Every year an estimated 15 million Americans visit Europe, and if you do visit some of the continent’s most popular destinations – London, Paris, Rome and Venice – they can seem rather overcrowded. However, this fascinating continent does boast some little known destinations for those who wish to venture off the beaten track. A little investigating can go a long way when embarking on a trip such as a vacation to Europe. The following information includes some suggestions, although many more can be made by doing your own fact-finding. Experiencing a little known destination is romantic and memorable.
France is one of Europe’s most visited countries; and if you have already seen Paris and the Cote d’Azur, the country still offers some relatively unknown areas. The Quercy and Lot regions offer visitors plenty of historic towns, beautiful scenery and a wealth of outdoor activities. However, these areas are among the least visited parts of France. Also, the beaches of France may be world famous, but there are still miles of coast just north of the Spanish border, that are not yet affected by mass tourism.
Another country which attracts millions of visitors every year is Spain; most tourists concentrate on Madrid, Barcelona and the country’s beaches. But Spain has several regions which are relatively undiscovered, including Asturias, an area tucked away in the north of Spain. Asturias offers visitors some of Europe’s most dramatic coastal scenery, fascinating prehistoric cave paintings; and a wide variety of outdoor activities in the picturesque Los Picos de Europa Mountains.
Tuscany is anything but undiscovered, but if you take the time to get off the beaten track, you can still find many beautiful and unspoiled hill towns that haven’t yet been overrun by tourists – Pitigliano, Sovana and Massa Marittima. Italy’s Amalfi coast can feel crowded too, but hidden away is the town of Atrani, a relative oasis of calm amidst the bustle of the larger resorts. And if you really want to experience Italy without the crowds, visit Apulia, the region in the heel of Italy’s boot – a highlight here is the town of Lecce, often described as the “Florence of the south”.
Prague is a beautiful city and has justifiably become one of the most popular cities in Europe, attracting around 20 million visitors annually. However, many visitors to the Czech Republic don’t venture outside Prague, which is a shame as they will discover a fascinating country – historic towns, spectacular countryside and in many areas, a way of life that hasn’t changed for centuries. The region of Moravia still clings to many of its old traditions; it’s also a great place to taste authentic goulash.
Three countries tucked away in the northeastern part of Europe appeal to those who are looking for something different – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. All three of these small countries offer beautiful countryside, historic towns and cities, a distinctive culture and unique traditions – and all three declared their independence from Russia as recently as 1990. These Baltic States are increasingly popular destinations for UK travelers, but are still a mystery to many Americans.
Most people could not locate the tiny European country of Slovenia on a map; it’s one of the few countries left in Europe that is still virtually unheard of. Visit before Slovenia is discovered, as this country – half the size of Switzerland – boasts dramatic mountain scenery, fairy tale castles and spectacular underground caverns. Its capital, Ljubljana is just as attractive as Prague, Vienna or Budapest. It’s also one of the safest and most stable of the countries that comprise the former Yugoslavia.
Another country that most people don’t know too much about is Luxembourg. This small country is tucked away between Belgium, Germany and France and offers a variety of sightseeing options. In the south of the country is the beautiful wooded Ardennes region; and the country’s capital boasts picturesque medieval houses, narrow cobblestone streets and cozy cafes. The country also offers plenty of places to enjoy fine dining – Luxembourg boasts more Michelin star restaurants per capita than any other country in the world.
Some of Europe’s beaches are legendary, but the continent still has plenty of beaches where you can perhaps be the only tourist for several miles. The Adriatic coast, especially Croatia, boasts many miles of undiscovered beaches – and this area is safer than most people think. Italy’s Cinque Terre region is well known, but not far from the touristy towns are small beaches known only to the locals. In fact, many small beaches in Europe are accessible only from the water; and an enterprising boat owner will usually take you there for a small fee.
One other tip is to try to visit some of Europe’s more popular destinations in the off season. You won’t have the crowds, and you may not have the best weather – but you may just enjoy your trip that much more.
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www.motorhomesdirect.co.uk I was interested to read this which was written by American, Steve Hunt who quite famously did an 8 month long holiday as one of his motorhome tours in Europe. He says, Some people save money by free camping (camping in truck stops, beaches, and along the road) but I did so only in an emergency and dont recommend it as a standard practice. Besides, you miss one of the big advantages of camping Europe. When youre in a campground, its hard not to socialize and meet …
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Summer Vacation: Destination Europe?THE ONLY 2 CHOICES LISTED BELOW:
I want to go to Europe, that's for sure; but I'm only 14 and I'm wondering if I should take a grand tour to important cities (2-3 weeks) or just to Italy and Greece (Tuscany, Capri, Athens, Santorini & Crete)
If I do choice 2, I'll take a grand tour with my friends after graduating High School. But considering the economy, Euros must be a fortune when I'm a graduate.
Since my sister is in Europe right now, we need to save money. So this is a little dilemma..
