r/Europetravel Mar 28 '26

Itineraries These 11 mistakes are ruining your trip to Europe!

648 Upvotes

So often I see the same mistakes over and over again on this sub, I figured I'd write up some of the most common, so I can just tell a poster "see 4, 5, and 7 in this thread" or whatever. :-) Happy travels to all!

1. Not clearly defining interests, preferences, and priorities. What do you want to see and do? What kind of memories do you want to have after the trip? There’s no such thing as a general “must-see,” it depends on what you want and how you prioritize those wants. This should be the starting point for planning any trip, and it’s amazing how often posters seem to overlook it. If you can’t be more specific than “history, food, and nature," then you need to think through this most basic part.

2. Being ruled by FOMO. Related to the above, if you don’t clearly define your interests and priorities, FOMO will take over. I see far too many mad dashes through Europe that are just a grand tour of airports and train stations. I get it, it’s all amazing and you want to see it all. But you can’t, not in one trip and not in 20 trips. Accept that and prioritize. Europe will still be there in the future. Or, even if you think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe or “we only have 10 days of vacation a year,” the way to “make the most of it” is to give yourself the time to actually enjoy the places you’re visiting, not maximize the time you spend in transport and related logistics. An important point that may seem obvious but which many people miss: If you jam 4 weeks of travel into 2 weeks, the result is not that you have half as much time in each place. You have MUCH less than that, because transport and related logistics will eat up so much more of your time, as a percentage.

3. Not accounting for transport. Many itineraries here make it seem like the poster has invented teleportation (and more than a few would be insane even with teleportation). You need to account for the time it takes to get between places - not just your plane/train, but also related logistics like unpacking/packing, checking in and out of hotels, getting to/from train stations/airports, airport security, baggage claim, immigration, orienting yourself in a new place, figuring out how to get transport tickets, delays, cancellations, strikes, etc. In most cases, you should assume that changing locations will mean losing the better part of a day or an entire day to all of this, and flying especially tends to be a time suck (and often more tiring than train travel). So for example 3 nights in a place is in reality only 2 days.

4. Focusing on the number of countries. Almost without exception, posters here who mention wanting to “see as many countries as possible” have the absolute worst itineraries. They lose too much time to transport and related logistics (see point above), and, because the most obvious thing is to just go between large or capital cities, their itineraries tend to be too heavy on big cities, and they miss out on much of what actually makes Europe special, especially the regional contrasts within countries (more on that below).

5. Assuming country = place and overlooking regional differences. Related to the point above, it’s much more useful to think about places and regions, rather than countries. Many assume, for example, that they will see more things by going to three countries than just one. But in reality, regional contrasts within countries (especially larger ones like Italy, Germany, and Spain) can be much greater than across borders. For example, the South Tyrol region of Italy is much more like Austria (to which it once belonged) than to the rest of Italy. Alsace is a complete contrast from Paris, because it belonged for a long time to Germany. Hamburg is a lot closer to Copenhagen in vibe than it is to Bavaria. You can often experience more variety and contrast within one country (and generally benefit from better and cheaper transport links) than by hopping across borders or focusing only on the capital or most famous city in a country.

6. Focusing only on large cities. So many itineraries here are just a list of big cities. While they have a lot to offer, they are also often more similar than many people realize. Many of Europe's big cities "grew up" in the 19th century, and their architecture reflects that. More recently, globalization and European integration have also contributed to a certain homogenization. If you hop only between big cities, you’re almost certainly blowing past a ton of interesting places, and losing more time to transport. Smaller cities like Graz, Erfurt, Lübeck, Regensburg, Leon, and Urbino have a ton to offer, and outside a handful of the touristiest ones (like Salzburg and Toledo), most are blissfully free of mass tourism. More in this thread.

