Traveling across Europe has always been a dream of ours. The idea of waking up in one country and sleeping in another sounds romantic, efficient, and exciting—especially when you only have limited vacation days. So when we planned our 21-day Europe trip covering 9 countries, we thought we had cracked the perfect itinerary.
We didn’t.
While the trip was unforgettable and incredibly rewarding, there are many things no one really tells you about traveling fast across Europe—especially the true cost, the physical exhaustion, and the small regrets that only make sense after you’ve experienced them yourself.
This is our honest story of visiting Greece, Italy, Vatican City, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain in just three weeks—and what we wish we knew before we went.
Our 21-Day Europe Itinerary at a Glance
Countries Visited (9):
Greece, Italy, Vatican City, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
Cities Visited:
Athens, Santorini, Rome, Vatican City, Pisa, Venice, Milan, Interlaken (Lauterbrunnen & Iseltwald), Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Faro, Seville, Granada, Madrid, Segovia and Barcelona.
On paper, it looked efficient. In reality, it was intense.
The Real Cost of Traveling Europe for 21 Days
Europe is beautiful—but it is not cheap, especially when you’re moving constantly.
Food Costs Add Up Quickly
One of our biggest surprises was how expensive food was compared to what we expected. Eating out for every meal simply wasn’t sustainable for our budget.
That’s why we:
- Bought food from grocery stores frequently
- Shared meals when portions were large
- Took leftovers back to the hotel
In Athens, we ordered a meal “for two” and later realized one serving was already more than enough. We could have saved money by sharing—and we started doing that afterward.
Unexpected Restaurant Charges
In some countries, especially Italy, we encountered unexpected “coperto” charges—a per-person fee just for sitting down. It’s normal locally, but if you’re not aware of it, it can feel frustrating when you see the bill.
Transportation Isn’t Always Cheap
Local metro tickets were more expensive than expected in many cities. To save money, we almost always bought:
- Daily unlimited transport passes
- Instead of single or short-distance tickets
We also learned that:
- Taxis are significantly more expensive than trains
- Even short taxi rides can cost the same as a day pass
Rome2Rio is a great help in comparing train, bus, and taxi costs across Europe
The Fatigue No One Warns You About
Visiting Europe is not a relaxed stroll—it’s physically demanding.
Attractions Are Bigger Than They Look
Many famous attractions involve:
- Large walking areas
- Long queues
- Uphill climbs
- Stairs after stairs
After walking from the train station, you often still need to walk a lot more inside the attraction itself.
Tip: If you’re planning a multi-country Europe trip, start exercising weeks before your departure. It really helps.
Overnight Travel Isn’t Always a Good Idea
We took an overnight FlixBus, thinking we’d save time and money.
We didn’t sleep well.
Because of multiple stopovers and loud snoring, my wife barely slept and ended up with a mild fever the next day.
Lesson learned:
- Always bring vitamins and basic medicine
- Overnight buses may save money, but they cost you energy
Carrying Luggage Is Exhausting
Moving heavy luggage:
- From train stations
- Up the hotel stairs
- Across cobblestone streets
…is both physically and mentally draining.
Most of the hotels we booked did not have elevators, and our rooms were often on the 3rd or 4th floor. I had to carry two heavy suitcases in many cities.
Europe Isn’t Always Luggage-Friendly
This was most noticeable in France.
- Some metro stations don’t have elevators or escalators
- Subway entrances can be one-way only
- One train station required us to enter on the right side only, after inserting the ticket on the right—something we experienced only in Paris
At one point, we carried our luggage down the stairs, only to realize we weren’t supposed to enter there—so we had to bring everything back up again.
Cities Can Feel Like Mazes
Cities like Venice and Granada can be confusing, especially for first-timers.
We saw tourists give up because they thought a path was a dead end—but Google Maps showed us a hidden route that led us through.
Tip: Always have roaming data or an eSIM. It’s essential, not optional.
Pickpocket Anxiety Is Real
Always being alert—especially in crowded areas—was stressful.
We:
- Held our phones even while they were in our pockets
- Avoided placing valuables in one bag
- Constantly checked our surroundings
Losing a phone or passport abroad can ruin your entire trip. We’re truly thankful that nothing like that happened to us.
Travel Regrets We Learned the Hard Way
No matter how well you plan, regrets happen.
Wasting Time on the Phone
In Italy, my wife and mom spent time on long video calls and editing photos during the tour, instead of uploading them later at night.
It cost us valuable time—and caused us to miss some attractions.
Eating at the Wrong Restaurants
An Italian we met in the Philippines warned us to avoid flashy restaurants filled with lights.
We ignored that advice once—and regretted it.
The food was mediocre, overpriced, and later we found out the restaurant wasn’t even Italian-owned. After that, we relied on Google Maps to look for restaurants with high ratings and reasonable prices and our meals improved significantly.
Missing Places Due to Weather
In Switzerland, we skipped Grindelwald because of heavy rain. We regretted it—but made up for it by:
- Visiting Iseltwald’s CLOY dock
- Taking a scenic boat ride from Iseltwald to Interlaken
It wasn’t the original plan, but it became a highlight.
Missing the Eiffel Tower Light Show
In Paris, we didn’t realize that the Eiffel Tower’s lighting effects start at around 8 PM.
Seeing it at night was magical—but we wish we timed it better.
Staying Too Far From the Center
In Amsterdam, we booked accommodation far from the city center. Because it was raining heavily, this made us miss several attractions—we simply didn’t have the energy to commute back and forth.
Buying Tickets On Site
In Madrid, we failed to buy transport tickets to Segovia Castle in advance. It ended up being very expensive, and we realized that even if it’s just an hour away from Madrid, you still need to buy the ticket long before your trip.
Over-Allocating Time
In Barcelona, we regret staying an extra day just to supposedly give us time to visit Andorra—which we never made it to.
If you’re planning to visit Brussels in August, try not to miss the flower carpet.
Final Thoughts: Was It Worth It?
Despite the cost, the fatigue, the stress, and the regrets—yes, it was worth it.
Europe is incredibly beautiful. Every country has its own charm, culture, and history. When we felt tired or overwhelmed, we reminded ourselves why we were there.
This trip taught us:
- To slow down
- To travel smarter
- To value rest just as much as sightseeing
It wasn’t a perfect trip—but it was a dream vacation we will never forget.
And if you’re planning a similar journey, we hope our experience helps you prepare better than we did.
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