Natasha and I took our first trip together backpacking from Norway to Greece. We were young, broke, and convinced the goal was to see as many countries as possible. Since then we’ve spent close to three years of our lives in Europe, returning in every season, and we’ve changed our minds about almost everything on that first itinerary.
Here’s the short version of what we’ve learned. Europe is not one destination, and treating it like one is the fastest way to have a mediocre trip. The classic route of hopping between capital cities by train sounds romantic, but in practice it’s exhausting. You spend half your vacation in stations and the other half standing in line at the same handful of sights as everyone else. Many of the big-name cities are overrated when you see them that way.
What we keep coming back for is everything in between: the mountain villages, the island ferries, the single-lane roads through the Highlands, the long lunches on a ski hill in the sun. The outdoors in Europe is extraordinary, and the culture you find along the way in small towns is often richer than what you get in the capitals.
That doesn’t mean we’ve fallen out of love with the classics. There are regions like the French Riviera and Normandy, and cities like Rome, Krakow, and Edinburgh, that we’d go back to tomorrow. They’re in this guide too. They’re just better when you give them time instead of ticking them off.
So our advice is simple. Pick one or two countries, slow down, and get outside. This guide covers the regions and cities we know best, with our honest opinion on each and links to our detailed guides when you’re ready to plan.
Where to Go in Europe at a Glance
| If you want… | Go to… |
|---|---|
| A ski trip | The Alps, starting with Western Austria |
| A road trip | Scotland, Ireland, or Iceland |
| Big, dramatic hiking | Norway or the Alps in summer |
| Sun, sea, and adventure sports | Greece |
| Food and variety in one country | Italy |
| Fewer crowds and better value | Slovenia, Montenegro, and Bosnia & Herzegovina |
| Something that feels like nowhere else | The Faroe Islands |
| Classic coastline and glamour | The French Riviera |
| History, cider, and sea cliffs | Normandy |
| Storybook towns and castles | Germany’s Romantic Road |
| A city break | Rome, Krakow, Edinburgh, or Copenhagen |
| Late-season warmth | Southern Portugal or Cyprus |
The Alps
The Alps stretch across France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and beyond, and they are the heart of outdoor travel in Europe. In winter they hold the largest concentration of ski resorts on earth. In summer the lifts keep spinning and the same valleys turn into some of the best hiking terrain anywhere.
Skiing in the Alps
We live in the Canadian Rockies and we love skiing in Japan, so people often ask how the Alps compare. The honest answer is that it’s a different sport over there, in the best way. Skiing in Europe is for everyone. It’s far more accessible in terms of price, facilities, and how easy it is to reach the mountains. Lift tickets cost a fraction of what the big North American resorts charge, villages sit right at the base of the lifts, and trains run up the valleys.
It’s also much more about the holiday. Days revolve around on-mountain cafes and proper sit-down restaurants, and many hotels and lodges have spa facilities waiting when you’re done. You can ski hard here, but nobody will judge you for a two-hour lunch on a sun deck.
Where should you go? If a friend asked us, this is what we’d say:
- Western Austria for powder. This is our top pick. The Arlberg region, home to St. Anton, Lech, and Zürs, is among the snowiest corners of the Alps, and the Tyrolean villages nearby deliver the cozy mountain atmosphere people imagine when they picture a European ski trip. Innsbruck makes a great base with a city attached.
- France for big slopes. The scale of French ski areas is hard to grasp until you see it. The Three Valleys is the largest linked ski area in the world, and places like Val d’Isère, Tignes, and Chamonix offer more terrain than you could cover in a season. Go here if mileage and vertical are what you’re after.
- Valle d’Aosta for an underrated gem. This small Italian region tucked under Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn is wonderful, and we rank it above Switzerland. Courmayeur, Cervinia, and the Monterosa valleys give you huge mountain scenery and Italian food at Italian prices.
- Switzerland for the postcard. Zermatt, Verbier, and the Jungfrau region around Grindelwald are as beautiful as any mountains on the planet. The only thing holding Switzerland back on our list is the price, which is in a different league from its neighbors.
- The Dolomites for food and sunshine. If your ideal ski day involves blue skies, long groomed runs, and a very good lunch, this is your place. One pass covers a dozen linked areas, including the famous Sella Ronda circuit, and the mix of Italian and Tyrolean cooking is reason enough to come.
