Travelers often want to embrace the immensity and see as much beauty and sights as possible in a short trip. Today we will not persuade you to slow down, on the contrary, we invite you to see twice as many interesting things! In this article we have made a selection of cities that are easy to visit in one week.
Rome and Naples
Flight Moscow – Rome and back: from 10,599 rubles
Train tickets Rome – Naples: from 839 rubles one way
Travel time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Hotel in Rome for 1 person for 2 days: from 2,616 rubles
Hotel in Naples for 1 person for 2 days: from 1,939 rubles
These two Italian cities can and even should be seen in one go: from the capital of Italy to Naples you can travel by a comfortable train in two and a half hours. We recommend setting aside at least two days for each city: this will be enough to get acquainted with the main attractions and understand whether it is worth returning here in the future.
In Rome, be sure to stop by St. Peter’s Basilica and stroll through the square of the same name. It is better to come to the cathedral as early as possible: the observation deck opens at eight in the morning, and already from nine in the morning a long line of tourists crosses the square. Then head towards Castel Sant’Angelo, cross the Tiber on the bridge and get lost in the narrow streets of the old city. The second day can be devoted to walks around the Colosseum and through the ruins, and if the weather is too hot, to the park at Villa Borghese.
Naples is a city much less rich in attractions than Rome. Here it is better to just walk the streets and absorb the local flavor, not forgetting to go to bars for coffee: Neapolitan espresso is considered the most delicious in Italy. If your soul craves history, take a look at the local castles: Castel Nuovo, despite the word “new” in the name, dates back to the 13th century, and Castel dell’Ovo is even older. They say that Naples was founded on this spot in the 6th century BC. Well, if the weather is especially hot, go underground: there are many catacombs and underground passages near Naples, many of which offer interesting excursions.
Verona and Venice
Photo: @bunsgourmet/Instagram.com
Flight Moscow – Verona and back: from 14,501 rubles
Train tickets Verona – Venice: from 942 rubles one way
Travel time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Hotel in Verona for 1 person for 2 days: from 5,616 rubles
Hotel in Venice for 1 person for 2 days: from 4,983 rubles
There is a convenient and fast train from Verona to Venice, so in just over an hour you will find yourself in the city of canals and palazzos. This is convenient if the trip is short, but your soul requires more beauty and atmosphere.
A couple of days in Verona is enough for walking the streets and an excursion to Castelvecchio Castle. Be sure to stop by the famous Amphitheater, built in the 1st century AD: you can visit it during the day on a guided tour, and in the summer there are often concerts and operas in the evenings. Stop by the courtyard of Juliet’s house to take a photo against the balcony, touch the statue and, if you want, leave a note on the wall. And a hundred meters from this house stands Romeo’s house, which, unlike the fictional house of Juliet, actually belonged to the real Montague family – the prototype of Shakespeare’s heroes.
In Venice, a couple of days may not be enough, because it’s so cool to walk along the narrow streets and bridges over the canals. There is also a lot to see here: from the well-known St. Mark’s Cathedral and the Doge’s Palace to more modest basilicas and churches. In fact, the whole city is a huge museum, so hop on a gondola and go on a tour of the canals. But two days may not be enough to visit the famous areas of Murano and Burano, leave them for your next trip.
Helsinki and Stockholm
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Flight Moscow – Helsinki one way: from 7,950 rubles
Ferry tickets Helsinki – Stockholm: from 80 euros one way
Flight Stockholm – Moscow one way: from 8,220 rubles
Travel time: 12 hours
Hotel in Helsinki for 1 person for 2 days: from 2,709 rubles
Hotel in Stockholm for 1 person for 2 days: from 2,534 rubles
It’s not difficult to see two Scandinavian capitals in one trip – and, by the way, traveling to Stockholm via Helsinki will be cheaper. Ferries operate between Finland and Sweden and are operated by several companies. For example, you can land in Helsinki at 17:30 and be in Stockholm at ten in the morning the next day.
Two days is enough to explore the Finnish capital. It’s nice and easy to walk around the center here – the streets will in any case lead you to the embankment and the Cathedral – and make a list of attractions in advance. Include the Kampi Chapel of Silence, Temppeliaukio Rock Church, Sibelius Monument and Esplanade Park. And if you want to see the city from above, go to the Finnair SkyWheel Ferris wheel on the embankment.
