How many days do you need in each city?

3 days. Yes, three days is the right amount of time for Lisbon, and it is the length we recommend for a first visit. It gives you two full days in the historic center, covering the castle, Alfama, tram 28, the miradouros, Baixa and Chiado, plus one dedicated day for Belem, which deserves more than the rushed half-afternoon most people give it.

3 days. Three days is the right amount of time for Prague: enough for every major sight at a humane pace, plus one evening that belongs to the city rather than the checklist. Two days forces you to sprint the castle and old town back to back; the third day adds Vysehrad, the Letna beer garden and time to sit in a pub without watching the clock.

2 days. Yes, two days is enough for Seville's essentials if you book ahead and start early. The center is compact and flat, so the Alcazar, the Cathedral with the Giralda, Plaza de Espana and an evening in Triana all fit without rushing.

2 days. Two days is enough for Porto, and for most people it is the right amount, since the city is compact and its core sights cluster tightly on both banks of the Douro. In 48 hours you can see the azulejos at Sao Bento, book into Livraria Lello early, climb the Clerigos tower, walk the Ribeira and cross the upper deck of the Dom Luis I bridge, then spend an afternoon tasting in the Gaia port lodges.

3 days. Three days is the right amount of time for Budapest: enough for both riverbanks at a humane pace, plus one long afternoon in a thermal bath that turns a sightseeing trip into an actual break. Two days forces you to sprint Pest and the castle hill back to back and skip the baths entirely; the third day adds Szechenyi, Margaret Island and time to sit in a ruin bar without watching the clock.

3 days. Three days is the right amount of time for Vienna: enough for the palaces, the cathedral and the great museums at a humane pace, plus one evening that belongs to the city rather than the checklist. Two days forces you to sprint Schonbrunn and the Belvedere back to back; the third day adds the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the MuseumsQuartier and time to sit in a coffee house without watching the clock.

2 days. Yes, two days is enough for Granada's essentials if you book the Alhambra weeks ahead and start early. The center is small, so the palace, the Albaicin sunset, the Cathedral, the Royal Chapel and a free-tapa crawl all fit without a rush.

3 days. Yes, three days is the right length for Rome, and it is what we recommend for a first visit. It gives ancient Rome a full day (Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, plus Monti), the Vatican its own morning followed by Castel Sant'Angelo, and a dedicated day for the piazza core: Pantheon, Trevi, Navona, the Spanish Steps, and Campo de' Fiori.

3 days. Three days is the right amount of time for Amsterdam: enough for the big three museums and the canal ring at a humane pace, plus one day that belongs to the neighborhoods rather than the checklist. Two days forces you to sprint the Museum Quarter and the canals back to back; the third day adds De Pijp, the Albert Cuyp Market and a rooftop view across the IJ, with time to sit at a cafe without watching the clock.

2 days. Yes, two full days is enough for Florence's Renaissance core if you pre-book the ticketed sights. The center is compact and flat, so the Uffizi, the David at the Accademia, the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio all fit without a rush.

2 days. Yes, two days is plenty for Bruges, and honestly even one long day covers the core, because the whole medieval town fits inside a twenty-minute walk. What two days buys you is time to slow down: the belfry climb, a canal boat, the Groeningemuseum's Van Eyck, and the Begijnhof, without sprinting between them.

3 days. Yes, three days is the right length for Barcelona, and it is what we recommend for a first visit. It gives the Gaudi trail a full day (Sagrada Familia, the Passeig de Gracia houses, Park Guell), the old town its own day (the cathedral, El Born, the Picasso Museum, La Boqueria, La Rambla), and a third day that mixes the beach with the modernist concert hall and Ciutadella park at an easier pace.

3 days. Yes, three days is the right length for Berlin, and it is what we recommend for a first visit to a city this spread out. It splits cleanly into three: the historic Mitte core, the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag dome, Holocaust Memorial, Museum Island, and Gendarmenmarkt on day one; the Wall and Cold War story, Checkpoint Charlie, Topography of Terror, and the East Side Gallery on day two; and a third day for the lived-in modern city, Prenzlauer Berg, the Mauerpark Sunday market, and the wide-open Tempelhofer Feld.