The season generally runs from December into April, with the most reliable snow from mid-January through early March.
Hiking in the Alps
Come back in summer and the Alps are just as good. Mountain huts sit a day’s walk apart across the entire range, which means you can trek for a week or more carrying little beyond a change of clothes, with a hot dinner and a bed at the end of each day.
The classic long routes are classics for good reason. The Tour du Mont Blanc circles the highest peak in Western Europe through France, Italy, and Switzerland over roughly ten days. The Alta Via 1 runs north to south through the heart of the Dolomites. If you’d rather stay in one place, base yourself in a valley like Lauterbrunnen, Chamonix, or Val Gardena and take lifts up to day hikes. High trails are usually clear of snow from late June through September.
Iceland
Is Iceland too crowded now? We hear this all the time, and we don’t buy it. Yes, there are tour buses at the famous waterfalls along the south coast. But despite the crowds there is still so much space. It’s like many outdoor destinations: a few accessible Instagram hot spots are busy, and with a little effort you can find yourself completely alone in nature.
The best way to see it is by car or campervan. The Ring Road circles the entire island and strings together glaciers, black sand beaches, lava fields, and fjords in a single loop. Give it at least a week, and ten days if you can.
To leave the crowds behind, add a detour. The Westfjords see only a small share of Iceland’s visitors and have some of its most dramatic coastline. The Highlands, reachable on rough mountain roads in summer with a 4×4, are home to the rainbow-colored hills of Landmannalaugar and the Laugavegur trail, one of the great multi-day hikes in Europe. Even on the Ring Road itself, the east and north are far quieter than the south.
Norway and the Faroe Islands
People often ask us to choose between these two. For most travelers, Norway is the answer. It’s bigger, more dramatic, easier to access, and has far more variety. You can hike to famous viewpoints like Preikestolen and Trolltunga in the southwest, walk the Besseggen ridge in Jotunheimen, or drive north to the Lofoten Islands, where jagged peaks rise straight out of the sea above red fishing cabins. Norway’s right-to-roam tradition means you can wild camp almost anywhere, which helps with the famously high prices. In winter and spring, the north turns into a ski touring destination with the northern lights overhead.
The Faroe Islands are a different kind of trip. This cluster of eighteen islands in the North Atlantic is totally unique and genuinely wild: sea cliffs, grass-roofed villages, waterfalls that pour directly into the ocean, and more sheep than people. The weather changes by the minute and you need to be flexible. If you’ve already been to Norway or Iceland and want something that feels like the edge of the world, the Faroes are it.
Scotland
Scotland is one of the best road trip destinations in the world. It’s a beautiful country with a rich history, warm people, and wild landscapes, and it packs an incredible amount into a small space. In a week you can drive through glens, past lochs and ruined castles, and out to white sand beaches that look Caribbean until you put a toe in the water.
The famous route is the North Coast 500, a loop around the northern Highlands from Inverness. It’s stunning, but from what we understand it has become a little overrun in peak season. The good news is that all of Scotland is road trip country. Glencoe, the Cairngorms, the Isle of Mull, and the Outer Hebrides all deliver the same scenery with fewer campervans. Wherever you go, expect single-track roads, take your time, and get out of the car. Scotland has generous public access to the land and hundreds of mountains to climb.
Before you go, read our things to know before traveling to Scotland and what to pack. The weather has opinions.
Ireland
We love Ireland. It’s popular for a reason. The scenery is gentler than Scotland’s, with green hills rolling down to sea cliffs, and the country’s real strength is how it feels to be there. Small towns, live music in the pub, and people who actually want to talk to you.
Like Scotland, it’s best explored by car. The Wild Atlantic Way follows the entire west coast, and you could spend weeks on it. If you’re short on time, pick one stretch. The Dingle Peninsula and the Kerry coast in the southwest are the classic choice, Connemara is moody and empty, and Donegal in the far north is the wildest and least visited of all.
Greece
Greece is where Natasha and I fell in love, so we’re biased. But we’d argue it has everything: history, food, a wonderful climate, culture, and some of the kindest people in Europe.
