7 Best Countries to Visit in Europe (Again and Again)

Wondering where to go in Europe?

With more than 40 countries – each with its own culture, cuisine and unique appeal (not to mention swoon-worthy romantic hotels) – choosing isn’t easy. Some are all about sun-soaked beaches. Others pull you in with storybook villages and fairytale castles.

We’ve spent a lot of time exploring Europe.

George was born in Romania and raised in Germany. I (Janice) was born in England and visited France as a teenager.

Our first Europe trip together? Portugal – where our luggage, passports and money were stolen from our rental car on a beach day! We were left with just the bikini and swim trunks we had on. (Remarkably, based on a tip from police, we found most of our belongings tossed by the roadside.)

This misadventure didn’t deter us from returning to Europe (or Portugal!) though. Since then, we’ve been back countless times – on slow savor-it-all vacations and on cruises (both river and Med voyages).

Here, we share our hot list of the best countries to visit in Europe, along with the cities, islands and special places that keep drawing us back.

We fell hard for Croatia the first time we went – a place of medieval walled towns, impossibly clear turquoise waters and UNESCO-listed sights almost too beautiful to be real.

Many people automatically choose Italy or France for their first European adventure. But there’s something to be said for starting somewhere that sets the bar high from day one, right?

One idea… This great 14-day itinerary kicks off in Dubrovnik. Walk atop the city’s medieval walls, get happily lost in the Old Town, then cool off with a swim at one of Dubrovnik’s lovely beaches. 

From Dubrovnik, go island hopping by ferry through the Dalmatian Islands. Visit Korcula, Hvar and Brac (with their delightful beach towns) before continuing on to Split.

Croatia highlights

• Split’s living palace – “Where is Diocletian’s Palace?” visitors often ask in Split. Shopkeepers laugh and say, “You’re in it!” These 1,700-year-old Roman ruins aren’t just a site. They’re the beating heart of the city, filled with cafés, homes and hidden corners to explore.
• Trogir – Set on a small island, this tiny UNESCO-listed town, is an easy day trip from Split. Wander its maze of stone lanes, stroll the palm-lined waterfront promenade and admire its magnificent Romanesque cathedral.
• Adriatic beaches – In Dubrovnik, we like the 15-minute boat ride to Lokrum Island (a protected nature reserve), where you can climb down ladders to swim in the clearest sea. On Hvar, Mlini Beach (a 10-minute taxi boat ride from Hvar Town) is the quietest beach in the Pakleni Islands.
• Plitvice lakes – Further north on the mainland, walk wooden footbridges over blue lakes and past cascading waterfalls in Plitvice Lakes National Park.
• Flavorful local cuisine – Feast on fresh grilled fish and seafood, octopus salad and inky black risotto. Croatia’s desserts are dangerously easy to love too!

2) Mallorca (Spain)

Mallorca highlights

• Old Town of Palma de Mallorca – Wander honey-colored lanes and don’t miss the show-stopping cathedral (La Seu is even more impressive up close).
• Puerto Pollensa – Whether you stay or just visit briefly, this elegant seaside resort area has a wonderfully laid-back feel.
• Vintage train to Soller – Ride the historic train from Palma, then stay a while in Soller for hiking, tram rides to Port de Soller and other fun activities.

Portugal highlights

• Porto – Wondering is Porto worth visiting? Absolutely! (Especially if you read our tips on how to avoid the crowds.) We mixed beach bicycling, wine tasting and sightseeing for a fun not-so-typical Porto itinerary.
• Madeira – This lush Atlantic island is made for hiking, especially along its famous levadas (old irrigation channels that crisscross the landscape).
• Port wine – We spent three wonderful days in the Douro Valley, the birthplace of port wine (after a teaser on a Douro day trip from Porto).
• Algarve – Golden beaches, dramatic cliffs and hidden sea caves – this coastline is pure eye candy.
• Sintra – Visit Sintra, a dreamscape of regal splendor, where palaces like Pena and the mysterious Quinta da Regaleira stand amid lush forests.

Prefer to mix city sightseeing with time by the sea?

After exploring Rome, head to the Amalfi Coast or the five colorful villages of the Cinque Terre. (We’d go in the shoulder season to dodge the heaviest crowds.)

