For travelers planning their first trip to Europe, I’d make several recommendations. Typically, I recommend starting in Ireland or the United Kingdom, particularly for those who are nervous about any potential language barrier. But for those who still want something “easy”, but are up for a little more of a challenge, I recommend starting with Paris and Amsterdam. Both cities have a lot to offer and with just one week, you will get to tour the highlights of both cities.
As a bonus, I found the language barrier here to be pretty easy to jump over. Yes, you’ll find nearly everything in the local language (French in Paris and Dutch in Amsterdam), but because these are such tourist destinations, there is so much English. While you shouldn’t assume everyone speaks English, you’re sure to have few problems finding an English speaker if you really get stuck.
Paris to Amsterdam Itinerary
This itinerary starts in Paris and finishes in Amsterdam. So, you’ll need to book a multi-city ticket. While you could transfer back to your starting location, that’s extra time and money. Instead, you can just fly home straight from Amsterdam.
But, since this ticket requires a multi city ticket, it’s worth checking flight prices. Check to see what it will cost to fly into Paris and out of Amsterdam and compare that to flying into Amsterdam and out of Paris. This itinerary is very easy to flip, so let the flight times and prices decide which direction you’ll travel.
Day 1 – Hello, Paris
Welcome to Paris, France. It’s time to start this adventure. However, I don’t have as much planned for the first day. Your only goal for the day is to get from the airport to your hotel.
In an ideal world, you’ll arrive in Paris in the morning, which leaves you the afternoon to explore and get your first taste of the city. I recommend spending the day on a walking tour and getting your bearings around Paris. You can join a tour group, hire a private guide, or utilize one of the many free self guided options that are available online. Personally, I use the Rick Steves’ Audio Europe app. While the dialogue is cheesy, the tours are free and give a great introduction to the city you’re visiting.
Sleep: Paris, France
Day 2 – Exploring Paris
We’re spending today at the birthplace of Paris: the island in the middle of the Seine River. The Île de la Cité, and its immediate surroundings, house three phenomenal stops: Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle, and the Archeological Crypt.
Sainte Chapelle is best visited early when you can admire the stained glass without throngs of tourists. This chapel was built to house Jesus’s crown of thrones and the stained glass windows tell the stories of the Bible. A visit here can be quick, but the chapel is beautiful.
A short walk away on the actual island where Paris was founded sits Notre Dame and the Archeological Crypt. Many people just visit Notre Dame and skip the Archeological Crypt. The Archeological Crypt allows you to walk through the ancient Roman ruins that Paris was built upon. While you’re down here, you’ll wonder why more people aren’t visiting (especially because you’ll exit and be surrounded by people again).
Notre Dame is a magnificent 14th century cathedral that has become one of the symbols of Paris. In April 2019, a fire closed the fire to the public. Now it’s back open, so go inside and tour the interior that had been closed for nearly five years.
By now, you’ve probably worked up an appetite. The good news is, you should have absolutely no problem finding a cafe nearby to grab a bite to eat.
In the afternoon, the plan is to visit two museums: The Museé d’Orsay and the Museé d’Orangerie.
At the Museé d’Orsay, you’ll see 19th and 20th century art. For many visitors, seeing the impressionist artworks are a highlight. It’s at this museum that you’ll find paintings from Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Vincent Van Gogh, Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, and so many more.
Just a short 10 minute walk from the Museé d’Orsay is the Museé d’Orangerie. The collection at the Museé d’Orangerie is smaller, but it holds Claude Monet’s famous waterlily paintings. These waterlilies are the highlight of the Museé d’Orangerie.
We’re going to cram in one last thing on this busy sightseeing day: the Arc di Triomphe. It’s a long walk, so save your feet and catch the metro to the Arc di Triomphe where you’ll get incredible views of Paris. And before you get freaked out about crossing through the massive roundabout—you don’t have to. Before you cross the street, look around. There are entrances that will allow you to go down, under the street, and under the roundabout, to reach the Arc di Triomphe.
The evening is free for you to do as you please. Have a nice dinner, find another great view of Paris (I like the view from Sacre Ceour in Montmartre), take a sightseeing boat down the River Sienne, or head back to your hotel to relax. There’s no wrong answer.