What most visitors miss is how good Greece is for adventure. There are so many ways to work up a sweat. Kalymnos is one of the world’s great sport climbing destinations. The summer winds that blow through the Cyclades make Paros and Naxos superb for windsurfing and kitesurfing. Crete has serious mountains and the Samaria Gorge. On the mainland you can climb Mount Olympus or hike between stone villages above the Vikos Gorge. And the swimming is perfect nearly everywhere. Chartering a sailboat or simply island hopping by ferry is one of the best trips in Europe.
Our advice is the same as for the continent as a whole: don’t try to see it all. Choose two or three islands in the same group and settle in. Crete alone can fill two weeks. Read our Greece travel tips before you go.
Italy
Italy is amazing, and the diversity within the country is astounding. The divide between north and south is stark enough that it can feel like two different countries.
The north has wonderful cities, lakes, seasides, and mountains. This is where you’ll find the Dolomites and Valle d’Aosta for skiing and hiking, the great lakes like Garda and Como, and the Ligurian coast. It also has Venice, which is a cliché and still worth seeing once.
The south has amazing beaches, fantastic food, gorgeous coastline, deep history, and a wildly different culture. It’s louder, slower, and more chaotic. It’s also what most Americans think of as Italian culture, because this is where so many immigrants to America came from. The pizza, the red sauce, and the big family table all trace back to places like Naples, Calabria, and Sicily.
You can’t do both properly in one trip, so pick a half. Here’s what to know before going to Italy.
France Beyond the Alps
France is the most visited country in the world, and most of those visitors never get far past Paris. Two regions we’ve loved are classics for good reason.
The French Riviera. The stretch of Mediterranean coast from Nice to the Italian border is every bit as beautiful as its reputation. Pastel old towns, palm-lined promenades, and hilltop villages like Èze sit above water that really is that blue. It can be glamorous and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Base yourself in Nice or Antibes, ride the coastal train between towns, and walk the seaside paths around the capes. When you need a break from the beach, the mountains begin almost immediately behind the coast.
Normandy. On the opposite side of the country, Normandy trades glamour for green countryside, half-timbered harbor towns like Honfleur, and a windswept coast. The D-Day beaches are moving in a way that’s hard to describe until you stand on them, the white cliffs at Étretat are spectacular, and Mont Saint-Michel is a highlight of any trip to Europe. Add cider, Camembert, and seafood and you have one of the easiest regions in France to enjoy. It’s best by car over three or four days.
For more ideas, see our favorite places to visit in France.
Germany’s Romantic Road
If you want the fairytale version of Europe, this is where to find it. The Romantic Road runs through Bavaria from Würzburg in the north to Füssen at the foot of the Alps, linking walled medieval towns, vineyards, and castles along the way.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is the famous stop, a remarkably preserved town of timbered houses and stone towers, and smaller Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen are nearly as pretty with fewer tour groups. The route finishes at Neuschwanstein, the castle that looks like it was drawn for a storybook. It’s an easy, relaxed road trip of three to five days, and it pairs perfectly with time in the Alps since it ends right at the mountains. Salzburg and the Austrian Tyrol are a short drive on.
The Balkans
If you want to know where we think Europe is most underrated, it’s here. The Balkans have Alpine-quality mountains, a spectacular coastline, layers of history, and prices well below Western Europe. Our sleeper hits are Slovenia, Montenegro, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Slovenia is getting more popular every year, and deservedly so. It squeezes the Julian Alps, emerald rivers, and a sliver of Adriatic coast into a country you can drive across in a few hours. Hike in Triglav National Park, raft or fish the Soča Valley, and spend a couple of nights in Ljubljana, one of the few capital cities we never get tired of.
Montenegro has the most dramatic scenery per square mile of anywhere in the region. The Bay of Kotor looks like a fjord dropped into the Mediterranean, and inland Durmitor National Park has high peaks, glacial lakes, and rafting through the Tara Canyon, one of the deepest in Europe.
Bosnia & Herzegovina is the one that surprises people most. Sarajevo and Mostar are fascinating, the mountains that hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics are right outside the capital, and the rivers and national parks are wild and nearly empty.
We have more mixed feelings about the two best-known names. Croatia is beautiful, but it’s far too crowded with cruise ship tourism. Away from Split and Dubrovnik it can still be very nice, so look to Istria or the quieter islands. Albania gets sold as something it’s not. It was a great trip when it was undiscovered, but the infrastructure isn’t ready for the number of tourists now arriving, and it’s not the best experience as a result.
