Where can I purchase paper western and central europe maps....

Not detailed enough vs avoiding individual country paper maps is a challenge. Challenge aside some "paper" travel map domestic sources:

My local AAA office

Local Barnes & Nobel store
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/books/reference/atlases-maps/

Powell's Books in Portland,OR
http://www.powells.com/section/travel/maps/

Europe topographic Maps are tougher and more expensive to obtain in the US wait until you arrive in country and aquire locally.

There are all kinds of map stores on the internet. Try oldmapgallery.com in Denver, CO. All kinds of maps both old and new. What are you looking for exactly. The Rick Steves bookstore has some planning maps? See - https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/travel-maps

Barnes & Noble.

Metsker Map Company. Unfortunately for you it looks like they are only in Seattle. Quite better selection than Barnes and Nobles. In the country where you go is another very good option. I buy maps at Metsker and locally and keep them. They are detailed and generally better than stuff you get at Barnes & Noble.

I think you are going to have to sacrifice detail to see the big picture. I'm a big picture first person, so I totally get that and don't miss the lack of detail in the initial planning.

I'd get the RS Europe planning map (about 25" x 28") to start. It shows major cities, roads and rail lines, along with minimal detail.

After working with that some, then I'd get only the country maps for the countries you want to visit. I like Michelin road maps for a driving trip.

I really don't see how you can have your detail and big picture on a single map without it being gigantic. After all, Spain alone is over twice as big as New England.

We have a Michelin atlas of Europe. That might be another option for detail, but it is so detailed that most countries are on several pages.

For our trips, I work with several kinds of maps with varying levels of detail, and I use online map sources, too. All have their place in the planning process, none is a one-size-fits-all solution.

I'm not a big technology fan either but I find Google maps pretty invaluable in the process. You can plan routes, get travel time and distances, etc. But it does lack the tactile involvement that paper brings to the table.

Have you seen this one?

http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Europe-Map-Maps-Country/dp/2067170112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444191719&sr=8-1&keywords=michelin+maps+europe

Michellin maps are nice.
We have one of Europe on the wall, great for orientation and general planning.

Detailed country maps are fun too. I have a lot of maps :-)

I also like google and viamichelin for time/distance calculations and you can zoom in to see amazing detail. Plus street view is available in so many places!!

Enjoy the planning and the trip(s)!

Lo hits the nail on the head ! The big picture is what is germane to initial planning , fine detail at this point is confusing , and prevents you from seeing the forest for the trees .

An example - in planning a trip to Europe , a map of the continent would enable you to determine , based on your proposed itinerary whether or not a visit to Scotland would be on the cards , that's all the detail you need . Now , if you decided to go , and to visit the highlands , and rent a car , then , an Ordnance Survey map would provide quite detailed information that would be appropriate . Also , if your chosen destinations are well linked by European rail networks ( as they usually are ) , start studying the " Man in Seat 61 " website to gain an understanding of how to travel via rail .

Don't overlook your local library. I know my local library in Littleton carries a wide range of maps. They have an extensive set of topo and outdoor recreation maps for Colorado and also a wide range of intl maps. In fact, I borrowed 3 maps on the s of France and a Benelux one for my trip 2 months ago

That's a great link that Dave from Ventura posted. If you have the space to put it on the wall, that Michelin Europe map might be as close to ideal as you can get for your purposes. Note that the RS Europe planning map also shows up as a suggestion. Be sure to read the reviews for whatever map you want to buy.

I bought very detailed Michelin road maps on Amazon for our time in Norway, the Czech Republic, and Austria this summer. They were perfect, detailed, and accurate. They make one for all of Europe...here it is...if it is as good as the individual country ones, you should be set!

Thank you all for the suggestions. My local Barnes and Noble bookstore did not have anything. Ditto the local library (which is small - town has only 3400 people). I looked at the RS site but obviously did not look hard enough.The map sites I looked at on-line did not seem to be specific enough but I'll look again. I'll start with the RS planning map and go from there.
Again, thank you for the suggestions.

I used the Rick Steves Planning map for all of Europe for years until it fell apart at the seams. I felt it was good enough for general planning.

Try an interactive map like Google maps. It allows you to zoom in for as much detail as you want, then zoom out for an overall picture, plus search by name for places that might not show up on the overall map.

The RS planning map for general Europe is a great place to start. It will show you the lay of the land with the train connections as well as major highways. It also shows sights. Then on the reverse side it has several city walking maps. The maps are now map of waterproof material and they are also tear free now. Shouldn't fall apart any more like the previous post. Its a great place to start.