“What on earth am I going to do in Europe, looking at nothing but buildings all the time?” That’s a common fallacy about what Europe offers as a travel destination carried by many people who obviously don’t live there or who haven’t taken the time to properly explore it!
Look, even if you’re one of those travellers who want nothing less than one of those dreamy, postcard-worthy destinations with white sandy beaches, palm trees and blue waters, there’s sure to be a city offering exactly that in Europe. Think the likes of the Greek islands…
The only difference between seeking something like that in Europe and elsewhere is that in Europe it’s not all you’ll have to be happy with.
Visitors to Rome in Italy, for instance, naturally head into the Eternal City for its architecture, archaeological character, history and cultural appeal, but who would have ever thought that a tropical-coastline-style retreat within a retreat is merely a stone’s throw away from Rome? There are about eight beaches which you can get to from Rome, making for a great day-trip to complement the historical sightseeing you’ll likely be engaging in as your primary activity on that particular trip.
More details about Rome in particular can be found at https://roma-pass.com/, but Rome makes for just one of many of the best cities to discover around Europe…
As any sort of authentic traveller would affirm, any destination you visit, particularly in Europe, isn’t really one you’d want to hit up in isolation. All the best cities to discover around the continent are best explored as part of an itinerary, which doesn’t necessarily have to take advantage of their close proximity to each other. It’s more about grouping them together for a layered experience, much like how you wouldn’t want to fill up on a rice-and-meat dish for every single one of your meals!
One day is definitely not enough, with the ideal time being the upper limit of a one- to three-week period!
The best cities to discover, all-things considered, include Amsterdam, Barcelona, Florence, London, Paris, Athens and the Greek Islands, and Rome! This will make sure you get what is hard to argue against being the quintessential European travel experience, as you enjoy a diverse mix of European culture, history, architecture and modern day life.
The best way to get around and between these cities is to fly to Amsterdam and Barcelona, while the route between London, Paris, Rome and Florence is best done by train.
A ferry will do from Athens to the Greek islands…
Rome appears to be the most constant feature when we play around with some of the other factors that will have a bearing on the list of European cities to discover, such as the time of your trip. If you’re planning your trip for April, for example, Amsterdam would drop off the list to be replaced with Lisbon and Porto, while all other cities drop off if the trip were planned for the month of December, leaving behind Rome, Paris and Barcelona.