r/traveleurope

Hi all! My mum (50’s) and brother (18) have assigned me the task of booking a holiday next year in Europe, they’ve only been on holiday once (we went to Crete last year), I’ve been to Vienna, Paris & Milan… trouble is they have quite a few asks! They would like somewhere with lots to do, my brother is very easily bored, he enjoys history especially war and loves motorcycles and car- he isn’t your typical 18 year old (doesn’t drink, enjoy nightlife etc). My mum does suffer back issues tho so also need to factor this in re walking. On top of this they’d like options for relaxing, originally we were thinking a villa with a pool but this brings me onto my next issue! Most villas are in the countryside & we won’t have a car as it’s too expensive due to me being under 25. Essentially we’re looking for somewhere with lots to do, lots to explore but also has options for relaxed days and must must have very good public transport, uber or bolt.

I only started travelling a year or two ago and I’m feeling overwhelmed… where do you guys recommend? We are looking at going for a week and they have quite a strict budget too…

EDIT: okay I think after MONTHS they finally see how impossible their ask is lol. I’ve told them to either pick a proper city holiday or a hot holiday where we can perhaps have 1-2 days out

Austrian airlines canceled my 9pm flight Wien to Florence. Goes without saying, feeling pretty shitty about it. They are expecting bad weather at the arriving airport but looking at arrivals it shows that ours was the only fucking flight that was canceled. They want to reroute us through Munich tomorrow at 5pm with Munich Florence the next day at 7am, that's 2 additional nights. I found some alternatives that would get us there basically tomorrow morning that involve different landing airport + train, they cost like 2k - 3k, I'm traveling with my father and he doesn't want to "feel rushed" or take risks about spending so much and then get denied refund. This is mainly a complaint post, I have things to deal with back home, nothing urgent but still. Plus my father snores. First time in this situation anything I should know? Also if you want to share worse experiences so that I feel better please do

All 3 of us have German passports and approved UK ETAs. When checking in, my wife and 3yo daughter got active boarding passes right away, but mine says "STATUS PENDING" with the yellow lock icon.

On top of that, when my wife and toddler checked in together, the system auto-assigned them seats in completely different rows—even though she's only 3!

Has anyone seen these bugs happen together? Will my boarding pass unlock before departure, and can the airport desk group us back together? Thanks!

We are planning our first Europe Trip, it will be in Winter. We are there 29 nights and 30 days. I am concerned about having too much in our itinerary but we want to see as much as possible. Does anyone have any suggestions?

*

Place	Nights
London	3 nights
Paris	4 nights
Brussels / Bruges	2 nights
Amsterdam	2 nights
Munich	2 nights
Salzburg	2 nights
Innsbruck	2 nights
Lucerne	2 nights
Grindelwald / Interlaken	2 nights
Zermatt	1 night
Venice	2 nights
Florence	2 nights
Rome	3 nights

Thanks

Can any one of you please let me know which consulate should I apply for visa in below situation please?

Dec 23rd - leaving from Blr to Paris (Layover at frankfurt for 3hrs 15mins)

Dec 23rd - 28th - Paris

28th - 1st Jan - berlin

1st Jan - 6th Jan - Italy

6th Jan - return to Blr ( layover at munich for 1 hr 20 mins in between)

France - 5 nights
Germany - 4 nights
Italy - 5 nights

Layover at Munich and Frankfurt being in Germany

Now which Consulate should I apply, as i am entering Germany 1st (layover) and will be spending 5 days there after Paris does it make Germany = 7 days due to the 2 layovers?

Hi everyone! My family - my parents in their 60s and my brother and I, in our late 20s, are traveling to Budapest and Vienna from the 20th of December to the 5th of January 2027.

It’s our first time traveling to Europe over the December period. We are from South Africa, so we are most definitely not used to the kind of weather we are assuming we are going to experience. Cold for us is 16°C.

We are not skiing and will most likely to do all the touristy things because with the South African exchange rate, who knows when we’ll get a chance to visit any of these places again to see the niche part of these countries.

