This will be Daniel and I's first trip to Europe. I somehow doubt it will be our last. So, here's the scoop:
4 days in Ireland
4 days in Paris/France
2 days in Switzerland
2 days in Cinque Terre
4 days in Rome
+ 1 day to travel home
17 days total
IRELAND
DAY 1:
We plan to rent a car, meet up with some awesome friends and get checked in to our AirBnb when we arrive. I never plan any activities on days that we travel. You never know how you'll feel. We might be exhausted or totally jet-lagged and just want to nap the rest of day. Or, if we feel great, we have that whole day to wonder around and do whatever we feel like doing.
DAY 2:
Today we'll keep it local. Our home base is in Dublin, so we plan to do all the Dublin-y tourist things today. I don't like to plan too much in one day; a light itinerary means more free time to do what we want in the moment. So, to get us started, we'll visit the Guinness Storehouse and Kilmainham Gaol. The rest of the day is ours to explore.
DAY 3:
Road trip!! Today we will put that rental car to good use and drive to the west coast of Ireland to see the Cliffs of Moher. Along the way, we plan to make a pit stop in the 'oldest bar in the world' for lunch and a quick drink. The scenic highway winds right through the famous Burren, so we will be sure to enjoy the ride and all of the awesome scenery.
DAY 4:
An adventure awaits us on day 4. We'll be driving up to Northern Ireland and along the coastal causeway. Touring the ruins of Dunlace Castle, skipping through the Giants Causeway, and taking the rope bridge challenge will surely prepare us for a peaceful walk along the waves at Portrush Beach.
PARIS
DAY 5:
This is our next travel day, so nothing specific on the itinerary. We'll be jet-setting over to Paris, France to get settled into our AirBnb with a view of the Eiffle Tower. The rest of the day is ours to explore and relax.
DAY 6:
The Eiffle Tower is the first on our to-do list in Paris (duh!). After seeing the city from above, we'll take a peaceful river tour down the Sienne and see it up close and personal.
DAY 7:
The Louvre is the only thing on our schedule today, except for a reallyyy nice french dinner. It'll be well deserved after all of that walking!
DAY 8:
Today we'll take a train about 45 minutes south of Paris to Versailles. We'll tour the palace and the gardens and then jump on the next train back to the city of love
SWITZERLAND
DAY 9:
On this day, we'll take what I expect to be one of the most scenic train rides of our lives through the Swiss Alps to Interlaken, Switzerland. Here, we'll get checked in to our apartment and spend the rest of the day enjoying the crisp mountain air.
DAY 10:
There is SO much to do in Switzerland, but nearly everything will take an entire day. We only have this day, so we aren't setting our plans in cement. Maybe we'll go canyoning or hang-gliding, maybe we'll tour the Jungfraujoch, maybe we'll go skiing... you'll just have to wait and see.
CINQUE TERRE
DAY 11:
A high speed train will take us from Switzerland through Italy and over to the coast. We'll have to walk to the little village of Riomaggiore from the train station because there are no cars here. We'll check into our ocean view AirBnb in the first of 5 fishing villages of the Cinque Terre and spend the rest of the day eating seafood and drinking local wine.
DAY 12:
A day of hiking awaits us. There are 5 villages to explore and only a narrow hiking path through a protected national park to connect them. Each village is unique and beautiful, so this 8 mile trek will take the entire day.
ROME
DAY 13:
Our last Eurail ride will take us to the heart of the eternal city. After hiking all day the day before, I'm sure we will just want to enjoy a quiet relaxing evening in our AirBnb.
DAY 14:
Today is dedicated to the Colosseum. We'll be on our feet all day again, but we'll take the FULL tour. Afterward, we'll just relax with some gelato somewhere...
DAY 15:
I think the Vatican deserves a full day on our itinerary. Day 15 will consist of St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, beautiful gardens, art, and so much more.
DAY 16:
This is technically our last day! So, when in Rome! We'll explore the city and see sights like the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain. Our last night also calls for one last, really awesome Italian dinner.
DAY 17:
Today's the day we decide if we want to 'accidentally' miss our flight home and head back to Cinque Terre to live out our lives. The reality is, we'll probably miss our dog and cat so much, that we'll be ready to take that long flight back home.
So there you have it; 17 glorious summer days through Europe, Will you follow along with us? We'll be posting as we go. Just be sure to enter your email in the subscription box above for updates! Also, if you've already been to any of these places, we want to hear from you!! Comment below and tell us what you loved most!
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