1] London, UK - Best cities to visit in Europe
One of the best European cities to visit, London has everything to offer for travellers to be its historical monuments, natural wonders, university campuses, Wimbledon and Lord's stadiums and so many shopping avenues.
How to reach?
London can be reached by direct or via flights from India. London also can be reached by Eurostar from Paris and Brussels. All the best European cities are well connected to London by flight.
Where to Stay?
Affordable areas to stay in London are Bayswater, Notting Hill, Kensington and Paddington. But if you wish to stay near tourist attractions then stay in areas like Waterloo, Southbank, Soho, Oxford Street, Covent garden or Kings Cross etc. We shall recommend the best hotels for a given budget, the duration of your stay and itinerary you are looking for.
What to experience in this top destination of Europe?
If you are staying for just 3-4 nights then better focus on main touristy places such as Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Parliament building, London Eye, Big Ben, Madame Tussauds, The Shard, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly circus, Thames river cruise etc. Main shopping avenues of London are Oxford Street, Soho, Regent-street, Westfield, Knightsbridge and Chelsea, Carnaby Street, Covent Garden, Boxpark and Bicester village etc. This makes London one of the top destinations in Europe for shopping. For sports lovers visiting Wimbledon Stadium, Lord's cricket stadium or Wembley football stadium is a top priority. There are many day excursions to cover the best places to visit in Europe from central London mainly to Stonehenge, Oxford and Cambridge, Cotswold etc. Depending upon your interested there are many tour packages with us such as food tour, royal palace tours, museum tours, walking tours and so on. We can design the itinerary based on your choice and preferences so that you can cover all top European destinations in your tour
Best time to visit
Most of the best European cities to visit have higher hotel rates in summer including central London. February, March and April rates are reasonable but the weather will be cold. You shall have very good weather in May, September and October. You shall have great offers during black Sunday period so shoppers note Black Sunday dates.
2] Paris, France – Best cities to visit in Europe
Paris is a most romantic European city and top European destination on every Indian’s bucket list. Every Indian honeymoon couple wishes to be on top of the Eiffel tower and every family member wishes to be a kid in Disneyland. In short, the Eiffel Tower and Disneyland are the best places to visit in Europe.
How to reach?
Paris is well connected by flight from India. If you are arriving from Switzerland then take a TGV train. From London take Eurostar and From Amsterdam take a Thalys train. All train options mentioned are superfast ways to reach Paris. We arrange a transfer for you from the airport/station to hotel as language and signage could be a barrier for you on the first day. All top places to visit in Europe is well connected to Paris either by train or by flight.
Where to stay?
If you are looking for cheaper accommodation than staying near the Gare De Nord station area can be considered. Please note this area apparently may not look safe and you need to careful during late nights. This area is full of Asian and African community and you have good Indian restaurants in this area. But consider this area only if you are looking for cheaper hotels. Another area for cheaper hotels in La Défense which is 15 mins by metro train to central Paris. This is a business district with good hotels at reasonable rates. This area is safer but you do not have many Indian restaurants in this suburb.
Ideally one should stay near Champs de Elysees or La Halles area or near Eiffel tower. These areas are very much central and you can get a real flavour of central Paris. But hotels in these areas tend to be costlier during season times. Preferably you should stay near the metro line RER-A station if you wish to explore Paris by public transport.
What to experience in this top destination in Europe?
Paris has its own character and culture and known as a top destination in Europe. It is the fashion capital of the world. Best places to see in Paris, Europe are Champs Elysees avenue, Place de la Concorde, Arc De Triumph, La Halles area and Notre dam cathedral. Evening enjoy shimmering Eiffel tower from Trocadero and then enjoy Seine river cruise with dinner. You need a full day at Disneyland which is considered as a top European destination for family holidays. If you are keen on history and art then visit Versailles Palace and Louvre Museum is a must. There are many other attractions such as Montmartre and other museums. Best way to explore Paris central area is by Hop on Hop Off bus or walking guided tours or bicycle tours.
Best time to visit:
Paris is one of the best European cities to visit all year round. If possible, avoid summer months such as June, July and August when crowd, temp and prices are on a higher side as summer season is a peak season for all top destinations in Europe.