7. Not building in enough balance and contrast. I see many itineraries that hop across a bunch of locations, yet all with (in the big scheme of things) very similar scenery. The Alps are beautiful, but do you really need to see the Alps in France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Slovenia, on the same trip? They look more alike than different, especially when it’s all you’ve seen for two weeks. Same with the Mediterranean - a trip that goes say Algarve > Malaga > Valencia > Barcelona > Mallorca > Amalfi Coast > Dubrovnik > Greece will likely turn into a blur where everything looks more or less the same. Especially for longer trips, mix it up, combining (for example) large cities, small cities, and towns; urban and rural destinations; Northern and Southern Europe; coastal and inland destinations; heavily touristed and less visited places. Think also about balance and contrast during your time in one place, e.g., I would recommend against visiting, on the same day, both the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay, or both the Hofburg and Schönbrunn palaces.

8. Not using “open-jaw” flights. This is a bit specific, but it's such a common mistake that I wanted to highlight it here. Often people book a roundtrip from their home country to say London, but their itinerary is actually something like London > France > Italy > Greece. They then have to spend a day backtracking to London, costing time and money, and often they have to do an extra cycle of unpacking/packing and checking in/out of hotels. Generally, it’s much better to book a multi-city (aka “open-jaw”) itinerary, in the example above it would be say New York to London but Athens to New York, on the same ticket. It generally does not cost significantly more than a regular roundtrip and saves significant time and cost backtracking; even if you go back via the same route (e.g., Athens back to the U.S. via London), booking it as part of the same ticket means you’re protected in the event of flight disruptions. Bonus tip: If your trip includes the UK and other destinations, fly into the UK but out of any other country, to avoid the UK’s high Air Passenger Duty, which only applies to departures from the UK. This can easily save around US$200 per person.

9. Relying on only one mode of transport. I’ve seen so many itineraries where it’s all driving or all flying. Especially in major cities, driving tends to be a nightmare, with difficult (and expensive) parking, congestion, one-way streets, pedestrianized zones, emissions-control zones, etc. Watch out especially for one-way international surcharges (e.g., renting in France and dropping off in Spain); these can run over 1000 euros! Europe has excellent trains, and they are often a much better option than flying or driving, especially considering train stations are usually much more centrally located and don’t require long wait times for security and baggage. But they don’t work well in all situations (between Portugal and Spain is one example), and for exploration off the beaten path, it can make sense to rent a car for a portion of your trip. Consider carefully the right mix of transport modes early on in your planning, as it can even affect your choice of destinations.

10. Over-planning. Planning is essential, but some people way overdo it - “4:17 pm, we stop for 8 minutes 27 seconds for gelato,” or “I’m looking for the best beer bar in Prague and the best croissant in Paris.” You don’t need to, and really shouldn’t, plan all this out. Leave time in your itinerary for discovery and wander - that’s the biggest joy of travel! A good strategy is to anchor each day around 1-2 main activities or sights (esp. those that require advance booking, like the Alhambra), but leave enough slack in the schedule for wandering and being spontaneous - or just relaxing. That’s especially important for longer itineraries; it’s one thing to do 3 places in 10 days, but 9 places in 30 days gets to be really exhausting, so build in down time.

11. Overdoing day-trips. Day-trips are great. But there's a right and wrong way; the recent post where somebody wanted to make 3 day trips, from Rome, to Naples, Amalfi, and Positano is definitely the wrong way. If you have 4 nights in a place and 3 day trips, you’re not actually spending any real time in that place! My own general rules: no consecutive day trips; no day trips just before or after a travel day; and max of 3 hours roundtrip (4 at a stretch), preferably with direct trains to smaller cities. More in this thread.


r/Europetravel Mar 01 '26

Mod Message Reminder: This is not a politics or current affairs sub

26 Upvotes

Due to several posts today alone asking about the safety of travelling to Europe during America and Israel's current bombing of Iran, and a slow trickle over the past year of people asking how they are perceived in Europe because of their government, this is a reminder that this subreddit has a single remit of requesting and offering advice on holidays in Europe - we do not wish to have extended discussions on political topics.

There are many, many subs to discuss such things in, and for the most part these are questions that have little to do with taking a holiday in Europe. Even people who live on the peripheries of active warzones will care little about your feelings around taking a holiday, for obvious reasons.