3 days. Yes, three days is the right length for Madrid, and it is what we recommend for a first visit. Three days lets you split the trip cleanly: the art triangle gets a full day (the Prado, Reina Sofia for Guernica, and the Thyssen to fill the gaps), the Habsburg old core gets its own day (the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Sol, San Miguel, and Temple of Debod at sunset), and a lively barrio gets the third (La Latina, El Rastro if it is Sunday, and Malasana).

2 days. Two days is enough for Krakow's core if you stay central and start early, and it covers the old town, Wawel and Kazimierz without feeling rushed. The whole center sits inside the Planty ring, so Rynek Glowny, St Mary's, the Cloth Hall and Wawel are all within a 15-minute walk of each other, and Kazimierz is a short stroll south.

3 days. Three days is the right amount of time for Copenhagen: enough for the royal core and the harbour at an easy pace, plus one day that belongs to Christiania, the food scene and the water rather than the checklist. Two days forces you to sprint the palaces and the old town back to back; the third adds the freetown of Christiania, the Christianshavn canals and a proper street-food evening, with time to swim in the harbour on a warm day.

3 days. Yes, three days is the right length for Athens, and it is what we recommend for a first visit. It gives the Acropolis and its museum a full unhurried morning and afternoon, the ancient Agora and the old-town lanes their own day with a rooftop sunset, and a third day for the world-class National Archaeological Museum plus a Lycabettus climb and the smarter Kolonaki side of town.

2 days. Yes, two days is enough for a first visit to Edinburgh, as long as you accept it covers the Old Town rather than everything. Two days comfortably does the castle, the Royal Mile down to Holyrood, the climb up Arthur's Seat and the free National Museum, with an evening in the Grassmarket pubs.

4 days. Four days is the sweet spot for a first visit to Paris, turning a sightseeing sprint into an actual holiday. Days one to three cover the essentials without rushing: the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, and a Seine cruise; the Louvre, the islands, Notre-Dame, and Sainte-Chapelle; then Montmartre, the Musee d'Orsay, and the Marais.

2 days. Yes, two full days is enough for the core of Venice if you book the ticketed sights ahead. The city is small and entirely on foot, so St Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, the Campanile, the Rialto and a Grand Canal ride all fit without a rush, plus a couple of districts once the day crowds thin.

2 days. Yes, two full days covers the core of Dublin comfortably if you book the ticketed sights ahead. The centre is small and walkable, so Trinity College and the Book of Kells, Dublin Castle, the two cathedrals, the free national museums and the Guinness Storehouse all fit without a rush, with real pub music each evening.

3 days. Three days is the comfortable amount for Stockholm: enough for the Gamla Stan core and the Djurgarden museums, plus a proper day in Sodermalm and a boat out into the archipelago that a two-day trip cannot reach. The extra day is what turns a sightseeing dash into a real feel for a city built on water.

2 days. Two full days is enough for the heart of Nice, because the centre is flat and everything worth seeing sits within a walkable seafront strip. The old town, the Cours Saleya market, Castle Hill, the Promenade des Anglais and Place Massena all fit comfortably, plus a hill museum or two once you have the core.

2 days. Two full days is enough for the core of Dubrovnik if you start early and beat the cruise crowds. The old town is tiny and entirely on foot, so the city walls walk, the Stradun, Rector's Palace, the Franciscan monastery and Fort Lovrijenac all fit without a rush, plus the Mount Srd panorama and a swim at Banje.

3 days. Three days is the comfortable amount for Reykjavik, because it lets you keep the city day and add two of the big excursions instead of cramming them. Day one covers the compact downtown, Hallgrimskirkja and its tower, Harpa, the Sun Voyager and a soak in a geothermal pool, with an Old Harbour whale-watching boat in season.

3 days. Three days is the comfortable amount for Munich: enough for the old-town core and the museums plus one big day out to the Alps or the Dachau memorial that a two-day trip has to skip. The extra day is what makes the city sing, since Munich's real trump card is being the best base in Germany for Neuschwanstein and the mountains.

