At a glance

  • For a 24-day itinerary, stick to five bases: Paris, Lucerne, Milan, Barcelona, and Lisbon. Move accommodations fewer than six times and leave at least three full days to explore each city.
  • First look for train connections from Paris to Lucerne with a transfer in Basel, then connections from Lucerne to Milan linking Swiss and Italian rail services. For Milan to Barcelona and Barcelona to Lisbon, compare nonstop flights and baggage terms with the airlines for your travel dates.
  • Don’t schedule nonrefundable attractions on cross-border travel days. If a connection falls through, don’t try to squeeze your next city stay; cut a day of excursions outside Lisbon at the end of the trip or a day in an earlier city instead.

Day by day

Suggested itinerary

See each day's route, highlights, background and stay together in one place.

Days 1–4 · Paris

Stay at one accommodation in Paris. On the evening of Day 4, recheck your departure from Paris Gare de Lyon the next day and your transfer time in Basel with SNCF and SBB.

Day 5 · Paris to Lucerne

Take an international train from Paris to Basel, then transfer to an SBB train to Lucerne. After you arrive, keep plans close to your accommodation.

Days 6–8 · Lucerne

Stay at one accommodation in Lucerne and explore the city and one nearby destination, depending on the weather. On Day 8, check for construction, transfers, and seat reservation requirements on the train to Milan the next day.

Day 9 · Lucerne to Milan

Travel to Milan using the connections shown by SBB and Trenitalia for your travel date. If there’s no direct service or there’s construction, follow the listed transfer route.

Days 10–13 · Milan

Stay at one accommodation in Milan. The day before, check the airport, baggage, and city transfer details for your flight to Barcelona on Day 14.

Day 14 · Milan to Barcelona

Take your booked nonstop flight. After arrival, plan only to check in and find a nearby place to eat.

Days 15–18 · Barcelona

Stay at one accommodation in Barcelona. Check with the airline for your Lisbon flight on Day 19: departure airport, baggage, and when to arrive at the airport.

Day 19 · Barcelona to Lisbon

Take your booked nonstop flight. If it’s canceled or significantly delayed, cut a day of excursions outside Lisbon and protect your time in the city.

Days 20–24 · Lisbon

Make Lisbon your final base. Don’t plan a long day trip the day before departure; sort out your airport transfer and baggage instead.

Places and meals

Paris

Your accommodation base in France for Days 1–4.

Google Maps
Lucerne

Your accommodation base in Switzerland for Days 5–8.

Google Maps
Milan

Your accommodation base in Italy for Days 9–13.

Google Maps
Barcelona

Your accommodation base in Spain for Days 14–18.

Google Maps
Lisbon

Your accommodation and departure base in Portugal for Days 19–24.

Google Maps

How to fit it in

A good fit if you have a long vacation and want to experience Western European cities, mountains, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic.

Reality check

Transport

Travel by train from Paris to Lucerne and Lucerne to Milan, then fly from Milan to Barcelona and Barcelona to Lisbon. A rail pass doesn’t guarantee a seat, so first list the fares and reservation terms for all four actual connections in a table, then compare.

Time

Allow at least 24 days. If you have 20 days, leave out two major regions.

Cost

Mountain transport in Switzerland, popular art museums, and baggage fees on flights between cities can be major expenses.

Safety

The day before traveling, check the operator’s app and notices about strikes or suspended service.

If plans change

Alternative if a Western European cross-border connection is canceled

If a cross-border connection is canceled, extend your stay in the current city and drop one country

Alternative if a 20-day budget goes over the limit

If you’re over budget, reduce high-speed train travel

Small tip

Before buying a pass, list your actual connections and reservation fees in a table, then compare costs.

Final check before departure

  • Search the Paris, Basel, and Lucerne legs for the same date on SNCF and SBB, and check that you have enough time to transfer.
  • Check for construction and seat reservation requirements on the Lucerne–Milan route with SBB and Trenitalia.
  • For flights from Milan to Barcelona and Barcelona to Lisbon, check the airports and total price including baggage on the airlines’ official sites.
  • Check how to get from your accommodation to the airport the day before leaving Lisbon.

The day-by-day allocation in this article is a fixed itinerary proposal, not actual departure times. Search each of the four routes—Paris to Lucerne, Lucerne to Milan, Milan to Barcelona, and Barcelona to Lisbon—for your travel dates before paying for accommodations.

Information checked: 2026-09-06

Google Maps

Check the location on the map

Use Google Maps to review the location and nearby route. Recheck opening hours and prices with the official source before visiting.

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