3] Interlaken, Switzerland - Top destination in Europe
Chandani, DDLJ and many more movies are filmed in this beautiful Alpine country. Switzerland made popular among Indians by legendary Yash Chopra. His favourite town in Switzerland was Interlaken. As the name suggests this town lies between two lakes – Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. This scenic town is ideally located in central Switzerland and considered as one of the best places to visit in Europe. One can make it a perfect base and take day trips to various parts of Switzerland. We suggest spending at least 5 nights in Switzerland to understand why this is a top European destination. Most of the times we recommend to spend all nights at one location in central Switzerland so that you need not carry luggage from one place to another.
How to reach?
Switzerland is extraordinarily costly if you wish to use private transfers or taxis. Most economical and at the same time scenic way to explore Switzerland is by train. Once you have Swiss pass, exploring Switzerland by public trains, public ferries, trams and postal buses is absolutely free. If you are travelling with kids less than 16 years of age, then the Swiss pass is completely free for them. Thus, the Swiss pass is most convenient, most affordable and at the same time most scenic way to explore Switzerland. From Zurich and Geneva which are the best European cities to visit are well connected to Interlaken by train and you need to take a train from just below the airport which will take you to Interlaken with one change. As you shall be exploring the entire Swiss by train, we generally suggest to stay at one central location and take day trips to avoid packing, unpacking and travelling with luggage unnecessarily. We can also arrange private transfers from the airport to Interlaken hotels but it will be extraordinarily costly.
Where to stay?
There are two stations Interlaken OST and Interlaken West. You can stay in any hotel or apartment near these stations. In season times when Interlaken hotel rates are too expensive, then consider nearby villages such as Wilderswil, Grindelwald, Wengen, Bonigen, Niederried, Ringgenberg, Beatenberg etc.
There are certain limitations in terms of the frequency of public transport but it saves a lot of money. Staying in Lucerne or Engelberg is also suggested when you have more than 5 nights in Switzerland. We can split your stay between Lucerne/Engelberg and Interlaken. This will be an optimum choice to avoid high costing.
What to experience in the top destination in Europe?
Unmatched natural Alpine beauty with world-class public transport is what you shall experience in Switzerland. Interlaken is top places to visit in Europe and should be your base for more than 4 nights so that you can take mountain excursions, adventure sports and day excursions to various regions of Switzerland.
Mount Jungfrau – This is one of the best places to see in Europe and an important excursion from Interlaken Ost. The journey starts with a train journey to Lauterbrunnen and from there by a cogwheel train to Kline Scheidegg. From here you board another train to Top of Europe – Mount Jungfrau. On the top, you shall explore ice palace, glacier views and majestic mountain peaks of Jungfrau, Eiger and Monch.
Mount Schilthorn excursion - This excursion also starts from Lauterbrunnen and en route you can also visit Trummelbach falls. Schilthorn lies above the car-free village of Murren. At Birg you can experience thrill walk and skyline walk. At the top, you enjoy Piz Gloria and Skyline view platform. At Allmendhubel you can enjoy fun activities and flower trails. This entire journey to the top is either by train or by cable car.
You can also enjoy various adventure sports in and around Interlaken such as paragliding, water rafting, sky diving, mountain biking etc. You can also take a Golden pass express train ride from Interlaken Ost to Montreux in South French-speaking Swiss. En-route you can visit DDLJ famous sites such as Gstaad and Saanen. Montreux is famous for Lake Geneva and should be on your list of best places to visit in Europe. Glacier 3000 excursion and other villages like Gruyere for the cheese factory and Broc for the chocolate factory. Another excursion possible from Interlaken will be to Zermatt which is home to Matterhorn peak. You can take a day trip to Lucerne city, Engelberg village and Mount Titlis.
You also can visit the Capital city of Bern and Zurich city or Rhine falls. Options available are endless and we need to prioritise depending upon the number of days you have in your hand.
Best time to visit:
April and May are the best months to travel. June, July and August are peak season months and temp, crowd and prices are on the higher side as this is a peak season in all top destinations in Europe. September and October are also very good months in terms of prices and weather. November to March are famous for winter activities and Christmas and Easter times are very vibrant in cities like Lucerne, Bern and Zurich.
4] Salzburg, Austria - Best cities to visit in Europe
Salzburg is located between Innsbruck and Vienna by a train ride of 2 hrs each. Therefore, it is a perfect base to cover Austrian Alps and lakes and is also a birthplace of famous composer of Western classical music. Therefore, Salzburg is considered as a top destination in Europe to visit.
How to reach?
All the best European cities to visit are well connected to Salzburg by flight and train. Though it has an international airport, from India best connections are to Munich and Vienna. Munich is 1.5 hrs by train or road and Vienna is 2 hrs by train. Salzburg also can be reached from Italy by overnight train.
