You are going to Europe this year, but you’re unsure where or how to spend your time. If that’s you, you are in the right place. I go to Europe every year. In this blog, I will share my ten favorite trips I’ve taken to Europe over the past decade.
Why trust my opinion about this topic?
You may be wondering why I should listen to this guy’s opinion. I have visited Europe more than twenty times in the past decade. Below, you will see the list of European countries I have visited. There are ten total, starting at the top with Germany, the country I visited the most. I’ve done many solo trips, family trips, and couples trips with my wife. In this blog, I am sharing my ten favorite trips.
Trip #1 – my solo trip to Catalonia in 2019
In the fall of 2019, I went on a solo trip to Catalonia, a region located in Northeast Spain. I started in Barcelona, rented a car, and explored this wonderful region. The most important thing I learned during this trip is that you can stay in a castle and other historical sights. Spain and other countries in Europe offer these accommodations. Some are reasonably priced, and I recommend you take full advantage of them whenever possible. Who doesn’t want to sleep in a castle?
Trip #2 – Taking my boys to Bavaria
In 2015, I took my then-teenage sons to Bavaria, an area I’m familiar with in southeast Germany. We went everywhere, including Munich, the Alps, Mad King Ludwig’s castles, and Rothenburg. We did it all. The key takeaway from this trip is that Bavaria is the best place to go if you’ve never been to Germany. My boys loved it, and Bavaria is what most Americans picture when they think of Germany.
Thanksgiving in Southern Germany
My younger son lived in Nuremberg for a year. I came up with the brilliant idea of taking his older brother to visit during Thanksgiving week to celebrate this American holiday. We flew in and out of Frankfurt. We spent most of our time in Baden-Wurttemberg, including Heidelberg, Stuttgart, several castles, and Nuremberg. Our trip finished in Wurzburg before heading back to Frankfurt. We learned during this trip that Thanksgiving is the perfect week to spend time in Europe. Forget about turkey and gravy for Thanksgiving. We ate bratwurst, sauerkraut and washed it down with German beer.
Thanksgiving in Portugal
In 2022, we went back to Europe for Thanksgiving. This time, Kim and I took the kids to the beautiful country of Portugal. We started in Lisbon, then headed to Porto for a few days. From there, we rented a car and worked our way down the coast back to Lisbon with overnights in Nazare, Obidos, and Sintra. Portugal was magnificent. The lesson we learned is essential if you are traveling with family. If your children do not get along in the car when you are in the US or wherever you’re from, it won’t get better when you go to Europe. We learned that lesson the hard way.
Trip #5 – Classic Italian Cities
Last year, during Thanksgiving week, Kim and I went to Italy. We visited three classic Italian cities: Rome, Florence and Milan. We had a wonderful time. The lesson we learned during this trip is that the Italian railway system works well. It is easy to get from place to place. Get on the train and relax. Next thing you know, you’re in the next city.
Visiting three European capital cities
We’re halfway through the list. I’m going to mention here these trips are in no specific order. Kim and I took the kids for their first European trip in 2019. We started in London and spent several days there. Next, we took the high-speed train to Brussels, Belgium. We finished in world-famous Paris and made a day trip to Versailles. This plan is an excellent schedule for your first trip if you’ve never been to Europe. The culture shock is not bad in London, and there’s high-speed rail, so you don’t need to rent a car.
Trip #7 – U2 in Dublin
I was lucky enough to land tickets so Kim and I could see my favorite band of all time in the capital of Ireland. As Taylor Swift’s fans are teaching us, going to Europe to see a concert is not a bad idea, especially in Dublin. This city lives for music. It has Guinness and is easy to get to from the States. What more could you ask for?
Trip #8 – Spring Break in Spain
Kim and I took the kids to spend a week in Spain during spring break, splitting our time equally between Barcelona and Madrid, the capital. If you’ve never been to Spain, this is the perfect plan. Both Barcelona and Madrid are fantastic cities. If you get bored of them, there are easy day trips such as Montserrat from Barcelona and Segovia or Toledo from Madrid.
Long weekend getaway to Edinburgh, Scotland
Last fall, Kim and I spent several days in the capital of Scotland. We had a blast. During this trip, we learned that spending a long weekend in Europe from America is doable. If you are wondering where to go, Edinburgh is a great choice. The city contains many historic sights and excellent whiskey. There is so much to see and do. One reminder—don’t forget your rain gear. You will need it.
Trip #10 – Exploring Holland
Neither Kim nor I could afford to take much PTO years ago. We decided to visit a small European country, the Netherlands, for our summer vacation. We explored one of the regions, Holland. Our trip started in Amsterdam. We took the train to all our destinations, including Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, and Rotterdam. We learned that if you don’t have much time for your trip, go to a small country you’ve never been to before. The Netherlands was a blast, and we learned a lot about this country.
My most recent trip to Europe – graduation celebration
Let me wrap up this blog by writing about my most recent European trip with my younger son. Riley and I flew to Manchester to watch Manchester City win the Premier League. We were in the Etihad Stadium when it happened, which was a bucket list experience. From there, we headed to Barcelona for several days. I flew home from Barcelona, and Riley finished his trip in Lisbon, Portugal. We experimented with using budget airlines that fly within Europe on this trip. If you want to go from one city to another that is not close together, take the budget Airlines. They are worth it.
I am Doug Keating, and this is my letter to my sons.