Route notes
Why this routing works
This itinerary is structured as an open-jaw arrival into Europe with a return from a different city, which makes the overland segment between Amsterdam and Prague straightforward to build into one ticketed plan. Starting in Amsterdam for 5 nights creates a clear first stop before shifting independently to Prague, then resuming the flight sequence onward through Budapest and out of Bucharest.
The route keeps the long-haul transatlantic flying at the beginning and end of the trip, while the intra-Europe sectors are grouped in the second half. That sequencing suits a 3-week timeline and reduces backtracking, moving generally eastward across the region before the final return to Minneapolis.
In ticketing terms, this is a multi-stop economy itinerary rather than a simple round-trip, since the surface sector between Amsterdam and Prague breaks the journey into separate flown and overland components. Bucharest works as the final airborne departure point, with 4 nights there before the return, giving the itinerary a defined endpoint for the last international leg.
With travel in September within the Jul-Sep season window, this route fits travelers looking for a compact Europe circuit with one planned overland break and a small number of flight segments.