Planning a trip here? Start with our Balkan travel tips.
Southern Portugal and Cyprus
Two more places worth a mention, especially if you’re chasing sunshine outside of summer.
Southern Portugal is really nice, with a good climate, consistent surf, pretty whitewashed towns, and a cool coastline of golden cliffs and sea caves. The beaches of the Algarve get the attention, but the wilder west coast is where we’d point surfers and hikers.
Cyprus is an interesting oddity. We wouldn’t send many people there over Greece, with one exception: it stays warm later than almost anywhere else in Europe, so it’s a solid pick if you want a very late taste of summer.
Our Favorite Cities in Europe
We said many of Europe’s famous cities are overrated when you rush through them. These are the ones that have earned a place on our list anyway. Most of them share something in common: they’re walkable, they have a strong identity of their own, and the outdoors is never far away.
Rome, Italy. There is no city on earth like Rome. History sits on every corner, spanning a couple of thousand years, and it rewards wandering with no plan at all. It’s crowded and chaotic and still worth every bit of the hype.
Krakow, Poland. One of the best-preserved medieval centers in Europe, with a huge market square, a hilltop castle, and a young, lively feel. It’s also great value. The Tatra Mountains and the mountain town of Zakopane are a couple of hours south.
Edinburgh, Scotland. A castle on a volcanic crag, a medieval old town, and a hill you can hike in the middle of the city. Edinburgh is the perfect start or finish to a Scottish road trip.
Salzburg, Austria. Small, elegant, and ringed by mountains. Salzburg is the rare city where you can tour a baroque old town in the morning and be at an Alpine lake by lunch.
Amsterdam, Netherlands. Cameron’s first solo trip abroad was to Amsterdam, and it remains one of his favorite cities in the world. Narrow row houses line a web of leafy canals, and the best way to see it is the way locals do, by bike.
Berlin, Germany. Not conventionally pretty, and that’s the point. Berlin wears its twentieth-century history in the open, and its creative energy, food, and nightlife make it one of the most interesting cities on the continent.
Copenhagen, Denmark. Everything works, everyone bikes, and people swim in the harbor in the middle of town. It’s expensive, but few cities are this pleasant to simply be in.
Stockholm, Sweden. Built across a series of islands, Stockholm is as much water as it is city. The old town is lovely, and ferries run out to an archipelago of thousands of islands.
Helsinki, Finland. Understated and easy to like, with striking design, a seaside setting, and a sauna culture you should absolutely take part in.
Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina. East meets West more visibly here than anywhere else in Europe, with Ottoman bazaars a few steps from Austro-Hungarian boulevards. The history is heavy and the welcome is warm, and the mountains start at the edge of town.
How to Plan a Trip to Europe
Pick one or two countries. If you take one thing from this guide, make it this. Two weeks in Scotland and Ireland, or Austria and the Dolomites, or a handful of Greek islands will beat seven countries in fourteen days every time.
Rent a car for at least part of it. Trains are excellent for getting between cities and up many Alpine valleys. But trailheads, small villages, and empty coastline are much easier with your own wheels. Cars work best for exploring one region rather than crossing lots of borders, since one-way international rentals get expensive.
Time it right. July and August are the busiest and priciest months almost everywhere. For hiking and road trips, June and September are the sweet spot. The Mediterranean is at its best in May, June, September, and early October. Ski season runs December to April.
Use cities as bookends. Start or finish in one of the great cities, give it two or three unhurried days, and spend the rest of your trip in the region around it. Edinburgh and the Highlands, Salzburg and the Alps, or Rome and the south all work this way.
Budget by region. Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway are among the most expensive places in the world to travel. Austria, France, Italy, Scotland, and Ireland sit in the middle. Greece, Portugal, and the Balkans are where your money goes furthest.
Know the entry rules. Most of continental Europe is part of the Schengen Area, which allows many visitors, including Americans and Canadians, to stay 90 days within any 180-day period. The UK and Ireland have their own separate rules. Entry requirements have been changing, so check the official guidance before you book.
Pack for the outdoors. Even in summer, the mountains and the north call for layers and a real rain jacket. Our Europe packing list covers what we bring.
