2027 Prague, Bavaria and Salzburg. See where we're going
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The Lauterbrunnen valley in the Swiss Alps, photographed on one of our own trips

Personalized European travel

Explore Europe your way.

Private trips built around your budget, your pace and your dates — never a stranger, never someone else's schedule.

Plan your trip See everywhere we have been
Doug Silvester on Pilatus, above Lucerne

I'm Doug. I plan the trip with you, and guide it if you ask.

Personal Euro Tours is one person, not an agency desk. I build one itinerary at a time, for one party, and I have stood in nearly every place I will send you.

The clearest way to show what that is worth is a real trip, costed twice. The first version of our June 2026 route — six of us, twelve days, Munich to Salzburg to Lucerne to Zermatt — came to $25,813. The one we actually took came to $21,716: $4,097 less, $683 a head, over the same twelve days and the same three countries, with nothing dropped.

Where that $4,097 came from, and what I charge

Where we have been

13 countries, 70 towns, all our own photographs

Not a list of places we could book for you — places we have stood in, with 2,324 pictures to prove it. We plan trips in every one of them, and arrange itineraries in Spain, Ireland and the rest of Europe besides.

All 13 destinations

How deep it goes

23 days, written out hour by hour

These happen to be Swiss, because Switzerland is where we have spent the most time. They are here as the clearest example of how we plan a day anywhere — morning to evening, with honest notes on what is worth paying for and what costs nothing.

All 23 regions

What makes ours different

We tell you where not to spend.

Every one of our Swiss guides carries budget notes for each part of the day — which viewpoints are free, when to pack a picnic instead of booking a terrace, which single cable car is worth the money and which to skip.

Your budget determines the trip, whether you want to travel like a prince or a pauper. We would rather you spend it on the two things worth it than on six that are not.

Read a sample day in Lucerne

“Walking the Old Town, crossing the historic wooden bridges, and enjoying the river and wall views is free.”

“If you decide to go up a tower or into a paid attraction, pick just one paid view to keep costs down and enjoy the rest from outside.”

“Drink tap water — safe and excellent quality spring water — instead of ordering bottled water in restaurants.”

From our one-day Lucerne guide
A Christmas market at night in Strasbourg, France, photographed on one of our own trips

Late November to Christmas

The Christmas markets, done properly.

10 towns across 4 countries — Nuremberg, Strasbourg, Rothenburg, Prague, Colmar — walked over 5 winters. Tell us which ones you want and we build the route around you. No fixed departure.

Worth knowing now: the good hotels in Rothenburg and Nuremberg are gone months ahead. If you are thinking about this December, this is the time to ask.

See the markets

How a trip comes together

  1. 01

    Tell us the shape of the trip

    Your dates, how long you want to be away, who is traveling, and what you actually want to spend. Budget is one of the first questions I ask, not the last.

  2. 02

    I build the itinerary

    Handpicked accommodation, local guides, transfers and day-by-day planning — built for your party alone. Every inclusion is listed in the proposal before you pay anything.

  3. 03

    You change what you like

    Swap a town, add a night, slow the pace down. I will tell you honestly when something is not realistic and suggest a better alternative.

  4. 04

    Travel with support behind you

    I handle the arrangements and stay reachable while you are away, so a missed connection or a change of plan is my problem, not your vacation.

Why you would believe any of this

We have not been everywhere. We have been here.

A travel site is easy to write and hard to trust — most of them are assembled from press releases and photographs somebody else took. Here is what is behind this one, and all of it is on the page above for you to check.

  • 2,369

    photographs, none of them bought

    Every picture on this site was taken by us. There is no stock photography anywhere on it, which is why some of these frames are gray, wet and slightly crooked — and why the ones that are not are worth something.

  • 28

    separate months on the road

    June 2015 to July 2026, across 10 years. 13 countries and 74 places in them, and nearly every photograph carries the date it was taken inside the file.

  • 48

    guides written from having been there

    Which is why they name the Louvre price that changed this year, the Notre-Dame booking window that opens seventy-two hours out, and the funicular that is shut until 2027.

  • 5

    times we have been back to Prague

    Salzburg in July and in December, the Bernese Oberland more times than is reasonable. Going once tells you what a place looks like. Going back tells you when to go.

From people we have planned for

In their words

  • “Hallstatt Austria was truly magical, it is aver bit a postcard perfect lakeside village that's needs a full day or 2 of exploring and enjoying! Salzburg was incredible, to say that I stepped foot and stayed in the birthplace of Mozart and where the iconic movie sound of music was made is a dream come true! Neuschwanstein Castle known as the real-life Disney castle was all that and more! The lush landscapes, waterfalls, but more importantly seeing and hearing the famous cow bells in person in the stunning Switzerland alps was breathtakingly amazing! A must see!”

    Rick, St George, Utah

    Germany, Austria and Switzerland, June 2026

  • “The food did not disappoint and the sights were unforgettable! 5 out of 5 stars!”

    Seth, St George, Utah

    Germany, Austria and Switzerland, June 2026

  • “One of my favorite things about our Europe trip was feeling like I had stepped back in time. I loved the beautiful homes with their shutters, the little towns, the mountains, and how connected everything felt to the land around it. And getting to see some of the iconic places from The Sound of Music, a movie I grew up with, made it even more special. There were so many moments where I felt like I was walking through a movie set instead of real life. It's a trip I'll never forget!”

    Tarah, St George, Utah

    Germany, Austria and Switzerland, June 2026

  • “It felt like we had stepped right into a movie set—it was all so beautiful and unreal that I kept thinking, “Is this actually real?” We saw the most breathtaking places, made so many fun memories, and had the best time. It was such a special trip that I'll be talking about for a long time!”

    Emry, St George, Utah

    Germany, Austria and Switzerland, June 2026

We'd love to hear from you

Have a question, or want to know whether the trip you have in mind is one we can help with? Tell us roughly what you are thinking and we will come back with honest advice — no obligation, and no charge for the conversation.

Start planning

2369 photographs on this site, every one taken on one of our own trips.