For our first time in Europe, we probably could’ve picked one country and called it a win. Instead, we grabbed our carry‑ons, stitched together planes, ships, and shuttle buses, and tried to see how much of a continent we could fit into twelve days. Here’s how it all adds up.

Trip Snapshot

Dates: June 7–18, 2023

Route: Naples (Amalfi Coast), Venice, Croatia, Turkey, Greek islands, Athens

Days on the road: 12

Transportation: Planes, a cruise ship, buses, and a very memorable rental car on the Amalfi Coast

Luggage: 2 carry‑ons and 1 backpack.

By the Numbers

9 time zones crossed

13,231 miles flown on the COS–DEN–EWR–NAP–VCE–ATH–ORD–DEN–COS route

7 planes across 2 airlines

2 heavy days in the air, 2 full sea days, wrapped around 8 days in port and on shore

1,961 nautical miles sailed across 4 seas in the Mediterranean

4 countries visited for the first time: Italy, Croatia, Greece, and Turkey

12 first‑time cities explored

4 hotels

Roughly 251,862 steps walked together (about 114.48 miles on foot)

850+ photos taken

The Highlights Reel

Amalfi drive: Kicking things off by driving the Amalfi Coast in a rental car, white‑knuckling around blind curves, and getting honked at by the police for going too slow. Scenic, slightly chaotic, 10/10 would do it again.

Venice at dawn: Standing in the middle of St. Mark’s Square with nobody else there—just us, one photographer, and the sound of our footsteps echoing between centuries‑old walls. It felt like we’d accidentally rented the whole city for the morning.

Dubrovnik surprise: Walking through the walled city that we almost wrote off as “just another stop” and realizing it might be one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever seen. Stone streets, red roofs, blue water, instant favorite.

Santorini reveal: Sailing in and finally seeing that white‑and‑blue postcard view in real life—houses and churches stacked along the rim of an extinct volcano, hundreds of feet above the water.

Athen’s awe: Ancient stones, modern traffic, and us standing next to the Parthenon, trying to take in a few thousand years in one glance.

Twelve days, four countries, one very proud carry‑on flex—and the moment we realized Europe had just become part of the regular rotation.