Our First Time in

EuropeA Journey Together

30 April โ€” 16 May 2026
17Days
6Countries
13Cities
โˆžMemories
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โœˆ๏ธ Our Flights

From Hanoi to Europe and back

Departure
HanoiParis
Date29 Apr 2026 (Tue)
Departure11:30 PM โ€” Hanoi
Arrival7:00 AM โ€” Paris (30 Apr)
Duration~11 hours โ€” overnight โœˆ๏ธ๐Ÿ˜ด
Return
MilanHanoi
Date16 May 2026 (Sat)
Departure12:00 PM โ€” Milan
NoteCheck out hotel early ๐Ÿงณ

๐Ÿ—“ Day-by-Day Itinerary

17 magical days across Europe

Day1
April 30Wednesday
Paris ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท ยท Arrival
Arrive Paris 7 AM after 11-hour overnight flight! Take it easy โ€” jet lag will hit hard ๐Ÿ˜ด. Drop bags at hotel, stroll Latin Quarter, first croissant & cafรฉ au lait ๐Ÿฅ. Evening: see the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night!
๐Ÿ˜ด Rest & recover๐Ÿฅ First croissant๐Ÿ—ผ Eiffel Tower at night
Day2
May 1Thursday
Paris ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท ยท Recovery
Gentle recovery day! Sleep in, no rush ๐ŸŒฟ. Walk up to Montmartre โ€” climb Sacrรฉ-Cล“ur for the best Paris view. Eat crรชpes from street vendors, sidewalk cafรฉ people-watching. Afternoon at Luxembourg Gardens. Just soak in the vibes!
๐ŸŒฟ Slow morningโ›ช Sacrรฉ-Cล“ur๐ŸŽจ Montmartre๐ŸŒณ Luxembourg Gardens
Day3
May 2Friday
Paris ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท
Full Paris day! Louvre Museum (book online!), Tuileries Garden, Champs-ร‰lysรฉes & Arc de Triomphe ๐Ÿ›. Afternoon in Le Marais โ€” vintage shops & legendary falafel at L'As du Fallafel. Dinner at Bouillon Chartier โ€” classic French food in 1896 dining hall, ridiculously cheap!
๐Ÿ–ผ Louvre Museum๐Ÿ› Arc de Triomphe๐Ÿ› Le Marais๐Ÿฒ Bouillon Chartier
Day4
May 3Saturday
Paris ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท
Last Paris day! Notre-Dame area, Seine River sunset cruise ๐Ÿšข, macarons at Ladurรฉe. Musรฉe d'Orsay if time allows. Evening stroll along the Seine โ€” Paris at golden hour is unforgettable ๐ŸŒ…
โ›ช Notre-Dame๐Ÿšข Seine cruise๐Ÿฌ Ladurรฉe macarons๐Ÿ› Musรฉe d'Orsay
Day5
May 4Sunday
๐Ÿš‚ Paris โ†’ Brussels โ†’ Amsterdam
Morning train Paris Gare du Nord โ†’ Brussels-Midi (~1.5 hrs). Store bags at station lockers. Grand Place, Belgian waffles ๐Ÿง‡, chocolate, Manneken Pis, and frites! Evening train โ†’ Amsterdam Centraal (~2 hrs). Check into hotel for 2 nights.
๐Ÿ› Grand Place๐Ÿง‡ Belgian waffles๐Ÿซ Belgian chocolate๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Arrive Amsterdam
Day6
May 5Monday
๐ŸŒท Keukenhof + Amsterdam
Early start! Keukenhof opens 8 AM โ€” best light for photos ๐ŸŒท. Keukenhof Express bus from Europaplein (35 min). Tulip fields & pavilions all morning. Return ~1 PM. Afternoon: Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House (book ahead!), canal cruise at golden hour ๐Ÿšค
๐ŸŒท Keukenhof๐Ÿ–ผ Rijksmuseum๐ŸŽจ Van Gogh Museum๐Ÿ  Anne Frank House๐Ÿšค Canal cruise
Day7
May 6Tuesday
๐Ÿš‚ Amsterdam โ†’ Cologne โ†’ Lucerne
Train Amsterdam Centraal โ†’ Kรถln Hbf (~3 hrs). Bags in station lockers. Kรถlner Dom is RIGHT outside โ€” jaw-dropping Gothic cathedral โ›ช. Climb 533 steps for Rhine views! Old town, Kรถlsch beer. Afternoon train โ†’ Luzern Bahnhof (~4 hrs). Switzerland! ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ
โ›ช Kรถlner Dom๐ŸŒ‰ Rhine riverfront๐Ÿบ Kรถlsch beer๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ Arrive Lucerne
Day8
May 7Wednesday
Lucerne ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ
Prettiest city in Switzerland! Chapel Bridge โ€” oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe ๐ŸŒ‰. Lion Monument, Old Town stroll. Boat cruise on Lake Lucerne surrounded by mountains. Optional: cable car up Mt. Pilatus ๐Ÿ”
๐ŸŒ‰ Chapel Bridge๐Ÿฆ Lion Monument๐Ÿšข Lake cruise๐Ÿ” Mt. Pilatus
Day9
May 8Thursday
๐Ÿš‚ Golden Pass Panoramic โ†’ Interlaken
THE scenic train! ๐Ÿ” Luzernโ€“Interlaken Express โ€” 2 hours of spectacular Alpine scenery through panoramic windows. Turquoise lakes, snow peaks, waterfalls, tiny villages. Arrive Interlaken between Lake Thun & Lake Brienz. Evening lakefront walk ๐ŸŒ…
๐Ÿš‚ Panoramic train๐Ÿ” Alpine scenery๐Ÿž Lake Thun๐ŸŒ„ Lake Brienz
Day10
May 9Friday
Jungfraujoch ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ
THE highlight! Jungfraujoch โ€” "Top of Europe" at 3,454m! ๐Ÿ” Cogwheel train through mountain. Aletsch Glacier walk, Ice Palace, breathtaking views. Book tickets ahead! Dress warm โ€” freezing even in May โ„๏ธ
๐Ÿ” Top of Europe๐ŸงŠ Aletsch Glacierโ„๏ธ Ice Palace๐Ÿ”ญ Sphinx Observatory
Day11
May 10Saturday
๐Ÿš‚ Interlaken โ†’ Zurich โ†’ Venice
Morning in Zurich โ€” Old Town, Grossmรผnster, Lake Zurich, Swiss chocolate ๐Ÿซ. Train south to Venice (~6 hrs via scenic Gotthard). Arrive city of canals! Evening Venice at night = pure magic โœจ
โ›ช Grossmรผnster๐Ÿ™ Zurich Old Town๐Ÿซ Swiss chocolate๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Arrive Venice
Day12
May 11Sunday
Venice ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น
Full Venice day! ๐Ÿ›ถ St. Mark's Square, Doge's Palace, Rialto Bridge, get beautifully lost. Murano (glass) or colorful Burano. Sunset gondola ride ๐Ÿ’• Cicchetti at All'Arco (โ‚ฌ1.50โ€“3/piece) and fresh seafood pasta!
๐Ÿ› St. Mark's๐Ÿฐ Doge's Palace๐ŸŒ‰ Rialto Bridge๐Ÿ›ถ Gondola ride๐Ÿ Murano/Burano
Day13
May 12Monday
๐Ÿš‚ Venice โ†’ Rome
Frecciarossa Venezia Santa Lucia โ†’ Roma Termini (~3.5 hrs). Afternoon: Trevi Fountain ๐Ÿช™, Pantheon, Piazza Navona. Evening passeggiata with gelato ๐Ÿฆ. Supplรฌ & pizza al taglio at Forno Campo de' Fiori!
โ›ฒ Trevi Fountain๐Ÿ› Pantheon๐Ÿฆ Gelato!๐Ÿ• Pizza al taglio
Day14
May 13Tuesday
Rome / Vatican ๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ฆ
Big day! Colosseum & Roman Forum (skip-the-line!) ๐ŸŸ. Vatican โ€” St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums. Evening: Spanish Steps, cacio e pepe at Mastrociccia (~โ‚ฌ10), dinner in Trastevere ๐ŸŒ™
๐ŸŸ Colosseumโ›ช St. Peter's๐ŸŽจ Sistine Chapel๐Ÿ Cacio e pepe๐Ÿท Trastevere
Day15
May 14Wednesday
๐Ÿš‚ Rome โ†’ Pisa โ†’ Milan
Train Roma Termini โ†’ Pisa Centrale (~2.5 hrs). Bags in station lockers. Leaning Tower = 15-min walk! "Holding up tower" photo ๐Ÿ“ธ, Piazza dei Miracoli. Lunch, then Pisa โ†’ Milano Centrale (~3 hrs).
๐Ÿ—ผ Leaning Tower๐Ÿ“ธ Classic photosโ›ช Piazza dei Miracoli๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Arrive Milan
Day16
May 15Thursday
Lake Como + Milan ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น
Last full day! Morning train to Lake Como (1 hr) ๐ŸŒŠ. Bellagio โ€” "Pearl of the Lake", ferry between villages, lakeside lunch. Return Milan afternoon. Duomo rooftop, Galleria V.E. II, panzerotti at Luini (~โ‚ฌ3). Aperitivo at Navigli โ€” buy 1 drink = FREE buffet! ๐Ÿฅ‚
๐Ÿ˜ Bellagioโ›ด Lake ferryโ›ช Duomo rooftop๐Ÿฅ‚ Aperitivo Navigli
Day17
May 16Saturday
โœˆ๏ธ Milan โ†’ Hanoi
Last morning in Europe ๐Ÿ˜ข. Flight at 12 PM โ€” check out early, airport by 9 AM. Goodbye Europe โ€” we'll be back! Pack souvenirs, chocolate, and a million memories โค๏ธ
โœˆ๏ธ Fly home๐Ÿงณ Souvenirsโค๏ธ Unforgettable