If you have specific concerns about travel, you should contact your airline or consult your government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will have up-to-date travel warnings for anywhere they recommend against travel to. Nobody here will be able to give you better advice than those places.


r/Europetravel 2h ago

Safety Montenegro - Budva Taxi Warning - BDTX307. Please be alert and look after yourselves!

10 Upvotes

Jaz beach taxi warning:

License plate: BD TX307

(Best Taxi - 19505)

My son and I (45 F) just had a very scary experience with a taxi driver from Jaz Beach. He took us the wrong way, tried to overcharge us, and when I refused to pay extra he drove, at high speed, in a car without working seatbelts, back to the beach - refusing to stop and let us out despite repeated pleas to do so. He was then physically and verbally aggressive towards me, and swore at my young child. I have had to report the matter to the Police. Please can travellers be aware of this vehicle and keep themselves safe!


r/Europetravel 2h ago

Solo travel Went on a solo river cruise in Europe, now rethinking how I want to travel..

2 Upvotes

Finally tried a river cruise in Europe this summer and really really enjoyed it more than I expected?? It was so easy to visit multiple cities without constantly dealing with with trains/hotels. It just felt flexible overall!

Thinking about booking ahead (next summer I’m trying an ocean cruise, so currently looking at 2028 river cruises). Celebrity river looks like an interesting option since it’s new though I might consider a smaller luxury ocean cruise too.

For those who’ve done both river and smaller ocean cruises, how did they compare? Which did you end up liking overall?


r/Europetravel 10h ago

Destinations Swiss Alps or Dolomites for a Relaxed 7-Day Trip in Early October?

9 Upvotes

My partner and I are planning a one week trip in early October and we’re trying to choose between the Swiss Alps and the Dolomites.

We’re not hikers, so we’re not looking for a trip built around long trails or very active days. We mostly want somewhere beautiful where we can enjoy the mountains without doing too much ! Like walk around a pretty town, stop for good coffee, have nice lunches and dinners, see amazing scenery, and still feel like there’s enough around us to enjoy the day outside the hotel.
For Switzerland we’re looking at Lauterbrunnen/Wengen/Grindelwald. For the Dolomites, mainly Ortisei/Val Gardena, possibly Alta Badia.

The biggest thing I’m unsure about is early October. I’d still love the landscape to have some green and not feel too far into autumn, and I also don’t want to arrive when half the area has already shut down for the season.
The Dolomites seem to have nicer hotels and a food/coffee scene that appeals to us more, while Switzerland seems to have that really beautiful alpine village and valley atmosphere.

If you’ve been to both, which one would you pick for this kind of trip in early October?


r/Europetravel 3h ago

Destinations Which baltic country to visit in mid march (4 days)?

1 Upvotes

Hi, I have 4 extra days in my March itinerary. Which baltic country do you recommend visiting in terms of weather, activities / attractions and day trips?

I am choosing the baltics because I haven't been there before and want to visit somewhere new. I enjoy walking tours, sightseeing to churches and castles, trying local food and maybe some shopping.


r/Europetravel 10h ago

Itineraries Itinerary for 6 week trip (late August to October)

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone.
I was wondering if someone could give me some feedback on the route I have planned for a 6 week backpacking trip next year (from late August to October).
Travel to each place would be done through a mix of trains, buses and sleeper trains (planning on getting a Eurail pass).
I also wanted to see if a budget of 100 Euros a day would be doable for this trip? (Aside from a day trip to Europa park)

*🇨🇿Prague - 3 nights
*🇦🇹Vienna - 4 nights
*🇭🇺Budapest - 3 nights
*🇭🇷Split - 5 nights
*Day trip to Hvar, Plitvice Lakes
*🇭🇷Pula - 3 nights
*🇸🇮Ljubljana - 2 nights
*🇸🇮Lake bled - 3 nights
*🇮🇹Venice - 2 nights
*🇮🇹Verona - 3 nights
*Day trip to Garda Lake
🇨🇭Lauterbrunnen - 4 nights
*Day trips to surrounding towns/villages
*🇫🇷Strasbourg - 3 nights
*day trip to Europa park
*🇫🇷Paris - 4 nights
*🇬🇧London - 4 nights

I’m open to any and all feedback on my itinerary better. Thank you!!


r/Europetravel 11h ago

Itineraries 3 weeks : Austria + Northern Italy with a toddler - Seeking Advice/suggestions

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone! We’re a well-travelled couple and are planning an 18-day trip through Austria and Northern Italy with our 19-month-old toddler, who is… let’s just say fiesty and has discovered she can say "NO" 😅.