2 out of the first 3 answers are the most idiotic i've ever seen. im not planning 4 years from now. that's the grand tour IF i dont do that in 2010. its obviously 2009 currently. 10-9=1
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Can some one please help me. I want to go to Paris how much is the dollar in Euro money??? please help me I want to take 5,000 minus the plane trip so would I have enough for a good time??? Help me plz
pretty good video…Europe might be expensive but it well worth it! Country’s like Austria, Sweden, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Ireland and Swiss are the most beautiful places
I loved Italy as it had a variety of places/towns to see, the history is impressive, the arcitciture varies and is amazing, food is great and people were nice in general. I would like to have seen more of the countryside!!
I also love Croatia as it was a surprise to me how great it was! It was cheaper than other places I went to, people were great and it had amazing histroy. The coastlines are truely spectacular!!!!!
Prague/ Czech Republic was pretty cool and agian a surpirse to me how wonderful it was….so pretty.
France, to give credit where its due has a lot to offer, not just Paris. Its a big place and you could spend months there and still not see it all….kind of like Italy in that respect….I loved the area in central france between the towns of Figiac and Cahors. Stunningly lovely towns ( eg St Cirq lapopie, Rocamadour, St Cere, Autoire) and wonderful chateaus, countryside……mmmmm makes me want to go back!
For the last four years, I have been taking my family to a unique family resort in Vermont on Lake Champlain for our big summer vacation — it is a converted family farm that offers a really amazing vacation where everyone (mom and dad too) get a REAL vacation. We love and the kids love — obviously because we keep coming back — Check out http://www.tylerplace.com
It is so cool — the kids have group (all segmented by age) in the mornings so the adults can play (everything from kayaking and mtn bikes to pottery or yoga.) Then we do family activities in the afternoon, then back to group for the kids and we get a grown-up meal at the inn. There is so much to do — an incredible place. Everyone who goes keeps coming back the same week so you make awesome friends and so do the kids. Stay at the Inn or in cottages around the lake — all meals provided, awesome water sports and activities — anything you can imagine.
I wouldn't want to try to defend this in an audit.
If the cost from SFO to Germany was the same as Austin to Germany, you will not get a deduction. If the cost from SFO to Germany was $500 more than Austin to Germany, you *might* be able to argue the $500. Get screen captures of the ticket prices. Of course, waiting until now to get the screen captures will make it more difficult to defend the costs on the day you flew.
Hi Sapna
Mainland Europe may not be all that sunny in January – the weather can be unpredictable.
Your best bet for sunshine will the Canary Islands – you might still be unlucky and get a few showers but you should at least see some warm sunshine during your stay
I like Fuertaventura but Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria are also good places to visit
Hope this helps
San Antonio go to the river walk, SA Zoo, Sea World,Six Flags,A lot to do in San A.
If I had to make a suggestion, I would go to Krakow. The Poles are very religious people, and celebrate Christmas eve (Wigilia) and Christmas like no one else in Europe. I spent Christmas 98 in Krakow and it was amazing. The market square, the largest in Europe, was packed with people. It was electric, young and old reveling together. It was almost like New Years eve in Time Square. Children singing Christmas carols, expect to give them a couple of Zoltych. Carriage rides through the old town. They have miniature theaters (Szopka) with puppets reenacting the nativity. The food is a amazing, the people are fabulous While Krakow is not my favorite city in Europe, I cannot think of a better place to spend Christmas.
For October a good destination would either be Italy or Spain. Still warm, but not hot and not so expensive.
As a general rule for prices in Europe north (Scandinavia)and west is more expensive than south and east. The cheapest countries are Ukraine, Romania and Albania. But if you went there I think you would be quite dissappointed, as the reason these countries are cheap is bc the people are poor.
Now I don't know how much time you have, but if you got 3 weeks I suggest spending 2 weeks in Spain and one week in Morrocco. You would fly into Madrid and rent a car. You could tour southern Spain (Granada, Toledo, Gibraltar) before dropping the car off and heading by train and ferry over to Morocco. Morocco is much cheaper than Spain and seeing the country could make you appreciate and understand Spanish and thus Mexican heritage better. (Plus you can say you've been to Africa.)
Alternatively you could go Italy. Railpasses are a waste of money in Italy, you should just buy point-to-point tickets it works out cheaper. You would need about 2 weeks to see the highlights.
For a shorter trip of one week, I suggest visiting Portugal, Andalusia (southern Spain) or Hungary. Hungary would be the cheapest. For Hungary you could fly into London or Frankfurt and then catch a budget flight to Budapest. You could make it a combined Budapest-Bratislava-Vienna trip, using train and boat to travel along the Danube.
Airfare from Houston should be in the 800 USD range per person. October is not high season, so it should not be too difficult to get a decent fare. For your stay you need to budget around 200 EUR per day for both of you if you stay at hotels and pensions and eat out. You could also look into renting either a campervan or taking camping gear (tent, sleeping bags) along with you. Staying at campsites (or hostels) is significantly cheaper than staying at hotels, it could reduce the cost of your trip by half.
Rental cars should be booked in a package with the flight through a travel agent. Good travel agencies can get you special "fly + drive" packages with significantly reduced rental fees for the car.
I find some Japanese people in many countries, but I can not say that I have seen bigger groups in any country in Europe.
You can look at Travel Forums in Japan, or just make your own travels and see who you meet.