Europe Travelers Recommend

Paris is a dream destination for travelers around the world, and that popularity comes with some major crowds. Plan ahead to secure your spot at the very best sites—see below for our top picks and experiences you can't miss in the City of Light.

Day 1: See London Explore London on a hop-on hop-off bus tour or a private black cab experience, and be sure to visit St Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben, the South Bank, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace. Day 2: London Shopping and Touring Harrod’s, Oxford Circus, and Piccadilly Circus are famous for their shops, but for a more local flavour, then visit Portobello Road for its antiques (Saturdays); Borough Market for the great food (Saturday); and Camden Markets with its alternative fashions and hand-made crafts. Don't miss the Tate Modern, the British Museum, the National Gallery, or the Victoria and Albert Museum. Day 3: Day Trips Beyond Head out of the city and explore Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath. Visit Stratford, birthplace of Shakespeare or the famous universities at Oxford and Cambridge. Go even further afield and try haggis in Edinburgh or snails in Paris.

Warmer months mean the British can finally say goodbye to gloomy skies and hello to (at least) slightly warmer weather. There is an array of options available to dig into the culture and history of this iconic destination. One of the best ways for visitors to ensure they hit the sights is by taking a hop-on hop-off double-decker bus tour. It’s an easy-breezy way for travelers to customize a trip to their interests and to explore the streets of London without having to navigate city traffic and roundabouts. Whether you’re interested in seeing Windsor Castle, the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace or a tour of the Tower of London and London Bridge, there are plenty of options for visitors looking for the royal treatment. Travelers who prefer to venture outside city limits and delve into England’s historic past can head to iconic Stonehenge or get real-life look at Downton Abbey via a stop at Highclere Castle outside of London.

With hundreds of tourists taking to the route each day, Iceland’s Golden Circle route isn’t the place to get off-the-beaten-track, but there’s a reason why is so popular. The 300 km tourist road loops around some of south Iceland’s most spectacular scenery, including the Thingvellir National Park and the famous Geysir and Strokkur geysers. If you’ve only got one day to spend in Reykjavik, touring the Golden circle should check a few must-sees off your to-do list, but even with more time to explore, there’s nowhere in Iceland where you can see so much topographical variety on one short trip. The easiest way to explore the route is to take a Golden Circle tour from Reykjavik, but it’s also possible to hire a car and drive yourself, although weather conditions can make the roads difficult to navigate. Starting out from the capital, tours head east and the first stop is the UNESCO World Heritage listed Thingvellir National Park, once home to Iceland’s first parliament.

The seven Harry Potter books have enchanted children and adults alike over the last decade or so. The release of each new installment is front page news, and fans queue for days with the opening of every new film based on the series. Their phenomenal success has not only made reading cool again but also generated a wave of interest in the real or imagined locations both on the page and on the screen. So if you’re wild about Harry, potty about Potter, take a tour and explore key sites associated with the boy wizard across Britain. Whether you arrive in London by broomstick or jumbo, the best way to get around is by traditional black cab (even Prince Philip has one!). With a tour tailored to Potter fans you’ll start off at Diagon Alley, which is actually historic Leadenhall Market, a grand Victorian covered arcade which has been a place of trade for around 700 years, built on the site of a much older Roman forum.

Just because its name evokes images of snowshoeing and glacier hiking, doesn’t mean Iceland is only a winter destination; in fact, the summer months are one of the most popular times to explore with extended sunlight hours providing the opportunity to continue tours late into the evening. Here are a few suggestions for what to do in Iceland in summer.

The City of Light is known for romance, and few landmarks are more iconic than the Eiffel Tower. And while this popular attraction ranks high on the list of must-see-spots for travelers (particularly in summer months), its epic views and storied history can be hard to stomach while navigating serious crowds. Luckily, skip-the-line tours offer travelers an immediate trip to the top, so they can bypass tourists and head straight for those magnificent views. Our Skip-the-Line Eiffel Tower Ticket in Paris offers visitors a fast-track entrance to the first and second levels of the tower, as well as access to its highest point. Travelers can explore the structure solo and venture through the priority walkway to the high-speed elevator—without waiting in line! Visitors who want to know more can opt for the Skip the Line: Eiffel Tower Tickets and Small Group Tour. Guests follow an expert guide to the second level of this iconic tower.

For a relatively small city, Reykjavik is practically bursting with things to do. On the first day of a three-day trip, you should book a city tour; these run about 2.5 hours, which is plenty of time to catch the best of the city’s sights. You’ll see the modern Hallgrimskirkja church, the Presidential Residence at Bessastadir, the famous Fish Market, the Open-Air Museum Arbaer and the recreational valley of Laugardalur. You can pair this tour with a trip to famous Blue Lagoon Spa in the afternoon, relaxing in the spa’s blue-green waters and its geothermal steam baths. Add a spa treatment for a reinvigorating experience, and then hit the town for dinner and drinks. With over 100 bars (open until 6 am), Reykjavik is a reveler’s dream come true. If you went to bed at a reasonable hour, spend your next day touring the famous Golden Circle in an Icelandic Super Jeep. This all-day tour is a breathtaking ride past Iceland’s best-known natural wonders.

Vibrant London is host to an array of world-class attractions, from storied museums and elegant cathedrals to opulent castles and UNESCO-listed landmarks. To help you make the most of your time in the British capital, here’s our list of unmissable London experiences and activities.