before you fly, budget in pounds sterling (never euros), tap a contactless card for transport, pack a rain layer regardless of the forecast, book your London-Edinburgh train in advance, and expect the whole trip to be expensive and, pickpockets aside, very safe. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/united-kingdom-6-day-itinerary-no-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/united-kingdom-6-day-itinerary-no-traps/?v=1 Six days properly links London and Edinburgh by train, with a sixth day left over to push further north into Scotland rather than home. This itinerary spends three days on London’s icons plus one train day trip, two days in Edinburgh, Scotland’s own capital, and a sixth day on a guided run into the Highlands for Glencoe and Loch Ness. Bring a passport and book your ETA before you fly, budget in pounds sterling (never euros), tap contactless everywhere, pack a rain layer regardless of the forecast, book the long train legs and the Highlands tour in advance, and expect the whole trip to be expensive and, pickpockets aside, very safe. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/united-kingdom-7-day-itinerary-no-traps/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/united-kingdom-7-day-itinerary-no-traps/?v=1 Seven days is enough to actually feel the United Kingdom’s four nations rather than watch London stand in for all of them: three days in the capital, two more riding the LNER line north into Edinburgh, Scotland’s own capital, then two further days pushing into the Highlands before a long train ride home. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are four distinct nations sharing one government, and nobody in Edinburgh or Glencoe is English, so don’t let a stale itinerary tell you otherwise. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/vatican-city-2-day-itinerary/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/vatican-city-2-day-itinerary/?v=1 Two days billed as a “Vatican City itinerary” is really one day at the Vatican and one day in Rome, and any plan that pretends otherwise is padding. The country is 44 hectares, smaller than most city parks, and you reach it by walking in from Rome: no border, no visa beyond ordinary Schengen rules, and nowhere to sleep inside the walls. St Peter’s Basilica is free but dress coded and queued; the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are paid, timed, and worth booking before you land. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/vatican-city-3-day-itinerary/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/vatican-city-3-day-itinerary/?v=1 Three days billed as a Vatican City itinerary sounds generous until you remember the country is 44 hectares, smaller than most city parks: the whole place is genuinely a half-day-to-one-day visit on its own terms. The honest use of three days here is one day inside the walls and two days across the river in Rome. You reach the Vatican by walking in from Rome, no border, no visa beyond ordinary Schengen rules, and nowhere to sleep inside; St Peter’s Basilica is free but dress coded and queued, while the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are paid, timed, and worth booking before you land. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/vatican-city-4-day-itinerary/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/vatican-city-4-day-itinerary/?v=1 Four days billed as a “Vatican City itinerary” is mostly a Rome itinerary with the Vatican as its anchor, and any plan that pretends otherwise is padding. The country is 44 hectares, smaller than most city parks, and you reach it by walking in from Rome: no border, no visa beyond ordinary Schengen rules, and nowhere to sleep inside the walls. St Peter’s is free but dress coded and queued; the Museums and Sistine Chapel are paid, timed, and worth booking before you land. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/vatican-city-5-day-itinerary/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/vatican-city-5-day-itinerary/?v=1 Five days billed as a “Vatican City itinerary” is still mostly a Rome itinerary, just with more room to go deeper once the Vatican itself is done. The country is 44 hectares, smaller than most city parks, and you reach it by walking in from Rome: no border, no visa beyond ordinary Schengen rules, and nowhere to sleep inside the walls. St Peter’s is free but dress coded and queued; the Museums and Sistine Chapel are paid, timed, and worth booking before you land. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/vatican-city-6-day-itinerary/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/vatican-city-6-day-itinerary/?v=1 Six days billed as a Vatican City itinerary is a Rome trip that happens to start at Vatican City, and the sooner you make peace with that the better this week goes. The country is 44 hectares, smaller than most city parks, genuinely a half-day-to-one-day visit on its own terms, so the other five days here are unavoidably Rome. You reach the Vatican by walking in from Rome itself, no border, no visa beyond ordinary Schengen rules, and nowhere to sleep inside the walls; St Peter’s Basilica is free but dress coded and queued, while the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are paid, timed, and worth booking before you land. