Europe
Exciting, Unique, Richness, Open, Plentiful, Explore
Which are the first countries that spring to mind when talking about Europe? For most, it’s the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy or Portugal. Europe is currently made up of a total of 50 countries. It is the second smallest continent in the world with its smallest territory being the Vatican City and its largest, Russia which comprises almost half of its total area. With such a range of countries, Europe is one of the most exciting and multicultural continents of the world. As a result of huge investments in transportation and the open borders that exist between European countries, travelling around Europe is easy and has given this northerly continent a huge advantage in the run towards being one of today’s best getaway locations.
Discover Europe to the maximum! Be fascinated by Europe’s diversity! Appreciate its perfect balance of modernity with classic! Be in awe of its glorious constructions, monuments and landmarks that tell remarkable stories covering hundreds of years and which millions of tourists will travel thousands of miles just to witness. The best known European ‘must-see’ attractions are without a doubt the leaning Tower of Pisa in Pisa, Buckingham Palace in London, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in Paris, the Colosseum, Vatican City and the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the La Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona among other magnificent structures. Prepare yourself to be breath-taken by picturesque landscapes normally only seen in travel magazines. Sample the different foods, have fun trying to speak the language of the country you are in, and be open-minded to the different beliefs, styles and cultures of the European world.
Being surrounded by four different seas, the Arctic Ocean in the North, the Mediterranean Sea in the South, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Blacksea in the southeast, Europe’s climate is an expected mixture and we all know that the weather plays a huge part in making that final decision as to which destination will most suit your plans. If you’re travelling to northerly countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland or Iceland, you can be sure to expect short mild summers and long winter periods at extremely low temperatures bringing lots of snow. In the north-westerly countries like Ireland and the United Kingdom winters are also long and very wet but temperatures are more moderate. Summers are short and temperatures are average. To the East, in countries such as Poland, Ukraine, Hungary and Russia, expect mild summers with temperatures reaching average temperatures only. Winters are long and snowfall is guaranteed with temperatures falling well below zero. In southern Europe, in countries such as Portugal, Italy, Spain, Greece, southern France, Cyprus, Malta and western Turkey you can expect a Mediterranean subtropical climate of long, hot and humid summers and short winter periods. It’s hard to say when the best time to travel to Europe is as it depends on a traveller’s plans and preferences but most would suggest travelling during months of late spring, summer and early autumn as temperatures are higher and you are less like to experience heavy rainfall or snow.
Europe can offer holiday seekers a huge variety of holiday types. Whatever your reason for wanting to getaway may be, you will find what you’re looking for in at least one of Europe’s countries. If your seeking sun, sea and sandy beaches or that much needed relaxing getaway there are perfect destinations like the Canary Islands, Tenerife, the Côte d’Azur in the south of France, the Algarve in Portugal, Cyprus, Malta and the Greek Islands of Crete, Rhodes, or Corfu which are blessed with sunshine close to 300 days of the year. If spending long hours on a beach is not your cup of tea, why not take a skiing trip in chilly snow-covered mountains. Take the family to the Alps in Switzerland, France and Austria or really make things magical by going to Lapland in Finland and paying Santa Claus and his reindeers a visit. For that perfect romantic getaway or honeymoon, the airs of Venice, Paris, or Monaco are certain to set the mood. If embarking on an adventure and outdoor activities are what help you to unwind there is no shortage of destinations in Europe that will get you in contact with nature. Some examples are mountain biking in Austria, white water rafting and kayaking in the rivers of Croatia, or hiking in Scotland’s Highlands. For shopping spree lovers, why not travel to the place of origin of some of the most respectable fashion designers of all time like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Valentino, Prada, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Yves –Saint Laurent, Chanel, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and John Galliano as to name only a few. You will be spoilt for choice in the cities of Milan, Florence, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris and London.
If your plan is to do the ‘Eurotrip’, touring the countries part of the European Union, then it really never has been so easy to do so as it is today. Transportation options to get you from one place to another are various and prices are very competitive. It really just depends on whether you prefer to travel by bicycle, train, plane or boat.
