Why Visit One Country When You Can Visit Two?

One of the best parts about traveling in Europe is how easy it is to turn one trip into two – or even three – countries. With short distances, seamless transportation, and different cultures packed side by side, adding an extra country to your itinerary can be surprisingly simple. We use this approach a lot when traveling – because we have limited PTO and want to see as many things as possible once we make the journey to Europe.

Here are some of our favorite easy and memorable country pairings that let you double your adventure without doubling your planning. (And, don’t forget to checkout our YouTube videos of each!)

France → Monaco

Distance & Getting There

Getting to Monaco from France couldn’t be easier. From a home base of Nice, it’s just a 30-minute train ride, making Monaco one of the most effortless country hops in Europe.

Highlights

Monaco is tiny—perfect for a half-day visit. It’s incredibly walkable, and you can see many of the main sights in just a few hours. We wandered past the famous Monte Carlo Casino (no gambling for us—we weren’t dressed fancy enough anyway!), admired the harbor filled with jaw-droppingly expensive yachts, and even walked along parts of the Formula 1 race track, which is just a normal road when races aren’t happening.

A few things we didn’t get to, but would be good add-on’s to your trip are the Oceanographic Museum and the Prince’s Palace.

Fun Monaco facts:

It’s one of the smallest countries in the world
There’s no income tax for residents
Formula 1 literally races through city streets

After exploring, it’s easy to hop right back to France. For us, Nice made the perfect home base.

Switzerland → Liechtenstein (and Austria!)

Distance & Getting There

While traveling through Switzerland, we couldn’t pass up the chance to visit Liechtenstein, one of the smallest countries in the world. From Zurich, it’s about a less than a 1.5-hour drive, making it a fantastic day trip.

We rented a car for part of our Switzerland trip and turned this into a three-country day adventure—Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein—all in one loop.

Highlights

Our first stop was Feldkirch, Austria, and wow – what a charming town. It was our first time in Austria and a perfect introduction. We visited a small zoo with sweeping city views, enjoyed lunch overlooking a river, and admired a picturesque castle perched above town.

From there, we continued to Liechtenstein, where we explored the capital city, visited a bird sanctuary, and checked out some old ruins. While the capital itself is small and quiet, the surrounding landscapes are stunning and would be incredible for hiking.

We wrapped up the day back in Switzerland, spending the night in Flums, where we stayed in a tiny home and had the absolute best time. Long day, unforgettable memories.

Albania → Greece

Distance & Getting There

From the coastal town of Sarandë, Albania, it’s just a 40-minute ferry ride to the Greek island of Corfu—making this one of the easiest international day trips we’ve ever done.

Buying ferry tickets is simple. You can book online or stop by the ferry terminal (we bought ours the night before). They clearly display ferry types – slow, medium, or fast – along with prices and departure times, so you can choose what works best. We took the medium ferry on the way there for timing reasons and tried the super fast ferry on the way back.

The process was smooth: quick security, passport check, and another short passport line upon arrival in Greece.

Highlights

Once you arrive in Corfu, it’s a short taxi ride to the Old Town, where you can easily spend the day wandering charming streets, eating incredible food, and soaking up Greek island vibes.

We booked a private boat tour, which took us snorkeling around secluded spots with crystal-clear water – one of the highlights of the entire trip. There are also beautiful beaches nearby, though reaching them usually means larger boats and bigger crowds.

This was such an easy and rewarding day trip: ferry at 9am, back by 7pm, and totally worth it.

Slovakia → Austria

Distance & Getting There

Only one hour apart are two beautiful European capitals: Bratislava and Vienna.

You can travel between them by train or Uber. We chose an Uber since the cost was nearly the same for our group and it gave us more flexibility with timing. No passport control – just quick and easy travel.

Highlights

Bratislava completely charmed us. We spent two days exploring the Old Town, visiting the castle, and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere. It’s compact, colorful, and full of character.

We only had half a day in Vienna, but even that was enough to see why it’s considered one of Europe’s most stunning cities. We walked through the historic city center and passed countless iconic buildings and landmarks.

You could do this as a day trip in either direction, but if possible, we recommend 24–48 hours in each city to really experience them.

Albania → North Macedonia

Distance & Getting There

From Tirana, Albania’s capital, we drove to Ohrid, North Macedonia in our rental car. The drive takes about 3 hours, though ongoing construction and traffic can slow things down. And – you do have a border crossing as well.

There are buses and private drivers available, but having a rental car gave us flexibility for our Albania road trip.

Highlights

Ohrid is truly a hidden gem. Sitting on the shores of Lake Ohrid—one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe—it’s incredibly picturesque, with unique architecture and a relaxed lakeside vibe.

We stayed in a beautiful, affordable apartment with lake views, just steps from restaurants and shops. Over two full days, we hiked up to the fortress for panoramic views, enjoyed gelato by the water, and even took a private sunset boat tour for around $5 per person.

We absolutely love Albania and highly recommend exploring it – but if you’re nearby, adding Ohrid to your itinerary is a no-brainer.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes the best travel experiences come from stepping just a little bit outside your original plan. Whether it’s a quick ferry, a short train ride, or a scenic drive, visiting two (or more!) countries in one trip can be surprisingly easy—and incredibly rewarding.

Why choose one when you can have two? 🌍✈️