The classic first trip abroad
Europe
Rail-connected cities, deep history and dependable traveler infrastructure.
Europe remains the most popular first international trip for Americans: short intra-country flights, extensive rail, English widely spoken in tourist areas and a dense concentration of UNESCO sites. Petty theft, not violent crime, is the dominant safety consideration.
Featured destinations in Europe
Budapest
Thermal baths, ruin bars and Danube views from both banks.
Prague
A largely intact medieval core at a friendly price.
Interlaken
Between two lakes, under the Jungfrau, built for adventure sports.
Edinburgh
A castle on a crag, closes full of history, and August festivals.
Reykjavik
Base for the Golden Circle, glaciers and northern lights.
Stockholm
Fourteen islands, an old town and long summer evenings.
Vienna
Imperial palaces, coffee houses and world-class classical music.
Berlin
Cold War history, huge parks and Europe's most unfiltered nightlife.
Santorini
Caldera views, white villages and the classic Aegean sunset.
Copenhagen
Design, harbor swimming and a bike-first city layout.
Dublin
A compact capital and the natural start of any Ireland road trip.
Milan
Fashion, the Duomo and fast trains to the lakes.
Munich
Beer halls, Alpine day trips and the gateway to Neuschwanstein.
Nice
The French Riviera base for Monaco, Antibes and Eze.
Paris
The most visited city in the world, and still worth every bit of the hype.
Rome
Three thousand years of history stacked on top of itself.
Venice
A city on 118 islands, with no cars and no equivalent anywhere.
Florence
The Renaissance in a city you can cross on foot in thirty minutes.
Barcelona
Gaudi, beaches and the Gothic Quarter in one Mediterranean city.
Madrid
Europe's great art capital, with a nightlife that starts when others end.
Lisbon
Seven hills, tiled facades, and the best value capital in Western Europe.
London
Free world-class museums, deep history and no language barrier.
Amsterdam
Canals, Vermeer and Van Gogh, all on a bicycle.
Zurich
Lake, old town and the launchpad for Swiss alpine rail.
Geneva
Lakeside diplomacy at the foot of the Alps.
Athens
The Acropolis, and the gateway to every Greek island.