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Things to do 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. Things to do in Europe can take you all the way from snow-capped mountain slopes to walking ancient ways with plenty of regional cuisine adding to a bewildering back story that’s shaped the lifestyles and landscapes that you’ll find today.

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Things to do in Europe

A walking vacation to those towns in Europe where local traditions are still very much part of today is one of the most enriching experiences you can have.

Walking ancient ways

France brings the lofty peaks of the Alps, Pyrenees and Mont Blanc to the table; northern Spain, the atmospheric massifs of the Picos de Europa; and Portugal, the stunning beaches and extensive coastline of the gorgeous Alentejo. Your only problem? Choosing where you’re going to walk.

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Activity vacations

From mountain bike riding through the Catalan Pyrenees, to sea kayaking round Croatia’s illustrious archipelago, and husky sledding through the Narnia-esque landscape of magical Lapland, Europe really is one giant playground for activity vacations, encapsulating every type of environment you could wish for within mere hours of the UK.

Montenegro is a Balkan bounty of boisterousness where you can try kayaking and wild swimming on freshwater Lake Skadar, or ramp up the adrenalin with a day white water rafting on the thrilling Tara River. The age-old and refreshingly untouristy Peloponnese region of Greece is a sailing and windsurfing utopia; or why not head to Spain and mix it up a bit with a guided star gazing tour, or a lesson in traditional Andalucian cookery.

Europe is your oyster when choosing where to go on a cycling vacation, and the best bit? Cycling experts have already worked their way up, down and across to find the very best trails.

Bring your bicicleta

Through the mountain trails of Montenegro, from cove to cove in Catalonia, around the 16 emerald green lakes of Croatia’s Plitvice, and up and over Tuscany’s rolling hills – two wheels will get you to places that neither four wheels, nor two wearying legs, can and you definitely don’t need to be Tour de France fit to have a tour de force trip.

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Calling us from outside the US?

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Cultural touring

The very fabric of many European destinations seems woven from a colourful cloth of distinctive history, culture, and pastimes. Take Italy’s island neighbour for example, which boasts over 7,000 sites dating back six millennia, or Rome’s Coliseum, undoubtedly one of the world’s most iconic archaeological symbols, and the Parthenon, which sits high on the incredible Athenian Acropolis and is widely considered the most important surviving emblem of Western civilisation. European cultural tours encompass much more than history too, whether that’s guided wine touring in Croatia, learning the local lingo as you walk in Spain, or splitting your time between painting and cookery lessons in the bucolic Umbrian hills.

Not many people immediately associate Europe with wildlife, especially not wild wildlife.

Go wild

However, thanks to a successful rewilding programme Eastern Europe is now prime territory for bison watching and Romania’s mosaic of unspoilt landscape is home to over 33,000 species including Europe’s highest concentration of large carnivores. In Romania, Poland and even in Spain, you’ll find a blend of wolves, rare Eurasian lynx, and over 5,000 bears that prowl their territory watched over by bats, rare eagles and wise old owls.

More about Europe

Best time to visit 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.

Europe travel guide

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

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.

Top 10 wildlife vacations in Europe

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.

Top 10 European adventure breaks

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 holidays in the Mediterranean

Cooking and food vacations in the Mediterranean

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

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.

Europe travel advice

We’ve asked our friends in Europe for travel tips with some superb results including Europe travel advice on why you shouldn’t skip the Peloponnese, getting off the beaten track in Spain and respecting Croatia’s tricky past.

Responsible tourism in Europe

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.

All our Europe guides

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.

More relevant guides

Written by Polly Humphris

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Photo credits: [Page banner: ZM_Photo] [Walking ancient ways: pxhere] [Activity vacations: Timo Newton-Syms] [Bring your bicicleta: Paul Stevenson] [Cultural touring : Pedro] [Go wild: Mats Lindberg]

Things to do in Europe