Start with the time you actually have.
Count nights between arriving in Europe and flying home. If flights are booked, those dates lead. If they aren’t, compare flying home from your last city with returning to the first.
Give each stop a reason to be there.
Pick the places your family most wants to see, then look at how they connect. A city that looks close on a map may add a train change and another hotel day.
A base to come back to
Stay several nights and take smaller day bags out. Keep the same beds while you explore nearby.
Another overnight stop
More time in a new place, plus packing, checkout, station travel and check-in. Decide whether that trade-off is worth it.
A train ride is only part of a travel day.
Add time to leave the hotel, reach the station, change trains if needed, and settle into the next room. Keep the first evening simple.
Our 14-day example uses five Paris nights, four in Lucerne, three in Munich and one near Frankfurt Airport. It’s a starting point, not a required number of stops.
Put the everyday needs in early.
- Who’s coming, including children’s ages at travel
- Room and bed needs, with any connecting-door request
- A limit on hotel changes and time on trains
- The mornings, meal times or activities you want to protect
- Flights, stays and other bookings already made
Agree on the shape before buying the pieces.
See the cities and nights together. Try a slower version if the travel days look heavy. Once the route works for your family, book the things that set other dates first.