We love reader questions like this one we recently received from Marcy, a college student:
I just received the opportunity to travel to Europe for about 6 weeks this summer! I’m going with a friend and we were hoping to stay in two main places, a base camp of sorts, and then do day trips from there. We really want to experience the cultures instead of just see the tourist attractions. I was wondering if you had any recommendations on where we should go. We want to experience as much as possible, and you travel more than anyone I know!
We can’t tell Marcy where to visit in Europe. There are many destinations we love, but our favorite things in Europe might not be Marcy’s favorites, or your favorites.
What we can offer is a series of questions for Marcy and her traveling companion to ask themselves when planning their trip.
10 Questions to Ask Yourself to Help Choose Where to Travel in Europe
1. Do you or your traveling companions know any foreign languages?
If the answer is yes, you may want to consider going to places where that language is spoken. It’s not required to know a foreign language to travel in Europe (other than a few basis words I don’t speak any language other than English.) But if I often wish that I could speak the local language to get a deeper understanding of the culture and to conserve more easily with locals. For example, if you or someone you are traveling with speaks Spanish, you might want to pick somewhere in Spain to visit.
2. What are your familial and cultural ties to Europe?
Did your ancestor’s emigrate from Europe? My father’s family emigrated from Germany in the 1870’s, and my first trip to Europe was to Germany and Austria. Visiting Germany gave me a better understanding of some of my family’s traditions, even though they are three to four generations later. My mother’s family has ties to Scotland and so it was meaningful to visit Scotland (and to see the family plaid.)
Mr. Jones has family members in England so he enjoys English history and culture, as well as scones with clotted cream.
3. What kind of weather do you find most enjoyable?
Since you will be visiting during the summer, can you tolerate high temperatures? We remember being in Split, Croatia on the beautiful Adriatic coast in July and experiencing temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius (which is 113 degrees Fahrenheit.) We were miserable visiting the cultural sites that we wanted to see, and the oppressive heat zapped our energy.
If you prefer cooler temperatures consider Northern Europe and Scandinavian destinations rather than Mediterranean ones.
4. Would you rather take a mountain hike or swim in the sea?
Think about the kinds of activities and experiences that you want to enjoy in Europe. We loved hiking the well-developed trails around the Dolomites in northern Italy. For beautiful beaches, we’d head to Sicily or the Greek isles.
5. What hobbies or interests do you want to explore?
Are you more interested in Roman history or in the Vikings? Fast cars or the best pizza-making techniques? Impressionist art or The Sound of Music? Think about the things that interest you most, and try to include a visit to a destination that embodies them.
Do not spend your time seeing things that are not exciting to you. For example, don’t spend time in Paris visiting the Louvre if you dislike art, when you could be spending that time exploring something that enthralls you.
6. What’s your comfort zone?
Is it your first trip to Europe? Places with more tourists and fellow American visitors may be more comfortable. Think about the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Austria or Denmark.
Are you okay with getting a little more off the beaten path? Consider Eastern Europe or the smaller cities and destinations with fewer American visitors. For example, Bologna, Italy; or Krakow, Poland; or Ljubljana, Slovenia.
7. How’s your budget?
It costs more to travel in Switzerland than Spain. Eastern European countries or Turkey can be a bargain. We love Norway, but Oslo is one of the world’s most expensive cities.
8. How will you get around Europe?
Trains, buses, hiking, ferries, or a rail pass? We used cruise ships as our floating hotel during much of our summer in Europe.
9. Where will you stay?
Are you counting on staying in hostels or couch surfing? Do you have friends or extended family members that you can stay with for a few days?
Which places that you are considering have the best accommodations to meet your needs? For example, we have lots of Hilton and Marriott hotel reward points, so we tend to look for cities with hotels were we can use those points. Free hotel nights will stretch your budget significantly.
10. What places and or experiences are on you wish list?
Make a wish list of all of the places that you’d like to visit. Then look at a map or a globe and consider different routes that allow you to hit the most of your priorities — for example, if you want to experience Pamplona’s San Fermin (Running of the Bulls) Festival you have to be in Pamplona, Spain sometime between July 7 through the 14th when the on The Running of the Bulls occurs at 8am each morning.
Many destinations in Europe have local festivals, which you can learn about by visiting a local tourism website for the destination. Consider your preferences and tolerance for crowds. Those who prefer to avoid crowds should also check festival schedules to avoid visiting a destination during an event likely to bring be crowds.
Where ever you decide to go in Europe, be sure to allow time to enjoy the journey.
What advice do you have to add when considering the places to visit in Europe? Please share in comments below.
Other travel tips you might want to check out:
A Better Way to Send Postcards From Your Travels
6 Packing Tips From A Road Warrior
Our #1 Strategy for Staying Healthy When Traveling
Flying Internationally from the U.S. with Diabetic Medications and Supplies
How to Get Your Preferred Dining Seating on a Cruise
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