2023 Travel Guide To Europe

by Scott Hartbeck
Last updated: 5:00 PM ET, Mon January 16, 2023

2023 Europe Travel Guide

1/13 The number on the calendar may change each January, but there's one thing that you can count on year in, year out: Europe will be the world's most popular region to visit.

Home to five nations (France, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom and Germany) in the world's top ten most visited destinations-six if you include Asia-straddling Turkey-Europe has paced international travel's post-pandemic recovery and is expected to see its 2023 numbers equal or exceed the lofty levels of 2019.

Why is Europe always in fashion?

For starters, It's the continent of romantic castles & canals, masterful works of art, majestic cathedrals, ancient ruins, medieval cobbled streets and some of the finest food & wine on the planet. Europe is also home to jaw-dropping landscapes, once-in-a-lifetime festivals, quaint villages and cosmopolitan cities-all connected by what is arguably the world's best network of railways and urban public transportation.

Overwhelmingly safe and visitor-friendly, Europe is the perfect destination for first-time international travelers, but it consistently satisfies the most seasoned explorers, too. You may arrive looking to tick sights off your bucket list-and you'll have a blast doing so-but your most cherished memories will probably come from those fleeting moments when you got to simply just experience the European lifestyle.

The only downside of this perpetual popularity is that some corners of Europe can be overly congested, especially during summer. Luckily, you can usually side-step the crowds by simply turning down a side street or heading to an interesting neighborhood, a move that often rewards you with a memorable serendipitous travel experience.

Click on the slideshow to get fully prepped for what is sure to be a banner year of European travel.

Best Destinations for 2023

2/13 Picking a trio of top destinations is destined to be a tricky proposition as it's no exaggeration to say that every single country and region in Europe has the potential to provide you with "pinch-me" moments. That being said, the following are poised for an especially big year in 2023. Those are Britain, Greece and The Baltics.

The world watched last year as Britain celebrated the Platinum Jubilee of the Queen and then sadly said goodbye to her a few months later and the pomp, pageantry and quintessential "Britishness" that both events showcased will inspire travelers to head to England, Scotland and Wales in 2023. King Charles III will be officially crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6, an event that is sure to see London bubble over with royal fans from all over the globe. Sights with royal connections like Windsor Castle, The Palace at Holyroodhouse, the Tower of London and Edinburgh Castle are sure to be firm favorites this year, but from Stonehenge to the Shambles in York, Britain is home to hundreds of sights telling the tale of its rich history. As an added bonus, after years of renovation, Big Ben is bonging once again and is expected to see visitors return in 2023.

But heritage is just half the story, as Britain also buzzes as a capital of modern pop culture and 2023 is set to be a big year in that category too. Liverpool will host the ever-popular Eurovision Song Contest on May 13, Manchester's fascinating new cultural center Factory International will open in June with a feature by groundbreaking artist Yayoi Kusama and the Isle of Skye in Scotland will see a stunning new wilderness hotel called The Bracken Hide open its doors. This is to say nothing of all the television shows and films that will once again drive visitors here for a little "set-jetting", with just a few of the most recent on-screen sensations being Ted Lasso, Bridgerton, Outlander, Derry Girls and Happy Valley.

Greece will continue to rank among one of the hottest destinations in Europe for North American travelers, but it's the lesser-known islands and locales that look set to rise to the forefront in 2023. Lesser known islands like Spetses (shooting location for recently released Glass Onion), Hydra, Milos, Paros and locations on the Peloponnese Peninsula will continue to satisfy travelers looking for the dreamy Greek backdrop, but one that has been tagged as a location on a few less of their friend's social media feeds. Near Athens, the ancient town of Elefsina will serve as a European Union Capital of Culture for 2023.

Last but not least, The Baltics-the nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania-have been a rising star on the European travel scene for a while now but they are poised for a breakout in 2023. It would be naive to think that their 2022 post-pandemic recovery wasn't tamped down a bit by their proximity to Ukraine and Russia, but it should be clear to everyone now that tourism in this region has not been affected one iota. These three compact nations each offer a unique take on Northern European culture, with seemingly each capital city outdoing the next when it comes to a combination of charming city centers, hip neighborhoods and a distinct lack of overtourism.

Estonia's green capital Tallinn is home to a fairytale Old Town and an exquisite food scene while sitting within striking distance of a myriad of dreamy islands & woodlands. 2023 will be the Year of the Sauna in Estonia, which will see a series of events and celebrations shine a light on this regional cultural tradition.

Riga, Latvia owns the largest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in the world and one of the largest markets in Europe at the Central Market. Next door in Lithuania, the capital Vilnius is home to one of the world's largest historic cores and the city will celebrate its 700th birthday all year long with scores of special events. This is to say nothing of the nation's rising reputation in the beer world as the home of unique farmhouse ales.

5 Best Attractions

3/13 Europe is home to thousands of attractions that inspire awe, but this quintet has the unique ability to stop you in your tracks, make the hairs stand up on your neck, and then-as your brain catches up to your eyes-make you think "Woah, I'm definitely not in North America, anymore".

