A 4-week winter adventure

Andy & Dori
do Europe

Twelve cities, six countries — built around a birthday, a Christmas, and a New Year's Eve.
Andy & Dori with their three pets at a winter signpost showing all 12 European cities
Twelve cities, six countries, one adventure ♡
The adventure begins in
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--Hours
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Dec 12, 2026 — Jan 9, 2027
See the full itinerary →
Today's pre-trip prep
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A different prep task surfaces here every day until we fly.

The route

Click a numbered pin for dates. Scroll to zoom (tap inside first on mobile). The dashed line shows the rough travel path.

Day —
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Ready Auto-playing the journey in a moment — sit back and watch. Or press ▶ Play to start now.
Regular stop Birthday 🎂 Christmas 🎄 NYE 🎆 Day trip (Hallstatt)

Where we're going

Tap any panel to jump into that city's day-by-day.

Munich
🇩🇪 · Dec 13–14
Nuremberg
🇩🇪 · Dec 15
Prague
🇨🇿 · Dec 16–17
Vienna
🇦🇹 · Dec 18–19
Salzburg 🎂
🇦🇹 · Dec 20–22
Lucerne
🇨🇭 · Dec 23–24
Grindelwald 🎄
🇨🇭 · Dec 25–28
Strasbourg
🇫🇷 · Dec 29
Paris 🎆
🇫🇷 · Dec 30 – Jan 1
Dolomites 🎿
🇮🇹 · Jan 2–3
Florence
🇮🇹 · Jan 4–5
Rome
🇮🇹 · Jan 6–8

Trip at a glance

12Cities
6Countries
28Days
A$35kCombined Budget
1Birthday
1Christmas
1NYE

Live Currency Converter

Live from the European Central Bank, refreshes every 10 minutes.

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The plan, at a glance

Loop through Central & Western Europe, anchored by birthday Dec 22 in Salzburg, Christmas in Grindelwald, NYE in Paris.

🇩🇪 Germany 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇦🇹 Austria 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇫🇷 France 🇮🇹 Italy
  1. Dec 13–14 · 🇩🇪 Munich
  2. Dec 15 · 🇩🇪 Nuremberg (optional Rothenburg stop en route)
  3. Dec 16–17 · 🇨🇿 Prague
  4. Dec 18–19 · 🇦🇹 Vienna
  5. Dec 20–22 · 🇦🇹 Salzburg + Hallstatt day trip · birthday Dec 22 🎂
  6. Dec 23–24 · 🇨🇭 Lucerne · Christmas Eve
  7. Dec 25–28 · 🇨🇭 Grindelwald · Christmas Day 🎄
  8. Dec 29 · 🇫🇷 Strasbourg (Alsace) · Capitale de Noël
  9. Dec 30 – Jan 1 · 🇫🇷 Paris · NYE 🎆
  10. Jan 2–3 · 🇮🇹 Dolomites (Ortisei) · beginner ski 🎿
  11. Jan 4–5 · 🇮🇹 Florence
  12. Jan 6–8 · 🇮🇹 Rome
  13. Jan 9 · ✈ Fly home via Singapore

The big moments

Each anchor moment with its own live countdown.

Right now

🗓 Trip progress

Where we are along the 28-day journey.

🌤 Weather

First city pre-trip, current city during, last city after.

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⏰ Time

Melbourne vs the city we're in.

♡ Our Bucket List

Tap an item to mark it done. Saves in your browser. Compare scores with each other at the end of every day.

🌟 Anticipation meter

Rate each city 1–5 stars by how excited you are. We can compare scores — see where you align, see what's a sleeper hit.

Book these things now

Sorted by urgency. Most-urgent at the top — work down the list as months pass.

