Our Europe Trip Itinerary: Barcelona, Paris, Venice and Rome

It’s funny how things work out sometimes. We had never been to Europe but it all changed in the March of 2015 when we could extend our stay after a work trip to Barcelona. The work trip was unexpected and when we knew we were travelling all the way to Barcelona, we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to see more of Europe. We worked out an itinerary which included all of the places we’d imagined we would visit if and when we travelled to this part of the world.

Here is a summarized version of what our 10 day itinerary looked like:

Day 1 – 3: Barcelona

Barcelona is a beautiful city with architecture so well preserved, you feel like you’ve arrived at the sets of a period movie. What makes this place really stand out is all the quirky and often stunning architecture by Gaudi.

Getting around here was easy on public transport and we mostly took the subways. The rest of time we went around on the hop-on, hop-off bus tour which in our opinion is always a good idea in a new place.

Suggested must sees here would be Sagrada Familia, Gothic Quarters, La Rambla, Park Guell and Mt. Tibidabo.

Day 4 – 5: Paris

To get to Paris, we took TGV train from Barcelona Sants train station to Gare De Lyon station. The first time in Paris was really special as we discovered the lanes, alleyways and the cafes. Of course we went to the main tourist spots – Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum however what we most enjoyed were the breakfasts at the parisian cafes and strolling around absorbing the sights, smells and sounds in this timeless city.

Getting around in Paris was again mostly on their subways. Having Uber around helps a lot when you need to get from stations/airports to hotels and don’t want to haul your luggage.

Suggested must sees here for first timers would be the usual suspects – Eiffel Tower (try to go to the top if you can), Louvre (we just spent half a day here as we are not so much into art and history), Notre Dame cathedral (the main building which is free of cost, skip going up the towers), a walk at Champs-Elysees, a walk across Pont des Arts across river Seine and you could throw in a breakfast or coffee at Rue Montorgueil.

Day 6 – 7: Venice

To get to Venice, we flew from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to Marco Polo airport. From here to center of Venice you need catch a bus/boat ride. After that it’s all on foot or water taxi as no vehicles are allowed within this canal city.

On first glance this place feels like it’s crumbling. Give it an hour or two and Venice grows on you. It has a charm about it which is really hard to miss.

Suggested must sees/dos on your first time here can be the Gondola ride on the Grand Canal, the famous Bridge of Sighs, the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square. Throw in a boat ride to the nearby Burano island if you have time.

Day 8 – 10: Rome

To get to Rome, we took Tren Italia from Venice Santa Lucia train station to Roma Termini. The best way to describe this city is to call it an open air museum. History waits in all its turn and corners, in all its nooks and crannies.

Getting around in Rome for us was mostly on foot and the hop-on, hop-off bus tour as we chose to stay close to the main tourist hub.

For first timers, suggested must sees are – Colosseum and the Roman Forum (these two sites are right next to each other so cover them in one day. keep about 2/3 of your day for these). Besides this, plan one full day for the Vatican city – go inside the beautiful St. Peters Basilica (free of cost) and the Vatican Museum (including the Sistine Chapel).

Here’s a map of our whole trip with the main cities in black markers. The purple markers are the places we visited within the cities. We’ve also marked the hotels we stayed at and some eateries we liked and remember – note the icons and zoom in to see.

Happy Travels folks! And if you have any questions, leave them in the comments and we’ll try to answer as best as we can.