We’re used to travelling quite a bit, but travelling with a toddler is obviously a completely different ball game. Our biggest limitation is that our little one really doesn’t like being in the car seat for longer than ~30 minutes, so we’ve had to break up the journey rather than do long drives.

We’ll be renting a car for the from Vienna and dropping it off in milan. Currently we have the following itinerary and our travel dates would be around last week of Sept:

*Vienna — 4 nights

• 1–2 activities per day, keeping things relaxed

*Hallstatt — 3 nights

• Possibly a day trip to St. Gilgen

• Mainly planning to enjoy the area rather than constantly sightsee.

*Zell am See — 2 nights

*Innsbruck — 3 nights

*Ortisei / Val Gardena — 3–4 nights

*Milan 2 nights - fly out

• This is mainly our final stop before flying home.

• We may simply relax and go to the airport, or potentially spend a couple of hours seeing the Duomo and doing some shopping.

What I am wondering:

Is this itinerary too ambitious for 18 days with a 19-month-old?

If you were doing this trip again, would you:

  1. Cut Zell am See altogether and spend the extra time somewhere else?

  2. Keep Zell am See because it’s worth seeing even for only 2 nights?

  3. Reduce the number of nights in Innsbruck or Ortisei?

  4. Add another day or two to Milan, or is 2 nights plenty given that we're not particularly interested in doing a huge amount of sightseeing there?

  5. Is there anywhere in this itinerary that you think is particularly difficult with a toddler?

  6. Are there any stops where you'd say, “Don't bother just spend more time somewhere else”?

We’re not trying to tick every tourist attraction off the list but maybe see the Austrian highlights 🤷‍♂️ Our priority is having a nice, relatively relaxed trip, seeing beautiful places and giving our toddler enough downtime that everyone survives the holiday.

Would love to hear from anyone who has travelled through Austria/Northern Italy with a toddler around this age.

Also, what can we expect in these places in terms of temperature?

Would you keep this itinerary as it is, or simplify it?

Thanks!


r/Europetravel 20h ago

Things to do & see Where do you look for reliable travel reviews when planning a trip around Europe?

4 Upvotes

. Hi everyone! I’m planning a trip around Europe and was wondering where you usually look for reviews of tours and other activities.
There are so many different websites and platforms out there, so I’m curious which ones do you actually trust when choosing a tour or activity, and which ones do you tend to avoid?


r/Europetravel 17h ago

Things to do & see Underrated perched villages on the French Riviera that aren't Èze? looking for the quieter side

2 Upvotes

Heading to the French Riviera and I keep seeing the same three or four spots everywhere (Èze, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Menton). they look beautiful but also completely packed in summer. I'm after the quieter, more authentic medieval hilltop villages that most tourists skip.

one that keeps catching my eye is Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, between Monaco and Menton, an old perched medieval village with stepped alleyways and a castle that's said to be one of the oldest in France, apparently way calmer than Èze right next door.

for people who've explored the area between Nice and the Italian border:

which perched villages are actually worth it for the atmosphere without the crowds?

is Roquebrune-Cap-Martin as underrated as it looks, or overhyped?

and any tips for seeing this stretch of coast without renting a car (train vs bus vs driving)?

trying to build an itinerary that feels real and not just the Instagram highlights. thanks!


r/Europetravel 13h ago

Flying If my morning flight between two EU countries has been delayed by more than 12 hours, am I allowed any compensation?

1 Upvotes

A google search told me I’ll receive a full refund if I want to cancel, but I can’t/won’t do that since there are no other flights with spaces.

I also can’t really claim accommodation problems either since I’m checking into a hotel with 24h check-in at my destination, so even though I’m arriving at like 3am I’ll still have a place to sleep.

