Europe is a continent that is rich in history, culture, and natural beauty and is home to hundreds of fascinating cities. Whether you’re interested in physical sites, engaging narratives, unique culture and customs, entertaining nightlife, thought-provoking museums, art galleries, or culinary classes, each city offers an unforgettable experience. With so many countries to choose from, deciding which ones to visit can be difficult. However, some countries stand out above the rest regarding their attractions and overall experience. As our study abroad semester comes to a close and our bucket list destinations are checked off, some countries emerge victorious and leave us wanting to come back for more. After traveling to 15 countries and 25 cities, here are our top 4 places to visit and one place you may want to avoid.
Interlaken, Switzerland
If you’re an adrenaline junky or thrill-seeker, Interlaken, Switzerland is the place for you! Commonly known as the adventure capital of Switzerland, Interlaken is a picturesque town located in the heart of the Bernese Highlands, surrounded by the breathing-taking Swiss Alps. Visitors are offered endless opportunities to get your heart racing whether that be skydiving, paragliding, skiing or snowboarding in the Jungfrau Region, bungee jumping or kayaking on the lakes of Bernese Oberland.
As an adrenaline seeker, Interlaken has been high on my list of must-see places to visit, years before the thought of studying abroad became apparent in my mind. After back and forth discussion and extensive research, we bought our Bus2Alps tickets to Interlaken. Bus2Alps offered us direct transportation from Florence, Piazzale Montelungo to the Balmers Hostel in Interlaken. Despite the 7 hour bus ride and arriving in the early morning hours, the transportation was effortless, simple and uncomplicated, characteristics study abroad students appreciate. The weekend was packed with once in a lifetime experiences: paragliding, skiing and chocolate making. My friends and I used the well-known company of Paragliding Interlaken GmbH to guide our paragliding experience. We were strapped into a harness and taken up into the sky by a tandem pilot, soaring above the mountains, feeling a sense of freedom like never before. The view from the high altitudes are simply spectacular, with snow-capped peaks, lush green valleys and crystal-clear lakes. After landing back on the ground, we headed to Funky Chocolate Club to make homemade chocolate, learn about the chocolate making process and taste a wide range of chocolate.
As a natural born skier, I made it my goal to check “skiing in the Swiss Alps” off my bucket list. Once renting all the necessary gear and figuring out the transportation to The Jungfrau Summit, my friend and I made it to the base of the mountain. Tickets were easy to purchase through the Bus2Alps website and cost 60 euro. We skied for hours, taking in the insane views and enjoying the powdered snow beneath our skis. We enjoyed lunch at the top of Jungfraujoch, one of the highest peaks in Europe, and we were accompanied by views of surrounding mountains. With its breathtaking scenery, thrilling activities, and charming atmosphere, Interlaken is a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to Switzerland. I can confidently recommend Interlaken to all future study abroad students and families or individuals who enjoy the adrenaline rush.
Barcelona, Spain
As the semester comes to a close and I reflect back on my study abroad trip, one city sticks out as my favorite. Of every place I have traveled to in the past four months, my favorite city is Barcelona. Barcalona kicked off the beginning of our spring break travels and was a highly recommended city from hometown and college friends. The city offers something for everyone, from stunning beaches and gorgeous architecture to mouth-watering culinary delights. I loved Barcelona from the moment I landed and saw the palm trees. We had the best weather; it was so warm and sunny. We stayed in a prime location that was within walking distance of everything.
One of the main attractions of Barcelona is the towering Sagrada Familia Cathedral, which has been under construction for over a century. Visitors can also visit Park Guell, the Gothic Quarter or simply take a stroll along the famous La Rambla. My favorite activities abroad also took place in Barcelona. My friends and I went to an FC Barcelona soccer game, which was gave us a deeper look into the sports culture in Barcalona. It was amazing to see so many people in one stadium cheering the teams on while one of the fans section was playing drums. We did a paella cooking class at The Paella Club where we got to make and enjoy five types of paella while enjoying a glass of champagne or wine and meeting new people. We made five different types of paella, got to try each, and were served other courses and wine. The cooking instructors made the class even better; they had us laughing the whole time.
Aside from the beautiful scenery and fun activities, Barcelona also had some of the best food I’ve ever had. We went to the market on the first day and got empanadas and chocolate-covered strawberries. For dinner, we went to Salvaje, also known as SLVJ Barcelona, a Japanese restaurant and had some of the best rock shrimp tempura and fried rice. We wanted to try the authentic Spanish tapas so we headed to Casa Lolea where we enjoyed a wide variety of tapas including salmon tartare with guacamole, patatas bravas, mini matured beef burger with chipotle and caramelized and many more! We ended the night at La Oveja Negra to enjoy Barcalona’s famous sangria which had a delicious sweet taste. Barcelona is a city that is full of energy and charm, and it is easy to see why it is one of Europe’s most popular destinations. I am so happy I got to travel to Barcelona, and I hope I am able to go back again one day!
