After months of planning, bookings, spreadsheets, maps, restaurant hunting and probably a few too many itinerary revisions, Europe 2026 is finally no longer something sitting in a calendar.
We’re on our way with one thing missing – my jacket.
Europe 2026 begins
There’s always a strange moment at the beginning of a big trip when everything shifts from planning to actually happening. The bags are packed, the passports have been checked more times than necessary, and all those reservations and train tickets suddenly have a purpose.
For the next several weeks, we’ll be making our way through Spain, Switzerland and Italy — eating, drinking, wandering and probably getting slightly lost along the way.
The journey ahead
- First stop: Barcelona, Spain 🇪🇸
- Then:Tirano and the Swiss Alps 🏔️
- Italy: Milan → Florence → Naples
- South: Cosenza and Calabria
- Final chapter: Sicily 🇮🇹
- Return to the start: Barcelona snd Girona
What we’re looking forward to
There will be famous sights, of course, but what I’m most looking forward to are the things between them: wandering into a little restaurant we didn’t plan on, figuring out the trains, trying the wine that only seems to exist in that particular town, and discovering the dishes we’ll still be talking about when we get home.
There are a few things already high on the list — Catalan vermut in Barcelona, fondue in the Alps, wine in Tuscany, proper Neapolitan pizza, Calabrian amaro and as much Sicilian food as reasonably possible.
Day Zero
Today isn’t really Barcelona yet. It’s the in-between day — home behind us and the whole trip still ahead. Nine and a half hours of airplane isnt do bad when flying Premium with Westjet (a bit of a blip on the return flight but more of that in 6 weeks!).
And after all that planning, that feels pretty damn good.
Next stop: Barcelona
The next post should involve considerably better scenery, our first taste of Spain and, with any luck, something good to eat and a glass of vermut.
Europe 2026 · August 2026
Justyn Perry
Justyn shares first-hand travel stories, honest recommendations and the practical details that make a journey easier to plan.
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