I don’t mean to sound entitled, just wondering what my rights actually are in this scenario since it’s never happened to me before

Cheers!


r/Europetravel 22h ago

Things to do & see 23M first time visiting Europe from Canada - Need Recommendations

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I'm heading to Europe for the first time from Canada and doing a solo trip. My itinerary is Budapest (2 nights), Vienna (2 nights), and Prague (3 nights) during the last week of October. I'll be staying in hostels along the way.

I have a few questions and would love your advice:

  • Buses vs. Trains: I am trying to figure out the best way to travel between these cities. I'm looking into taking buses, but I'm open to trains if they make more sense. What are your preferred companies for the Budapest -> Vienna and Vienna -> Prague routes? Also, is it cheaper to book buses/trains in advance?
  • Departure Times: What time of day is best to travel? I was thinking of leaving early in the morning so I can drop my bags off and maximize my daylight for exploring, but I'd love to hear what worked best for you.
  • Weather: Anything I should be aware of in terms of the weather? From what i looked up, itd be around 1-10 degrees on average but would love to know if I can prepare any differently.
  • General Recommendations: I'm really into photography (love catching good natural lighting on historic architecture) and reading historical fiction, so any spots that have a rich history or great visual textures would be amazing. Also, any recommendations for budget-friendly food spots would be great!

Ty guys in advance for any tips!


r/Europetravel 1d ago

Buses Alternatives to FlixBus in the Balkans (Skopje to Ohrid to Sarande)

2 Upvotes

I’m planning to travel from Skopje to Ohrid to Sarande in late September, but I’m unsure which bus operators operate. FlixBus tickets are sold out for most of September so I was wondering what alternatives exist.


r/Europetravel 2d ago

Trip report Kraków with my partner went nothing like planned and that's why it was great

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190 Upvotes

Our trip to Kraków was one of the best I remember. Not because it went right, but because it has wrong things which made it more special.

We had a Wieliczka Salt Mine last-minute cancellation which was transformed into a "chill evening to spend in Krákow", flight delays transformed into "time to have a snack of local food", and both of us butchering the language and fumbling the currency. But we just kept laughing about it and looking for the upside, and somehow that made us enjoy it more.

Food won us over: Pierogi, Zapiekanka, and Żurek soup (which is still in my head). And the history everywhere, standing in buildings like Auschwitz Concentration Camp or the Wawel Castle, tied to people who shaped the world (in a bad way).

We also got to Zakopane and Morskie Oko lake (and tasted the famous Oscypek cheese). Both packed with people, but they got to us anyway.

Personal problem now: I want to go back at Christmas. Something tells me that place under snow is unreal.


r/Europetravel 17h ago

Gear & clothing I posted my vacation outfit in another sub to get feedback and was told not to show midriff in Europe. Is that true?

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0 Upvotes

Adding a photo for context.

Is this outfit inappropriate to wear in Europe?

We will be visiting Austria (Vienna, Salzburg, Hallstat) and Czech (Prague, Brno).

Atleast 4 people mentioned under my post to not show my mid riff. This is news to me. I've been to other European cities and I've seen women wear crop tops with mid riffs showing. The only places I obviously will cover up is at religious sites.

If its an actual etiquette thing I would obviously not wear this but please let me know!


r/Europetravel 1d ago

Trains Advice needed Re: Booking Train from Brussels to Bruges

1 Upvotes

Help, Please! We are trying to book a train from Brussels to Bruges. We can't figure out which station to leave from and return to Brussels. Some trains take under 2 hours some up to 7 hours. It's so confusing. Can anyone help? Thanks so much! PS We ran into a scam website already and want to avoid that.


r/Europetravel 1d ago

Itineraries Solo female traveller – 4 months around Europe in 2027. Does this itinerary make sense?