Italy highlights

• Venice – It’s all gorgeous palazzos, canals and charming bridges. (If you’re visiting on a cruise, here’s how to get from the cruise port to Venice itself.)
• Matera – Long on our wish list, we finally spent a few days in this UNESCO-listed cave city, with its ancient stone dwellings and boutique hotels carved into rock. (It’s best reached by a private transfer from Bari.)
• Pisa – Yes, the Leaning Tower of Pisa really does lean. It’s easy to visit from Florence.
• Food and drink – Pizza, pasta, Prosecco and gelato. Enough said.
• Sicily – It’s a destination in its own right. We were captivated by 3,000-year-old Ortigia and its stunning Baroque beauty. Mount Etna (Europe’s largest active volcano) is a magnet for hiking and wine tasting – and Taormina’s beaches are still on our list.

If you’re dreaming of sunshine, turquoise seas and ancient history, Athens paired with one or two Greek islands (like Mykonos or Santorini) works beautifully.

With hundreds of islands across the Ionian and Aegean Seas, it’s easy to mix lazy beach days with a hit of history in the capital.

There are also plenty of lesser-known and unique spots if you want to wander a little further. (Kythera, we’re coming for you next!)

Start your travel planning with these fun facts – like Santorini being the only inhabited caldera in the world!

And timing matters: July and August can be sizzling hot. We much prefer visiting Greece in late September and early October – it’s still warm and sunny, but there are way fewer tourists.

Greece highlights

• Ancient ruins – Sites like Philippi are fascinating and bring Greece’s history to life.
• Greek food – Hands down some of the best in the Mediterranean. Feta cheese, honey, olive oil, Greek yoghurt… What’s not to like?
• Santorini – From watching the sunset in Oia (with zillions of other sunset worshippers!) to hiking along the spine of the island, Santorini is just plain fun.

Turkey doesn’t always make the shortlist of best places to visit in Europe. But it should.

But it should.

Straddling two continents, it blends East and West in a way no other place can.

One minute you’re wandering through ancient Roman ruins, the next you’re sipping cocktails on a terrace as the call to prayer echoes across the rooftops. Add in mountains, beaches and some delectable food, and you’ve got a destination that surprises at every turn.

Turkey highlights

• Istanbul’s hammams – Sink into the steamy ritual of a traditional bathhouse at one of these luxury hammams. It’s part relaxation, part cultural experience and completely unforgettable.
• Cappadocia – Sleep in a cave hotel, explore rock-cut churches and float above those famous fairy chimneys at sunrise on a hot air balloon ride.
• Ephesus – These ancient Greek and Roman ruins are astonishingly well preserved. And yes, they left us (almost) speechless.

You’ll find world-class museums, opulent palaces and scenic bike rides along the Elbe River. In Bonn, you can visit the house where Beethoven was born. Come winter, you can ski or snowboard in the Alps and browse some of the best European Christmas markets over the festive season.

And of course, we can’t forget Oktoberfest!

Germany highlights

• Berlin – Give yourself at least one day in Berlin! Take an art tour, see the Berlin Wall and visit one (or two) of its many museums.
• Baden-Baden – Get your spa on in Baden-Baden. Try Friedrichsbad. Yes, it’s nude and co-ed. But it elevates the simple act of getting clean into a decadent 3½-hour ritual.
• Dresden – Spend a couple of days in Dresden to enjoy what this delightful city has to offer. (Hint: Ogle exquisite treasures in the Green Vault, one of the world’s most extraordinary museums!)

Narrowing this list to just seven countries wasn’t easy.

There are plenty of other European destinations we love too.

Take France.

We’ve been charmed by Villequier, where author Victor Hugo once lived, and the art-filled Chateau de Chantilly (dare we stay, even “better” than Versailles). More recently, we’ve found ourselves returning to Nice as the starting point for two memorable cruises – our  Nice to Corsica sailing voyage and our Azamara cruise from Nice to Barcelona.

Our favorite way to travel Europe

If there’s one Europe travel tip we can leave with you, it’s this… Slow down.

It’s tempting to cram four or five countries into one vacation. We’ve felt that temptation too.

On that first trip to Europe together, we almost squeezed several countries into one itinerary. Instead, we spent three unhurried weeks exploring Portugal by car – and loved every minute of it. (Well, once we’d recovered our passports and luggage!)

Europe isn’t going anywhere. Savor the places you visit. And leave yourself a reason to come back.

Pin our guide on our favorite European countries to visit!