Destinations

Where to go in Europe

If you’ve ever found yourself in Europe, you’ll know it doesn’t really perform for visitors. Life just carries on… and you’re invited to join in. Coffee is rarely a takeaway, lunch is definitely not quick, and there’s usually a right way to do things (even if nobody tells you what it is). It’s a continent of habits and rituals, from markets that have been running for centuries, to evening strolls along promenades and mountain-fringed lakes, and menus that haven’t changed since someone’s grandma first got them right. Mornings might be spent in a world-class museum or art gallery, yet just an hour later, you might find yourself in a restaurant, ordering something you can’t quite pronounce and wondering why it tastes so much better here. And there’s the scenery, constantly shifting and constantly beautiful: mountains, coastlines, countryside, cities, vineyards, lakes… and all of it woven together by good food, good company and absolutely no unnecessary rushing.

Italy

Art-stuffed cities, lemon-scented coastlines and lunches to rearrange your life for.

Italy is a country that is gloriously, unashamedly itself. Church bells and clinking espresso cups; striped umbrellas on the beach and snow on the mountains; Vespas zipping past Roman ruins and grandmothers arguing over whose tortellini are best. One minute you’re standing beneath an impossibly beautiful Renaissance ceiling, the next you’re elbow-deep in pasta flour and plotting which flavour of gelato to have for round two. And then there’s the sheer variety of it all: the cool, glassy lakes of the north, Tuscany’s iconic vine-covered hills, cities that hit you round the head with their sheer beauty and astonishing architecture, and coastlines that can be polished, glitzy and sparkling – or a little rough around the edges. Come hungry, wear good shoes, and don’t expect to fit it all into one trip.

Where to go in Europe

Italy

Still not sure where to go?