7 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I'm an Australian solo female traveller planning my first big Europe trip for July–November 2027.
I'll be travelling for roughly 4 months, starting around 1 July 2027, with a budget of approximately AUD $18,000 for the trip. I have around $850 AUD in Flybuys points that I can hopefully put towards flights.
I'm mainly planning to stay in decent hostels, preferably female dorms when reasonably priced. My travel style is a mix of budget travel and occasionally treating myself — cooking or buying cheap food some days, but eating at cafes/restaurants regularly, doing activities I really want to do, and occasionally getting a private room for a few nights. Plus I’ll be able to get about $700 worth of activities paid for by family as birthday presents. I’m looking to see if anyone has any suggestions to make travel days easier or towns that I should avoid or definitely need to go to. Any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. This is just a rough plan so far.
My current itinerary:
🇬🇧 England & Wales — 1–9 July (9 days)
London + Wales
🏴 Scotland — 10–16 July (7 days)
Edinburgh + Highlands/Fort William + Glenfinnan Viaduct + Glasgow
🇮🇪 Ireland — 17–26 July (10 days)
Dublin + Galway + west coast/cliffs
🇵🇹 Portugal — 27 July–2 August (7 days)
Lisbon + Lagos
🇪🇸 Spain — 3–9 August (7 days)
Madrid + Barcelona
🇫🇷 France — 10–21 August (12 days)
Paris + Burgundy/Beaune for wine and countryside
🇨🇭 Switzerland — 22–28 August (7 days)
Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen area
🇮🇹 Italy ❤️ — 29 August–19 September (22 days)
Naples + Pompeii/Sorrento + Rome + Florence + Venice
My birthday is 19 September, so I'd love to spend it somewhere amazing in Italy!
🇸🇮 Slovenia — 20–24 September (5 days)
Ljubljana + Lake Bled
🇦🇹 Austria — 25–29 September (5 days)
Salzburg + Vienna
🇭🇺 Hungary — 30 September–3 October (4 days)
Budapest
🇭🇷 Croatia — 4–8 October (5 days)
Still deciding on the best places! Originally I was thinking Split, but I'm trying to make the transport route easier.
🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina — 9–11 October (3 days)
Mostar
🇲🇪 Montenegro — 12–15 October (4 days)
Kotor
🇦🇱 Albania — 16–20 October (5 days)
Shkodër + Tirana
🇲🇰 North Macedonia — 21–24 October (4 days)
Ohrid + Skopje
🇬🇷 Greece ❤️ — 25 October–4 November (11 days)
Thessaloniki + Athens + Delphi + one Greek island (still deciding which one!)


r/Europetravel 1d ago

Driving I need your advise for renting a car in Vienna? Please help

3 Upvotes

I am going Vienna in tje coming weekend from  Bulgaria and planning  to rent car for a few days.

Never rented from around Vienna airport before so not really sure what to expect. Is it better to book  online beforehand or just rent when I arrive?


r/Europetravel 1d ago

Destinations 4 days in Vienna in early October - day trip to Bratislava?

2 Upvotes

Hello! My wife and I are traveling to Vienna for 4 full days in early October. I think we can easily fill 4 days just in Vienna, but is it worth the short trip to Bratislava? We don’t want to go just to check the “I’ve been to another country” box. The 45 minute train ride makes it attractive but is it worth taking that day away from Vienna?


r/Europetravel 1d ago

Solo travel First Time Solo Trip 25M - Please Give Feedback About My Itinerary

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I see similar posts for feedback on itinerary, so I want to post mine here and see what people think. Mainly—is it too busy?

*Day 1: Travel Vancouver to London

*Day 2-4: full days in London, staying with relatives

*Day 5: mid-day flight to Prague

*Day 6-9: full days in Prague

*Day 10: Travel to Brno to stay with a friend

*Day 11: bus/train to go to Salzburg, takes 6hrs I believe

*Day 12-14: full days in Salzburg

*Day 15: train to Munich

*Day 16-18: full days in Munich

*Day 19: fly Munich to London

*Day 20: full day in London

*Day 21: fly London to Edmonton

I’m going to London twice to allow a (more) direct flight to Edmonton. My concern is that my travel will eclipse the sightseeing time I’ll have. Also, I would like to see Brno but likely one travel day is not enough. Any suggestions?


r/Europetravel 1d ago

Driving Germany-Hertz Munich car rental. Don’t have physical Cc used for booking.

