10 day Europe trip- 5 countries. Would appreciate some advice on best route and activities/ tours

You're kidding, right?

If you had 10 nights, that's 2 nights per country which equates to 1 full day in country and travel time of at least 1/2 a day between countries. It sounds unrealistic.

I’m going to go on good faith and assume this is a serious question.

OP, this is a recipe for exhaustion, frustration and wasted money. You haven’t factored in travel time, eating, sleeping and the inevitable snafus (train and flight delays, etc). Pick the country that appeals to you most or at maximum, two of the above. You could spend all 10 days in any one of your choices and not even scratch the surface.

Not to be harsh, but it’s like someone planning 10 days in the US with a goal to see Maine, New York, Florida, Chicago and the Grand Canyon.

And Disneyland

In all seriousness, the best route is to choose ONE of the countries listed and enjoy it. Your plan is literally all over Europe, not considering time to travel between these far flung countries, packing, traveling from airport to hotel, checking in, unpacking. Not even organized tours move this fast.

The idea that you can see Athens and Santorini in two nights is insane.

A lot of each 2-day allotment will be spent traveling from place to place, so no stop will be getting 2 full days. Flights between places are pretty quick, but getting to/from/through airports adds a considerable amount of transportation time. Trains, even fast or ”bullet” trains, can still require lots of time to cover long distances.

Last year, we passed through Lourdes, on the way from Toulouse, France to the French Pyrenees mountains. We had a rental car, but were traveling strictly in France. Toulouse does have an airport, and a major train station, plus dining highlights.

Are you considering flying from the U.S. to one destination (like Athens?), then home from another (like Toulouse? Paris?), also known as flying “Open Jaw?”

It's not even insane or a joke, it's simply impossible unless you want to be listed in The Guinness Book of World Records.

Greece is a long way from the other four. If you wanted to do two countries, Portugal and Spain would be the best option. In 2008, we went to Athens, Naufplio, Santorini, Florence and Rome and spent 2 weeks doing this

You will be spending around 6 days in or getting to and from airports, or in the air.

Appreciate all the comments. Did worry about exhaustion. .Wondered if anyone had been able to do at least 3 countries in one trip.

I guess 3 days / country would make a bit more sense, and of course dropping one country.

Can you do 3 countries in a 10-day trip? Sure. Is it fun? That depends on you, but it would be way too chaotic for me and, I suspect, many of us here. You still have to factor in the large chunks of time you lose in transit, and that's assuming everything goes according to schedule. You'll hardly have time to experience even a fraction of what makes these countries special.

I guess it would help to understand why you are trying to squeeze this much in. Is it because you don't expect to be able to return to Europe anytime soon? Are there specific things you want to see in your target destinations (Milan wouldn't be at the top of my list for a first trip to Italy - if this is your first trip - but you may have a reason for going)?

lubinmv, I am not trying to be snarky, just realistic.

Would you recommend a traveler to fly all the way from Europe to North America and spend 3 days in Canada, 3 days in the USA and 3 days in Mexico?

We did 3 countries(Rome, Florence, Venice, Lucerne, Paris) in 10 days on our first trip in 1985. However, we were on a group tour, which maximizes your time because someone with a lot of experience handles the logistics. You can sightsee while the bus drops off your luggage at your hotel and you don't have to figure out how to get from one sight to another because a guide with a lot of experience does that.

For such a short trip, I would prioritize one destination. Since you mention Lourdes, here is a list of cities with direct flights to the airport near Lourdes. Note that some of the flights of from secondary airports (e.g., London Stansted, not Heathrow). Access by train is tough.https://www.tlp.aeroport.fr/page-en/destinations-1

April 2026: I would go the first week to Seville for 4 nights for nights for Holy week and 2 nights in Cordoba, and 3 nights in Granada. Most flights will route thru Madrid from the USA. You will get good weather, tons of culture, with minimal travel time wasted moving around. J

I will just share my experience in a Best of Italy tour with no more than 2 nights at any one location, while a great overview of the country, did not end up being as enjoyable as 11 nights in one hotel in Paris. 10 days or nights isn't too long to spend in many cities. And you end up seeing more, really, because you're not spending the travel time.

You could do Prague, Vienna, and Budapest in 10 days. It would be tight and quick but it is doable by train.

”I am thinking 2 days per stop.”

I switch locations more than most on this forum, and I stay two nights at a lot of locations. But, I am very stingy with my travel time between locations. It’s typically 1-2 hours by train max, and I am at the next location. Being very efficient with my packing and hotel location, I’m at the next city with my bag left off around 10:30am and out enjoying the new city. That is not at all what you will experience.

Athens to Santorini is 5 hours.
Portugal to Milan is about 9 hours door-to-door.
Etc.
Essentially this is a plan where you will waste one day of travel between each location, so any 2-night stop is an evening/night and one day. Realistically, this is a “5-days of vacation” trip.

So, to be helpful for your specific itinerary, what are you wanting to see & do? The interests you list could generically be fulfilled in most places in Europe. From your list, how about a Spain/France trip? Maybe Barcelona, plus the Nice, France & Lourdes area.
Or a Greece trip?
If you only care about Milan, I would skip Italy.