Can you guys provide me with some realistic and practical advice as to the kind of clothing, the weather around that time necessities? Some people are telling us we need snow boots, and thermal clothing. Someone even said to us that we could end up with frostbite - so I’m a little concerned.

I’d appreciate any advice as well as recommendations for clothing, etc.

Thank you!

Booking our first river cruise in Europe and stuck between the Rhine and the Danube. Been going back and forth for weeks and could use some perspective from people who've actually done one (or both).

Specifically eyeing Celebrity River Cruises since they're launching their new river ships in 2027, I know that's a ways out but I'd rather book early. Here's what I'm comparing:

Rhine hits Basel, Strasbourg, Cologne, and ends/starts in Amsterdam, with the Rhine Gorge castle stretch in between. Danube hits Budapest, then Bratislava and Vienna, and the Wachau Valley and all the wine looks great.

I'm trying to figure out if the Wachau Valley scenery on Danube comparable to the Rhine Gorge, or is Rhine still the better castle cruising experience?

Budapest: Dec 20–23
Salzburg: Dec 23–26 (including Christmas Day)
Prague: Dec 26–29
Vienna: Dec 29–Jan 2 (including NYE — hoping to catch the Silvesterpfad)

First time in all four cities as couple. Would love input on:

Weather — how cold does it typically get, and is snow likely this time of year? do we need to prepare for rain too?

Safety — any common scams or pickpocket spots to watch for, especially in crowded areas or around NYE in the evenings?

Hidden gems — we’re not big on deep history or museums, more into relaxed, scenic, festive experiences. Any local favorites that aren’t on the usual tourist lists?

Christmas Day in Salzburg — we’ve heard a lot about it and would love to know what to expect or plan around, since most things close.

Any tips at all are appreciated — thanks in advance!

For context, I’ll be in Switzerland with some friends before going off on my own for 8 days/7 nights. I’m flying home from Munich.

I’ve traveled a lot but never to Austria or Germany. I’ve thought about staying 4 nights in Austria (Salzburg?) and 3 nights in Munich, and doing a few day trips — based on quick internet searches, Innsbruck, Halstatt, Berchesgaden, neuschwanstein castle, etc.

So I’m wondering if there are other cities I’m overlooking to stay in and what the best day trips would be ?!

It seems like there are so many day trip options that I'm overwhelmed! Not sure if it'd be better to stay in Munich the whole time instead and do day trips to Austria... any insight would be valuable.

I’m a female solo traveler in my mid-20s. I love cities with a laid-back vibe and beautiful nature, great coffee shops and bakeries, and pedestrian-oriented areas.

Any advice is welcome. Thanks in advance!

Hello!!! My partner and I (both in our mid 20s) are travelling to Austria this Dec for christmas. Its our first time for euro winter and we would LOVE all the tips please.

Our dates are 20th dec to around the 6th of jan. So far we were thinking:

Vienna - 3 nights

Salzburg - 3 nights over christmas (potentially day trip to Hallstatt or St. Wolfgang)

Innsbruck - 3 nights and ski here?

Finish in Munich

** Trying to work out whether to add Budapest, Prague or Zermatt/ Lucerne as one other stop.

Genuinely any tips or recs are so appreciated. Where is best to be for Xmas? Do places shut down for boxing day etc? Is Hallstatt worth a day visit? What are the must do's in each place? Also restaurant/ activity recs

We are open to all suggestions/ other countries too. THANK YOU!!!!

Hello, I have family in Canada that wants to travel some of Europe by train. Their main places to visit are Rome and Germany (nothing specifically decided in Germany yet). What company would be able to arrange an itinerary for them and basically just make it easiest to make this happen?

Not looking for luxury, just “get on x train at y time” type of thing, but arrange it all for them beforehand?

I just moved to England a few years ago, and none of my friends have done something like this. Any help is appreciated. I’ve found great rail journeys, railtrail, and byway online, any to get/avoid?

