Europe Guide – inspiration from our tips and experiences
Europe, the most visited continent in the world, attracts more then 700 million of tourists every year thanks to its incredible diversity of cultures, natural scenery and historical monuments. Whether you are looking for a cycling trip along the Danube in Austria, a romantic ride through Venice, magical Italian cities, the islands of Croatia, or perhaps a visit to Paris, Porto, Amsterdam, Edinburgh or Berlin, on these pages you will find specific advice and recommendations based on our own travels and experiences.
We have prepared for you an overview of European destinations that we have personally visited and explored. For each country, you will find practical advice on choosing accommodation, renting a car, tips on local specialties and lesser-known but interesting places. Each guide is based on our own experiences and current knowledge - just choose the country or destination that appeals to you, and a world of inspiration, verified recommendations and practical tips will open up for you:
A Balkan country with an area of 28,748 km², whose capital is Tirana and the official language is Albanian. It has a population of approximately 2.7 million, of whom about 8% work in tourism. Albania gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, went through periods of monarchy and communism, and is now a parliamentary republic and a candidate for membership in the European Union. In recent years, Albanians have been trying to attract tourists. During the communist era, dictator Enver Hoxha had approximately 273,000 concrete bunkers built throughout the country! That's 1 bunker for every nine Albanians.
A Central European country with an area of 83,870 km² with the capital Vienna and approximately 9.15 million inhabitants. The language spoken here is German. The country has been a member of the European Union since 1995. More than 60% of Austria's territory is covered by the Alps, making it a popular destination for skiing and mountain hiking. More than 30 million visitors visit Austria annually. Vienna is home to the oldest zoo in the world, Schönbrunn, founded in 1752. The red and white Austrian flag is one of the oldest in the world and has existed since 1191.
A country in Southeast Europe with an area of approximately 111,000 km², whose capital is Sofia and the official language is Bulgarian. It has a population of approximately 6.5 million, with Bulgarians making up 89% of the population and the main religion being Orthodox Christianity. Bulgaria is a parliamentary democracy, a member of the European Union, NATO and the Schengen Area. In Bulgaria you will find over 40,000 cultural monuments, seven of which are on the UNESCO list. In 2024, the country was visited by around 11 million tourists.
A country in Southeastern Europe with the capital Zagreb covering an area of 56,594 km². It has a population of around 3.8 million. It has been a member of the European Union since 2013 and has used the euro as its currency since 2023. Croatia has more than 1,200 islands and islets, of which only 48 are inhabited. The city of Dubrovnik, which is visited by around 1.4 million tourists a year, is famous for its medieval walls, which are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A Western European country covering an area of 547,030 km². It has a population of around 69 million. It is a republic headed by President Emmanuel Macron and is one of the founding members of the European Union and the UN. France is the largest country in the European Union. Around 100 million tourists visit here annually. They mainly go to Paris, Nice and Marseille. Due to its hexagonal shape, it is often nicknamed “L’Hexagone” or the hexagon.
This federal republic, consisting of 16 federal states, covers an area of around 358,000 km² and has a population of around 85 million. It is the largest economy in Europe and the fourth largest in the world, with a GDP in 2023 of 4,122.2 billion euros. Every year, Germany is visited by almost 40 million tourists. Not only tourists can taste more than 1,500 different types of sausages and beer from 1,300 different breweries.
Hungary covers an area of approximately 93,000 km² and its capital is Budapest. The country has a population of around 9.7 million. Although it is a landlocked Central European country, Hungary has its own "sea" of Balaton - a huge freshwater lake with an area of almost 600 km². Around 16 million tourists visit Hungary every year - they are mainly interested in the sights of the capital Budapest, Lake Balaton and the thermal baths. Did you know that Budapest is home to the third largest parliament building in the world or that the inventor of the famous Rubik's Cube was the Hungarian architect Ernö Rubik?
It covers an area of 301,340 km² on the Apennine Peninsula. It has a population of around 59.1 million, of which less than 3 million live in the capital, Rome. Italy is famous for the rich cultural heritage of ancient Rome and its diverse landscape, from the high mountains of the Alps in the north to the Mediterranean coast and beautiful islands such as Sicily and Sardinia. Italy has the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, 59! Tourism revenues exceed 50 billion per year - imagine that tourists throw over a million euros into the Trevi Fountain in Rome every year!
A constitutional monarchy in northwestern Europe with an area of 41,526 km², whose capital is Amsterdam, while the seat of government and king is The Hague. It has a population of approximately 18 million and is one of the six largest economies in the European Union. The economy depends heavily on international trade and services - it is home to Europe's largest port, Rotterdam, and the third busiest airport in Europe: Schiphol Amsterdam. About 26% of the Netherlands' territory is below sea level. Therefore, they have an extensive network of dikes and polders that protect residents from floods.
This Central European country, with an area of approximately 312,700 km² and the capital Warsaw, has a population of approximately 38 million. The country is a member of the European Union and NATO and is one of the largest economies in Central and Eastern Europe. In 1791, Poland adopted the first modern constitution in Europe and the second in the world after the United States. Due to global warming, more and more tourists are heading to Polish resorts on the Baltic Sea coast. In 2024, 22 million tourists visited the country.
A country in southwestern Europe with an area of 92,212 km², with the capital Lisbon, where approximately 10.4 million inhabitants live. The country belongs to the European Union and the eurozone. Portuguese is also spoken as an official language in eight other countries in the world, so altogether about 236 million people use Portuguese! Tourism contributes significantly to GDP - in 2024 it was about 15%. Portugal's specialties include cork production - 70% of the world's production is produced here.
A country in the north of the United Kingdom with an area of approximately 77,900 km² and a population of 5.5 million. The largest cities include Glasgow and the port of Edinburgh. Scotland has three official languages: English, Scots and Scottish Gaelic. It is spread over more than 790 islands, of which about 130 are inhabited. There are over 30,000 lakes, the most famous of which is Loch Ness, which is famous for the legend of a mysterious monster. Scotland is home to the shortest commercial flight in the world – the connection between the islands of Westray and Papa Westray takes just two minutes.
A Central European country with an area of approximately 49,000 km², with the capital Bratislava and 5.42 million inhabitants. Slovakia belongs to the European Union, the eurozone, Schengen and NATO. Slovakia is famous for its natural beauty, especially the High Tatras and an extensive network of protected areas such as the Slovak Paradise. In terms of population, it has the most castles and chateaux in the world – there are about 200 of them, including the famous Spiš Castle. Slovakia has long held the world lead in car production per capita – in 2024, 182 cars were produced per 1,000 inhabitants (four times more than, for example, in Germany). Four major car manufacturers operate in the country (Volkswagen, Kia, Stellantis and Jaguar Land Rover).
A country in southwestern Europe with an area of 505,370 km², with the capital Madrid and more than 49 million inhabitants. The country is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the head of government. The official language is Spanish, but Catalan, Galician and Basque are also spoken in some regions. Spain has 47 monuments inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It also includes the popular Balearic and Canary Islands. Spain is visited by around 94 million tourists annually. In many cities, such as Barcelona, local people are fed up with tourists and are protesting against excessive tourism.