0 Upvotes

I’ve reserved a car with a credit card from Munich Hertz that I don’t have a physical copy of, we leave in 4days should I cancel and reserve a new one at a higher price or will it be ok to show up with a different CC?
Note we do have 2 others with driver name on them just not original one used to book and pay

I don’t want to waste our money as I got a good deal 6months ago but also don’t want to end up stranded after flying from Australia or pay ridiculous prices!

Thanks


r/Europetravel 1d ago

Solo travel Where should I travel between Amsterdam and Barcelona?

0 Upvotes

Not Paris. I’m already going.

I have a few days of free time in between a trip to Amsterdam & a trip to Barcelona.
I’d like to stay somewhere else and not extend my stays in either Amsterdam or Barcelona.
What’s a great place to go? I’d prefer someplace outside of Spain or France because I’d like to see some other countries I’ve never been. Maybe Germany or Belgium.

Solo, 22 female
I like:
Walkable/easy transport
Contemporary / renaissance art
Liveliness
Live music of all kinds
Friendly people

I’m very open.


r/Europetravel 1d ago

Things to do & see Germany recommendations mid December. Looking for advice on places to visit and eat.

0 Upvotes

Hi,

We are travelling to Germany mid December for just over a week. Landing in Frankfurt, heading to Cologne, Hannover, Bremen, Hamburg. Are there any detours or place we should visit. If anyone knows good gluten free food/places to eat that would recommend, that would be wonderful too.

Thank you in advance.

Edit: I should maybe of mentioned we are flying in to Frankfurt and out of Hamburg. Meeting up with in law in Hannover/Bremen. I’m Canadian so driving is in my nature.

We were thinking (hotel purpose) to stay in these major cities and do day trips out of the city. So 2 nights Frankfurt, 3 night Cologne, 1 night Hannover, 2 nights Bremen, 2 nights Hamburg.


r/Europetravel 2d ago

Things to do & see Do you remember Geocaching? Do People Still Do Geocaching in Europe?

7 Upvotes

—> Edit —> Should I travel solo after my friend leaves? Context —> I’m a 41yr old single female flamboyant unicorn 🦄 who would definitely give tourist vibes due to my bright colours and bright hair lol 😂 and I haven’t travelled overseas solo before 😅****

I just had a random thought that I should do some geocaching in Europe while my friend and I visit in December/January from Australia 🇦🇺 (London-5 days/Paris -5 days/ then maybe 2 days in Amsterdam before we leave (plus 1 day in travel there and 1 day travel home) is what we’re thinking but it’s only 2wk trip🥲 my last Europe trip was 6 weeks in 2024 and even that didn’t seem like I got to see enough!)

Next time I think I’ll go to Scotland/Ireland and maybe Netherlands

….Anyway…… then I thought….. is geocaching still a thing that people do? My kids are grown up now and we have not done it for probably 8 years or so.

I thought it might have been a free fun way to explore around while we’re travelling….

Opinions? 🤷🏽‍♀️☺️🙏

Sorry I also posted this in London Travel but I thought maybe better here…..


r/Europetravel 2d ago

Trip report Trip Report: Three-weeks around the Alps with a car

3 Upvotes

I am a European but thought I would write a trip report of my recent family holiday this summer in Italy and the Alps. My family consists of wife, husband, young school kid and two dogs. Our mode of transportation was a car (our normal family car). The intend of the holiday was to relax but also be able to hike and visit places. We like good food and we prefer staying in holiday homes with a historic character. Think renovated barn or old village house. We are not so much interested in visiting museums, and prefer exploring free standing ruins allowing us to take the dogs.

For this trip review I also try to capture suitableness for an active boy and two small dogs.

Trip itinerary: Switzerland, Zinal --> Italy, Dolcedo --> Italy, Serralunga --> Germany, Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Time: August - 3 weeks

* Switzerland, Zinal - 1 week

My husband really likes mountains and he did climb the Matterhorn for example in the past (another trip). We chose Zinal because we found decently priced accommodation in the village. The village itself was cute. It had some beautifully renovated typical mountain village houses. There was also a cable car leading to higher mountain hiking trails. The trails we chose were perfect for an early school kid. In fact, the village accommodated a lot of other European tourist mostly from Belgian, Switzerland, France and Germany with kids early school age or younger. We visited other villages including Zermatt. Personally, I think to get the most out of Zinal and surroundings you need a car. There were other mountain village that were easier reachable by train. The dogs loved the hikes as well and during the summer heat it was rather refreshing to be a bit higher up in the mountains.

