Suppose you have a friend or relative coming to visit this summer, and you have only a limited time off to devote to playing host. Is it worth it to pack the itinerary, or should you just show your guest a few of your favorite haunts?

On the odd occasion when a visitor comes my way, I prefer to have him or her spend the first few days with me and become acquainted with my way of life. That would include showing her the sights of local cities, the places I do my shopping, favorite restaurants and beer gardens, or maybe taking a day trip by bicycle. That which has become commonplace to me is met with a fresh take by my stateside cousins, and their enthusiastic comments often renew my own sense of appreciation. More independent guests often get a kick out of being left to make their own discoveries as their hosts go off to work.

Then, as vacation time allows, I want a guest, particularly one who is new to Europe or has little chance of getting away again any time soon, to see and experience as much as possible. Should you have the inclination to include as many cities on the schedule as possible, here are some ways to do so.

By bus: Rather than trying to design your own itinerary from scratch, you could consider using a company such as Busabout. Mostly geared toward the backpacking set, Busabout offers a network of bus routes connecting certain key tourist cities. You can get off at any of the cities and stay for as long as you wish—in fact, you have the entire summer season to complete one of three loops. While you pay for your own accommodation, they provide you with guidance on suitable, hostel-like places to stay, which also serve as the drop-off and pick-up points. You are also free to choose your own lodging options. Within Europe, you can choose one of three loops — Northern (Paris, Brugge, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden, Prague and Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich and Stuttgart); Southern (Munich, St. Johann in Austria, Venice, Ancona and La Spezia in Italy, Rome, Siena, Florence, Nice, Lauternbrunnen, Switzerland) or Western (Paris, Bern, Nice, Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, San Sebastian, Bordeaux, Tours). Buses leave from each city every other day. You don’t actually have to finish a loop in one go, if it all. The published price for a single loop begins at $639. If you want to keep all your exploring confined to a single geographical area, check out Fez Travel’s itineraries for Turkey; Shamrocker Adventures for Ireland, or Haggis Adventures for England, Scotland and Wales.

By train: Are you and your friends sound sleepers and light packers? Consider the German Railway’s package deal titled Seven-Day-Night which allows you to sight-see during the day and travel during nighttime hours. You can choose one of several routes connecting eight different European cities. Each night, instead of searching for a hotel, you will board a new train, and wake up in a new city. Worried about where to stash your belongings, and where to take a shower? Facilities in the train station will be a key to enjoying your travel. Choose from one of 11 available loops. Cities on these loops include Berlin, Brussels, Hamburg, Paris, Munich, Copenhagen, Cologne, Hamburg, Zurich and Freiburg. It does appear there is some flexibility in determining the length of stay in certain cities, so perhaps it’s best to talk face-to-face with a Deutsche Bahn agent.

By ship: Although I’m not too familiar with all the intricacies of cruises, this deal caught my attention. Travel expert Arthur Frommer’s blog entry recently made mention of the travel agency, White Travel Service, which advertises on its Web site a seven-night Mediterranean cruise that includes: Barcelona; Valletta, Malta; Naples, Civitavecchia, and Livorno, Italy; and Villefranche, France, with October or November departures, starting at $479 per person including port charges, plus government taxes and fees. That, or any other number of cruises that you could find on your own, would ensure that you and your guests have plenty of new cities and countries under your belt.