Jeslie Does Europe: The Itinerary
They say that planning a trip makes you happier than actually taking it. I don’t know that I necessarily agree—I mean, there were definitely some unforeseen frustrations on the trip, but I still loved it. However, I definitely concur that planning the trip brought a great sense of joy and satisfaction. The minutes spent organizing our European itinerary were a welcome break from writing my dissertation, and they gave me something to look forward to as I dealt with the sadness of ending my year abroad and leaving the country I had grown to love.
While there are things that I would change about our itinerary if I were to do it again, I don’t regret one minute of that trip. We saw so many incredible things, met some amazing people, and made memories that we’ll cherish forever. Always the filmmaker, I put together this video recap of many of the things we saw (Leslie gets credit for the cute walking montage idea).
Our Six-Week European Itinerary
For the curious (and those of you trying to plan your own European itinerary), here’s how we spent six crazy weeks traveling through 10 countries in Western Europe.
Note: On the maps, stops marked with a red icon were ones we actually visited/paid to enter, those marked with a blue icon were ones that we enjoyed from the outside, and those marked with a gray icon were those we had planned to visit but couldn’t for one reason or another. Those are not listed on the “What We Saw” lists for each day.
Day 1 – Dublin, Ireland
Where We Started:
Me: Newcastle, England
Leslie: Arizona
Transportation:
Flew to Dublin
Bus to hostel
Walked around city
Where We Ended:
Dublin, Ireland
What We Saw:
Ha’Penny Bridge
Temple Bar District
Christ Church Cathedral
St.Patrick’s Cathedral
Read about our time in Dublin here
Day 2 – Irish Castles
Where We Started:
Dublin, Ireland
Transportation:
Rental Car
Where We Ended:
Killarney, Ireland
What We Saw:
Rock of Cashel
Blarney Castle
Killarney National Park
Read about the Rock of Cashel here
Read about Blarney Castle and Killarney National Park here
Day 3 – Dinglehopping
Where We Started:
Killarney, Ireland
Transportation:
Rental Car
Where We Ended:
Ennis, Ireland
What We Saw:
Dingle Peninsula
Conor Pass
Blennervill Windmill
Ennis
Read about our time on the Dingle Peninsula here
Day 4 – The Cliffs of Insanity Moher
Where We Started:
Ennis, Ireland
Transportation:
Rental Car
Where We Ended:
Letterfrack, Ireland
What We Saw:
The Cliffs of Moher
Connemara National Park
Kylemore Abbey
Read about our time at the Cliffs of Moher here
Read about our time at Connemara NP and Kylemore Abbey here
Day 5 – Travel Day
Where We Started:
Letterfrack, Ireland
Transportation:
Drove to Dublin
Flew to London
Where We Ended:
London, England
Day 6, 7, and 8 – London
Where We Started:
London, England
Transportation:
Metro, Walking, and driving with a friend
Where We Ended:
London, England
What We Saw:
Day 6
Leslie and I are both LDS and we made sure to plan our trip so that we would be able to attend church every Sunday. We also tried to keep our activities appropriate for the Sabbath.
