18 days in Europe Itinerary

Virtually unchanged for the last six centuries, Venice is actually a group of islands made famous by a series of canals, bridges, monuments, piazzas, and narrow pedestrian lanes.

Kick off your visit on the 2nd (Tue): take in the architecture and atmosphere at Santa Maria dei Miracoli, appreciate the extensive heritage of Piazza San Marco, take in the views from Ponte dei Sospiri, see the interesting displays at Doge's Palace, then contemplate the waterfront views at Canal Grande, and finally admire the striking features of Scala Contarini del Bovolo.

For photos, ratings, maps, and more tourist information, refer to the Venice trip maker.

New York City, USA to Venice is an approximately 11.5-hour flight. You'll lose 6 hours traveling from New York City to Venice due to the time zone difference. May in Venice sees daily highs of 72°F and lows of 55°F at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 3rd (Wed) so you can drive to Pula.

It's the mild climate and calm seas of Pula that draw visitors to the southernmost point of the Istrian peninsula, but the city's ample Roman architecture is a key reason they stay.

Start off your visit on the 3rd (Wed): examine the collection at Istrian de Dignan - Ecomuseum and then explore the ancient world of Pula Arena. On your second day here, appreciate the extensive heritage of Old Town, then view the masterpieces at Atelier Sottomuro, and then enjoy the sand and surf at Plomin Luka.

To see traveler tips, more things to do, photos, and more tourist information, read Pula driving holiday planning app.

Traveling by car from Venice to Pula takes 3.5 hours. Alternatively, you can ride a ferry; or take a bus. In May, plan for daily highs up to 70°F, and evening lows to 51°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 5th (Fri) early enough to travel to Zadar.

Situated along the Adriatic Sea, Zadar preserves a medieval old town that is entirely contained on a peninsula.

On the 5th (Fri), make a trip to Narodni trg u Zadru.

To see other places to visit, reviews, traveler tips, and tourist information, you can read our Zadar trip planner.

Explore your travel options from Pula to Zadar with the Route module. In May, daytime highs in Zadar are 72°F, while nighttime lows are 51°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 6th (Sat) early enough to drive to Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Plitvice Lakes National Park, a World Heritage Site, showcases 16 crystalline lakes connected by waterfalls.

On the 6th (Sat), explore the wealth of natural beauty at Plitvice Lakes National Park. Get ready for a full day of sightseeing on the next day: take in the dramatic scenery at Sastavci.

To find traveler tips, other places to visit, photos, and tourist information, use the Plitvice Lakes National Park trip planner.

You can drive from Zadar to Plitvice Lakes National Park in 2.5 hours. Another option is to take a bus. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 7th (Sun) so you can catch the shuttle to Budapest.

You might consider the city of Budapest, divided by the Danube River into two distinctive cities--Buda and Pest--to be essentially one large World Heritage Site.

Get some cultural insight at Fisherman's Bastion and Heroes' Square. Get some historical perspective at Matthias Church and Liberty Statue. There's still lots to do: explore the historical opulence of Buda Castle, contemplate the long history of Shoes on the Danube Bank, snap pictures at Szechenyi Lanchid, and admire the striking features of Vajdahunyad Castle (Vajdahunyadvar).

To find maps, reviews, photos, and other tourist information, refer to the Budapest trip planner.

Traveling by shuttle from Plitvice Lakes National Park to Budapest takes 5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. May in Budapest sees daily highs of 71°F and lows of 50°F at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 11th (Thu) to allow enough time to fly to Prague.

Prague lures millions of tourists each year with its World Heritage-listed medieval city center--a labyrinth of narrow lanes, bridges, cathedrals, and palaces overlooked by a thousand-year-old castle.

Eschew the tourist crowds and head to Spanish Synagogue and Vyšehrad National Cultural Monument. Step out of the city life by going to Czech Paradise and Kralovska Obora-Stromovka. And it doesn't end there: contemplate in the serene atmosphere at St. Vitus Cathedral, identify plant and animal life at Devil's Channel, contemplate the long history of Lobkowicz Palace, and take some stellar pictures from Prague Astronomical Clock.

To find ratings, more things to do, reviews, and other tourist information, read our Prague trip itinerary planning website.

Traveling by flight from Budapest to Prague takes 4.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a shuttle. Traveling from Budapest in May, you will find days in Prague are a bit cooler (64°F), and nights are about the same (48°F). Wrap up your sightseeing on the 14th (Sun) to allow time to fly to London.

Vibrant and noisy, London is one of the world’s leading cities, an international capital of culture, education, fashion, music, finance, trade, and politics.

Get a sense of the local culture at St. Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace. Museum-lovers will get to explore The British Museum and National Gallery. Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around London: Brighton (The Lanes & Brighton Beach). There's still lots to do: get a new perspective on nature at Natural History Museum, learn about all things military at Churchill War Rooms, admire the masterpieces at Victoria and Albert Museum, and make a trip to Tower of London.

To see where to stay, ratings, reviews, and other tourist information, refer to the London online trip itinerary planner.

Fly from Prague to London in 5 hours. Alternatively, you can do a combination of car and train; or do a combination of car and ferry. The time zone changes from Central European Standard Time (CET) to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which is usually a -1 hour difference. In May, plan for daily highs up to 62°F, and evening lows to 46°F. On the 18th (Thu), wrap the sightseeing up by early afternoon so you can fly back home.