17 days in Europe & United States Itinerary

Ghent melds the fairy tale-like beauty of Bruges with its stunning Flemish architecture, while at the same time supporting a vibrant cafe and bar scene.

Kick off your visit on the 1st (Wed): sample the tasty concoctions at Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan, then see the interesting displays at Choco-Story - The Chocolate Museum, and then contemplate the long history of Historic Centre of Brugge. On your second day here, explore the galleries of Gravensteen, then take in the architecture and atmosphere at Church of Our Lady Bruges, then take an in-depth tour of Groeningemuseum, and finally enjoy breathtaking views from Belfry of Bruges.

To see other places to visit, maps, where to stay, and other tourist information, you can read our Ghent trip itinerary planning site.

Wohlen, Switzerland to Ghent is an approximately 7-hour combination of car and flight. You can also drive. In November, plan for daily highs up to 12°C, and evening lows to 5°C. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 3rd (Fri) so you can travel to Recklinghausen.

Recklinghausen is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and the capital of the Recklinghausen district. Kick off your visit on the 3rd (Fri): examine the collection at Ikonen-Museum, then see the interesting displays at Umspannwerk Recklinghausen, then look for gifts at CentrO, and finally pause for some serene contemplation at Pfarrei St. Lamberti. Get ready for a full day of sightseeing on the next day: identify plant and animal life at Bergehalde Grosses Holz, step into the grandiose world of Schloss Nordkirchen, then explore the historical opulence of Burg Vischering, and finally see the interesting displays at Puppen- und Spielzeugmuseum.

To see maps, ratings, where to stay, and tourist information, you can read our Recklinghausen itinerary planner.

Use the Route module to find suitable travel options from Ghent to Recklinghausen. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 5th (Sun) so you can travel to Gera.

Gera is the third-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, with 96,000 inhabitants, located 55km south of Leipzig, 75km east of Erfurt and 120km west of Dresden.Gera was first mentioned in 995 and developed to a city during the 13th century. Let the collections at August Horch Museum and Colditz Castle capture your imagination. Do some cultural sightseeing at Kunstsammlung Gera / Otto-Dix-Haus and Hermitage Castle (Altes Schloss Ermitage). Change things up with these side-trips from Gera: Hangebrucke (in Grimma), Zwickau (AUTOmobile Trabantaustellung & Robert - Schumann - Haus) and Naumburg (Stadtkirche St. Wenzel & Naumburg Cathedral UNESCO World Heritage). The adventure continues: learn more about the world around you at Museum fuer Naturkunde Gera, admire the masterpieces at Kunstsammlung Gera, step into the grandiose world of Residenzschloss Altenburg, and admire the landmark architecture of Rathaus Gera.

To find ratings, other places to visit, where to stay, and more tourist information, go to the Gera online travel route planner.

Use the Route module to find suitable travel options from Recklinghausen to Gera. In November, plan for daily highs up to 10°C, and evening lows to 5°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 9th (Thu) early enough to travel to Tacoma.

Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city in and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. Washington State History Museum and Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial are good opportunities to explore the local culture. Museum-lovers will appreciate Tacoma Art Museum and Museum of Glass. Get out of town with these interesting Tacoma side-trips: Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (in Olympia), Mercer Slough Nature Park (in Bellevue) and Bloedel Reserve (in Bainbridge Island). Spend the 13th (Mon) wandering through the wild on Discover Nature. The adventure continues: look for all kinds of wild species at Tumwater Falls Park, don't miss a visit to Union Station, and see the interesting displays at LeMay - America's Car Museum.

For maps, ratings, more things to do, and tourist information, you can read our Tacoma journey maker site.

The Route module can help you plan travel from Gera to Tacoma. You'll gain 9 hours traveling from Gera to Tacoma due to the time zone difference. In November in Tacoma, expect temperatures between 11°C during the day and 5°C at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 13th (Mon) to allow enough time to travel to Messina.

Messina is the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. Get a sense of the local culture at Ancient Theatre of Taormina and Bottega Sicula Ceramiche Siciliane. Duomo di Messina and Basilica Santuario S.Antonio will appeal to history buffs. Explore Messina's surroundings by going to Taormina (Duomo di Taormina, Villa Comunale, &more), Le Gole dell'Alcantara (in Castiglione di Sicilia) and Reggio Calabria (Chiesa della Cattolica dei Greci, Lungomare Falcomata, &more). The adventure continues: steep yourself in history at Annunziata dei Catalani Church and see the interesting displays at Museo Vara e i Giganti.

For more things to do, photos, reviews, and more tourist information, refer to the Messina trip builder.

Explore your travel options from Tacoma to Messina with the Route module. Traveling from Tacoma to Messina, you'll lose 9 hours due to the time zone difference. In November, Messina is a bit warmer than Tacoma - with highs of 22°C and lows of 17°C. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 17th (Fri) so you can travel back home.