Sleep: Paris, France
Day 3 – Versailles and Paris
We’re starting the morning with a trip out of Paris to visit one of the most magnificent palaces in Europe at Versailles.
Getting to Versailles is easy and efficient. Simply catch the RER C from one of the numerous stops in Paris and ride it all the way to the very last station: Versailles Chateau Rive Gauche. Once at the train station, follow the crowd of tourists as you all make your way to the palace.
The Palace of Versailles is one of the most popular day trips from Paris. Given that, I think it’s really important to get there early. The earlier you go, the lower the crowds and the more enjoyable your experience will be.
At the Palace of Versailles, start with the interior. Take note of its magnificent decor and do your best to survive the crowds in the Hall of Mirrors. When you’ve finished touring the interior, don’t forget to visit the expansive gardens.
After you’re done touring the Palace of Versailles, it’s time to head back to Paris. We’re not in a rush though, so you have time to eat some lunch. Stop in the city of Versailles or wait until you get back to Paris. The choice is yours.
Once back in Paris, it’s time to visit one of the most iconic museums in the world: The Louvre. The museum will undoubtedly be packed, particularly around the most well known pieces, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying it.
Not a big fan of art? The building itself is a former palace and absolutely stunning. I think I enjoyed marveling at the architecture of the building more than some of the actual paintings. I followed a self guided walking tour of the Louvre to make my visit efficient, but not too long winded. Without the tour giving me context, I likely would have been very bored.
After the museums, we’re going to visit the most iconic sight of Paris. Head over to the Eiffel tower. Gaze up at Paris’s most iconic sight. For those wanting to get the views from the top of the tower, make sure to reserve a time slot in advance.
The evening is once again yours to explore.
Sleep: Paris, France
Day 4 – Paris to Amsterdam
Today is the day you’re transferring hotels. By the end of the day, you need to be at your hotel in the Netherlands. The journey from Paris to Amsterdam takes about four hours on the Thalys high speed train. So, that leaves you with an extra half day. It’s your choice if you want to spend that in Paris or in the Netherlands. You really can’t go wrong with either option. If you want more time in Paris, take an afternoon train. For more time in the Netherlands (which is what I’d pick if I really had to choose), take a morning train.
As soon as you know which day you’ll be traveling, book your train. Trains can, and do, sell out. Additionally, prices go up as the departure date gets closer. So, to save money (sometimes as much as 50 Euros or more!), book early.
While this itinerary focuses on Amsterdam, it’s not strictly necessary to stay in Amsterdam. Hotels within Amsterdam are expensive and when I visited in 2023, it was completely out of my budget. So, I looked elsewhere. Popular budget options are Haarlem, Utrecht, and Leiden. All three have cheap and frequent trains that will get you into the Amsterdam.
I stayed in Leiden because it offered me the best deal. My hotel ended up being a third of what I would have paid had I stayed in central Amsterdam. Of course, I did have to pay for the train to get from Leiden to Amsterdam, which at the time cost about 10 euros each way. But even with these added train costs, staying in Leiden was still significantly (at least 50%!) cheaper than staying within Amsterdam. If you’re willing to add a 30 minute train ride to get into central Amsterdam to save some serious cash, this is something you should look into.
Sleep: Amsterdam (or Haarlem, Utrecht, or Leiden)
Day 5 – Exploring Amsterdam
It’s time for Amsterdam. Catch an early train into the city so you can be at your first museum right when it opens. There’s so much to see in Amsterdam and efficiency is key.
With your one day in Amsterdam, I recommend picking two museums and combining them with some walking tours. This is how I spent my one day in Amsterdam and it was one of my favorites of my entire trip.
For museums, consider the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Anne Frank House (although this is just a starting list – there are so many more museums in Amsterdam). You can comfortably visit two museums and still have time for some walking tours in the afternoon.
For walking tours, you can join a group, hire a guide, or use a self guided walk. If you used the Rick Steves’ app for Paris, good news. You can use it again for Amsterdam.
As afternoon turns into evening, you have a choice. Spend the evening in Amsterdam and have a nice dinner or start working your way back to Leiden and stop off in Haarlem. I chose to stop off in Haarlem, because I read from many travelers how nice it was. I’ll be honest, I didn’t quite see it. Was it nice? Sure, but it just wasn’t my favorite city in the Netherlands. I think Leiden is better, so if you didn’t explore Leiden yesterday, consider exploring it today.
Sleep: Amsterdam (or Haarlem, Utrecht, or Leiden)
Day 6 – A Day Trip
For day three, I’m giving you two options. The first is a spring itinerary, ideal for those who are visiting the Netherlands from Mid March to Mid May. For everyone else, I recommend following the second itinerary.
Option 1 – For Spring Visitors
If you’re visiting in the spring, you’ll want to see some of the famous tulips in the Netherlands. The best place to do this is at the Keukenhof. The big caveat is Keukenhof is only open for two months every year—which is why I had to give two options for this itinerary. Spring visitors will be able to visit Keukenhof, but for all other travelers, you’re out of luck.
I recommend visiting Keukenhof right when they open. I found crowds to be significantly smaller right at opening time. Plus, as an added bonus, you will get the afternoon to explore another Dutch city.
The Keukenhof can be tricky to get to, but the owners know this. Handy tourist buses depart from Amsterdam, Leiden, and elsewhere to help bring tourists to one of the Netherlands’ top sights. When you book your ticket in advance (which is my recommendation anyway), you have the option to select transportation.
You can spend as long as you like at the Keukenhof, but I found four hours is sufficient (although it can definitely be done in less). However, if you choose to rent a bike and cycle through nearby tulip fields, you may need longer.
The afternoon is a trip to another small Dutch town. This time we’re going to Delft which isn’t as high on the excitement scale as Amsterdam or Keukenhof. However, Delft still has a handful of sights and it is a very nice city to wander.
Option 2 – For non-spring Visitors
Travelers who visit outside of the spring won’t have the option to visit Keukenhof. So, your morning will look a little different. I recommend splitting your day between two cities. In the morning, head to Rotterdam to explore its modern architecture. The city feels completely different to every other Dutch city I visited.
When you leave Rotterdam, stop off in Delft on your way back to Leiden. This is another fun, small city to visit. While it’s not high on the excitement scale in terms of the number of sights, it’s still a delightful town to wander.
Sleep: Amsterdam (or Haarlem, Utrecht, or Leiden)
Day 7 – Fly Home
The trip is over. Head to Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport to fly home.
Hotels Needed
Days 1-3: Paris, France
Days 4-6: Amsterdam, Netherlands (or Haarlem, Utrecht, or Leiden if you are looking to save some money)
Trains Needed
Day 4 – Paris, France to Amsterdam, Netherlands
When to Do This Paris to Amsterdam Itinerary
This Paris to Amsterdam itinerary can be done all year round. However, in summers expect high temperatures and high crowds. While shoulder seasons (spring and fall) can be ideal, spring can be busy in the Netherlands. Spring brings the tulips to bloom and that drives more tourists to the Netherlands. But, I would recommend the Netherlands in the spring if you are able.
Regardless of when you visit, you’re sure to have a good time.
Final Thoughts
For travelers looking at where to go for their first trip to Europe, I think a strong case can be made for Paris and Amsterdam. Both cities are filled with exciting sights, good food, and plenty of helpful tourist infrastructure.
Continue Your Adventure
France: Start in the capital of France and explore Paris. Whether you have five days, two days, or a layover, you’ll have a great time. Beyond Paris is the Loire Valley with it’s magnificent chateaux which can be explored by train. Learn more in my France Travel Guide.
Netherlands: Amsterdam has so much to offer travelers, but that’s not the only city. Rotterdam, the Netherlands’ second largest city has a completely different feel with its modern and quirky architecture. Plus the smaller towns of Delft and Leiden offer a bit of peace and something even more different. And if you visit in spring, make sure to visit the Keukenhof Gardens. Learn more in my Netherlands Travel Guide.
More Itineraries: If you have a few more days, consider checking out my itinerary for Paris, Belgium, and Amsterdam. For more even more itineraries in Europe, check out the Best of Spain in 10 Days or my 10 Days in Scandinavia itinerary. For shorter trips, try my Long Weekend in Zurich itinerary or even Five Days in Iceland Without a Car.