Thinking about a trip for a group of 5 there at end of year, around Dec 18 to 30. None of us have been and looks like most sites will be open, and the holiday markets sound great. But some wondered if it will be too dark and cold. Thoughts? Recommendations?

I want to have my first ski/snowboars experience, I've never tried it before. I have many doubts about which place in Europe would be the best option for this first time. Is it recommended to stay in a resort or airbnb? I'm looking for economic options!

BF and I are coming from the US to his hometown of Krakow, Poland on Oct 9th. We have 7 days of time to explore other countries, and I was thinking of Croatia (Dubrovnik), Montenegro (Kotor), and Albania (Shkoder, Tiranë).

Should we swap any of these countries out? Or cities out? Any country we should go to first logistically, before flying back to krakow? He's very excited for Croatia, and I want to make sure I'm not missing any major thing.

Any guidance is appreciated. TIA!

I’m planning to visit europe for christmas and new years. Interested in christmas markets, gay nightlife, social fun etc. Confused if to go to Prague,Vienna and budapest or Spain. Open to suggestions for other countries as well as I have not booked anything yet.

Hello everyone, I will be studying abroad in a couple weeks for a full semester and have general quetions to ask. First, I want to travel a lot as I have worked really hard to save money and I def want to see lots of different places. Are there any things I should know to save money for example flights, trains, buses etc. I am based in italy and have goals to see all of italy, trip to Spain (madrid and barca), morrocco, prague, and really want to take a trip to east europe (estonia, latvia, etc). I just want to be well versed so I can plan good trips while being educated. Tips on how to find the right hostels, trains, websites etc. Any help is much appreciated so thank you very much!!

Hello!!! My partner and I (both in our mid 20s) are travelling to Austria this Dec for christmas. Its our first time for euro winter and we would LOVE all the tips please. Our dates are 20th dec to around the 4th of jan. So far we had in mind to fly into Munich, then go Salzburg, daytrip to Hallstatt, Innsbruck, Vienna, maybe Budapest. and then maybe go all the way up to Lapland for a few nights?? Any advice is sooo welcomed please. We are keen on exploring the cities, learning the culture, food, christmas markets and a day or two or skiing. We are open to all suggestions/ other countries too. THANK YOU!!!!

I (M,13) want to do Like a 3 day Solo Trip. I'm from Nuernberg,Germany. I would camp outside and was wondering where I could Go and it isn't to expensive Max. 150€ for Transportation. If you could give me as well some Arguments to convince my parents. (I'm as well a Scout so it shouldn't be a Problem to do a 3day Trip)

Hey everyone! My husband and I will be travelling to Prague, Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest in October. Would love to hear experiences from anyone who's been there. Also if you guys have secret tips to share that I won't find on google, I'd love to hear about it!! 😊

Hi everyone! I’m looking for recommendations for somewhere in Europe where I could spend 2/3 weeks this October.

I recently lost my brother and have generally had a really rough year. I also haven’t had the chance to go away at all this summer and I feel like I really need some time somewhere beautiful and peaceful to recharge, slow down and get some space.

I’m dreaming of somewhere that feels a little idyllic, where life is simple and slow. Ideally:

• A small town or village by the sea, ocean or a beautiful lake
• Beautiful nature and somewhere that feels peaceful and a little removed from everything
• Mild, preferably sunny weather in October
• Quiet, but not completely dead in the off-season: a few cafés, restaurants, a supermarket
• Ideally somewhere I can manage without a car. That said, I’m not completely ruling out places where a car would be useful, so please don’t limit recommendations too much based on that!
• Somewhere where I can settle into a very simple routine: morning coffee, reading, long walks or hikes, swimming, cooking, watching the sunset, teleworking etc.

It absolutely doesn’t have to be a famous destination. In fact, I’d love somewhere overlooked or a bit out of the way. An island would be lovely, but it definitely doesn’t need to be one.

Thank you so much for any recommendations :)

Edit: EDIT: I’m looking for specific places, please (villages, towns), as otherwise it’s too hard to choose (not just regions or countries)! Thank you very much!