Excursions from locals in Helsinki
Stockholm will surely enchant you in two days. Start your tour from the city center, where all the main attractions are located: the Royal Palace, the Reichstag building, the Church of St. Nicholas and the German Church, the narrowest alley in the city and the smallest monument. And the second day can be devoted to walks along the streets and embankment, and a look at the island of Djurgården with amusement parks and interesting museums.
Amsterdam and Brussels
Flight Moscow – Amsterdam and back: from 13,217 rubles
Train tickets Amsterdam – Brussels: from 3,769 rubles one way
Time in journey: 1 hour 50 minutes
Hotel in Amsterdam for 1 person for 2 days: from 2,301 rubles
Hotel in Brussels for 1 person for 2 days: from 2,462 rubles
The great thing about traveling to Amsterdam is that from this city you can take the train to many beautiful places around. We chose the capital of Belgium as a couple for our trip: Brussels is underestimated by many tourists, believing that there is nothing to do in this city for more than a couple of days. So you will have the opportunity to confirm or refute this opinion. Moreover, the journey from Holland to Belgium will take less than two hours.
How to spend two days in Amsterdam? Depends on your interests. The city is suitable for young people who can go to great lengths here (with reservations, of course), as well as for history and art lovers. You can combine one with the other: on the first day, walk along the streets along the canals, ride a rented bicycle, sit in coffee shops, and in the evening look at the windows of the Red Light District. And the next morning, look into the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, visit the Anne Frank House and the Rembrandt Museum.
Tours from locals in Amsterdam
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Brussels is a more strict and decorous city. It’s worth starting your tour from the historical center, where the Market Square, St. Michael’s Cathedral and the Sacre Coeur Basilica are located. While walking along the streets, do not accidentally pass by the famous Manneken Pis: the sculptural symbol of Brussels is very small, and many tourists do not find it the first time. For a more modern experience, head to the Atomium, a monument made of an enlarged iron molecule. In the upper ball there is an observation deck with an excellent view of the city, and at the foot there is a Mini-Europe park with miniatures of the most beautiful sights of the European Union.
Prague and Dresden
Flight Moscow – Prague and back: from 12,502 rubles
Car rental in Prague for 5 days: from 4,954 rubles
Travel time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Hotel in Prague for 1 person for 2 days: from 1,016 rubles
Hotel in Dresden for 1 person for 2 days: from 2,770 rubles
If you rent a car in Prague, the choice of neighboring cities to explore is simply huge – you can also travel around the Czech Republic (go to Karlovy Vary and Brno, see castles), reach both Austria and Germany. We chose the small German Dresden as a couple of Czech capitals, a couple of days are enough to explore it.
But two days in Prague may not be enough – you want to see and discover this atmospheric medieval city with unusual architecture again and again. Be sure to take a walk around the Prague Castle castle complex and go to St. Vitus Cathedral – it’s good to come back here in the evening, when the cathedral is illuminated and looks like a carved lantern. Explore the city from above by going up to the observation deck of the Petřín Tower. Wander through the narrow streets lined with colorful houses and cross the river over the famous Charles Bridge to reach the Old Town Square with its amazing astronomical clock.
Less than two hours by car – and now you find yourself in an amazing city, burned to the ground at the end of World War II, but so alive today. This is not the most popular tourist place, but the few days spent here are all the more valuable. Start exploring the city from the old center, Altstadt with the Frauenkirche church, which survived the bombing, but then collapsed anyway and stood in ruins for 40 years as a edification to posterity. Today it has been restored, and the observation deck offers an excellent view of the city. Look at the Academy of Arts, the Semper Opera, and the Zwinger palace complex. If you want to experience art, visit the Dresden Art Gallery, where you can see paintings by Vermeer and Rembrandt. And of course, walk more along the embankment and streets – in Dresden you can see stunning buildings and even entire neighborhoods (for example, the bright independent Neustadt).
*Prices are based on travel in September. Prices are indicated at the time of writing. The cost indicated in the material and the final price may differ.
