Countries to visit in Europe
Compare 30 countries at a glance, then open one for official tourism sites, transport links and practical tips.
| Country and best time to visit | Currency | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Albania Jul–Aug (main tourist season) | Albanian lek (ALL) | Albanian |
| Austria May–Sep; Dec–Mar for skiing | € Euro (EUR) | German |
| Belgium Apr–Sep; Dec for Christmas markets | € Euro (EUR) | Dutch, French, German |
| Bulgaria Jun–Sep (summer) | € Euro (EUR) | Bulgarian |
| Croatia May–Jun and Sep | € Euro (EUR) | Croatian |
| Cyprus Apr–Jun and Sep–Nov | € Euro (EUR) | Greek, Turkish |
| Czechia May–Sep; Dec for Christmas markets | Kč Czech koruna (CZK) | Czech |
| Denmark May–Sep | kr Danish krone (DKK) | Danish |
| Estonia Jun–Aug; Jan–Feb for winter sports | € Euro (EUR) | Estonian |
| Finland Jun–Aug; Dec–Mar in Lapland | € Euro (EUR) | Finnish, Swedish |
| France Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct | € Euro (EUR) | French |
| Germany May–Sep; Nov–Dec for Christmas markets | € Euro (EUR) | German |
| Greece May–Jun and Sep–Oct | € Euro (EUR) | Greek |
| Hungary Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct | Ft Hungarian forint (HUF) | Hungarian |
| Iceland Jun–Aug; Sep–Mar for northern lights | kr Icelandic króna (ISK) | Icelandic |
| Ireland May–Sep | € Euro (EUR) | English, Irish |
| Italy Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct | € Euro (EUR) | Italian |
| Malta Jun and Sep–Oct (beach season) | € Euro (EUR) | Maltese, English |
| Montenegro May–Jun and Sep | € Euro (EUR) | Montenegrin |
| Netherlands Apr–May for tulips; Jun–Sep | € Euro (EUR) | Dutch |
| Norway Jun–Aug; Nov–Mar for northern lights | kr Norwegian krone (NOK) | Norwegian |
| Poland May–Sep; Dec for Christmas markets | zł Polish złoty (PLN) | Polish |
| Portugal Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct | € Euro (EUR) | Portuguese |
| Romania Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct | lei Romanian leu (RON) | Romanian |
| Slovakia May–Sep; Dec–Mar for skiing | € Euro (EUR) | Slovak |
| Slovenia May–Sep | € Euro (EUR) | Slovene |
| Spain Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct | € Euro (EUR) | Spanish; also Catalan, Basque, Galician |
| Sweden Jun–Aug; Dec–Mar in Lapland | kr Swedish krona (SEK) | Swedish |
| Switzerland Jun–Sep; Dec–Mar for skiing | Swiss franc (CHF) | German, French, Italian, Romansh |
| United Kingdom May–Sep | £ Pound sterling (GBP) | English |
Seasons
Best time to visit Europe, month by month
Most countries in season: June (29 of 30). Counts come from each country's best-time note. Pick a month for its list.
Travel resources by country
- Albania
Tirana, the Ottoman hill town of Berat, stone-built Gjirokastër, Ionian beaches around Sarandë and the Albanian Alps.
- Austria
Vienna's palaces and coffee houses, baroque Salzburg, lakeside Hallstatt and skiing around Innsbruck.
- Belgium
Medieval Bruges and Ghent, the Grand-Place in Brussels, Antwerp's fashion and diamonds, and the Ardennes.
- Bulgaria
Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, Black Sea beaches and mountain ski resorts such as Bansko.
- Croatia
Dubrovnik's city walls, Split's Roman palace, island-hopping on the Adriatic and the lakes of Plitvice.
- Cyprus
Nicosia's divided old city, Paphos's mosaics, Limassol's seafront, Larnaca's salt lake and Ayia Napa's beaches.
- Czechia
Prague's old town, Český Krumlov's castle and old town, spa towns and Moravian wine country.
- Denmark
Copenhagen's harbour and cycle lanes, Aarhus's art museum, Viking history and the beaches of Skagen and Bornholm.
- Estonia
Tallinn's medieval Old Town, university town Tartu, Pärnu's beaches, the islands of Saaremaa and Lahemaa's bog trails.
- Finland
Helsinki's design district and sea fortress, Lapland's northern lights and husky trails, and thousands of lakes and saunas.
- France
Paris's museums, the French Riviera, Loire Valley châteaux, Provence's lavender and Bordeaux wine.
- Germany
Berlin's history and nightlife, Bavarian castles, Hamburg's harbour and the Black Forest.
- Greece
The Acropolis in Athens, Santorini's caldera, island-hopping in the Cyclades, Crete and ancient Delphi.
- Hungary
Budapest's thermal baths and Danube views, Lake Balaton's beaches, and wine towns such as Eger and Tokaj.
- Iceland
Waterfalls and geysers on the Golden Circle, glacier lagoons, geothermal spas and the northern lights.
- Ireland
Dublin's pubs and Georgian streets, the Cliffs of Moher, Galway's live music and the Wild Atlantic Way.
- Italy
Ancient Rome, Renaissance Florence, Venice's canals, the Amalfi Coast and Tuscany's hill towns.
- Malta
Valletta's harbour and fortifications, the walled city of Mdina, the island of Gozo and swimming off Comino.
- Montenegro
The walled town and fjord-like bay of Kotor, Budva's beaches, baroque Perast and the canyons of Durmitor.
- Netherlands
Amsterdam's canals and museums, cycling everywhere, spring tulip fields and car-free Giethoorn.
- Norway
Fjords, the Lofoten Islands, midnight sun in summer and northern lights in winter.
- Poland
Kraków's old town and Wawel Castle, rebuilt Warsaw, the Baltic port of Gdańsk and the Tatra Mountains at Zakopane.
- Portugal
Lisbon's hills, Porto's port cellars, the Algarve's cliffs and the island of Madeira.
- Romania
Bucharest, the medieval towns of Transylvania, the Carpathian mountains and the Danube Delta.
- Slovakia
Bratislava's old town and castle, the High Tatras, Košice, the mining town of Banská Štiavnica and the gorges of Slovak Paradise.
- Slovenia
Lake Bled's island church, riverside Ljubljana, the Venetian port of Piran, Postojna Cave and the Julian Alps.
- Spain
Barcelona's Gaudí buildings, Madrid's art museums, Seville and Granada's Moorish palaces, and the Balearic islands.
- Sweden
Stockholm's islands and old town, the west coast around Gothenburg, medieval Gotland and the northern lights in Lapland.
- Switzerland
Scenic Alpine railways, the Matterhorn above Zermatt, lakeside Lucerne and Geneva, and the Jungfrau region around Interlaken.
- United Kingdom
London's museums, Edinburgh's old town, the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands.