Travelling Europe isn't easy to plan so I thought I might give you some tips. I've seen a lot of this continent and to begin let me just give you an advice: Travelling it is very individual, so choose what ever interests you but don't make the mistake to plan just one or two days for an area - it wouldn't be worth it.

Now just follow the red numbers to get some information about the indicated areas (the map is 200k and will take some time to load).
You can also download this page as a pdf-version (1.54MB).

In general: Europe is very dense (more so in the centre) and the EU, spanning from Spain to the Baltic states, has 450 million inhabitants. The North is better of than the South and the West richer than the East, but overall living standards are very high. The climate can be very cold in the rough North and hot in the South, but without the big extremes. All countries have a rich history and despite the destructions in two World Wars, most city centres still look historical. High culture meets modernity and even though Europeans are often not as open at the first glance, they celebrate the most liberal part of the world.

1. Ireland: "The green island" with rough but beautiful nature and very friendly inhabitants. Pubs close at midnight but until then each little village has its every-day party. Dublin is very expensive but has a lovely old scenery and a lot of pubs. See pic.
 
2. Scotland to Iceland: Scotland is an even rougher place than Ireland and not so lively. The landscape is much more mountainous but offers stunning sites, not just because of the famous castles. The further north you go the colder it will get but it is always green and refreshing.
 
3. North England, Wales: It's an old industrial area that still hasn't overcome this image, even so cities like Manchester are remarkably modern. The country is very green and full with small villages, pretty much like everywhere else in Europe.
 
4. South England: Here it is warmer, especially on the southern coast with its old and classy beach towns. London is something special: A very traditional looking but absolutely modern city. The most expansive one in Europe and a trend-setter for the world.
 
5. North Scandinavia: The land where the sun never seems to set; or to rise, depending on your time of visit. There is literately nothing out there, but that is just what a bunch of adventure tourists are looking for.
 
6. Southern Sweden, Southern Norway and Southern Finland: It's a beautiful region, immense for European standards and full of dark forests and huge lakes. Go canoeing or biking in summer and cross-country skiing or ice skating on the frozen lakes in winter. The cities are also worth a visit. See pic.
 
7. The old Soviet Union: Russia and the other successor states are in a difficult situation today. They offer nice sceneries and friendly people, but the countries are very poor and even dangerous. The safest places - so still not absolutely safe - must be St Petersburg and Moscow which offer a lot to see and do. On the other hand Moscow is heaps expensive and temperature can reach -40°C. See pic.
 
8. Poland and the Baltic States: Not at Western European Standards yet but on the jump, these countries include nice places for tourists as well as spots full of poverty. The old cities are full of culture and the big plains in Poland include nice lake districts.
 
9. Denmark and Northern Germany: You can find many beaches here but the seas are cold (North Sea even more than the Baltic Sea). But you can have a refreshing green holiday here and visit the "Watt" at the North Sea, a unique landscape that comes to the surface when the water goes far out.
 
10. East Germany: The cities here are the place to go for the cultural interested as well as the party people. And they are still cheap. Berlin is a must and has everything you want. You also have to visit us in Leipzig, our favourite city in Germany;-) And have a look at the East German nature as well. See pic.
 
11. Czech Republic and Slovakia: Mountainous territory good for skiing and hiking. The cities are nice and cheap, Prague already back as a top address in Europe. Slovakia is a bit behind.
 
12. Middle West Germany: One of the densest populated places on earth where one city reaches out to the next. Cologne and Düsseldorf are famous for their historical looks and are full with pubs. Frankfurt has a US look, one of the biggest airports in Europe and is the city of the Euro(pean currency).
 
13. South Germany and North Austria: The South is Germany's most traditional part as well as its economic powerhouse. Munich and Vienna are expensive but a must. Don't miss the museums! See pic.
 
14. BeNeLux: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg are small and dense settled countries. Belgium is famous for its beer and Holland for its Tulips but they are both home to uncountable neat old towns and cities. Don't miss Amsterdam and Brussels!
 
15. North East France: This is the most modern and densest part of France. Paris is a must but cities like Strasbourg or Reims offer a lot as well.
 
16. North West France: Here it's more a country life but always stylish and with good food, the two main things of French lifestyle. The coastlines are stunning but the ocean is often cold. The river Loire has many of the nicest castles in the world and the hills of Central France grow delicious wines.
 
17. South France: An ideal holiday destination for everyone, this area includes high mountains (the Alps, the Massif Central and the Pyrenes), nice and warm beaches, historical towns, modern cities and posh places like Monaco or Nice and everything is just a stone throw away. See pic.
 
18. Switzerland, South Austria and Tyrol (Italy): The Alps and nothing else. But there is a lot to do: Skiing, Hiking, city-touring, enjoying the rich food and of course partying! Beware: It's often pretty expensive. See pic.
 
19. North Italy: Industry and farming dominates the rich North and you'll find many old cities there, including world-famous Venice and Milan. See pic.

20. Middle Italy: This is probably the nicest part of Italy, especially when you include Tuscany, this wonderful hilly region full of colours, great food and historical towns (Pisa, Florence, Sienna). Rome, the ancient and eternal city, is so special that it's worth a whole holyday for itself. You'll find nice but very crowded beaches on both sides of the "Italian boot".
 
21. The Italian and French islands: Corsica (France), Elba, Sardinia and other small islands (Italy) are very special. Much more traditional than the mainland, very mountainous but also touristy.
 
22. South Italy and Sicilian: Famous because of the mafia, the vine, the once powerful SSC Napoli (soccer club that employed Diego Maradona) and the many volcanos but very poor as well. Don't miss Pompeii, a whole and nearly un-destroyed roman city.
 
23. The Balearic Islands: Nice nature, mild to hot climate and the Mediterranean lifestyle make these islands the perfect destination for Northern European mass tourism. See pic.
 
24. South Spain: the Costa Brava, the Mediterranean coast of mainland Spain, isn't much better of: One hotel next to another and tourists everywhere (just like in some areas of Italy, Greek, Turkey and North Africa). But Spanish life is, like that of other Mediterranean countries, very relaxed and friendly. Going out is great and there is a lot to see. Barcelona and Madrid are very cosmopolitan.
 
25. North Spain and North Portugal: Breaking the European rule of the richer North, this locality shows stunning vast plains and traditional farm life. See pic.
 
26. South Portugal has many tourists as well but is still slightly calmer. The country itself is a bit poorer than most of the other Western European countries but offers nice nature and people.
 
27. North Africa: This is not Europe, but a famous holiday destination for Europeans. It is close, warm and cheap and life is like a safer mirror of the Middle East. Go to a bazaar or on a Sahara trip.
 
28. Mainland Greece: The Mother of European culture has a lot to discover, especially its ancient historical sites. The weather is often very good and the food delicious.
 
29. The Greek Islands: These are even more attractive than the mainland. Crete is full of culture, Rhodes has nice beaches and the hundred small islands of the Cyclades (incl. the famous volcanic island Santorini) are absolute stunning; quite expansive but therefore saved from mass tourism. See pic.
 
30. The Balkan, Romania and Bulgaria: Very poor countries and sometimes dangerous. The Balkan had to suffer long wars in the 1990s which is still obvious. Some cities are very nice but the only place that is really popular for tourists is the Adriatic coast with its thousand islands, especially in Croatia.
 
31. Turkey: A country between European lifestyle and Islamic influence that offers interesting perspective. It's nice for relaxing beach holidays around Bursa and Istanbul is heaps interesting. See pic.
 
 
 
 
  

by Alexander Egeling 2004
www.alexander-egeling.de