The Albert Memorial
Hyde Park
Kensington Palace
Day 7
King’s Cross Station (Platform 9 3/4)
St. Pancras Station
British Museum
Picadilly Circus
Buckingham Palace
The Guards Museum
Trafalgar Square
Big Ben
Houses of Parliament
Attended Evensong at Westminster
Millennium Bridge
Day 8
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
Watched at play at the Globe
Borough Market
Windsor Castle
Day 9 – Portsmouth
Where We Started:
London, England
Transportation:
Train to Portsmouth
Where We Ended:
Ferry bound for France
What We Saw:
Portsmouth Historic Dockyards
Read about our time in Portsmouth here
Day 10 – Mont Saint-Michel
Where We Started:
Ferry Port at St. Malo, France
Transportation:
Taxi to Saint-Marcan
Hosts provided transportation to and from Mont Saint-Michel
Where We Ended:
Saint-Marcan, France
What We Saw:
Mont Saint-Michel
Read about our time at Mont Saint-Michel here
Days 11 & 12 – Paris
Where We Started:
Saint-Marcan, France
Transportation:
Hosts provided transportation to train station in Pontorson
Train to Paris
Where We Ended:
Paris, France
What We Saw:
The Louvre
Notre Dame
Eiffel Tower
Arc de Triomphe
Sacre Coeur
Read about our time in Paris here
Day 12 part II – Travel
Where We Started:
Paris, France
Transportation:
Metro
Where We Ended:
Lisbon, Portugal
Day 13 – Sunday in Belém
Where We Started:
Lisbon, Portugal
Transportation:
Bus and Walking
Where We Ended:
Lisbon, Portugal
What We Saw:
Padrão dos Descobrimentos (the Monument to the Discoveries)
Torre de Belém (Tower of Belém)
Palácio Foz
25 de Abril Bridge
Sanctuary of Christ the King
Jerónimos Monastery
Read about our time in Belém here
Day 14 – Day Trip to Sintra
Where We Started:
Lisbon, Portugal
Transportation:
Train
Where We Ended:
Lisbon, Portugal
What We Saw:
Pena Palace
Quinta de Regaleira
Palácio Nacional de Sintra
Palácio de Queluz
Read about our time in Sintra here
Day 15 – Lisbon
Where We Started:
Lisbon, Portugal
Transportation:
Metro and Tram
Where We Ended:
Night train to Madrid
What We Saw:
Castelo de São Jorge
Alfama district
Igreja de Santa Catarina
Igreja de São Roque
Livraria Bertrand
Read about our time in Lisbon here
Day 16 – Madrid
Where We Started:
Chamartín train station, Madrid
Transportation:
Walking
Where We Ended:
Madrid, Spain
What We Saw:
Madrid Atocha train station
Palacio Real
Read about our time in Madrid here
Day 17 – The Alhambra
Where We Started:
Madrid, Spain
Transportation:
Train and Bus
Where We Ended:
Granada, Spain
What We Saw:
The Alhambra
Read about our time at The Alhambra here
Day 18 – Travel Day
Where We Started:
Granada, Spain
Transportation:
Train
Where We Ended:
Barcelona, Spain
Day 19 – Barcelona
Where We Started:
Barcelona, Spain
Transportation:
Metro
Where We Ended:
Barcelona, Spain
What We Saw:
La Boqueria
Sagrada Familia
Park Güell
Read about our time in Barcelona here
Day 20 – Church and Travel
Where We Started:
Barcelona, Spain
Transportation:
Bus
Where We Ended:
Carcassonne, France
Day 21 – Carcassonne
Where We Started:
Carcassonne, France
Transportation:
Walking
Where We Ended:
Carcassonne, France
What We Saw:
The Medieval City of Carcassonne
Read about our time in Carcassonne here
Day 22 – Avignon
Where We Started:
Carcassonne, France
Transportation:
Train
Where We Ended:
Avignon, France
What We Saw:
Le Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes)
Had plans to visit two churches, but both were closed
Read about our time in Avignon here
Day 23 – Travel
Where We Started:
Avignon, France
Transportation:
Train
Where We Ended:
Milan, Italy
Day 24 – Milan
Where We Started:
Milan, Italy
Transportation:
Metro
Where We Ended:
Milan, Italy
What We Saw:
Duomo di Milano
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
La Scala Theatre
Sforza Castle
Read about our time in Milan here
Day 25 – Venice
Where We Started:
Milan, Italy
Transportation:
Train
Where We Ended:
Venice, Italy
What We Saw:
The Grand Canal
Basilica di San Marco
La Fenice Theatre
The Doge’s Palace
The Bridge of Sighs
Read about our time in Venice here
Days 26 & 27 – Florence
Where We Started:
Venice, Italy
Transportation:
Taxi, Train, and Bus
Where We Ended:
Florence, Italy