Where to stay?
Practical location is near Mirabel gardens or near the railway station as most of the tours start from this area. Also, you need to board trains to reach Innsbruck, Zell am see and Vienna, so it's better to be near the station area. But the actual tourist area is old town Altstadt, which is the historical centre of Salzburg with most of the Salzburg attractions are located at walking distance. If you are Sound of Music fan then consider spending 1 or 2 nights at Hotel Leopoldskron where most of the scenes were shot. If you wish to experience luxury then choose Schloss Monchstein, which is located on the top of the hill just 10 mins walk from Old Town.
What to experience in this top European destination?
There are many day excursions possible from Salzburg. One can have a day trip to Innsbruck – a capital city of Tyrol to visit Swarovski Crystal world. You can also take a day excursion to Hallstatt also known as one of the best places to visit in Europe due to its beautiful lakes and mountains. Salzkammergut lake district also can be covered in one day with its beautiful lake Fuschl and village St Gilgen. If you have more days in your hand take a day excursion to Zell am see. Here you can be on top of Kitzsteinhorn mountain to enjoy the snow and great views. You can also visit Krimml falls which is the fifth highest waterfall in the world. And yes do not forget to visit underground salt mine in Berchtesgaden and Eagles nest. There are many best places to see in Salzburg, Europe such as Werfen ice caves and luxury resorts to relax and various hiking and biking trails. In Salzburg city, there are many attractions in the old town worth visiting such as Mirabel garden, Hohensalzburg fortress and musical concert in the evening.
Best time to visit:
Salzburg can be visited all year round. If possible, avoid summer months such as June, July and August when crowd, temp and prices are on the higher side as this is a peak season for all top destinations in Europe. In winter do not miss Christmas market and horse carriage rides in the snow. Please note during winter, daylight is available only till 1600-1630 hrs and temp will be near zero degrees. Salzburg must be in your list of top places to visit in Europe.
5] Santorini, Greece - Top destination in Europe for Romantic holidays
This island needs no introduction. This island is a gem of the Mediterranean Sea and world-famous for honeymooners and holiday seekers. Santorini is famous for its view from the cliffs. View of Caldera and the Mediterranean Sea is just out of this world.
How to reach?
Santorini can be reached from Athens by flight, slow boat and fast boat. Santorini also can be reached directly by flight from the best cities to visit in Europe such as Istanbul, Paris, Frankfurt etc. But from India, the best connection is via Athens. Ferry and flight timings are such that you need to spend one night in Athens. The slow ferry takes 7 hrs to reach and should be preferred by the one who has a problem of seasickness. The fast ferry takes 5 hrs but one may face seasickness.
Where to stay?
Staying on the cliff view resort is always recommended. But in season times rates of these resorts are ridiculously high and we recommend not to overspend if prices are not reasonable. Staying in Fira, Firostefani or Imerovigli town is strongly recommended provided prices are reasonable. Fira town is also known for its nightlife in summer months. Else consider Oia village which also offers an excellent view and luxury resorts. Another side of Santorini island does not have cliffs and you have various beach resorts and water sports facilities at Kamari, Perissa and Perivolos beaches. Hotel rates are much lower in these locations.
What to experience in this top destination in Europe?
Santorini is a paradise island for honeymooners and rated as top European destinations. Enjoy a breath-taking view of the Caldera and the Aegean Sea and you shall admit that Santorini is one of the top places to visit in Europe Visit caldera island and enjoy swimming in hot springs. Take a cable car or donkey ride to the pier. Enjoy the sunset from Oia village. Experience numerous shops, pubs, bars and restaurants in Fira town and enjoy the nightlife of this town. Visit various beaches in Santorini and enjoy water sports. To add luxury to your tours you can take a helicopter ride or take dinner on a private yacht.
Best time to visit:
March to October are the best months to travel. Ideally, you should visit Santorini in the month of April or September when crowd, prices and temp all are moderate. Avoid June, July and August when crowd, temp, humidity and prices are very high as summers months are peak season in all top destinations in Europe
6] Amsterdam, Netherlands - Best cities to visit in Europe
Amsterdam is known for friendly Dutch people, flowers, nightlife, canals and so many museums. The Netherlands is a small country and if you wish you can explore other parts of the Netherlands by keeping Amsterdam as your base.
How to reach?
Amsterdam is well connected by flight from India. One can also reach Amsterdam from Paris by super-fast Thalys train. Brussels is just 2 hrs by super-fast Thalys train.