Those five are the Colosseum in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Big Ben in London, the Canals of Venice and the Acropolis in Athens.

The Colosseum and Acropolis offer windows into the ancient past, the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben are relatively modern landmarks that have become symbols of their great cities around the world and the canals of Venice-when seen against the backdrop of the city-provide the utmost of quintessentially European cityscapes.

Runners-up include museums that tell the story of Europe through art like the Louvre in Paris, Prado in Madrid and Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Stunning houses of worship like the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Notre Dame in Paris, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and the still-under-construction Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona all deserve a mention too alongside impressive residences like the Alahambra in Granada, the Palace of Versailles in France and fanciful Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.

Must See 2023 Events

4/13 Each year sees a myriad of fun events take place in Europe, with hardly a week going by where there isn't a must-see happening taking place somewhere on the continent.

Carnival celebrations kick off the continent's social calendar, with the lead-up to the start of Lent seeing places Venice, Nice, Cadiz, Basel, Cologne and Tenerife taken over by parades and costumed revelry. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated with gusto in Ireland, April fairs usher in spring in Spain while the fourth month also sees the Dutch celebrate their tulip bloom and dress in head-to-toe orange to throw a bash on King's Day. Summer is full of multi-day music festivals, film & theater celebrations, foodie fiestas, Midsummer parties, Pride events and famed happenings like the San Fermin Festival in Spain (Running of the Bulls), Il Palio horse races in Italy and Edinburgh Festival Fringe arts festival. Autumn is the time for wine & food harvest celebrations alongside the world-famous Oktoberfest in Munich and the year goes out on a festive note with Christmas markets.

Specific to 2023, the three best events will be the 100th-anniversary edition of the Arena di Verona Festival, the Year of Picasso in Spain and the Rugby World Cup in France. The Arena di Verona Festival (June 16-September 9) at Verona, Italy's ancient Roman amphitheater is an annual al fresco celebration of opera and the city is planning an especially rousing edition to celebrate the event's 100th birthday. The Year of Picasso will mark the 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso's death with a celebration of his work in Spanish cities that shaped him and the Rugby World Cup (September 8 - October 28) will see thousands of fans from all over the world descend on France to root on their team in a sport that is wildly popular in many European nations.

Best Places for Families

5/13 Multi-generational trips are increasingly popular and Europe is a prime destination for them as well as your classic Griswold-style family va-cay.

Ireland and the United Kingdom have no language barrier and both offer a combination of sweeping but gentle landscapes, postcard-perfect small towns, castles, palaces and bustling but welcoming big cities to keep all members of the family happy. In addition, the two countries are the setting for some of the most popular films, television shows and books that connect with all generations.

Germany is the land of the Brothers Grimm fairytales, countless castles and the continent's most popular theme park not named Disneyland Paris: Europa Park. Cruises along the Rhine or Moselle river and time spent in timber-framed towns will prove popular with all members of your crew.

For a summer beach vacation unlike anything else you've ever done before, head to Portugal's sunny Algarve region, where ravishing beaches, waterparks and great cultural experiences await the entire family.

Best Places for Couples

6/13 Europe has no shortage of swoon-worthy sights that will entice you both to lean in for a kiss, with Italy, France and Switzerland being a few of the best destinations for couples.

From the alluring Lake Como and Lake Maggiore in the north to the rolling hills of Tuscany and down to the tip of Sicily, Italy is really as romantic as you imagine it. Whether you choose to make eyes at each other over pasta in a big city or just simply hide out in a hill town bolthole, Italy will leave you breathless.

Paris is a place that all couples should visit once, but some of the most romantic areas of France are to be found in the countryside, where vineyards and chateaus vie for your attention. In the spring and summer Provence's lavender fields and the Riviera's sparkling seas will have you feeling the love.

Winter is a romantic time too and Switzerland's alpine regions are awash in cozy chalets where you can put a log on the fire and take a dip in an outdoor hot tub while the snow falls down. This is to say nothing of sharing some fondue with a bottle of local wine. During summer, you'll find those same chalets as the perfect base for adventures in the hills, where you can lay eyes on landscapes that inspired the Romantic writers of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Best Destinations for Group Travel

7/13 Traveling as a group presents the challenge of trying to satisfy everyone, but luckily many destinations in Europe can be all things to all people. The biggest and most cosmopolitan cities like London, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and Budapest all contain enough attractions across all categories to satisfy all members of your traveling party.

History? Check. Vibrant food culture. For sure. Big league sports. Certainly. Nightlife? No doubt. The Arts? Absolutely.

You can all go out during the day and do your own thing in these cities then meet back up at night for a meal before heading out on the town. And if your group is heading there from several different starting points, all are easy to reach.

Best Places for Solo Travel

8/13 Europe is a dream for solo travelers. The continent's network of railways, budget hotels, hostels, and city tours are tailor-made for people who want to travel at their own pace and priority list but also want to make a few friends along the way, too.

