Holiday Destinations in Europe

Paris has much more to offer than Disneyland, although if you have kids to entertain then Disneyland is not a bad option. It is worth knowing that although Paris is a sprawling metropolis there are ways and means of getting around the city fairly easily. The metro for example is a great way to get from one corner of the city to another, although for some of the main places of interest it is actually possible to walk without killing yourself. Make the Notre Dame a starting point and you can wander along the banks of the River Seine towards the Arc de Triomphe browsing at the souvenir stalls until you reach the Louvre where you could easily lose yourself for a day or two. Head on from there to the Arc de Triomphe via the Champs Elysees and then cross the river to the Eiffel Tower.

You can use the map below to get a feel for where everything is located.

Don't forget that Paris is not just about places of interest and things to see, you will also be able to experience real French culture in the capital, enjoy the world famous French cuisine, discover the arts and quietly enjoy a coffee while watching the world go by.

To find out more about France and the Top Ten Tourist Destinations for France visit the Eurotraveller website or here For the top ten places to visit in Paris

Many of the places of interest in London, England revolve around the River Thames that runs right through the city and past the Houses of Parliament.

In fact a great little tour of London, which you can do under your own steam and avoid the open top bus tour, is to start at Greenwich, where you will find the clipper the Cutty Sark. The Cutty Sark caught fire in 2007 and is only now nearing completion of its restoration, due to be finished in 2011. So if you go you should once again be able to explore this fine example of naval history.

You should be able to get a boat from Greenwich up the Thames to the Embankment, if you get off there it is only a short walk past the underground station to Trafalgar Square.

Plus if you really want to you will be able to jump on an open top bus at Trafalgar Square for the obligatory tour of the London sights. Actually it's not a bad idea because you do get a running commentary all the way around.

From Trafalgar you can walk down The Mall to Buckingham Palace and then through St James Park back to the Embankment. Get on the Underground at the Embankment and catch a train to Tower Bridge. Obviously you can spend as much time as you like exploring all the places of interest in the area, there are quite a few.

From Tower Bridge you can get the Light Docklands railway overland to the Isle of Dogs and the 'coupe de grace' there is a small foot tunnel back under the Thames to the other side which comes out in, you guessed it, Greenwich.

So that is your alternative tour of London, one I have done many times but not recently since moving to France. Another place worth a mention is St Paul's Cathedral which is on the highest point in the City of London, and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The present building dates from the 17th century and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

There are some other fabulous places to visit in the UK besides London. Depending how far you want to venture out of the capital you could visit the Cotswolds, Broadway and Bourton on the Water are very popular, or you could head to the Lake District for the amazing scenery. Birmingham is the UK second biggest city and the Historic City of Gloucester with its famous Cathedral is relatively easy to get to, just get a train out of Paddington Station and you will be there in a about an hour and a half.

Another very popular destination is Stratford on Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare and home to the Royal Shakespeare company. Another place full of history, medieval buildings and English pubs.

Anyway the choice is yours and don't forget that Scotland, Wales and Ireland are also not too far away if you have the inclination. Edinburgh is a fabulous place as is Cardiff and Dublin.

Rome is the most popular tourist destination in Italy and plays host to between 7 to 10 million visitors per year. Home to the Vatican, headquarters of the Roman Catholic church and actually a country in its own right. The Roman Colosseum is one of the favourite places of interest in Rome. One has to remember that the Roman Empire in its heyday influenced virtually every country in Europe as evidenced by Romanesque architecture in most major European cities, Roman roads and the Latin words used in most European languages including English, German and French plus Italian of course.

So in Italy, and Rome in particular, you will find the origins of western Europe's civilisation, culture, arts and architecture or if not the origins, at least a very strong influence.

Besides the Colosseum there is the Roman Forum which was for centuries the centre of Roman public life. The place where elections took place a venue for public speeches and a it was a centre of commercial affairs. Make sure to visit the Trevi Fountain to make a wish and admire the amazing architecture and sculpting of this fabulous creation. Making a wish should ensure your return to Rome. Also if you missed on the first trip make sure you don't miss the Sistine Chapel on your second trip, or more specifically the Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo.

The there is the Appian Way, this is where the ancient Romans came to bury their dead, and many of the tombs still remain along the roadside which is lined with pines and cypresses. There are so many places of interest and wonderful architecture in Rome it would be impossible to list them all in this overview so.

Another aspect of Italy not to be forgotten is the food, seldom will you visit a country where there is such an interest taken in cuisine. Every local is a food critic and every town or village has its own take on how a dish should be prepared and served. This is probably the reason that the food in Italy is so good, nobody dare get it wrong. But that does work in the favour of tourists because you can get to share in the delight that is Italian cuisine.

For the top ten destinations in Italy you can visit the Eurotraveller website for more information and suggestions.

You may think it is strange to be featuring Barcelona as the main representation for Spain, the 2nd most visited country in Europe. But the fact of the matter is that Barcelona receives more visitors than Spain's capital Madrid. My guess is that this is because, although Madrid has plenty of culture, cuisine architecture and art to offer, it is not located on the coast and does not have an abundance of sun soaked beaches at its doorstep.

In other words because Madrid is slap bang in the middle of the country it cannot offer its visitors the best of both worlds, i.e. a choice of slick city dynamics and/or a slow relaxing day on the beach.

If you explore the city you will find plenty of examples of Antonio Gaudi's architectural works, many of which have become places of interest for the tourists visiting Barcelona, a good example is the La Pedrera building a highly regarded Gaudi masterpiece.

Of course as always there is more to the country than the most visited city and if you want to find out the Top 10 Tourist Destinations for Spain you can visit the Eurotraveller website.

Berlin was a popular if somewhat limited tourist attraction in Germany before re-unification, but since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the re-unification, it has become even more popular. Also re-established as the capital of Germany it is still in the process of re-instating many of its places of interest having reclaimed the city from behind the iron curtain. 2010 saw the 21st birthday of the fall of the Berlin Wall which took place in 1989 but even so there is still much to do.

This is part of the reason why the Brandenburg gate is so important, once a symbol of separation it is now the symbol of unification. There are other places of interest in Berlin, such as Berliner Rathaus the town hall and checkpoint Charlie, but much of Berlin was damaged in the 2nd world war and was not restored with the same enthusiasm as the western districts. So for many a visit to Berlin is to get a sense of recent history, to see the progress now being made and to enjoy a city that is having new life breathed into it.

For more information on Berlin and the other Top Tourist Destinations in Germany visit the Eurotraveller website.