Europe travel advice
Don’t skip the Peloponnese
Nikos Kritsinelias from our supplier Land Life highlights the pleasures of delving into genuine mainland life in his Greece travel advice: “The Peloponnese is an emerging destination and we know its secrets and traditions better than anyone. Our aim is to create strong emotions and memories through participation in the way of living of our country: distinctive gastronomic experiences such as wine roads and olive roads; cultural activities like religious tourism or learning traditional Greek dances! Our guests will live a unique travel experience, by participating actively as locals and not just one more member of a group. We're sure all our visitors will return different from their journey in Greece, filled with memories and richer in knowledge.”
Our Europe Vacations
Split to Dubrovnik Luxury cruise, Croatia
Cruise Split to Dubrovnik in luxury via Croatia's islands
From
£899 to £1599
8 days
ex flights
Alternative family winter vacation in Chamonix, France
Half term family ski, yoga & circus vacation Full for 2020
From
£520 to £825
7 days
ex flights
Spanish course & hiking vacation, Picos de Europa, Spain
Spanish classes + stunning hikes in Picos de Europa
From
€659
7 days
ex flights
French Alps self guided walking vacation
Chalet based, self guided walking vacation in the French Alps
From
£525
8 days
ex flights
Log cabin vacation in Finland, with activities
Experience cosy log cabins and exciting activities
From
£1025 to £1215
4 days
inc UK flights
Northern lights short break, Finland
Leisurely stay in Finnish Lapland & an Aurora alert system
From
£1345 to £1795
5 days
inc UK flights
Croatia vacation, activity week
A 'Relaxingly Active' vacation with flexible activities
From
€1090 to €1250
7 days
ex flights
Amalfi Coast walking vacation, Italy
Walk in lemon groves and hillside villages
From
US $1349 to US $1799
8 days
ex flights
Winter cottage vacation in Finnish Lapland
Winter Cottage vacations, Finnish Lapland.
From
£1785
7 days
inc UK flights
Finland winter activity vacation & Northern Lights
Discover this Finnish winter activity wilderness week
From
US $2249 to US $2579
8 days
ex flights
Husky safari in Finland
Sled with huskies through spectacular Finnish scenery
From
£2155 to £2295
8 days
inc UK flights
Romania adventure vacation
An amazing tour exploring medieval Europe and Transylvania
From
£2655 to £2845
14 days
ex flights
Amalfi Coast and Bay of Naples vacations
One of Europe's most dramatic stretches of coastline
From
US $1649 to US $1949
8 days
ex flights
Self guided biking tour in Croatia
Explore the amazing island's coasts, medieval town on bike
From
€440 to €905
7 days
ex flights
Gran Canaria walking tours, Canary Islands
This unique volcanic island reveals unexpected variety
From
US $1070 to US $1280
8 days
ex flights
Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia vacation
Escape the crowds and explore hidden Europe
From
£1825 to £1950
16 days
ex flights
Croatia multi sport tour
Dubrovnik to Zagreb with daily outdoor activities
From
€1290 to €1390
8 days
ex flights
Romania vacation, the Beauty of Yesterday
Small group tour to rediscover enchanting rural Romania
From
£1395 to £1425
11 days
ex flights
Scotland by railway vacation
Experience authentic Scotland independently and car-free
From
£1095 to £1155
8 days
ex flights
Croatia national parks hiking vacation
Walking vacation in Croatia's beautiful national parks.
From
€670 to €840
8 days
ex flights
Luxury Arctic cruise Spitsbergen & Franz Josef Land
A unique expedition to rarely visited Franz Josef Land
From
£7995
15 days
ex flights
Sintra Natural Park accommodation in Portugal
Eco-friendly B&B, in Sintra Natural Park near lovely beaches
From
€90 to €120
per room per night
Activity vacation in Montenegro
An active villa vacation at stunning Lake Skadar, Montenegro
From
£645 to £745
7 days
ex flights
Dordogne self catering cabin sleeping 4
Off-grid, off-beat self catering cabin
From
€650 to €900
per week (sleeps 2-4)
Provence biking tour, France
Cycling tour of Provence for avid riders.
From
€1100 to €1530
8 days
ex flights
Spitsbergen wildlife cruises
Encounters with glaciers, polar bears and icebergs.
