Europe
Every V-TIMES guide across Europe.
Portugal · region
Algarve
Split the week: the western cliff coast first (Ponta da Piedade, the Seven Hanging Valleys trail, Benagil by licensed boat), then the quiet east (Tavira, the Ria Formosa ferries, octopus in Santa Luzia). Use the toll-free A22 or the newly electrified train to cross, give one day to Sagres and the wild west coast, one to the islands, and in August book boat trips a day or two ahead and arrive early for the island ferries, which are turn-up-and-go.
Italy · road trip
Amalfi Coast
Split your stay between Positano or Praiano for the classic cliffside view and Amalfi town or Ravello for easier logistics, use Travelmar ferries between towns whenever the sea allows, and give a full day each to Capri and Pompeii.
Greece · city
Athens
Stay in Koukaki or Plaka to walk to the Acropolis, spend a day around Monastiraki, the Ancient Agora and Psiri, and add a day trip to Cape Sounion for sunset or inland to Delphi.
Spain · city
Barcelona
Split your stay between the Eixample (Gaudí’s greatest hits, wide boulevards) and the Gothic Quarter or Gràcia (medieval lanes or a village feel). Add a beach afternoon in Barceloneta and a day trip to Montserrat or Girona.
Hungary · city
Budapest
Come in May, June or September, sleep in District V or the Jewish Quarter, soak at Szechenyi before 9am and Rudas after dark, book the Parliament tour days ahead, walk Castle Hill early and the reopened Citadella at sunset, eat goulash and langos without apology, and finish in a ruin bar or on a night cruise under the floodlit Parliament.
Turkey · region
Cappadocia
Stay in or near Göreme or Uçhisar, fly a hot air balloon at sunrise on a calm-weather morning, spend a day on the Göreme Open Air Museum and Uçhisar Castle, and give a half or full day to the underground cities and Ihlara Valley.
Greece · island
Corfu
Base in or near Corfu Town for the culture and the restaurants, add a northwest coast stay (Paleokastritsa or the Sidari to Cape Drastis area) for the coves and the sunsets, and give a day to the boat trip to Paxos or the crossing to Albania.
Greece · island
Crete
Base a few nights in or near Chania Old Town for the Venetian harbour and access to Samaria Gorge, move to Rethymno or Heraklion for Knossos and the Archaeological Museum, then finish in the Agios Nikolaos or Elounda area for Spinalonga and a slower pace.
Greece · multi city
Cyclades Island Hopping: How to Plan the Route
Three nights on Paros for the ferry connections and Naoussa, three on Naxos for the mountain villages and the best beaches in the group, three on Milos for Sarakiniko and the Kleftiko boat, with Sifnos or Folegandros as the fourth stop if you have the days.
France · region
French Riviera (Cote d'Azur)
Spend two or three nights in Nice for the Old Town, the museums and the Promenade des Anglais, a night or two around Antibes or Cannes for the coast and the Croisette, and at least a day inland for Eze and Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Add Monaco or the Gorges du Verdon as day trips.
Greece · multi city
Greece in 10 Days: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini
Three nights in Athens for the Acropolis and the old town, four nights on Mykonos for Little Venice, the beaches and a Delos day trip, and three nights on Santorini for Oia’s sunset, the volcano boat and Ancient Akrotiri.
Spain · island
Ibiza
Start with Dalt Vila and the old port, then split your days between coasts: the west for Cala Comte, Cala d’Hort and the Es Vedrà sunset, the north for Benirràs, Portinatx and the villages, the south for Ses Salines and the beach scene. Take the fast ferry to Formentera once, and decide honestly in advance whether clubs are part of your trip or not.
Turkey · city
Istanbul
Spend two to three days in Sultanahmet for Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern, then cross the Golden Horn to Beyoğlu and Karaköy for food and views, and take a ferry across the Bosphorus at least once.
Portugal · city
Lisbon
Stay in Chiado or Principe Real for a central, walkable base, spend a morning in Alfama and an afternoon in Belem, chase sunset at a miradouro, and give a full day to Sintra.