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/vatican-city-7-day-itinerary/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/vatican-city-7-day-itinerary/?v=1 Seven days billed as a Vatican City itinerary is, honestly, a week in Rome that happens to start at the Vatican, and the sooner that’s clear the better this week goes. The country itself is 44 hectares, smaller than most city parks, genuinely a half-day-to-one-day visit on its own terms, so the other six days are unavoidably Rome. You reach the Vatican by walking in from Rome, no border, no visa beyond ordinary Schengen rules, and nowhere to sleep inside the walls; St Peter’s Basilica is free but dress coded and queued, while the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are paid, timed, and worth booking before you land. https://mad-traveller.com/posts/vatican-city-7-things-worth-doing/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/posts/vatican-city-7-things-worth-doing/?v=1 Vatican City is the smallest country on earth, forty-four hectares you simply walk into from Rome: no border, no passport check, no hotel to book inside its walls, because none exist. St Peter’s Basilica is free, but the dress code, shoulders and knees covered, no exceptions, turns visitors away in shorts and vests every single day. The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are paid and timed; book that slot before you book the flight, not after you land. https://mad-traveller.com/famous-places/vatican-city-visit-it-without-the-crowds/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/famous-places/vatican-city-visit-it-without-the-crowds/?v=1 Vatican City is the only country on Earth whose entire territory is a single UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1984 under the official name “Vatican City.” That’s not a landmark sitting inside a country, it’s the whole 44-hectare state, wall to wall. You reach it by walking in from Rome: no border, no passport check, and no hotel to book inside its walls because none exist. St Peter’s Basilica, the centerpiece of the listing, is free to enter but dress-code checked at the security line; the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are paid, timed, and worth booking before you land. https://mad-traveller.com/locations/vatican-city-worth-it-an-honest-look/?v=1 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/locations/vatican-city-worth-it-an-honest-look/?v=1 Yes, Vatican City is worth it, but not for the reasons the brochures lead with. You walk in from Rome, no border, no passport check, no hotel to book inside because none exist. St Peter’s Basilica costs nothing but demands a dress code, shoulders and knees covered, checked at the security line before you get near the doors. The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are paid, timed, and book ahead or you queue for hours. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/belgium-2-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/belgium-2-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Two days in Belgium is Brussels plus exactly one Flemish city, and the contrarian pick is Ghent over Bruges: comparable canal-and-guildhall scenery, a real working city around it instead of a costume, and prices that do not spike the moment a coach unloads. The euro runs the whole trip, the train to Ghent takes about thirty minutes, and no car is needed. This is the compressed spine behind the 3-day version , which adds Bruges back in as the actual fork the extra day buys; go far enough and the 7-day version forks again, toward the Ardennes or Ypres. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/belgium-3-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/belgium-3-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Belgium runs on euros, frites, and a train network good enough to make the old see-Brussels-and-guess approach look lazy. Three days is enough to do Brussels properly and add both Bruges and Ghent, the country’s two signature medieval set pieces, without the whiplash: Brussels to Bruges and Bruges to Ghent are each under an hour by rail. The honest verdict up front: Ghent is the better value stop of the two, cheaper, calmer, and just as photogenic, while Bruges earns its reputation for a single focused day, ideally with an overnight so you see it after the tour buses clear out. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/belgium-4-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/belgium-4-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Four days in Belgium works best as one Brussels base with three day trips out to Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp, not four different hotel check-ins. Bruges earns its single day, but Ghent is the better value call if a choice ever comes down to it, and Antwerp gets its own full day for the fashion and diamonds, not more canals. Need less time? Our 3-day itinerary drops Antwerp. Want more? The 7-day version adds the Ardennes or Ypres, though never both on the same trip. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/belgium-5-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/belgium-5-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Five days is enough to run the whole classic Flemish loop from a single Brussels base: Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven, all connected by SNCB trains that top out around an hour. The verdict doesn’t change from the shorter versions: Ghent beats Bruges on value and crowds, though Bruges still earns its overnight; Antwerp gets a full day because it has its own identity, not a rushed afternoon tacked onto Ghent; and Leuven, home to KU Leuven and the birthplace of Stella Artois, is the fifth city most five-day itineraries skip. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/belgium-6-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/belgium-6-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Six days is the classic Flemish loop plus one extra day: Brussels, an overnight in Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven, then a single fork day south into the Ardennes rather than a rushed repeat of a city you’ve already seen. Every leg runs on SNCB trains topping out around ninety minutes, so no car is needed until that last day, and even then only if you push past Namur and Dinant into the deeper hills. