The Best of Europe: My Top 3 Picks for Unforgettable Experiences!

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My Favorite Things and Places in Europe

I love exploring Europe. The open borders, well-maintained roads, and beautiful scenery make every trip an adventure. I cherish the unexpected stops and unplanned discoveries. Europe offers endless opportunities for slow travel, adventure, discovery, and joy, so I’m sure your list will differ. I’d love to hear your favorites! Here are my top three European experiences.

Top 3 European Experiences

My Favorite Wine, Romance, Kid-Friendly, Festivals, and Girlfriend Trips

I love making lists. So when a friend asked me to make a list of my top three things I’ve done in Europe, I said sure, why not? Narrowing down three years’ worth of traipsing from one city to another, across many borders, and loads of unforgettable experiences—planned and otherwise—took a lot of work.

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Top 3 Wine Experiences

It’s challenging to narrow wine down to my top three experiences, but I’ll try. The châteaux of the French Bordeaux region are undeniably beautiful. The excellent wine houses in Bordeaux quickly become inaccessible to the average person due to their high price points. Most people know Germany, Italy, and Spain have great wine. And it’s relatively cheap and easy to drink. You don’t have to love wine (looking down my nose) to enjoy it. If you visit these places, you will always find a seat at the bar and a smile behind the counter. The Mosel and Rhine river towns offer a wide assortment of white and red wines, but the Riesling is exceptional and reasonably priced by the bottle but a steal by the case.

I love wine-tasting adventures. They are fun, educational, and relaxing. I often meet fun-loving people at the vineyards, especially during wine walks. The owners, winemakers, and vintners are so happy to share their passion. One of my favorite memories is renting a bus and driver and taking friends to several wineries without worrying about driving. The laughter, the stories, and the shared love for wine made those trips unforgettable.

Don’t stop at the French border; the Alsace region of France is worth a visit too. Try a super Tuscan in Montepulciano, Italy, or the sherry in Jerez, Spain. Europe offers many wine experiences of note; three of my favorites are as follows:

1. German Weinstrasse
2. Tuscan Wine Route
3. Spanish Rioja Wine Route

Top 3 Romantic Trips

You aren’t trying very hard if you can’t find a romantic corner in Europe. To narrow the list to only my top three is nearly impossible. From expansive vistas of lavender or sunflowers in Provence to quaint bistro tables an earshot away from the click-clack of cobblestone back streets of Paris to the cashmere-like warmth of the deep blue-green waters of the Aegean Sea, there’s something for everyone. Everyone will find something to love in every European village, town, or city on the continent. And the best thing about it—shhh—don’t tell anyone. You don’t have to make a production out of it. Romance is in the air. Stroll arm in arm, lay under a shady olive tree with a bottle of wine—or a box of wine if you prefer—and do nothing.

For me, romance is all about the scenery, atmosphere, and activities. The experience feels personal, just for the two of us, with great food and no rush. One of my favorite memories is when Steven and I were in Venice. We stumbled into a restaurant owned by a mafioso. There were no menus; we just told him what we wanted. The food was incredible. He asked if I liked seafood, and I said yes. He brought out a massive seafood salad with a huge octopus. It was so rubbery, but Steven promised to take a bite for every bite I took. We didn’t finish it, but the rest of the food, Don Fernando, and the mystery of the meal’s cost made it one of my favorite meals ever.

1. Santorini, Greece
2. Paris, France
3. Ireland

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Top 3 Child-Friendly Trips

If you don’t take your kids into consideration, your trip will most likely be unbearable. While gelato usually calms them down—temporarily—there are a few places they will find more than enough activities to participate in that will keep their imagination rebuilding ancient ruins, their tiny bodies fully engaged in vigorous play, and your sanity left somewhat intact. Note: I never said anything about cheap!

I always mix education with fun. My kids would go to all the museums I wanted as long as we could throw rocks, climb trees, or have some ice cream. They also loved high tea with cakes and sandwiches. Medieval festivals were our favorites. The pageantry, celebratory music, vivid costumes, delicious food, jousting, and falcon runs were always a hit. My kids had a blast, and so did I, especially if there was great beer and wine.

One of the most enjoyable family trips was to Greece and Spain. Both countries offer amazing fresh food, stunning scenery, and a laid-back attitude that helped us all enjoy our trips. Here are my top three child-friendly trips:

1. Rome, Italy

2. Euro Disney
3. The Alps—Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Italy

Top 3 European Girlfriend Trips

I love traveling with my kids and husband, but some of my absolute favorite trips were with my girlfriends. Cities like Rome and Paris can also double as great romantic getaways and places to hang out with your kids. Both offer a fantastic opportunity to bond with your besties over a cocktail, a table full of tapas, or a club full of metro-sexual hipsters. And that’s all I’ll say about that!

I love it all. My friends are awesome and easy to be with. There’s no drama, and they are open to any kind of experience as long as we do it together. By far my favorite trip was a long weekend road trip to Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia. We ate so much goulash (beef stew-soup) in each country, trying to figure out which one was the best. We talk about that trip often.

1. The French, Italian & Spanish Riviera
2. Barcelona
3. Budapest, Vienna, and Slovakia

Top 3 Festive Experiences

Europe offers numerous festivals. And by all means, take the top three, which are incredibly well-known and worth attending. Fasching in Cologne, Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart, hurling tomatoes at perfect strangers in La Tomatina in Buñol, Spain, or dodging more than 57,000 crates of rotten oranges in Ivrea, Italy. There are festivals to celebrate white asparagus, religious figures, livestock, battle reenactments, and more. Take your pick; the choices are endless.

I love the carefreeness of European festivals. Even when people got drunk, there was no violence. I once accidentally left my wallet on a table, and it was there when I got back. Everyone just wanted to have a good time. There is a festival for everything, from wine to white asparagus, and festival food is the best. My favorite festival experience was in Munich for Oktoberfest with all our friends and kids. We rode the bus together and had a great time. My mom came from America the day before and jumped right into the action the next day, keeping up with everyone who drank beer. We ended up getting a great table in one of the beer halls together. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

1. San Fermin, Pamplona, Spain
2. Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany
3. Carnivale, Venice, Italy

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Tips for Enjoying Europe

Be open, say yes a lot, and make some European friends. These tips have helped me make the most of my adventures. Embrace the local culture, try new things, and enjoy every moment!

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