2 days. Two full days is plenty for the heart of Tallinn, because the medieval core is tiny and entirely walkable. The trick is timing around the cruise ships: the old town swamps with day crowds from mid-morning to late afternoon, then empties for the evening, so start early on Raekoja plats and the Toompea viewpoints before the tour groups climb the hill.

2 days. Two days is enough for the core of Oslo because the centre is compact and walkable, with metro, tram and harbour ferries to stitch the rest together. Base yourself in Sentrum or Bjorvika so the fjord-front landmarks are minutes away and you can start early before the summer queues build.

2 days. Two full days is enough for the core of Helsinki, since the centre is compact, flat and walkable with trams and ferries to fill the gaps. Base yourself in the Kluuvi centre so Senate Square, the Market Square, the Esplanadi and every tram and ferry are minutes from your door.

3 days. Three days is the comfortable amount for Naples: enough for the city itself plus a full day out to the ruins that made the region famous. The extra day buys you Pompeii and Vesuvius, an easy trip on the Circumvesuviana train that a two-day dash has to skip, and it is what turns a city break into the real Bay of Naples.

2 days. Two full days is enough for the core of Split if you start early and use the palace itself as your open-air museum. The old town is tiny and entirely on foot, so the Peristyle, the cathedral and its bell tower, the cellars, the Riva, the markets and the Golden Gate all fit without a rush, plus a morning climb up Marjan hill and an afternoon swim at Bacvice.

2 days. Two full days is plenty for the heart of Riga, because the medieval old town is small and entirely walkable and the Art Nouveau quarter sits just ten minutes north. Base yourself in the old town so you are among the spires first thing and can walk home across floodlit squares at night, avoiding the weekend stag-group streets after dark.

2 days. Two days is the right length for the core of Brussels, enough to see the Grand-Place, the chocolate and beer, the great museums and the comic-strip heritage without a rush. The city is compact and walkable, if hilly between the lower and upper town, so most of it links on foot with the odd tram or a single metro hop out to the Atomium.

2 days. Two full days is enough for the core of Vilnius, because the largest baroque old town in Europe is still compact and entirely walkable. Almost everything is free to enter, so you spend on almost nothing but a couple of tower climbs and lunch, which makes this one of the cheapest capital breaks in Europe.

2 days. Be honest with yourself first: Bratislava's old town is small and genuinely doable in a single day, so two days is about giving it room to breathe rather than racing. Day one takes the compact core at a walking pace, the Main Square and the Old Town Hall, Michael's Gate, St Martin's Cathedral, the bronze statues and the climb to the white castle, then the UFO deck for sunset over the Danube.

2 days. Two days is the right length for Ljubljana, but be clear about why. The city itself is a comfortable single day: the centre is car-free, flat and small enough that the castle, the market, the Triple Bridge, the cathedral and the Plecnik landmarks all fall inside a two-kilometre circle, and almost nothing needs pre-booking.

2 days. Two days is a comfortable amount for Zurich, because the old town is compact and you can cover its core in a single day on foot. That leaves the second day for the lake, the museums and a trip up Uetliberg, the things that turn a stopover into a proper city break.

2 days. Two days is enough for the essence of Warsaw if you plan the ticketed museums ahead. The rebuilt Old Town is small and you can walk the Market Square, the Royal Castle, the Barbican and the Mermaid in a couple of hours, so the time really goes on the museums and the wider modern centre.

2 days. Two full days is enough for the core of Bucharest. The centre is walkable and cheap, so the Palace of the Parliament, Calea Victoriei with the Athenaeum and the National Art Museum, Revolution Square and the whole cobbled old town fit comfortably without a rush.

3 days. Three days is the comfortable amount for Valencia: the same walkable old town and the City of Arts as the two-day trip, taken at a slower pace, plus a full third day for the Albufera lagoon or the beach. Day one covers the cathedral and the Miguelete tower, the Lonja, the Central Market and the Carmen, with tapas in Russafa; day two takes the City of Arts and Sciences, the Oceanogràfic and a ride back through the Turia Gardens.

3 days. Three days is the comfortable amount for Valletta and the island around it. The first two days stay relaxed: Valletta itself, with St John's Co-Cathedral, the Grandmaster's Palace, the Upper Barrakka view and Fort St Elmo, then the Grand Harbour, the Three Cities by dghajsa and the Sliema seafront.