What We Saw:
Day 26
Markets
Da Vinci Museum
Florence Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore)
Palazzo della Signoria
Il Porcellino
Ponte Vecchio
Day 27
Church
Piazzale Michelangelo
Read about our time in Florence here
Day 28 – Rome
Where We Started:
Florence, Italy
Transportation:
Train and Metro
Where We Ended:
Rome, Italy
What We Saw:
Colosseum
Palatine Hill
The Roman Forum
The Altar of the Fatherland
Foro Traiano
Mercati di Traiano
The Pantheon
The Trevi Fountain
Giolitti
Read about our time in Rome here
Day 29 – Day trip to Pompeii
Where We Started:
Rome, Italy
Transportation:
Tour Bus, but we did a self-guided tour
Where We Ended:
Rome, Italy
What We Saw:
Pompeii
Read about our time in Pompeii here
Day 30 – The Vatican City and Rome Part II
Where We Started:
Rome, Italy
Transportation:
Metro
Where We Ended:
Rome, Italy
What We Saw:
The Vatican Museums
Sistine Chapel
St. Peter’s Square
Castel Sant’Angelo
The Spanish Steps
Borghese Gardens
Giolitti again
Read about our time in The Vatican City here
Day 31 – Travel
Where We Started:
Rome, Italy
Transportation:
Flew
Where We Ended:
Vienna, Austria
Day 32 – Vienna
Where We Started:
Vienna, Austria
Transportation:
Metro
Where We Ended:
Vienna, Austria
What We Saw:
Schönbrunn Palace
Stephensplatz Church
Museum Quarter
Austrian Parliament Building
Rathaus
The Spanish Riding School of Vienna (Me)
Hofburg Palace (Leslie)
Donnerbrunnen Fountain
Read about our time in Vienna here
Days 33 & 34 – Salzburg
Where We Started:
Vienna, Austria
Transportation:
Train
Where We Ended:
Salzburg, Austria
What We Saw:
Schloss Mirabel
Dwarf Garden
Holy Trinity Church
Mozart’s Birthplace
Dom zu Salzburg
Horse Fountains
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Stift Nonnberg (Nonnberg Abbey)
Sebastianfriedhof
Read about our time in Salzburg here
Day 35 – Neuschwanstein Castle
Where We Started:
Salzburg, Austria
Transportation:
Bus and Train and Bus again
Where We Ended:
Hohenschwangau, Germany
What We Saw:
Füssen, Germany
Neuschwanstein Castle
Hohenschwangau Castle
Alpsee
Read about our time at Neuschwanstein here
Days 36 & 37 – Munich
Where We Started:
Hohenschwangau, Germany
Transportation:
Bus, Train, and Metro
Where We Ended:
Munich, Germany
What We Saw:
Rathaus Cuckoo Clock
The Munich Residencz (including the Royal Theater and the Treasury)
King’s Square
Wittelsbach Fountain
Feldherrnhalle
Frauenkirche
Altes Rathaus
St. Peter’s Church
Heiliggeistkirche
Viktuals Market
The Deutsches Museum
Read about our time in Munich here
Day Day 38 – Geneva
Where We Started:
Munich, Germany
Transportation:
Train
Where We Ended:
Geneva, Switzerland
What We Saw:
Jet d’Eau
L’horloge fleurie
St Pierre Cathedral
The Arsenal
Reformation Wall
Promenade des Bastions
Skatepark of Plainpalais
Read about our time in Geneva here
Day 39 – Day trip to Gruyères
Where We Started:
Geneva, Switzerland
Transportation:
Host drove
Where We Ended:
Geneva, Switzerland
What We Saw:
Maison Cailler Chocolate Factory
La Maison du Gruyère
Gruyères Castle
Read about our time in Gruyères here
Day 40 – Day trip to Montreux and the Chateau de Chillon
Where We Started:
Geneva, Switzerland
Transportation:
Train
Where We Ended:
Geneva, Switzerland
What We Saw:
Montreux, Switzerland
The Chateau de Chillon
Read about our time in Montreux here
Day 41 – Flying Back to the US
Where We Started:
Geneva, Switzerland
Transportation:
Flights
Where We Ended:
Solvang, CA
Day 42 – Solvang, CA
Where We Started:
Solvang, CA
Transportation:
Walking and Driving
Where We Ended:
Solvang, CA
What We Saw:
Solvang, CA
Jalama Beach
Santa Barbara, CA
Read about our time in Solvang here
After that, we both headed home, her to Arizona and me to Idaho. It was a whirlwind trip for sure and there are certainly lots of things we missed. But I feel like we did a pretty good job of seeing as much as we could while we were in Europe.
Stay tuned for next week, when I’ll have a post about how to tackle the often overwhelming task of planning a European itinerary of your own. See you then!
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[1] Which I’ve never seen, so please don’t take this as an endorsement…