Europe from India: Italy, France, Greece and how to combine them

How much does a two-week Europe trip cost from India for a couple?

A private, luxury two-week Europe trip from India costs about ₹20 lakh to ₹45 lakh for two, land only, or ₹10 lakh to ₹22.5 lakh per person. That buys 13 or 14 nights in five-star hotels across three or four bases, private transfers, first-class trains, guides, and a few private boat or driver days. Business-class flights add about ₹2.5 lakh to ₹4 lakh per person. Group coach tours quote far less because they use three-star hotels outside town and fixed days.

• Switzerland, Lake Como, the Amalfi Coast and Santorini cost the most per night; Spain, Portugal and Austria cost less.
• A family of four usually pays 1.7 to 1.9 times the price for two.

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When is the best time to visit Europe from India, and how do we avoid the crowds?

May, June and September are the best months for Europe: warm, long days, everything open, and fewer people than in July and August. April and October suit cities and are quieter still. To avoid crowds, stay in the centre, see the famous sights at opening time or by private early entry, travel midweek, and reserve timed tickets for the Vatican, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower as soon as sales open. Indian school holidays fill May and June flights early.

• The private answer to crowds is timing and access: a guide with first-entry tickets sees the Sistine Chapel before the queues.
• Peak weeks add 30 to 40 percent and sell out six to nine months ahead.

How many countries should we combine on a first Europe trip from India?

Two countries in ten nights, or three in fourteen, is the right number for a first Europe trip. Plan one base for every three or four nights and link the bases by trains of under four hours. Good first pairings are Switzerland with Italy, France with Italy, and Spain with Portugal. One Schengen visa covers all of them: apply to the country where you spend the most nights, or the first one you enter if the nights are equal.

• Five countries in ten days puts about a third of the holiday on coaches and station platforms.
• The UK is outside the Schengen area and needs its own visa.

Read the full guide Source: European Commission: applying for a Schengen visa

What is the best 10-day Italy itinerary from India?

The best 10-day Italy route is Rome for three nights, Florence for three, the Amalfi Coast for three, and a last night in Rome or Naples. The fastest trains take about an hour and a half from Rome to Florence and a little over an hour from Rome to Naples, where a driver takes you on to Positano in about 90 minutes. Three bases is the limit for ten days. Go from late April to June, or in September and October.

• To add Venice, start there for two nights and trim Rome and Florence to two each.
• Amalfi Coast hotels and ferries largely close from November to March; swap in Venice and Milan for a winter trip.
• Privately, ten nights run about ₹15 lakh to ₹32 lakh for two, land only.

Lake Como or the Amalfi Coast: which is better for a honeymoon?

Lake Como is better for calm, grand hotels and easy travel: it is about an hour by car from Milan and pairs well with Switzerland. The Amalfi Coast is better for the sea, cliff villages and boat days to Capri, but lies about 90 minutes beyond Naples by road. Both are best in May, June and September and largely closed from November to March. Five nights on Lake Como cost about ₹12.6 lakh to ₹25 lakh or more for two, land only.

• With ten nights, do both: fly into Milan and home from Naples or Rome.
• The Amalfi Coast road is narrow and slow in July and August; boats are the better way to move.

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Santorini or Mykonos: which is better, and when is the best time to visit Greece?

Santorini is better for couples and caldera views; Mykonos is better for beaches, beach clubs and nightlife. Three nights on each is enough, and a fast ferry links them in two to three hours. Greece is best from late May to June and from September to early October, when the sea is warm and the crowds are thinner. Most island hotels close from November to March. IndiGo flies nonstop to Athens from Mumbai and Delhi.

• On Santorini, Oia has the sunset and the crowds; Imerovigli has the quietest caldera views.
• Caldera suites with plunge pools sell out six to nine months ahead for June to September.
• For families or a quieter week, Paros and Naxos sit on the same ferry line.
• Give Athens two nights for the Acropolis, and check the airline's current schedule before planning around the nonstop.

Source: IndiGo: direct flights between India and Greece

Can we do Spain and Portugal together, and how many days do we need?

Yes: 12 to 14 nights covers Spain and Portugal well. A good shape is Lisbon for three nights, Porto and the Douro Valley for three, Seville for three, and Madrid or Barcelona for three or four. Fly between Portugal and Spain, since no fast train crosses the border, and use Spain's high-speed trains between Seville, Madrid and Barcelona. The best months are May, June, September and October; Andalusia often passes 40°C in July and August.

• With ten nights, choose one country, or keep to Lisbon, Seville and Madrid.
• Lisbon suits a first visit; Porto and the Douro are for wine, the river and a slower pace.
• Vegetarians need more planning here than in Italy, so restaurants should be briefed ahead.
• One Schengen visa covers both; privately, 13 nights run about ₹17 lakh to ₹35 lakh for two, land only.

Source: European Commission: Schengen visa policy

How do we combine Paris with the French Riviera or Provence?

Give Paris four nights, then take the TGV south: Avignon in Provence is about 2 hours 40 minutes away, and Nice on the Riviera about 5 hours 45 minutes by train or 90 minutes by air. Ten nights allows Paris four, Provence three and the Riviera three. Choose Provence for villages, markets and lavender from late June to mid-July, and the Riviera for the sea and grand hotels from May to September.

• Provence needs a car and driver; the Riviera works by train between Nice, Antibes, Cannes and Monaco.
• Lavender around Valensole usually peaks from late June to mid-July, and the dates shift with the weather.
• Fly home from Nice through a European hub and you need not return to Paris.
• Reserve the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Versailles before you travel; a private guide shortens the queues.

How do we plan London and Scotland, and what visa do Indians need for the UK?

Plan ten nights: London four, Edinburgh two, and the Highlands with Skye three or four, best from May to September. Indians need a UK Standard Visitor visa, which is separate from Schengen. It costs £135 (about ₹17,000), allows stays of up to six months, and is usually decided within three weeks of the biometric appointment. You can apply up to three months before travel. The UK's ETA is only for nationalities that do not need a visa.

• London to Edinburgh takes about four and a half hours by direct train.
• Long-term visitor visas cost £506 for two years, £903 for five and £1,128 for ten.
• Combining the UK with France or Italy means two visas and two biometric appointments, so allow extra weeks.
• Midges are worst in the Highlands from June to August; May and September are calmer.

Source: GOV.UK: Standard Visitor, fee and when to applySource: GOV.UK: apply for a Standard Visitor visa

Is Europe worth visiting in December, and which Christmas markets are best?

Yes, for Christmas markets, Alpine snow and quiet cities, but not for coasts or islands. Most markets open in the second half of November and many close on 23 or 24 December; Vienna's Rathausplatz market is dated 13 November to 26 December for 2026. The easiest clusters by train are Vienna, Salzburg and Munich, or Strasbourg, Colmar and Basel. Travel between 1 and 20 December: after that, rates rise 30 to 40 percent and many restaurants close on 24 and 25 December.

• Daylight is about eight hours, so plan two bases and short days.
• The Amalfi Coast, the Greek islands and Lake Como are largely shut; choose cities, markets and mountains.
• Market food leans on sausage; vegetarians do well with cheese noodles, potato pancakes, roasted chestnuts and pastries.
• For snow as well, add Innsbruck, Zermatt or St Moritz.

Read the full guide Source: Vienna Christmas Market, Rathausplatz: datesSource: Vienna Tourist Board: Christmas markets