Spain · city
Madrid
Stay in Sol, Salamanca or Malasana for a central, walkable base, give a full day to the Prado-Reina Sofia-Thyssen triangle, chase sunset at Templo de Debod, and add Toledo or Segovia as a day trip.
Spain · island
Mallorca
Split the trip in two: Palma for the cathedral, the old town and the food scene, then the Serra de Tramuntana and the north for Sóller, Deià, Valldemossa, Pollença and the Cap de Formentor. Add a day for the southeast calas (Caló des Moro, Cala Mondragó) if the season allows an early start.
Greece · island
Mykonos
Stay in or near Mykonos Town (Chora) for the windmills, Little Venice and the widest choice of restaurants, use Ornos or Platis Gialos as a calmer beach base with easy access to the club beaches, and set aside a morning for the boat to Delos before the crowds build.
Cyprus · island
Paphos, Cyprus
Two or three days for the town: the archaeological park at opening, the Tombs of the Kings, the harbour fort, Ktima’s market lanes and Geroskipou for loukoumi. Then a car: the Akamas by boat from Latchi, Aphrodite’s Rock and the sanctuary at Kouklia to the east, and a slow afternoon in the Laona wine villages above Coral Bay.
France · city
Paris
Split your stay between the Right Bank (Le Marais for food and history, Montmartre for hills and light) and the Left Bank (Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter for bookshops, cafes and the Sorbonne). Book the Louvre and Sagrada-tier attractions ahead.
Greece · island
Rhodes
Split the trip: two or three days for Rhodes Town (the walled city, Mandraki harbor, Kallithea and a Symi day trip), then the rest around Lindos and the south: the acropolis at opening time, St Paul’s Bay, Tsambika, and a road day through Embonas wine country to Monolithos and the windsurfing cape at Prasonisi.
Italy · city
Rome
Stay in or near the Centro Storico or Monti for walkability, book the Colosseum and Vatican Museums well ahead of time, eat in Trastevere and Testaccio rather than right off the big piazzas, and give one day to Tivoli or Ostia Antica.
Greece · island
Santorini
Stay in or near Oia or Imerovigli for the caldera view and sunset, use Fira for the wider choice of restaurants and the cable car down to the old port, and give a half day each to the volcano boat trip and the Ancient Akrotiri and Red Beach combination.
Italy · island
Sardinia
The north-east (Costa Smeralda, La Maddalena, Gallura) for the famous granite coves and the glamour; the north-west (Alghero, Stintino, Capo Caccia) for a walkable Catalan-flavoured town and La Pelosa; the east (Gulf of Orosei, Baunei) for cliff-backed beaches reached by boat or on foot; the south (Cagliari, Chia, Villasimius) for the capital, dunes and the mildest autumn. The Barbagia interior around Nuoro and Oliena is the counterweight to all of it.
Italy · island
Sicily
Split the island into a loop: Palermo for Arab-Norman culture and street food, Taormina and Etna for the coast and the volcano, Syracuse and Ortigia for Greek history, and the Baroque towns of the Val di Noto (Noto, Modica, Ragusa) for architecture and food. Add the Aeolian Islands by ferry from Milazzo if time allows.
Turkey · region
Turkish Riviera (Bodrum to Antalya)
Spend two or three nights on the Bodrum peninsula for the castle, the villages and the beach clubs, two or three nights around Fethiye and Kaş for the lagoon at Ölüdeniz, Patara and the Kekova boat day, and finish with two nights in Antalya for Kaleiçi, Hadrian’s Gate and Aspendos. All-inclusive travelers can anchor the whole trip at Kemer, Belek or Side instead.
Italy · region
Tuscany
Start in Florence for the Uffizi, the Duomo and the Accademia, add a night or two in the Chianti countryside for wine and slower afternoons, then move south to Siena, San Gimignano and the Val d’Orcia for hill towns, cypress roads and Pienza’s pecorino.
Italy · city
Venice
Stay in Dorsoduro, Cannaregio or Castello rather than on Piazza San Marco. Book St Mark Basilica and the Doge Palace online in advance, eat standing at bacari for lunch and sit down away from the main corridor at night, and give a full day to Torcello and Burano rather than a rushed three-island tour.