Europe Travel Guide, Tours & Things to Do

Which European city tops your bucket list?

It’s not an easy question to answer, but Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Brussels, Berlin, and Amsterdam are all possible candidates. And if you’ve long dreamed of walking their cobbled streets, admiring their fine period architecture, and visiting their many prestigious museums and galleries, it’s time to make that dream a reality!

The good news is that Europe offers an unparalleled number of travel options, with something to suit every budget. From fully-guided multi-country coach tours and river cruises, to rail passes, self-drive trips, and back-packing holidays, the choice of ways to explore the continent is almost limitless. Begin by deciding what type of holiday you want, and take it from there.

One style of European travel that’s become increasingly popular with Aussie travellers is river cruising. A river cruise enables you to see a lot of Europe in one go, but you only have to unpack once and can all but avoid the early starts associated with coach tours. All meals on board European river cruises are generally included in the cost of your fare (making budgeting for your holiday a breeze), and in most cases alcohol served with meals is also part of the package.

Top ten things to do in Europe

• Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Line Ticket, Rome (Italy)
• Eiffel Tower Skip-the-Line Ticket and Summit Priority Access, Paris (France)
• Moulin Rouge Cabaret Dinner and Show, Paris (France)
• Venice Gondola Ride with Commentary (Italy)
• Van Gogh Museum Entry and Guided Tour, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
• Northern Lights Small Group Tour from Reykjavik (Iceland)
• Flamenco Show, Las Ramblas, Barcelona (Spain)
• Douro Valley Wine Tour (Portugal)
• Danube River Evening Sightseeing Cruise, Budapest (Hungary)
• The Original Sound of Music Tour, Salzburg (Austria)

If your preference is to do a coach tour, you’ll be able to cover more ground and visit a wider range of cities and towns. There are literally hundreds of Europe coach tours on offer, and choosing one will come down to dates, itineraries, inclusions, and of course, your budget. Look for options where key activities and at least some meals are included (ideally breakfast, but also a couple of dinners). Check whether hotel porterage is included — if not you’ll be required to take your own bags up to your room each night, and bring them down again the next morning.

Use this Europe travel guide to access destination information, and find tours and guided experiences. Bon voyage! Browse Europe travel guides, tours, and things to do

Europe travel tips

1. Only got a limited amount of time to get to know a new city? Our Big Five City Guides can help. We break each destination down into culture, history, dining, shopping and relaxation must-sees and dos. Access our city guides here.

2. Check the Australian Government’s Smart Traveller website for travel advisories about your chosen destination.

3. Europe is a big continent with huge variations in climate between northern and southern countries. Check the average temperature carefully for your travel dates and pack accordingly.

4. Earlybird airfares to European cities are generally released in Australia around September and October for the following year. The cheapest times to fly are the shoulder seasons — April/May and October/November. Avoid peak season, school holidays and Christmas/New Year if you can. Look for ‘open jaw’ airfares that allow you to fly into one city and home from another. Ask your travel agent for advice.

5. Peak season in Europe is generally the summer months of July and August. The key cities can be hot and crowded at this time, particularly in southern Europe. Hotel prices are also significantly higher in summer — in some cases double the cost at other times of the year. The shoulder seasons of spring and autumn can be good times to travel. Hotel prices are lower and the main tourist centres are less crowded.

6. Travel by Eurail flexi pass if visiting a number of countries within an extended period. Make sure you understand the ‘7pm rule’ — which means that you only use one travel day on your pass when you travel on a direct night train that departs after 7pm and arrives at its final stop after 4am the following day (even if you get off earlier). This effectively gives you extra days on your pass. Advance seat reservations for Eurail pass holders are recommended in peak seasons.

7. Hotels within main tourist centres in popular European cities such as Paris and Vienna are generally expensive by Australian standards and usually fairly small. For additional space consider apartment-style accommodation where possible. Staying outside the key centres but within easy reach of public transport is a good way of maximising your holiday budget. Look for local dining options that offer a set menu at a fixed price.

8. While travelling in Europe be vigilant but not paranoid. Be open to experiences but be aware of your surroundings and personal safely at all times, particularly in crowds where petty crime is fairly common. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Trust your intuition!

Europe travel essentials

You can book many aspects of your holiday on the Top Oz Tours and Travel Ideas website, including hotels, car hire, travel insurance, and more. When you purchase a product or service using the following links from our partners, we receive a small commission. It does not affect the price you pay, and it enables us to continue to provide readers with amazing travel inspiration.

Flights

Compare airlines, flights, and fares in one place with Booking.com. They don’t charge any credit card fees and you can always see exactly what you’re paying for in the price breakdown. You can book one-way, round-trip, and multi-city flights, and change your travel dates with ease when you opt for a flexible ticket option (an additional cost applies). It all adds up to a great flight! Search for flights with Booking.com

Hotels

If you’re looking for a great deal on your next hotel or homestay, look no further than Booking.com. Their mission is to make travel affordable and accessible to more people, and to deliver seamless accommodation experiences that complement your holiday. Search for hotels and homestays with Booking.com

Car hire

Discover Cars is an award-winning (World Travel Awards) car rental comparison website, which helps customers find, compare, and hire cars at the most competitive prices globally. You’ll get access to meticulously maintained cars, 4WDs, and minibuses from the world’s leading brands, and at the best possible price. Search for hire cars with Discover Cars

Campervans & motorhomes

Make Jucy your first choice for campervan and motorhome hire. Since 2001, this progressive company has had a vision to be world-famous for enabling experience seekers to discover happiness on the road. The Jucy crew live and breathe their core values of passion, pride, family, and fun, and these values influence every one of their interactions with customers. They’re ready to help you find ‘your happy’! Search for campervans and motorhomes with Jucy

Day tours & experiences

Search and book day tours, guided experiences, and attraction tickets and passes worldwide with Top Oz Tours and Viator. There are no booking or credit card fees when you book through us, and you’ll have access to the widest choice of activities and most competitive prices. Browse day tours and experiences

Multi-day tours & trips

Travelling on an extended tour with a local guide is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the destination of your choice. Top Oz Tours has joined forced with Tour Radar to bring you a fabulous range of multi-day tours and trips from the world’s leading operators. Travel with like minded people and get the best possible price on the holiday of your dreams. Browse multi-day tours and trips

Travel insurance

World Nomads aims to be a part of every traveller’s journey by providing a reassuring range of travel insurance services. Travellers can buy insurance, extend their policy, and claim online, 24/7, on the road or from home. Travel insurance benefits include coverage for emergency medical and evacuation or repatriation, lost baggage, trip cancellation, and more than 150 adventure activities. Get an insurance costing from World Nomads

Do you have any tips to add to our Europe travel guide? We would love to hear from you. Please send us a message.

The information contained in this guide is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice in any way. We make every effort to ensure this content is accurate, but we do not guarantee it. You should do your own research and seek the advice of professionals before acting or relying on any of the information provided in this guide.

Additional images: Bigstock