My 2 Week Europe Roadtrip Itinerary

Here is the exact itinerary I did this past summer in my journey from the Netherlands to Spain. This was an amazing trip, feel free to copy the whole itinerary to save some trouble planning!

🚗 Stop 1: Rotterdam, Netherlands (Base) + Day Trip to Amsterdam

Why Rotterdam makes a fun and underrated base.
Best thing you did there (architecture? market? vibe?).
Amsterdam day trip: what you squeezed in + photo ops.

🇫🇷 Stop 2: Strasbourg, France

Picture-perfect half-timber houses & canal vibes.
Where to eat, wander, and why it’s worth the stop.
Underrated or “main character” moment here?

🇨🇭 Stop 3: Zurich, Switzerland

I have a whole article on Zurich and all of my recommendations for exploring this gorgeous city here, feel free to check it out for more details on my stay there. This was the perfect two day stop! The city is surrounded by the natural beauty of Switzerland but still has a big city feel. We chose to stop here as it was close to the hike we wanted to do and felt like a good opportunity to explore the city feel before heading to some more beach centered destinations.

Top Moments: Fondue dinner, boat renal at Lake Zurich, and trying Swiss chocolate

Travel Tip: Zurich can be pricy, so look at staying slightly outside the city center to save some money (the public transport is great so no worries about getting around).

🏞️ Stop 4: Kandersteg, Switzerland (Oeschinensee Hike)

This stop was a literal breath of fresh air! We planned this stop to check out the stunning Oeschinensee hike and decided to stay overnight in the closet town of Kanderseg. Be prepared, this town is small (as in only a few streets), but still charming with a good selection of restaurants and lodging. We drove straight to the hike from Zurich that morning and arrived around 11:00 am. You can park at the base and take a tram up to the beginign of the hike (you can buy all tickets there). There is also an alpine slide that you can buy tickets for to take a senic ride through the mountains! The hike is about 6 miles and is a complete loop with fairly large elevation gain. Definitly wear comfortable running or hiking shoes and bring some water. After the hike we took the tram back to the car and drove into Kandersteg where we had a relatively laid-back night and got ready for our drive to Lake Como the next day.

Top Moments: The cows roaming around the fields, the gorgeous lake views at the peak of the hike, and the alpine coaster

Travel Tip: Ensure the trail is open ahead of time; depending on the season the trail can be shut down to to weather as well as the other attractions such as the alpine coaster

🇮🇹 Stop 5: Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como was a great place to have a car as many of the cities are spread out around the lake and only accessible by water or car. We were on a little bit of a budget so the boat tour wasn’t an option for us, but the car made it very easy to get around to all the bigger cities as well as check out some smaller charming towns located around the lake. We stayed in one of the smaller towns called Laglio which was more affordable then staying in Como or Bellagio and were able to drive to all the major cities. This stop was so stunning, we had great food, checked out all of the small unique towns around the lake, and saw some of the iconic villas and houses around the lake. This was a great stop for stunning views and a european summer feel

Top Moments: Taking the ferry to explor Bellagio and its shops and restaurants, Playing cards and sitting outside in Menaggio at a wine bar called Re di Quadri, driving around the lake and stopping at cute towns or villas

Travel Tip: The lake is bigger than expected and towns are a little harder to get to than we thought so be prepared if driving or look into the ferry schedules ahead of time.

🏖️ Stop 6: Rapallo & Portofino, Italy

Rapallo as a more affordable base for exploring.
How to get to Portofino, and what makes it magical.
Photo spots, food, and glam beach energy.

🌊 Stop 7: Nice, France

Coastal charm meets city energy.
Where you stayed + favorite beach moment.
Cute day trip options if you had time (Eze? Monaco?).

🇪🇸 Final Stop: Barcelona, Spain

How you wrapped up the trip with beach + city vibes.
Tapas, Gaudí, and late-night magic.
Tips for navigating the city, especially post-road trip.

🗺️ Road Trip Tips & Recap

Best drives (with views!), how long to spend in each place.
Packing tips, apps you used, and budgeting advice.
What you’d do differently and your must-dos for first-timers.

Check out some photos and an interactive map of all these great locations bellow!

Benefits of Road-tripping Through Europe