From
£2799 to £5899
8 days
ex flights
Archaeology vacation in Greece
A small-group archaeology tour of Greece
From
€1250
8 days
ex flights
Mercantour Park self catering gite, France
Beautifully located accommodation in the Mercantour, France
From
€518
per week (sleeps 2)
Southern Croatia cruise in comfort
Cruise Croatia's beautiful islands on a small cruise ship
From
£559 to £805
8 days
ex flights
Get off Spain’s beaten track
Tom Powers, from our supplier Pura Aventura, has spent 20 years working in Spain – and says it still surprises him. He shares his Spain travel advice: “Just go. You think you know Spain; you think you’ve been there – but you don’t. You could spend your life in the country, but you’ll never know it. There’s almost not a town in Spain that you couldn’t go and spend a few nights in. Every village has a story, its own wine, its cuisine... the hotels are amazing quality, even in the middle of nowhere, beautiful hotels that belong in the pages of an interior design magazine. But it’ll be £100 a night; in the UK it would be closer to £300 and the food would be disappointing!”
Try refuge trekking in France
Robert Mason, from our supplier Mountainbug, shares his advice on refuge trekking:“Refuge trekking along the high Pyrenees and Alps is a great way to explore some paths that are completely wild. Between points you stay in refuges, which are like small mountain hostels, a bit like a youth hostel in that it’s very communal with communal bunks, but in which you get a really good cooked meal and the chance to meet some interesting people. From mid-July, you can do high-level refuge trekking trips that can last for up to 40 days and travel right the way across the mountains. That’s a perfect time to come because the snow has melted and you can access high areas without crampons, ice axes and all the specialist gear. People worry that summer is too hot to trek in, but it’s not, for every 100m you travel up, you lose a degree in heat, so August is comfortable too – say you’re in the Pyrenees at 1,300m, while it’s 30 degrees down in Toulouse, you’ll be walking in the far more temperate 20s.”
Respect Croatia’s tricky past
Croatia travel advice from Ivana Grzetic, from our supplier Adria Adventure:“Don't talk too much about the past, as people are still sensitive regarding the 1990s. Remember that a lot of these people have been through the war, and so it is nice to be a little bit humble when talking about it because you never know what happened to somebody's family. This applies mostly to the Dubrovnik region that was affected the most. If you do want to talk about it, inform yourself about it before you go.”
Our top Europe Vacation
Split to Dubrovnik Luxury cruise, Croatia
Cruise Split to Dubrovnik in luxury via Croatia's islands
From
£899 to £1599
8 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2020: 26 Apr, 3 May, 10 May, 17 May, 24 May, 31 May, 7 Jun, 14 Jun, 21 Jun, 28 Jun, 5 Jul, 12 Jul, 19 Jul, 26 Jul, 2 Aug, 9 Aug, 16 Aug, 23 Aug, 30 Aug, 6 Sep, 13 Sep, 20 Sep, 27 Sep, 3 Oct, 10 Oct
2020: 26 Apr, 3 May, 10 May, 17 May, 24 May, 31 May, 7 Jun, 14 Jun, 21 Jun, 28 Jun, 5 Jul, 12 Jul, 19 Jul, 26 Jul, 2 Aug, 9 Aug, 16 Aug, 23 Aug, 30 Aug, 6 Sep, 13 Sep, 20 Sep, 27 Sep, 3 Oct, 10 Oct
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Europe or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Health & safety
HEALTH
SAFETY
For further information on health and safety across Europe, please visit the FCO or the CDC websites and refer to your chosen destination.
Tips from our travelers in Europe
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Europe travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation - and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful Europe travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation - and the space inside your suitcase.
Greeks eat their evening meals at 9pm or later and lunch is sometimes a mid-afternoon affair.