London keeps coming up on this piece, but it's for good reason: the city really is everything to every type of traveler. Join a Walks of London stroll through the city and you're certain to make an acquaintance or two or simply meander through the city's myriad of free museums before settling in for a pint at a local pub-a place where you'll immediately feel like your part of the fabric of the city.

Vienna, Budapest and Prague are sophisticated Central European cities that offer the chance to be a culture vulture during the day and a social butterfly at night, and each is ideal for solo travelers, too.

Up north, Scandinavia's large cities like Stockholm, Copenhagen, Bergen, Oslo, Gothenburg and Helsinki are all unbelievably safe and full of attractions to keep you busy for days.

Best Foodie Destinations

9/13 The continent that brought you the croissant, pizza, tapas and some of the finest beer & wine anywhere is a food lover's paradise, with nearly every country fiercely proud of its culinary history and national dishes.

Italy is the most obvious foodie destination, and it more than lives up to the weighty expectations you'll have before arriving. No matter where you are in the country, you're never far from a bakery or family-run restaurant ready to serve you the meal of a lifetime. Keep it simple and find a place popular with locals, go with the regional specialty and a carafe of house wine and you can't go wrong. From pesto on the Ligurian coastline and hearty pasta with truffle up north to the ragus of Emilia-Romagna, street pizza of Rome and arancini & cannoli in Sicily, you'll leave full and fully in love with Italian food.

Spain's climate is nearly as hot as its foodie reputation, boasting everything from down-to-earth tapas bars to venues famed for their creative flair and Michelin stars. Nothing beats a bit of melt-in-your-mouth jamon (cured Spanish ham) with a glass of Rioja wine. And if you don't like olives, just wait, you will after visiting Spain.

Belgium is an underrated foodie destination, as this small nation hits well above its weight with sensational mussels, frites (fries), waffles, decadent chocolate and some of the best beer anywhere in the world.

Best Places for Adventure Travel

10/13 Adventure travel has a permanent address in the Alps, with towns located in or around the mountains being meccas of extreme sports, skiing and other adrenaline-fueled pursuits. Kitzbuhel in Austria, Chamonix in France and Interlaken in Switzerland are all adventure travel hotspots. Slovenia deserves an honorable mention here as its section of the Alps is the perfect playground for white water rafting and hiking.

The Tatra Mountains (Slovakia and Poland) and Montenegro's magnificent Durmitor National Park offer thrills too as does Tarifa, Spain (renowned for its kite surfing), Portugal (arguably the best surfing in Europe) and the Arctic regions of Scandinavia where simply being there-especially in winter-is an adventure in itself.

Best Places for Sports Enthusiasts

11/13 Europeans are obsessed with sports, and it's not just soccer-not by a long shot.

Cycling is followed passionately and the Tour de France (July 1 - 23) will kick off in Bilbao, Spain this year before weaving its way into France and finishing in Paris. All along the route, revelers will celebrate and root on their favorite racer.

Formula One is also wildly popular, with two of the biggest events on the calendar being the Monaco Grand Prix (May 28) and the Belgian Grand Prix (July 30).

Two tennis majors take place in Europe again this summer, with the French Open in Paris (May 28 - June 11) and Wimbledon in London (July 3-16). Golf fans will want to head to Rome Rome this fall for The Ryder Cup (September 29 - October 1).

And when it comes to soccer, the Champions League Final will take place in Istanbul on June 10.

The aforementioned Rugby World Cup will take place in multiple cities in France (from Lille in the north to Nice & Marseille in the south) this autumn.

Unique to Europe

12/13 There's nowhere else where you can experience so many different cultures, customs and culinary traditions so closely together-and do it so easily. Here, you can have a croissant and café au lait in France for breakfast, hop on a train to Switzerland for some watch shopping and a lunch ordered in German before jumping on another train to arrive in Italy in plenty of time to sip on a spritz and have one of the most memorable dinners of your life.

Europe is similar to North America but just different enough to consistently offer a travel buzz no matter how many times you visit. You may feel like you know it from films and literature, but there's nothing like being here for yourself.

Safety Index Check In

13/13 Europe is an overwhelmingly safe place to visit, with the biggest dangers to tourists being pickpockets around major tourist sights or on public transportation. It's rare, but it can happen.

As long as you're careful, the worst things that are likely to happen to you are falling for a tourist trap of a restaurant, getting lost on public transportation or picking up a sunburn.

In fact, according to a recent study, 11 of the world's top 15 safest countries to travel to in 2023 are in Europe. In descending order, with their rank in parentheses are The Netherlands (1), Denmark (2), Iceland (3), Norway (5), Germany (7), Sweden (8), Switzerland (9), Spain (11), Ireland (12), United Kingdom (14) and Belgium (15).

Pack some sunscreen, study your maps and do your restaurant research ahead of time and you'll be fine.

Europe never goes out of style and 2023 is set to be another sensational year.

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