๐Ÿจ Hotel Booking Quick Reference

Use these exact check-in / check-out dates when booking

CityCheck-inCheck-outNights
๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท ParisApr 30 (Wed)May 4 (Sun)4
๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ AmsterdamMay 4 (Sun)May 6 (Tue)2
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ LucerneMay 6 (Tue)May 8 (Thu)2
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ InterlakenMay 8 (Thu)May 10 (Sat)2
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น VeniceMay 10 (Sat)May 12 (Mon)2
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น RomeMay 12 (Mon)May 14 (Wed)2
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น MilanMay 14 (Wed)May 16 (Sat)2

๐Ÿ’ก Total: 16 hotel nights. Brussels, Cologne, Keukenhof, Zurich, Pisa & Lake Como are day trips โ€” no hotel needed!

โœ… Bucket List Tracker

Tick off each experience as you go โ€” how many can you complete?

Overall Progress

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๐Ÿš‚ Eurorail Routes & Stations

Travel between cities by train โ€” with exact station names

ParisParis Gare du Nordโ†’BrusselsBrussels-Midi / Zuid~1.5 hrs
BrusselsBrussels-Midi / Zuidโ†’AmsterdamAmsterdam Centraal~2 hrs
AmsterdamBus: Europapleinโ†’KeukenhofKeukenhof Express๐ŸŒท Bus ยท 35 min
AmsterdamAmsterdam Centraalโ†’CologneKรถln Hauptbahnhof~3 hrs
CologneKรถln Hbfโ†’LucerneLuzern Bahnhof~4 hrs
LucerneLuzern Bahnhofโ†’InterlakenInterlaken Ost๐Ÿ” Golden Pass ยท ~2 hrs
InterlakenInterlaken Ostโ†’ZurichZรผrich HB~2 hrs
ZurichZรผrich HBโ†’VeniceVenezia Santa Lucia~6 hrs
VeniceVenezia Santa Luciaโ†’RomeRoma Termini~3.5 hrs
RomeRoma Terminiโ†’PisaPisa Centrale~2.5 hrs
PisaPisa Centraleโ†’MilanMilano Centrale~3 hrs

๐Ÿ’ก Eurail Pass Tip

Get a Eurail Global Pass โ€” 10 travel days within 2 months. Covers all trains including Golden Pass! ~8โ€“9 travel days needed. Book seat reservations for high-speed (Thalys, TGV, Frecciarossa). 25% off Jungfraujoch! Download the Eurail app.

๐Ÿ’ก First-Timer Tips

Everything you need for your first Europe trip

๐Ÿ‘—

What to Pack

May = spring โ€” pack layers! Light jacket, comfy walking shoes (15-20k steps/day), warm layer for Jungfraujoch, scarf for churches. Pack light โ€” room for souvenirs!

๐Ÿ’ณ

Money & Cards

Visa/Mastercard with no foreign fees. Most places take cards. Carry EUR + CHF. Switzerland uses CHF, not EUR. Tipping not required but rounding up is nice.

๐Ÿ“ฑ

Stay Connected

Buy European eSIM (Airalo/Holafly). Works all countries. Download offline Google Maps, Eurail app, Google Translate, Uber/Bolt.

๐ŸŽซ

Book in Advance

Book NOW: Anne Frank House, Louvre, Colosseum, Vatican, Jungfraujoch, Last Supper. Sell out weeks ahead! Also book Eurail seat reservations.

๐Ÿ”Œ

Power Plugs

Europe uses Type C/F. Bring universal adapter. Switzerland sometimes Type J but most Type C work.

๐Ÿ›ก

Safety

Europe is very safe! Watch pickpockets at tourist spots (Paris Metro, Rome). Crossbody bag, phone in front pocket. Photocopy passport.