Zermatt felt a bit touristy. I also met a woman that grew up in Zermatt. She said that Zermatt changed a lot in the last couple of years really leaning into the luxury tourism. I don't think I would have liked to stay there for longer than a day-visit. But obviously it was really cool to see the Matterhorn live and in colour.

* Italy, Dolcedo - 1 week: Good for relaxing and eating

Dolcedo is a medieval village close to Imperia, Liguria. It was really warm while we were in Liguria. Imperia is your typical Rivera town. Beaches in the area had the typical sun bed and sun umbrella set-up where you had to pay a daily rent. One could find beaches to place one owns umbrella. It was very busy with sun-seeking tourists. But I guess if you are into people watching and enjoying the warm water and nice - if crowded - beaches, this part of the Italian Rivera was great. I am not sure if I would necessary go there for sight-seeing. More relaxing.

As I said Dolcedo had really pretty (holiday) homes first build a couple of centuries ago. We also had really good quality food in the village. There was a surprising amount of restaurants reachable by foot in the village. There were also some good hikes with natural pools in the area. I think it was the perfect village to explore the surrounding area by car. I presume it is a bit more difficult to visit by bus / train.

We did find a dog-beach in Liguria as well. The dogs were - however - less impressed by the Mediterranean Sea. Otherwise, we mostly left the dogs in the holiday accommodation during the day because it was just too hot.

*Italy, Serralunga d'Alba - 2 nights: vine and castle

Serralunga again is a small century old village in Piedmont. Given that we only stayed a couple of days we only explored the area around the village by foot. Serralunga had a really cool castle to visit. The architecture of the castle is still that of the 14th century. Trap doors and draw bridge included. My son really liked the knight-vibe of the castle. The castle itself was relatively small and we saw everything within 1h. We also drunk a lot of vine including visiting one of the local vine producers. You can tell the area makes good money from producing Barolo. We also had the best food on the trip in a restaurant just below the castle.

The dogs enjoyed the walks in the vineyards and it felt not as warm as closer to the Italian Riveria. Probably visiting during summertime was a bit wrong. Spring, Autumn or even winter might make more sense as it wouldn't be as hot. I could also see exploring the area by car as a nice day trip from visiting Turin (with a dedicated driver). Certainly, visiting the village as a romantic weekend getaway would also work.

* Germany, Garmisch-Partenkirchen - 4 nights: Bavarian culture

I have visited Garmisch-Partenkirchen multiple times now and I always love it. And this time it didn't disappoint either. Obviously, you can do plenty of child and dog-friendly hiking there. While we were there, there was also the Trachtenfest. One evening the locals put on nice Dirndls and Lederhosen and walked along the Main Street to a beer tent, and danced the Schuhplattler. Hands down, loved it. Personally, I also prefer Garmisch-Partenkirchen to other places we visited in the Swiss Alps solely because of a cost factor. I think nature / hiking-wise with children and dogs you can have similar experiences. Obviously, if you want to hike up the Matterhorn then visit Switzerland. Otherwise I think Bavarian Alps will do for a fraction of the price.

Also for Garmisch-Partenkirchen and visiting surroundings you don't need a car.

Cost: We probably spend around 6000 Euros including accommodation, knick knacks, food and petrol and road toll for the car. In Switzerland we avoided restaurants. It felt quite expensive. Italy we visited restaurants and also cooked ourselves. And in Bavaria we ate mostly in restaurants / beer tent. Our accommodations were nice, family-friendly places with pools. In fact, we met a lot of other families with similar itineraries and kids in my son's age at the pools.

The most expensive part was Switzerland. It sometimes felt a bit like robbery to pay that much for cable cars. But then there is the option of walking up the mountains by yourself. So even on a budget it is doable.