Where to stay?
Ideally one should stay near Dam Square or Amsterdam Central station area. But, it is quite tricky to decide the best location to stay in Amsterdam. In super peak months of March, April and May [due to Keukenhof tulip gardens] hotel rates are exorbitantly higher in central Amsterdam. If you are on a low budget then stay in Sloterdijk which can be reached within 15 mins by tram from central Amsterdam. The area near RAAI or Amsterdam Zuid also can be considered. Many people opt for Schiphol airport hotels to save on cost. Please note most of the sightseeing tours, De Wallen red-light area and museums are near Central station area. Staying away from the central area will save money but it will add at least 15 to 30 mins one way to reach the central station area.
What to experience in this top destination of Europe?
Amsterdam a city can be best explored by canal cruise, bicycle rides, hop on hop off bus tours and walking tours. March end till May second week is the best time to visit Amsterdam as Keukenhof tulip gardens are at their blossoms. Do not miss visiting Tulip farms for those carpet of flowers.
Amsterdam is also famous for various museums such as the Van Gogh art museum, Rembrandt house museum, Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, Anne Frank House and many more. You can also take day trips to Madurodam famous for miniature Europe, Volendam which is a beautiful fishing village, Zaans Schans known for windmills, Marken which is a scenic village with timber houses, white bridges and fishing harbour. You can also take a full-day trip to Giethoorn a fairy-tale village of many peat villages connected by 170 wooden bridges. Rotterdam and the capital city of Hague also can be visited as a day trip from Amsterdam.
Best time to visit:
March last week till May second week is the most beautiful period to travel to Amsterdam. During this period you can visit Keukenhof tulip gardens and tulip farms also you can enjoy flower parade in the month of April. But this is the costliest and crowdy period in Amsterdam. Otherwise, Amsterdam can be visited year-round. June, July and August are also busiest months due to summer holidays.
7] Oslo, Norway - Best cities to visit in Europe
Oslo is a capital city of Norway. This is not as big in size as London or Paris, but still, it has its own charm and one should explore this Scandinavian country for its fjords and Northern lights. 2 nights are more than sufficient to cover Oslo’s main tourist attractions.
How to reach?
Well connected by Emirates and Lufthansa from India. Oslo can also be reached by an overnight ferry from Copenhagen. From Stockholm, you can reach Oslo by a fast train.
Where to stay?
Oslo is not very big in size but we rate this as one of the top places to visit in Europe. We recommend staying near the central station. Oslo is a very costly city and avoids taking private transfers or taxi as it would be way expensive. Therefore, even though hotels near the central station are little costlier, you save money in terms of transfers from airport to hotel and hotel to station. Karl Johans gate is a street which connects the central station to Royal Palace. Any hotel near this street will be ideal for a short stay.
What to experience in this top destination in Europe?
Oslo is one of the best European cities to visit especially in Scandinavia, it has many tourist attractions which are at walkable distance. Main attractions are Royal Palace, Parliament building, Opera house, City hall, Akershus Fortress and Karl Johans gate street. On the outskirts of Oslo visit the famous Vigeland sculpture park and Holmenkollen ski jump. Bygdoy is the recreation centre of Oslo which is a high-end residential area too. It has five museums such as Viking ship museum, Fram Museum, Kon Tiki museum, Maritime museum and Cultural history museum. In the summertime, the beach on this island is a big crowd puller.
Oslo is also a starting point of famous Norway in a Nutshell tour. This is a top destination in Europe as you shall experience unmatched natural beauty in this tour. This tour begins with a train journey from Central station to Myrdal and then by mountain train from Myrdal to Flam. Flam is a very scenic village and you can opt for various adventure sports or hiking trails. From Flam, you enjoy a boat ride on Auralndsfjord which a part of the longest Sognefjord. From Gudvangen you take a bus and then train to arrive at Bergen which is another beautiful town of Norway. Do visit Tromso, Kirkness, Honningsvag
And North cape if you wish to explore Polar life and northern lights or midnight sun depending upon the season.
Best time to visit?
Winters in Scandinavia are very cold and severe. But if you wish to experience Northern lights then you need to visit Norway in winter months [ideal month could be March or October depending upon solar activity]. Summer months of June, July and August are very comfortable months in terms of weather and one can experience Midnight sun.
08] Barcelona, Spain - Best cities to visit in Europe
Barcelona is the most vibrant city in Spain. It is the capital of Catalonia. Known for art, architecture, nightlife, beaches and great Spanish food and drinks.