– Julian Grubb
“Bring waterproofs! We had five solid days of sunshine, but even in these conditions, a waterproof coat and trousers come in very handy for dingy launching and riding, lobster pot launching and retrieval etc where splashing at the very least is inevitable.” – Sophie Hood on our wildlife sailing vacation in Scotland
“Be aware of language differences in Romania. Up in the mountains they do not speak Romanian - they speak Hungarian! Your Romanian phrase book will not help you here!” – Mark Stickley
“This vacation can be as active as you make it, but I would suggest taking advantage of the water-based activities in Montenegro. I was particularly lucky to hitch a ride to the coast with a couple staying in the villa on our day off. I found it would have been easier to hire a car, but it's definitely do-able without one.” – Mandy Reynolds on our kayaking vacation in Lake Skadar
“Be aware of language differences in Romania. Up in the mountains they do not speak Romanian - they speak Hungarian! Your Romanian phrase book will not help you here!” – Mark Stickley
“This vacation can be as active as you make it, but I would suggest taking advantage of the water-based activities in Montenegro. I was particularly lucky to hitch a ride to the coast with a couple staying in the villa on our day off. I found it would have been easier to hire a car, but it's definitely do-able without one.” – Mandy Reynolds on our kayaking vacation in Lake Skadar
My jaw dropped at the first view of Dubrovnik but better was to come. The islands were absolutely beautiful, but, most of all I loved my experiences with the people of Croatia... they were honest, friendly, approachable
– Anne McCarthy
“In Lapland, it’s easy to put too many layers of clothing on when doing sporting activities such as skiing. The warm winter clothes they supply are excellent, so all you need are some thermals for a couple of days.” – Thomas White
“When walking in the Italian hills, or up Vesuvius, think skiing - if you let anything slip it could quickly be lost forever, so I had my glasses on a chain and used the wrist strap on my camera, etc. And keep 50c coins handy for automated public toilets!” – Juliet Dunn
“I went to the Azores with the hope of seeing maybe one or two whales but what I saw each day surpassed that expectation. I had a fantastic time and have to admit to having a lump in my throat when I saw my first blue whale. If I was asked would I do it again – YES! In a heartbeat.” – Barbara Watt
“When walking in the Italian hills, or up Vesuvius, think skiing - if you let anything slip it could quickly be lost forever, so I had my glasses on a chain and used the wrist strap on my camera, etc. And keep 50c coins handy for automated public toilets!” – Juliet Dunn
“I went to the Azores with the hope of seeing maybe one or two whales but what I saw each day surpassed that expectation. I had a fantastic time and have to admit to having a lump in my throat when I saw my first blue whale. If I was asked would I do it again – YES! In a heartbeat.” – Barbara Watt
More about Europe
Hey, this is a big place that crosses time zones, mountain peaks and wild and woolly stretches of coastline so if you’re thinking of the best time to visit Europe check out our temperature and rainfall chart that will take you from Finland to Spain and back to the UK before you’ve had time to blink.
If you’re searching for a continent that’s about as an eclectic mix of old and new as you can imagine then our Europe travel guide lifts the lid on what we rate & what we don’t including information about the food, shopping & people to help you discover Europe like a local.
Where to go in Europe to make the most of your time obviously depends on what you’re into however, if you’re looking for ideas then mull over our favourite Europe highlights featured on our interactive map and you’ll soon get to grips with distances and travel times in Europe.
Our top activities in Europe range from activity vacations to cultural touring with every chance possible to go wild, never to be missed.
Take a safari – in Europe! Sure, you won’t see the Big Five, but there are some really big beasts and giant-sized thrills waiting for you here, from tracking wolves through snowy mountains to swimming with dolphins in clear Atlantic waters.
Find out which tours have made our European adventure breaks top 10 as well as the best times to go, and direct links to other relevant trips and travel guides.
Cooking and food vacations in the Mediterranean offer a feast for the senses: tempting smells waft up from markets and sizzling food stalls and cooking lessons offer the chance to learn from passionate local people eager to share favourite recipes. Read on to discover more.
Family vacations in Europe are laid-back and hassle free, with a huge array of sights and activities to keep both parents and kiddies happy.
There’s never been a more important moment to travel right in Europe with masses of overdevelopment, cruise ships, walking pollution and captive cetaceans still hot topics when it comes to responsible tourism issues in Europe.
Find all our Europe guides in one place from Croatia to Finland and everything in between and discover some of our activity guides such as Walking in Spain or multi activity vacations in Montenegro.
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Photo credits: [Page banner: ZM_Photo] [Don’t skip the Peloponnese: G Da]
[Get off Spain’s beaten track: d97jro]
[Health & Safety: Rakkhi Samarasekera]
[Julian Grubb quote: pxhere]
[Anne McCarthy quote: Bracodbk]
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