Pick 3–4 nearby cities, travel by train between them, and spend 2 nights in each.
- Germany – Austria – Czechia: Munich → Salzburg → Vienna → Prague (2.5–4 hours per leg).
- Alsace – Germany: Strasbourg (day trip to Colmar) → Heidelberg or Stuttgart → Nuremberg → Munich.
- Central Europe: Vienna → Bratislava → Budapest (very close and cheap).
- End in Prague or Budapest if you stay past 25 December, as their markets run into early January.
Note: apply for your Schengen visa through the country where you spend the most nights, or your first entry country if nights are equal.