Europe and The Baltics – 2024

Picture this: a two-month, cross-continental road trip through Europe, packed with adventure, spontaneity, and a whole lot of travel inspo!

Last year, we kicked off our biggest journey yet, starting in the charming city of Haarlem, Netherlands, and making our way all the way to Finland. Along the way, we didn’t just stick to the road—we hopped on barges, ferries, trains, buses, and even a bit of rail, soaking in Europe’s stunning landscapes and diverse cultures at every turn.

Planning this epic trip to Europe, was no small feat—it took nearly a year of collaborative researching travel blogs and books, flipping through magazines, deep-diving into tourist boards, and, of course, scrolling endlessly through Instagram and TikTok. While Ron and I were doing this trip primarily just the two of us, we were lucky enough to be joined by Ron’s sister, Tami, for the last 3 and a half weeks. This was our 5th trip together as a group! We, as a group, crafted the perfect, tailor-made itinerary, blending iconic must-sees with hidden gems!

Our Dream Vacation: A Journey Across Europe’s Best Destinations

Every great adventure starts with an idea, and for us, it was a tradition for Ron and I —every other year, we pack up and take our kids on a big trip. Seventeen years ago, when they were just 4, 9, 11, and 13, it was easy to round everyone up every second year. But these days? Between jobs, school, and life pulling them in different directions, getting all four together is a rare treat.

This year was no exception, but we still hit the road with our three oldest in tow – for 9 days of our 2 months—ready to make new memories, explore new places, and keep our family travel tradition alive!

Below is our full itinerary for Europe, including the Baltics! Originally, I planned to summarize each leg here, but it started feeling a bit too long-winded – who has time to read a two month long post?. Instead, I will link each leg as a separate post as I go so you can choose what you want to dive into without missing any details. This way, everything stays organized, and you get the full experience at your own pace however you like!

April 6 – Fly Vancouver to Amsterdam

THE NETHERLANDS

• April 7 – Haarlem
• April 9 – 12 – Rotterdam
• April 12 – 14 – Utrecht

BIKE AND BARGE TOUR

• April 14 – April 22 – Amsterdam to Bruges

BELGIUM

• April 22 – 24 – Brussels

LUXEMBOURG

• April 24 – 26 – Luxembourg City

GERMANY

• April 26 – 28 – Nuremburg

CZECH REPUBLIC

• April 28 – 30 – Prague

AUSTRIA

• April 30 – May 2 – Vienna

HUNGARY

• May 2 – 5 – Budapest

POLAND

• May 5 – 8 – Krakow
• May 8 – 11 – Warsaw
• May 11 – 13 – Wroclaw

LITHUANIA

• May 13 – 17 – Vilnius
• May 17 – 21 – Kaunas

LATVIA

• May 21 – 24 – Riga
• May 24 – 26 – Valga
• May 26 – 27 – Voru

ESTONIA

• May 27 – 29 – Tartu
• May 29 – 30 – Narva
• May 30 – June 2 – Tallinn

FINLAND

• June 2 – 6 – Helsinki

June 6 – Fly home to Vancouver

A Few Notes Looking Back on Our Trip Through Europe

• Luxembourg City – For me, it was just okay. No doubt, it’s pretty and very walkable, and I’m glad we stopped. But honestly, one night would have been plenty.
• Vienna – We could have shaved off a night here. We covered everything in two days, so an extra night wasn’t really necessary.
• Kaunas (4 Nights?!) – In all honesty, way too much time here. Four nights was overkill.
• Warsaw & Finland – Both were great, but again, four nights each was more than we needed.
• Biggest Mistake? Skipping Bratislava – Originally, we planned to spend a night or two in Bratislava on our way from Budapest to Krakow. For some reason, we collectively decided to skip it in favor of more time in Vienna—huge mistake!
• Kosice Surprise – We stopped in Kosice for a quick 90-minute lunch and instantly realized we had majorly underestimated Slovakia. That brief visit made us wish we had stuck to our original plan.

What Would We Have Done Differently on Our Trip to Europe?

Looking back, we could have easily cut four extra days from our itinerary and used them for something better. Bratislava and Gdańsk both come to mind as missed opportunities. And if we were really feeling adventurous? Belarus could have been a wild card. But hey—you don’t know what you don’t know! Follow along on our next posts for all of our intel on hotels, food, sights and hidden gems!