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🔴 Book NOW May – Jun 2026 · we're here
  • ✅ Grindelwald Christmas accommodation BOOKED Chalet Gletscherliechtli · 25–29 Dec · 4 nights · View details →
  • Paris NYE accommodation 3-night minimum stays · NYE rates 2× normal · sells out by midsummer
🟠 In ~3 months Aug – Sep 2026
  • ✈ Flights MEL → MUC, FCO → MEL (via SIN) Aug 2026 · Christmas peak — prices double by November. Singapore Airlines or Qantas.
  • 🛡 Travel insurance (with winter sports + cancellation cover) Within 21 days of booking flights · "Cancel for any reason" cover only available in that window
  • 📋 ETIAS for both passports Aug/Sep 2026 · €7 each, official EU site only. Manual review can take a month.
🟡 60–90 days out Oct – early Nov 2026 · most museum tickets release here
  • 🖼 Louvre Museum tickets, Paris (90 days) Pre-booking mandatory since COVID · popular slots vanish · book on louvre.fr the day they open
  • 🗼 Eiffel Tower summit, Paris (60 days, exact) Tickets release at 00:00 Paris time, 60 days ahead · sunset slots gone within hours
  • 🎨 Uffizi Gallery, Florence (60 days) Must pre-book skip-the-line · uffizi.it · popular times sell out
  • 🗿 Accademia Gallery (David), Florence (60 days) Must pre-book · galleriaaccademiafirenze.it · skip the 2hr queue
  • ⛪ Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel, Rome (60 days) Book on museivaticani.va · saves 2+ hours queueing · consider early-access tour
  • 🛥 Bateaux Mouches NYE cruise, Paris (60+ days) If doing the cruise on NYE or Jan 1 morning — sells out 60+ days ahead
  • 🎂 Esszimmer Salzburg birthday dinner (4–6 weeks) 1-Michelin Austrian tasting menu · Dec 22 · email in German for warmth
🟢 ~30 days out Nov – early Dec 2026
  • 🏛 Colosseum + Forum + Palatine, Rome (30 days exact) Tickets release exactly 30 days ahead on parcocolosseo.it · book the morning they open
  • ⛪ Brunelleschi's Dome climb, Florence (30 days) Combined Duomo ticket · timed slots sell out · book on duomo.firenze.it
  • 🌹 Borghese Gallery, Rome (3 weeks) Strict 2-hour timed entry · galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it · books fast for weekends
  • 🎿 Dolomites beginner ski lesson + rentals (30 days) Book online via Val Gardena ski school · morning slots fill first
  • 🚂 Eurail Global Pass (2–3 weeks out) 15-day Continuous Pass · activate at first train · don't buy too early (validity clock)
  • 🏰 Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna (1–2 weeks) Grand Tour skip-the-line · schoenbrunn.at · always pre-book
  • 🎨 Belvedere Vienna — Klimt's The Kiss (1–2 weeks) Online skip-line ticket · belvedere.at
  • 🧂 Hallstatt Salzwelten salt mine (1–2 weeks) Winter has limited slots · book online or you'll be turned away
  • 🚐 Venice → Ortisei shuttle (Cortina Express, 1–2 weeks) Fixed seats · book online · alternative is 4hr train+bus chain with skis
  • 🍽 Restaurant reservations across the trip (rolling, 1–4 weeks) Wirtshaus Ayinger Munich · U Modré Kachničky Prague · Roscioli Rome · Septime Paris · etc.

📅 How ticket-release timing actually works

Most major European attractions sell tickets in rolling windows — they release tickets for a specific date X days before that date. So Colosseum tickets for Jan 6 open on Dec 7 at midnight Rome time, Eiffel summit Dec 30 opens on Oct 31, and so on. Set a phone reminder for each ticket-release date — popular slots (sunset Eiffel, weekend Vatican, Borghese) can vanish in under an hour.

💰 Budget

Dori firm at A$17k, Andy flexible A$15.5k–A$25.5k. Money page →

🧳 Don't forget

Adapters, walking shoes, hand warmers, ETIAS approval emails.

🛡 Stay safe

Scams + pickpocket guide per city. Safety section →