Europe has a lot of competition these days. While a tour of Europe was once a standard “once in a lifetime” experience, today more and more people opt to do their travelling in more far flung destinations.
It’s not hard to see the tropical appeal of places like Hawaii or Bali, and by comparison the slightly damper climes of Northern Europe may seem somewhat outdated.
So what’s the bottom line?
Is Europe still worth spending those precious holiday days on?
We’re balancing the pros and cons of Europe to get a sense of whether or not the Old World is still a contender.
Europe Culture
Pro – Culture.
Europe is the birthplace of the Western Civilisation, and like it or not, it is spectacular. From the stately, historic town houses of Amsterdam to the breathtaking gothic architecture of Prague, Europe’s cities are visually arresting. That’s even before we get to the arts – Europe boasts the very best galleries in the world and cities like Amsterdam and Paris have been centres of art and culture for years. Europe also has an wild music scene, and cities like Berlin are not to be beaten in terms of life performance and sheer volume or musical events.
Europe_Weather
Con – The weather.
Although Mediterranean European cities in Italy, the South of France and Spain are something of an apology for this, it still can’t surmount the frustration of having to attempt to guess when the singular sunny day of June will be when you’re trying to book your flights. And let’s face it – northern Europe has grim weather. If you stay more than a week (and that’s if you are unnaturally lucky), you’re going to get hit with rain, wind, or maybe something else. Locals take this with a stoically dismissive attitude, but it’s hard to imitate when you blew your yearly holiday savings on several rain filled days.
Europe Cheap
Pro – Low cost.
Europe is inevitably a cheaper option than more far flung destinations, and what you can save on the flight you can spend on the standard of your holiday. You’ll get a lot of bang for your buck in countries like Spain, and that gets better and better the further east you go – iconic cities like Budapest and Prague entice visitors with amazing exchange rates and low local prices. Even in major cities like Amsterdam, if you’re coming from the UK in particular you’ll be impressed by how affordable everything is.
EU_Population
Con – Population.
Europe is rammed. Wherever you’re going to go, you’re going to end up crammed in with a lot of people. In some cases this can be avoided by heading for cities during period when locals traditionally leave, such as Paris in the height of summer.
However, there is a reason that the locals leave at these times, and Paris is again the perfect example – the height of summer turns the city into a sweltering hotbox, a place it is exceedingly inadvisable to take children in particular. You may find yourself longing for that trek across the Mongolian steppes you considered as you jam yourself into a tube train in the London Underground.
Pro – Extravagance.
Europe invented decadence. The street of its capital cities harbour every delight imaginable. From the cannabis coffeeshops of Amsterdam to the Roman Bath Parties of Budapest, from the delicatessens of Paris to the beer halls of Munich, Europe does over the top like nowhere else on earth.
Sample the resplendent food of Italy, Spain and France. Unwind on the balcony of your 4 star hotel in Rome, or enjoy a three course meal as you take cruise through the famous canals of Amsterdam. This is really the clincher for Europe – it does everything so well.