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When it comes to picking the right holiday destination, it can be a bit daunting to find the perfect place that fits everyone’s desires, needs, interests and budgets. If you’re travelling with friends, you want to be sure to pick the ideal place to go that has a bit of everything to suit everyone in your party, and if you’re travelling with kids, you want something that will be family friendly. That’s why we’ve put together this handy travel guide to Europe with the best countries for awesome getaways for anyone from ages eight to eighty. You can score cheap flights to Europe easily as well, making it a perfect, budget conscious place for all. Check out our favourite countries in this useful list.
France
France is a beautiful country with some amazing food and wine. If you like trying different dishes, France is the place for you. Think fresh baguettes with real butter and fresh ingredients on sandwiches. Paris, the capital, is a bustling, sprawling city with numerous sights to see and areas to explore. One of the most unusual is the Parisian catacombs, located under the city. The usual haunts of the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur church and the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées are popular tourist attractions and are likely to be busy and crowded, but worth it if you like doing the tourist thing.
Outside the city, try to get out to Bordeaux for some wine tasting, or head down to the French Riviera for sun, sea and sand. The beaches at Normandy in the north will herald some seriously interesting World War 2 history to learn about, but if you want something a bit more… intense, check out the village of Oradour sur Glane, a town which the Nazis razed, leaving only a handful of survivors.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic (sometimes known as Czechia) is a beautiful country with amazing things to see and do. Prague is the most popular spot for many travellers, with castles, museums and beautiful squares to just sit back, relax and enjoy people watching. Karlovy Vary in the country’s northwest is a beautiful, alpine spa town that is a fantastic respite from the demands and crowds of the big city.
Want something unique and a bit weird? Catch the train out to Kutna Hora to see the Sedlec Ossuary – a church which was said to have soil from the Holy Land spread through its graveyard, increasing its popularity for burials to such a degree that mass exhumations of skeletal remains were conducted and the bones stored in parts of the church until it reached such a point they began to make decorative chandeliers, wall hangings, pillars and more from the bones of those formerly buried here.
Greece
When it comes to amazing places to visit, Greece is top of our list. With dozens of stunning islands to explore and a mainland that is rich and rife with history, you can’t go wrong with this amazing place. For the best islands, check out Kefalonia’s stunning azure waters, rugged hillsides and lush greenery; Crete for interesting historical palaces full of myth and mystery as well as beautiful beaches and quaint little towns with charming back streets; Corfu for delicious food including olives and seafood with a backdrop of fortresses in Corfu town and the likes of Rhodes, Zakynthos and Kos for a mix of hectic nightlife and laid back beach afternoons.
On the mainland, don’t miss the incredible historical sites of both Delphi where an oracle used to be questioned about the future, and the strange but beautiful Meteora with its monasteries on sheer cliffs overlooking the valley floor below. Food wise, don’t miss souvlaki – we promise you will love it as much as we do. Think Greece is expensive? Don’t worry – you can definitely do it on a budget!
Spain
Spain is a beautiful country with amazing weather and so many unique cities, towns and villages to visit. Rent a car and go on a road trip to visit as many as you can. The Costa Brava is a particularly beautiful region with the likes of Tossa de Mar being ideal for those looking for a bit of resort life without the resort crowds. Visit the castle on the hill overlooking its beaches and bay before strolling through the back streets of the old town, stopping along the way for paella, delicious Spanish beers or wines and a spot of people watching. Head to Barcelona to take in its artistic streets and the impressive Parc Guell, Gaudi’s house and the Sagrada Familia.
So if you’re looking for a great area to visit this year (or any time in the future!) consider Europe. The nice thing about Europe is that with so many of the countries being only a short flight away from each other, you can easily visit more than one place on a trip that is a couple weeks in length. So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets booked today!