Hello All,
I am planning a trip for Europe in April 2026 for 50 days.
I have already visited Italy, France, Belgium, Netherland, Portugal, Spain so I would skip them this time.
Would like to visit around 6 to 8 countries and start the journey from Greece and end in Germany.
Please suggest an itinerary using bus, train or plane between these countries.
Thanks in advance.
We have visited Greece three times, and have taken cruises between the islands. Also been over to Turkey a couple of times and visited Sicily and Malta. The easiest and best way to see Greece is by cruises if you are unwilling to rent a car.
We once came up the Adriatic and visited Croatia and Montenegro and ended up south of Venice. The east side of the Adriatic is difficult to travel on land as the roads do not really go from Greece to Slovenia. We still want to visit Slovenia, and return to Croatia to see the countries longer.
On land, we like to travel in straight lines to cities that are in the same general vicinity. We especially like Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna and Vienna--all easily reached by trains. We adore Dresden and the Saxony region of Germany. Another good trip is from Vienna to Salzburg to Munich and down into the Austrian Alps around Innsbruck.
We have driven from Munich over to Stuttgart and up the Rhine River to Bacharach, Koblenz, Cologne and ended up in Amsterdam. They have trains running this route too.
Thanks David for your input. As you mentioned it is hard to travel from Greece towards Slovenia, I was hoping there was some bus or train services along the way. Below is an approximate itinerary I was thinking of. Do you think there are transportation between these cities? Appreciate any input.
Athens, Santorini - Greece
Tirana - Albania
Ohrid, Skopje - North Macedonia
Pristina - Kosovo
Kotor - Montenegro
Dubrovnik - Croatia
Mostar, Sarajevo - Bosnia & Herzegovina
Split - Croatia
Ljubljana - Slovenia
Vienna - Austria
Bratislava, Slovekia
Prague - Czech
Budapest, Hungary
Frankfurt - Germany
Where you are hurting yourself are the points inbetween. Hopping on a bus and wizzing past the villages is a shame. The Balkans are a cheap place to visit. Personally I would spend 44 days there and 6 in Budapest. But with your request, something like this:
Very ambitious.
Greece 7 days
Albania / Kosovo 7 days: I would consider going from Athens to Corfu then the ferry across to Albania. In Albania I would consider Gjirokastër and Berat ad Kukes on the way to Kosovo. From Kosovo cross back into Albania and head for the Valbone river valley. No place more interesting or more beautiful. Then take the Koman ferry down the river to Koman and from there head to Shkodër and cross into Montenegro.
Montenegro 7 days: Work your way up the coast with Ulcinj, Stari Bar. Now head north to the Tara River Canyon then circle south to the Ostrog Monastery and end up in Kotor. Then cross over to Dubrovnik.
Croatia 7 days: Dubrovnik to Split and see a few of the Islands. Then Split to Mostar.
Bosnia & Herzegovina 5 to 7 days: Mostar to Blagaj Tekija to Travnik to Jayce to Sarajevo. Sarajevo to Budapest (flight that changes in Belgrade, not bad).
Hungary 7 days: Budapest, Szentendre, Gyor, Pannonhalma ending in Vienna
Austria 7 days: Vienna to Salzburg, then on to Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic.
Czech Republic 5 to 7 day: Cesky Krumlov to Prague
Fly to Frankfurt
Some by bus, quite a bit by private transfer (relatively cheap in the Balkans), 100% planned with an expert. Especially in the Balkans.
