Europe

What counts as Europe on this page, and how is it organized?

Geographically, the selection ranges from the Canary Islands off the African coast in the southwest to Svalbard deep in the Arctic Ocean in the north, from the Azores in the Atlantic in the west to Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean. In between lie the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Carpathians and the Scandinavian mountains, coastlines on four seas, and capitals from sea level to over 900 m. TalkTravel classifies Turkey under the Middle East world region with its own page; European Russia and Belarus are not covered in the current destination catalog.

Five microstates

Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City are independent countries each under 500 km² in area, mostly without their own international airport and with an open border to their neighbor. Then there are territories with crown or autonomous status: Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man around the United Kingdom, the Faroe Islands near Denmark, and Åland near Finland.

14 island groups

Also included are 14 islands and island groups: Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily in the western Mediterranean, five Greek island groups, the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands off Spain, the Azores and Madeira off Portugal, and Svalbard in the Arctic.

Sources: European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs

How do Europe's major travel regions differ?

The price gap is real and is backed up with figures further below in the Costs section: according to cost comparisons, Scandinavia, Iceland and Switzerland rank among Europe's most expensive travel destinations, the Balkans among the cheapest.

Entry rules are not uniform either: 29 countries belong to the Schengen Area, but not every one of them is an EU member — the four EFTA states Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland belong to Schengen without belonging to the EU. Conversely, Ireland is an EU member but not part of Schengen, and Cyprus is formally not yet fully integrated.

On currency, 21 of the 27 EU countries pay in euros; outside the eurozone, the British pound, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Icelandic krona/krone, Polish zloty, Czech koruna, Hungarian forint and Romanian leu apply, along with Switzerland's and Liechtenstein's own currency, which is not pegged to the euro.

Sources: European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs · European Union (european-union.europa.eu) · European Central Bank (ECB) · Eurostar for Agents · Expatistan

When is the best time to visit each part of Europe?

Mediterranean: dry summers, mild winters

From Spain through Italy and Greece to Portugal, most rain falls between November and March; July and August are the busiest and hottest along the coasts, while May, June, September and October are milder and quieter.

Athens, Madrid, Rome and Lisbon

Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station ATHINAI (11 km, 21 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station CUATRO VIENTOS (9 km, 691 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station URBE (5 km, 17 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station MONTIJO (9 km, 14 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.

Alpine region: two seasons

Ski resorts in Austria, Switzerland and northern Italy have their main season from December to March. The hiking summer begins as soon as the high passes are free of snow, usually from June, and runs into September, with July and August the busiest months.

Innsbruck, Lucerne, Bled and Milan

Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station INNSBRUCK-FLUGHAFEN (5 km, 579 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station LUZERN (2 km, 456 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station LESCE (5 km, 515 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station MILANO LINATE (7 km, 108 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.

Northern Europe: midnight sun, northern lights and short warm summers

In the far north of Norway, Sweden and Finland, the sun doesn't set for weeks around the summer solstice; conversely, in the far north of Finland, around Utsjoki, the polar night begins in late November and lasts about 52 days according to Finavia. Northern lights are possible from late August to April according to Visit Finland, visible on roughly every other clear night in the strongest months of September, October, February and March; in the bright summer they're not visible because of the midnight sun.

Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and Reykjavík

Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station OSLO-BLINDERN (4 km, 97 m), auf 18 m umgerechnet. Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station STOCKHOLM/OBSERVATORIET (2 km, 44 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station HELSINKI KAISANIEMI (2 km, 4 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station REYKJAVIK (2 km, 15 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.

Central Europe and the Baltics: spring to early autumn, Christmas markets in winter

Between Germany, Poland, Czechia and the Baltics, the most pleasant travel time falls between May and September. Winter is cold and often grey, but is carried touristically by Christmas markets in November and December.

Berlin, Prague, Warsaw and Vilnius

Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station SCHONEFELD / BRANDENBURG (18 km, 48 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station PRAHA-KARLOV / KLEMENTINUM (1 km, 254 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station OKECIE / WARSAW CHOPIN (8 km, 110 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station VILNIUS INTL (6 km, 197 m), auf 104 m umgerechnet. Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.

