EUROPEAN ROADTRIP ITINERARY

8 countries in 17 days, ferry with DFDS, castles, mountains and an abundance of beautiful scenery

• Amsterdam

• Luxembourg

• Lindner Hotel and Spa, Germany

• Black Forest

• Hohenschwangau

• Lake Bled

• Dolomites

• Liechtenstein

• Ferry back to UK

Amsterdam

Day 1

• 5pm – ferry from Newcastle Upon Tyne with DFDS to Amsterdam

Luxembourg

Day 2

• 9:45pm – arrive in IJmuiden and drive 4 hours to Luxembourg

• 2:30pm – purchase a Luxembourg card on the Luxembourg tourist board website and you will be sent a barcode via email

• 2:30pm – stop in Vianden and jump on the Vianden chairlift free with the Luxembourg card

• 3pm – have a late lunch at the cafe at the top of Vianden chairlift

• 3:45pm – walk down from the top of the chairlift to Vianden castle

• 4:15pm – visit Vianden castle using Luxembourg card

• 4:45pm – drive into the centre of Luxembourg and go to the Chemin de la Corniche view point

• 5:15pm – visit Place d’Armes and Palais Grand-Ducal

• 5:45pm – have an early dinner in Luxembourg centre at Lux burgers, Kamakura (Asian) or Cocottes Gare (reasonably priced, Deli style)

• 6:15pm – drive and check in at Lindner Hotel and Spa, Binshof, Speyer

Lindner Hotel and Spa, Germany

Day 3

• 9am – enjoy breakfast at Lindner Hotel and Spa, Binshof

• 10am – book a Hamam treatment and enjoy the spa facilities

• 12pm – drive to Baden-Baden and visit the Casino, Lichtentaler Allee and explore the old town

• 3pm – have lunch at Mamma Lina (pizza), Rizzi or Amadeus Hausbrau/ Le Bistro (German bar)

• 4pm – drive to Die Kohlerei am See, check in and have dinner

Black Forest

Day 4

• 9am – have breakfast at Die Kohlerei am See

• 10am – drive to the start of Feldbergsteig hike and begin the 4 hour loop which is the highest hike in the Black Forest

• 3pm – visit Ravenna Gorge and hike the 1hr30 loop

• 5:30pm – have an early dinner near Ravenna Gorge or head back to Die Kohlerei am See to eat

Hohenschwangau

Day 5

• 9am – drive to Triberg and visit the waterfalls

• 11am – drive to Hohenschwangau and check into Villa Ludwig

• 2:30pm – explore Hohenschwangau and visit Alpsee, Hohenschwangau castle and Neuschwanstein castle

• 8pm – dinner at Schloss Braustuberl

Lake Bled

Days 6 – 11

• 9am – drive to Lake Bled in Slovenia

Next post: A Fairytale Trip to Lake Bled

Next post: 7 Days in Slovenia

Dolomites

Day 11

• 9am – drive to Lago di Sorapis in the Dolomites and enjoy this picturesque hike

• 3:30pm – drive to Cortina and check into Hotel Serena

• 5:30pm – walk into Cortina centre, explore the town and have dinner at Fvsion Cortina

Day 12

• 9am – drive to Rifugio Auronzo or Rifugio Locatelli and complete the Tre Cime Laveredo hike

• 2pm – if you have time you can also take on the Cinque Torri hike

• 6pm – head back to Cortina and have dinner at Restaurant Ariston

Liechtenstein

Day 13

• 9am – drive from Cortina to Lago di Braies

• 10am – walk around Lago di Braies and enjoy a morning coffee and pastry at a cafe overlooking the lake

• 11:30am – drive to Liechtenstein

• 3pm – check into Park Hotel Sonnenhof

• 3:30pm – head out and explore Liechtenstein and collect your Liechtenstein card from the tourist office

• 5pm – take advantage of the freebies on offer with the Liechtenstein card

• 7:30pm – have dinner at Park Hotel Sonnenhof

Day 14

• 9am – indulge at breakfast in the Park Hotel Sonnenhof

• 10am – drive to Malbun chairlift and use your Liechtenstein card to enjoy a free ride

• 10:45am – walk down from the top of the Malbun chairlift

• 12pm – embark on the three sisters hike (Drei Schwestern), take the right path away from Fürstensteig which is more manageable

• 5pm – drive to Weisbaden. This was a pit stop for us and we stayed at the Holiday Inn

Amsterdam to UK

Day 15 -17

• 9am – drive to Amsterdam and explore the city

Next post: Amsterdam – Embracing Nature, Food and Drink

Next post: Best Things to Do in Amsterdam

Day 17

• 5pm – ferry with DFDS from Amsterdam to Newcastle Upon Tyne

A jam-packed road trip making the very most of the every single day and seeing as much as possible in the short time given. The drives were limited to no more than 5 hours to prevent exhaustion. If you wish to take things a little easier I would recommend removing some of the hikes along the way and replace them with relaxation time.

An incredible trip from start to finish. If you’re planning on organising a European road trip and have any questions, please get in touch.

Next post: 17 Day European Road Trip