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/belgium-7-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/belgium-7-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Seven days is the point where Belgium stops being a Brussels weekend with day trips and becomes the whole country: Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, and Leuven, all reachable by direct train in under an hour, then a real fork for the last two days instead of squeezing both onto one. Pay in euros everywhere; there’s no separate franc to think about. Ghent is the better value city and the one worth basing extra nights around, but Bruges still earns its single day. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/portugal-2-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/portugal-2-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Two days in Portugal is not a Portugal trip, it’s a Lisbon trip, and pretending otherwise wastes what little time you have. You’re paying in euros, CP’s trains handle the rest of the country once you add Porto or the Algarve on a longer visit, and Lisbon’s own overtourism crush means booking Belem’s tickets ahead matters even on a two-day trip. Spring and autumn are calmer than a packed summer weekend. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/portugal-3-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/portugal-3-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Three days is two days in Lisbon plus the one day Sintra actually deserves. You’re paying in euros, CP’s trains handle every leg here, and Pena Palace now runs on a mandatory timed ticket, book it and aim for spring or autumn if your dates are flexible, since summer slots vanish days ahead. Lisbon’s overtourism crush is real too: crowded trams, a nightly tourist tax, worth booking around regardless of season. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/portugal-4-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/portugal-4-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Four days adds Porto to the Lisbon-and-Sintra trip above, a genuine second city rather than a rushed day trip bolted onto the end. Euros throughout, and CP’s Alfa Pendular covers Lisbon to Porto in 2h35 to 3h15, book it ahead in summer when both the train and Sintra’s tickets get tight. Lisbon’s overtourism crush is real (crowded trams, a nightly tourist tax); Porto is calmer for now. Our 3-day skips Porto if that’s genuinely all the time you have; 5-day through 7-day add the Douro and the Algarve. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/portugal-5-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/portugal-5-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Five days is the Lisbon-Sintra-Porto trip above plus the Douro Valley, port lodges included, without yet stretching south to the Algarve. Euros throughout, CP’s Alfa Pendular runs Lisbon to Porto in 2h35 to 3h15, and spring or autumn beats a hot, packed summer for all of it. Lisbon’s overtourism crush (crowded trams, a nightly tourist tax) is worth knowing about before you book. Our 4-day stops at Porto if that’s enough; 6-day and 7-day push on to the Algarve. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/portugal-6-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/portugal-6-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Six days runs Lisbon, Sintra, Porto, and the Douro, then south to one honest day in the Algarve, the shortest version of the full loop actually worth attempting. Euros throughout, CP’s Alfa Pendular covers Lisbon-Porto in 2h35 to 3h15, and the Algarve leg means a rental car on the now toll-free A22. Summer packs the Algarve’s coast solid; spring or autumn is calmer everywhere. Our 5-day stays north of Lisbon and Porto; 7-day gives the Algarve a second day instead of rushing it. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/portugal-7-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/portugal-7-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Seven days is genuinely the minimum for the full Lisbon-Porto-Algarve loop without rushing any one region, and this is that version. Euros throughout, CP’s Alfa Pendular covers Lisbon-Porto in 2h35 to 3h15, and a rental car takes over for the Douro and the now toll-free A22 into the Algarve. Summer means a packed, expensive Algarve coast; spring or autumn is the calmer trade. Our 6-day itinerary compresses the Algarve into a single day if a week is too long; this is the version that doesn’t. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/austria-2-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 23:30:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/austria-2-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Two days buys you Vienna, not Austria, and every generic itinerary that also crams in a Salzburg day trip is setting you up badly: that is five hours of OBB Railjet for maybe three hours in a city that deserves an overnight. Austria runs on the euro and its cities connect by excellent OBB rail, but this plan never leaves Vienna, so there is no vignette to buy and no train to book. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/austria-3-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 23:30:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/austria-3-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Three days is Vienna plus one real day trip, not Vienna plus a rushed Salzburg blitz. Austria runs on the euro and OBB Railjet connects its cities well, but a Salzburg round trip alone eats five of your remaining twenty-four hours; the Wachau valley, closer and cheaper, pays off better. Go April to May or October for mild weather and thinner crowds. Only have two days? Drop the Wachau and see our 2-day version ; a fourth day free, our 4-day plan adds a Salzburg overnight on top of this same spine. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/austria-4-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 23:30:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/austria-4-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Four days is our 3-day plan plus one night in Salzburg instead of returning to Vienna. Austria runs on the euro, and the OBB Railjet covers Vienna to Salzburg in roughly 2 hours 22 minutes; skip renting a car for this leg entirely, since a vignette and Salzburg parking cost more than the train and solve a problem you do not have. Go April to May or October for the mildest weather. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/austria-5-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 23:30:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/austria-5-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Five days is our 4-day plan plus a second Salzburg night, which buys you a genuine Salzkammergut lakes day instead of a rushed one. Austria runs on the euro, OBB Railjet covers the Vienna-Salzburg leg in roughly 2 hours 22 minutes, and you will not touch a motorway or a vignette anywhere on this route. Go April to May or October for thinner crowds; Hallstatt specifically is worse in July and August than this itinerary lets on. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/austria-6-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 23:30:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/austria-6-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Six days is our 5-day plan plus Innsbruck and the Alps instead of a rushed trip home from Salzburg. Austria runs on the euro, and this whole loop, Vienna to the Wachau to Salzburg to Innsbruck, connects entirely by OBB Railjet; you never need a car or a motorway vignette unless you specifically want to drive the seasonal Grossglockner High Alpine Road, which this itinerary does not attempt. Go April to May or October for the mildest weather and the thinnest Hallstatt crowds. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/austria-7-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 23:30:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/austria-7-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Seven days is our 6-day plan plus a real second day in Innsbruck instead of squeezing the Alps into a single afternoon. Austria runs on the euro, and this loop, Vienna to the Wachau to Salzburg to Innsbruck, connects entirely by OBB Railjet with no motorway vignette required, unless you specifically want to drive the seasonal Grossglockner High Alpine Road, which carries its own separate toll and is not part of this rail-based route. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/germany-2-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/germany-2-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Two days in Germany is really one city, and the honest pick is Berlin: the Brandenburg Gate, a Reichstag dome that’s free but not a walk-up, and the real Wall instead of a rebuilt border post. Germany runs on the euro and Deutsche Bahn’s ICE network. Want more of the country? See the 4-day itinerary or the 7-day loop . Berlin is Germany’s capital, not Frankfurt and not Munich; Bonn only held that title for West Germany, from 1949 to 1990. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/germany-3-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/germany-3-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Three days covers Berlin properly and adds Dresden as a day trip by ICE, about 2 hours each way. That’s eastern Germany, not the whole country; Munich, Neuschwanstein and the Rhine still need their own trip. Germany runs on the euro and Deutsche Bahn’s ICE network. See the 2-day version or add days with the 5-day itinerary . Berlin is the capital, not Frankfurt or Munich; Bonn was only ever West Germany’s provisional capital, 1949 to 1990. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/germany-4-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/germany-4-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Four days gets you Berlin, a Dresden day trip, and Munich by ICE Sprinter, about 3 hours 53 minutes, which is genuinely two regions of Germany rather than one city stretched thin. Neuschwanstein and the Rhine still don’t fit. Compare the 3-day and 6-day versions of this same route. Germany runs on the euro, and Deutsche Bahn’s ICE network is what actually gets you between these cities, not the Deutschland-Ticket. May to September is the easiest weather window; landing in Munich in late September brushes up against Oktoberfest, which is worth planning around rather than stumbling into. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/germany-5-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/germany-5-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Five days adds Neuschwanstein, Bavaria’s 19th-century fantasy castle, as a day trip from Munich, on top of Berlin, Dresden and the ICE Sprinter between them. That’s the two-region trip plus its best single sight, still without the Rhine or the Romantic Road. See the 4-day or 7-day versions. Germany runs on the euro, and Deutsche Bahn’s ICE network carries the whole route; the Deutschland-Ticket does not. May to September is the easiest weather window; book Neuschwanstein before anything else once dates are set, since it is the one reservation on this trip that genuinely sells out. https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/germany-6-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://mad-traveller.com/itinary/germany-6-day-itinerary-no-tourist-traps/?v=1 Six days adds the Romantic Road and Rothenburg ob der Tauber’s free town wall to Berlin, Dresden, Munich and Neuschwanstein, reached by train and bus, no rental car required. It’s most of the country’s greatest hits in one loop, minus the Rhine. Compare the 5-day and 7-day versions. Germany runs on the euro, and Deutsche Bahn’s regional and ICE network carries the entire loop; the Deutschland-Ticket only covers the regional legs.