Thinking about going to Europe for your first time?
Where should you go for your first time in Europe?
Europe has so many great destinations, how do you pick?
After visiting 20+ countries, let me give you my opinion if you’re trying to plan your first trip in Europe.
Everyone has different perspectives and priorities when it comes to traveling and enjoying their vacation. Some will want to stay in one place the entire time, while others will want to cram too many things into one trip, and both are okay.
So where should you go?
Not trying to be biased as an Italian American, but Italy will always be one of my favorite countries, if not my favorite. Italy provides history, art, fashion, and the best food scene in the world in my opinion. There’s iconic cities that all differ vastly in style and significance, such as Rome, Venice, Milan, Florence, and Naples. Beautiful islands such as Capri, Sicily, and Sardegna. Italy has enough to make a great itinerary.
If you’re nervous about going abroad due to language barriers, I would suggest visiting a city such as London, Dublin, or Amsterdam. You wont find difficulty finding English speakers in major tourist-driven cities such as Rome and Milan. However, if you’re traveling within Italy, the Italians are not very English proficient on your average. So if the language barriers worries you, I’d choose an English speaking country; I’ve personally visited London, Dublin, Amsterdam and other Dutch cities and love being able to hear and speak with locals using a different English than I do.
For the nature lovers, I would plan a trip to Iceland as it offered the best views I’ve seen. From waterfalls, to geysers, black sand beaches, the views were always breathtaking. I only spent 4 days there and rented a car, and one of the most memorable days was when I road tripped from Reykjavik to a black sand beach in Vík, Iceland. It took a few hours, but there were multiple waterfalls along the way, and it was a surreal experience. I even got to see one of my favorite birds up close at the black sand beach, being the Puffin. Reykjavík was also a beautiful capital city, surrounded by water, and the sun didn’t set until midnight. Truthfully four days went fast, I would say spending a week or more would be worth it as I didn’t have time to see the other side of the island in the four days I was there.
For the cannabis lovers I would suggest Amsterdam, Spain, and Copenhagen in third place. Amsterdam is the clear first place as their coffee shop culture is unmatched. You can enter a coffee shop as long as you’re 18 or older, and there is a menu with their products. From flower, to concentrates, to prerolls and edibles there is something for beginners and your connoisseurs. You aren’t supposed to smoke in public as you could receive a $100 fine, however you see a lot of people smoking in public with police not enforcing that law.
In Spain they have “social clubs” which is essentially like a coffee shop in Amsterdam, but more discreet. I didn’t know about them my first time in Barcelona. I had heard about them and was able to visit for my second time in Barcelona. You have to know about one of the clubs, and just find them via google maps, and knock on the door, or ring the bell. There are no signs promoting from the outside, so a regular person wouldn’t know just passing by. Once entering you have to register as a member of the club, and pay between $10-20, for the membership which would last a year. From there it is essentially an Amsterdam coffee shop, as there will be the same style menu and a lounge to smoke inside. However in Barcelona you shouldn’t be smoking recklessly in the street as the police are strict as advised per locals.
Lastly would be Copenhagen. Copenhagen features a “free world” within their city called “Christiania”. It is a very popular site to see for tourists in general. It is filled with street art, bars, and food stands. There is also “Pusher Street” which is basically a flea market of people selling their products. There is a strict no photo rule enforced on Pusher Street so it is hard to find any visuals online. However within Christiania it is a very relaxed setting to purchase and smoke without consequence. I wouldn’t advise smoking in public in Copenhagen as it is not legal.
For beer lovers, my top two picks go to Dublin and Prague. Dublin, obviously for the Guinness. The pub scene is a must for anyone in general, but having a few beers in the Temple Bar and other Irish Pubs made for one of the most enjoyable places I’ve had a beer. Prague is a completely different vibe and city altogether. But the beer culture there is also one to experience. Beer is pretty cheap in respect to other cities and you could get a beer for as little as $2 in some bars. A unique feat on the beer in Prague is that it’d be served with a lot of foam; at least 3 or 4 fingers worth. Along with the bar scene in Prague, it makes a top destination for any beer enthusiast.
If you’re looking to country hop there are a lot of options so it would depend on the style cities you’re looking to visit. Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris is a convenient 3 city trip that connects easily by train. Another 4 city option could be Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest. You can skip on Bratislava and go straight to Budapest if you’re pressed on time, however they are all close and within a 1-2 hour train ride you could be going from city to city.
Ultimately it depends on what your goal is with your vacation. If you’re trying to see as many places as possible, or trying to see one place better. Or simply just relax, every city is different and you should decide the vibe you want for your vacation before deciding the destination in my opinion.
Article by JohnnyViaggi