Southeastern Europe and the Balkans: hot coastal summers, cold mountain winters

On the Adriatic and Black Sea coasts, for example in Croatia and Montenegro, July and August are peak season; May, June and September remain more pleasant. Inland, for instance in Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, winters are noticeably colder than on the coast.

Dubrovnik, Belgrade, Sofia and Tirana

Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station DUBROVNIK/GORICA (1 km, 53 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station BEOGRAD (2 km, 132 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station SOFIA (7 km, 531 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station TIRANA-LA PRAKA (2 km, 97 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.

Where and when: a calendar by trip type

Sources: Visit Finland (Business Finland) · Finavia

Which countries and regions belong to Europe, and what do they offer?

Central Europe

Germany stretches from the North Sea and Baltic coasts through Berlin and the Rhineland to the Alps in the south. Austria and Switzerland share the main Alpine ridge with Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Bern; Liechtenstein sits between them in the Rhine Valley, a country without its own airport. Poland connects the Baltic coast around Gdańsk with Kraków and the Tatra Mountains. Czechia and Slovakia were a single state until 1993 and share Prague, Bratislava and the High Tatras; Hungary lies on the Danube between Budapest and Lake Balaton.

Northern Europe and the Baltics

Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland make up Scandinavia and the north, with fjords, lakes, volcanoes and a similarly high price level; details are on the Scandinavia and Iceland page. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania lie on the Baltic Sea with the old towns of Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius, compared on the Baltics page.

Southern Europe

Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece are the large Mediterranean countries with coasts, old towns and wine regions. Malta and Cyprus are island states with a British colonial history, Andorra lies in the Pyrenees between Spain and France; in the middle of Italy, San Marino near Rimini and Vatican City in Rome are two of the smallest states in the world, both without border controls to their surroundings.

Southeastern Europe and the Balkans

The nine countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia stretch from the Adriatic through the Balkans to the Black Sea, with very different EU and Schengen statuses. The Balkans page compares all nine in detail.

Western Europe and the British Isles

France stretches from the Channel coast through Paris to the Alps and the Mediterranean. Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg make up the Benelux countries with Brussels, Amsterdam and dense rail connections; Monaco is a microstate on the Côte d'Azur. Ireland and the United Kingdom share neither EU nor Schengen status: Ireland is an EU member without Schengen, and the United Kingdom has stood outside both systems since Brexit.

Islands in the Mediterranean

Corsica belongs to France, Sardinia and Sicily to Italy. Greece alone accounts for six distinct island groups on this page: the Cyclades with Santorini and Mykonos, the Dodecanese with Rhodes and Kos, Crete as the largest Greek island, the Ionian Islands in the west, the North Aegean and the Sporades.

Islands in the Atlantic and the Arctic

Off Spain lie the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands off Africa with a mild climate year-round. Portugal has two volcanic island groups in the open Atlantic with the Azores and Madeira. Svalbard belongs to Norway and, as the northernmost destination on this page, lies far out in the Arctic Ocean.

Channel Islands, crown dependencies and autonomous territories

Gibraltar, the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey, and the Isle of Man belong to the British Crown without being part of the United Kingdom or the EU. The Faroe Islands belong to Denmark, Åland to Finland, both with extensive self-government.

Sources: European Union (european-union.europa.eu) · European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs

Which trip types suit which destination in Europe?

Rail travel and night trains

The Interrail Global Pass is valid in 33 countries (as of September 2026) and enables cross-border rail travel without individual tickets; a reservation fee is usually added for high-speed and night trains. Eurostar connects London and Paris nonstop through the Channel Tunnel in 2 h 16 min. Night trains are experiencing a revival: Austria's Nightjet network serves around nine countries between Vienna, Hamburg, Rome and Amsterdam, and European Sleeper operates lines such as Paris–Berlin, Brussels–Prague and Brussels–Milan.