2 days. Two full days covers the core of Gdansk comfortably. The Main Town is compact and walkable, so the Royal Way and the Golden Gate, the Long Market with Neptune's Fountain, St Mary's and its tower, Mariacka and the amber shops, and the crane on the Motlawa all fit into a relaxed first day.

2 days. Two full days is enough for the heart of Bologna. The centre is compact and walkable under its porticoes, so Piazza Maggiore and San Petronio, the climb up the Asinelli tower, the Quadrilatero market, the Archiginnasio, Santo Stefano and the university quarter all fit without a rush.

2 days. Yes, two full days covers the heart of Sofia comfortably, because almost everything central sits within a fifteen-minute walk of the Serdika metro. Day one takes the ancient core: the Roman ruins under the metro, the 4th-century St George Rotunda, the Archaeological Museum's Thracian gold, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and an evening on pedestrian Vitosha Boulevard.

2 days. Two full days covers the heart of Belgrade well. The centre is compact and walkable, so Knez Mihailova, the Kalemegdan fortress above the meeting of the Sava and the Danube, Skadarlija's kafanas, the Temple of Saint Sava and the Nikola Tesla Museum all fit without rushing.

2 days. Yes, two full days is plenty for the core of Luxembourg City, because the historic centre is tiny and walks end to end in under half an hour. The Bock Casemates, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Chemin de la Corniche, the Gelle Fra viewpoint and a drop into the Grund valley all fit without a rush, and the free lifts and free transport keep costs and effort low.

2 days. Two full days cover the heart of Malaga comfortably. The centre is compact and walkable, so the two Moorish fortresses, the cathedral, the Picasso Museum, the old-town tapas lanes, the port and the city beach all fit without rushing.

2 days. Two full days cover the essentials of Milan comfortably, as the centre is compact and well connected. The one thing you must sort before anything else is the Last Supper: tickets sell out weeks ahead, so book online the moment your dates are fixed, and build day two around your slot.

2 days. Two full days is enough for the core of Lyon. The centre is compact and walkable, so Vieux Lyon and its traboules, the hilltop basilica and Roman theatres of Fourviere, the Presqu'ile with Place Bellecour, the Croix-Rousse silk hill and the Musee des Confluences all fit without a rush.

2 days. Two full days is enough for the heart of Salzburg. The centre is compact and walkable, so the Hohensalzburg fortress, the cathedral and DomQuartier, the Residenzplatz squares, the Getreidegasse and Mozart's birthplace, the Mirabell gardens and the Sound of Music in-town spots all fit without a rush.

3 days. Three days is the right length for Hamburg. It covers the harbour and the Speicherstadt, the old centre and the Alster, and still leaves a full day for St Pauli, the Old Elbe Tunnel and Altona with Ottensen, which is where the city actually eats.

2 days. Two full days is enough for the core of Bilbao. The centre is compact and walkable, so the Guggenheim and the riverfront, the Casco Viejo old town, Plaza Nueva and a proper pintxos crawl, plus the funicular up Artxanda and a museum or two, fit comfortably without a rush.

2 days. Two full days covers the core of Bergen comfortably. The centre is compact and flat, so the Bryggen wharf and its museums, the Fish Market, the Floibanen funicular up Mount Floyen, the KODE galleries by the lake and the aquarium out on Nordnes all fit without a rush.

2 days. Two full days is enough for the whole of central Zagreb, because both halves of the old city are small and the walk between them takes ten minutes or one 55-second funicular ride. Day one covers the Upper Town, from Dolac market at breakfast to St Mark's tiled roof, the noon cannon at the Lotrscak Tower and the Museum of Broken Relationships, ending on the Tkalciceva terraces.

2 days. Two days is the right length for Antwerp, because the historic centre is small and everything except Middelheim and Zurenborg sits inside a twenty-minute walk. Day one takes the medieval core: the Grote Markt and the Brabo fountain, the cathedral with its four Rubens altarpieces, the UNESCO-listed Plantin-Moretus printing house, Het Steen on the quay, and then the 1933 wooden escalators of the Sint-Annatunnel for the skyline view from the far bank.