Alpine hiking and skiing

The Alpine arc runs through Austria, Switzerland, southern Germany, France, Italy and Slovenia; long-distance trails such as the Tour du Mont Blanc cross several countries along the way. Ski resorts range from family-friendly slopes to high-Alpine glacier runs, with the winter season usually lasting from December into April.

A prime example of a cross-border scenic route is the Rhaetian Railway's Bernina Express: it runs from Graubünden over the Bernina Pass down into the Italian town of Tirano; the Chur–Tirano route takes about 4 h, and about 2 h 15 min from St. Moritz. The Albula and Bernina lines have been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since July 2008.

Mediterranean island-hopping

Greece offers the densest island network in Europe, with ferries linking the Cyclades, the Dodecanese and the Ionian Islands. Croatia's Adriatic coast can be explored by catamaran from Split or Dubrovnik, and Spain's Balearic Islands and Italy's Sicily and Sardinia are further destinations for multi-day island routes.

City breaks

Short distances and dense flight and rail networks make Central and Western Europe a destination for two- to four-day city trips: Paris, London, Amsterdam, Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Berlin are all within a few hours of each other by rail or air.

Northern lights and midnight sun

Lapland in northern Finland, northern Sweden and northern Norway is the classic destination for northern lights in the winter half of the year and for the midnight sun in summer; the two phenomena are mutually exclusive in time. Husky and snowmobile tours complement the northern lights season, while hiking and midnight golf fill the bright summer period.

Balkan and Eastern Europe road trips

The Balkans combine coast and mountains in a small area on a single road trip: Croatia's old towns, Bosnia's mountain valleys, Montenegrin bays and Serbian cities are often only a few hours' drive apart. Details and a route table are on the Balkans page.

Sources: Interrail (Eurail Group G.I.E.) · Eurostar · ÖBB Personenverkehr AG · European Sleeper · Rhaetian Railway (RhB) · Visit Finland (Business Finland)

Which multi-country routes are classics in Europe?

Between London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, rail replaces flying on many connections; the London–Paris journey by Eurostar takes only a little longer than a short-haul flight plus the trip to the airport. The rail line from Graubünden over the Bernina Pass to Tirano replaces a winding mountain road and connects travelers onward by train to Lake Como and Milan.

Night trains between Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Zagreb and Rome save a hotel night and put travelers in the middle of the next city by morning; the network is growing again. On a Balkan route, Schengen status, EU membership and currency can change several times within a few days — details are on the Balkans page.

Sources: Eurostar · Rhaetian Railway (RhB) · European Sleeper · ÖBB Personenverkehr AG

Which airports, rail routes and ferries take you to and around Europe?

Regional hubs round out the picture: Copenhagen for Northern Europe and the Baltics, Vienna for Central Europe, Athens for the Greek island region.

Rail and ferry instead of flying

On many intra-European routes, rail is a real alternative to flying: Eurostar connects London and Paris nonstop in 2 h 16 min, and the Interrail Global Pass covers 33 countries with a single ticket. Ferries link the British and Irish Isles with the mainland, Scandinavia across the Baltic Sea, and Italy with Sardinia, Sicily and Greece; on the Channel Islands, the Faroe Islands and Åland, the ferry is often the only connection.

Time zones

Europe spans from UTC−1 in the Azores in winter to UTC+2 in the Baltics, Finland, Greece and Cyprus; during daylight saving time the whole range shifts one hour higher. Iceland does not observe daylight saving time year-round.

Sources: Eurostar · Interrail (Eurail Group G.I.E.) · Wikipedia

What applies to entry, border controls and health in Europe?

Schengen, the EU and border controls

29 countries belong to the Schengen Area: 25 EU states plus the four EFTA states Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. There are no longer systematic border controls between them, but travelers still carry a valid passport or ID card. Bulgaria and Romania have been full members since 1 January 2025, Cyprus is formally not yet fully integrated, and Ireland deliberately stays outside.

Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City are not Schengen members themselves but forgo their own border controls with France, Spain or Italy respectively; only Andorra maintains its own controls at its external borders.

Control systems: EES and ETIAS

The Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully operational at all Schengen external borders since 10 April 2026: travelers without an EU passport are biometrically registered on first entry, with that registration then valid for 3 years. The ETIAS travel authorization for visa-exempt third-country nationals is also envisaged, with a fee of 20 € and a validity of 3 years; check the start date with the EU before travelling.

United Kingdom: its own ETA requirement

The United Kingdom belongs to neither Schengen nor the EU. Since 2 April 2025, even citizens of EU and EFTA states need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before entry, costing 20 £ and valid for stays of up to 6 months; anyone holding only a British or Irish passport does not need an ETA.

Health: ticks and altitude

The biggest widespread health issue is ticks: Germany's Robert Koch Institute lists TBE risk areas across large parts of Central Europe (Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia), the Baltics, southern and central Sweden, the southern coasts of Norway and Finland, and parts of the Balkans; hikers and forest visitors are considered especially exposed. In the Alps, altitude sickness generally only occurs on high-mountain tours above roughly 2,500 m, rarely on classic hiking routes.

Sources: European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs · AXA Schengen · European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs · Schengen Traveler · GOV.UK, UK Home Office · Eurostar for Agents · Robert Koch Institute (RKI) · Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Switzerland

What does a trip through Europe cost, and how big is the price gap?

Most and least expensive regions

According to Expatistan's cost index, Reykjavík ranks among Europe's most expensive cities at 98.9, followed by Oslo at 90.2 and Copenhagen at 85.7, with London at 87.5 and Amsterdam at 82.6. At the other end are the Balkan capitals and several cities in Central and Eastern Europe, where accommodation, food and local transport are considerably cheaper.

Fixed entry costs

Accommodation, restaurants and ski passes are noticeably above the European average in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and the other Scandinavian countries, with alcohol additionally made more expensive in Scandinavia by high taxes. The Balkans and much of the Baltics, by contrast, offer noticeably lower prices for accommodation, food and local transport at a similar level of scenic and cultural density.

Currencies

21 of the 27 EU countries pay in euros, and since 1 January 2026 also Bulgaria. Outside the eurozone, you'll need British pounds, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian or Icelandic krona/krone, Polish zloty, Czech koruna, Hungarian forint or Romanian leu depending on the destination; card payment is widespread in most countries, though on smaller islands and in rural areas it's still worth carrying some cash in the local currency.

Sources: Expatistan · Eurostar for Agents · Schengen Traveler · Interrail (Eurail Group G.I.E.) · Eurostar · European Central Bank (ECB)

Which cultures, languages and festivals shape Europe?

UNESCO World Heritage

According to Statista, Europe counts over 470 cultural and natural sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, more than any other world region. Italy leads with 62 listings, followed by France with 56 and Germany with 55; Spain, Greece and the United Kingdom also rank high, each with double-digit numbers. Some sites are in unexpected places: the Rhaetian Railway's Albula and Bernina lines have been one of the few railways worldwide on the list since 2008.

Languages

The major language families are the Romance languages (French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian), the Germanic languages (German, English, Dutch, the Scandinavian languages) and the Slavic languages (Polish, Czech, Slovak, the South Slavic languages of the Balkans); standing apart are languages such as Hungarian, Finnish, Estonian, Greek, Albanian and the pre-Indo-European Basque. English works as a lingua franca in most tourist centers, most reliably in Northern Europe; in rural areas of Southern and Eastern Europe, a few words in the local language go a long way.

Festivals through the year

Food and daily life

Food culture changes from region to region: Mediterranean cuisine with olive oil, fish and vegetables in the south, heartier fare with meat, potatoes and beer in Central Europe, fish and rye bread in the north. In Southern Europe people often eat dinner late, in Northern Europe considerably earlier; tipping is customary in most countries but rarely mandatory, usually landing around 5 to 10 % or simply rounding up the bill.

Sources: Statista · Rhaetian Railway (RhB)

Worth combining

• Balkans
• Baltic States
• Scandinavia and Iceland
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Germany
• United Kingdom
• Switzerland
• Greece
• North and Central America
• South America