Amalfi Coast, Italy
Amalfi Coast is the most picturesque destination known for its Mediterranean landscape and its cultural wonders. The area is home to a beautiful atmosphere, architecture, and art. I was lucky enough to travel to both Positano and Capri, and I have to say it was one of the best experiences of my life! We stayed at a prime location, that was around 15 minutes to the city center. When we arrived at Positano, we were greeted by the small community that it inhabits, which was one of my favorite quirks about the city.
The first night we went to La Tagliata, which was a farm to table restaurant that exceeded my expectations. The best dish that I got at this dinner would be the tiramisu and the eggplant parm. The eggplant parm just melted in my mouth! The staff were so nice that it truly felt like you were in your grandma’s kitchen. After that we decided to head down to the beach and watch the sunset to conclude the end of our first day. For the rest of the weekend that we were in Amalfi, we went to Capri by a simple boat ride across the coast. The scenery was breathtaking, and I kept on pinching myself, as I refused to believe that it was real life. We got to try limoncello and have some of the best seafood that we have ever had. It was truly a fairytale experience.
At the end of the night, my friends and I decided to go to a discotech called “Music on the Rocks” where the club was built inside a cave in Positano, which is crazy enough to believe. Overall, I would say if you have time in Italy to spare, take the train down to the Amalfi Coast, and you will have the best time of your life!
Prague, Czech Republic
Out of all my trips while studying abroad, Prague was by far my favorite destination that I visited. Prior to studying abroad, I had been lucky enough to travel to a couple of countries in Europe, but Prague was a totally different and a new experience. Once I arrived, I immediately realized how beautiful and cool the city actually was. Just from the first glance, the architecture and design was something that I had never seen before and I was instantly hooked.
The first thing I did once I was all settled in, was explore the city with no plan or direction. I took in all of the beautiful infrastructure, as it looked like I was walking through a medieval city, and it was like no other. After exploring, I went to Old Town Square to visit the astronomical clock and all of the other historic buildings. After this I went to get lunch at Kavarna Obecni Dum, which is a restaurant in a beautiful municipal house in Old Town. The food, ambiance, service, and coffee was amazing. After lunch, I visited one of the coolest things I have seen so far, The Dancing House. The view and infrastructure of this building was amazing as it appeared as the building was quite literally “dancing”. After this we went on a dinner boat cruise along the Vltava River, which lasted about 2 hours and allowed us to see every part of Prague from the water. After this, we decided to sign up for a pub crawl called the Drunken Monkey. This crawl consisted of 4 different bars and ended off at a club and was definitely a good time. This crawl gave us a good sense of what the night life is like in Prague and how much fun it is.
The next day, we visited the Prague Castle which was so cool. It was like a medieval village and had experiences like metal armor suits, security officers, and an amazing view of the city. This was one of the coolest experiences and places that I have visited abroad. Overall, Prague was the most unique, different, and most beautiful city that I have ever seen, and I definitely recommend visiting there.
The Good With The Bad
The ability to effortless travel to a wide range of countries in Europe should not be taken lightly and we are grateful for our experiences in every country we visited. However, it is important to note the places we did not expectionally love and enlightened future study abroad kids about our negative experiences. Here is the one city we recommend skipping and instead put your time, money and effort into another destination.
Paris, France
With all the good comes the bad and we would be lying to ourselves if we did not say some of our trips were not up to par. Collectively, Paris stood out as the city that left us not wanting to come back or giving limited amounts of praise. Paris is more commonly known as the “City of Lights” or the “City of Love” with delicious, fresh pastries, amazing physical sites and great culture. Paris was one of the first places we visited while studying abroad. We had high expectations from people who have gone in the past as they raved about the city, the food and the attractions. I don’t know if it was because of the weather, the pricing or how big the city is, but Paris is definitely overrated and our least favorite city we have been to.
Family members warned us about the individuals on the metro and how it can be dangerous sometimes, so we were already on edge before arriving. Several of us did not feel that safe; there were a lot of catcalling and creepy men at night. Paris is also very expensive; two hard-boiled eggs for breakfast cost around fifteen US dollars. The average cost for dinner per individual was around 80 US dollars which bought us a drink, a shared bottle of water and a simple entree. The city is also massive; it was hard to get around on foot, and we were averaging 20,000 steps per day. This resulted in spending an insane amount of money on taxis and public transportation such as the metro or scooters. The entire weekend was cloudy, rainy, and cold. Oftentimes people say the weather affects your mood so on top of everything, this did not help boost our opinions on Paris.
If you are planning trips in Europe and intend on going to Paris, especially in the winter, I would reconsider. We recommend going to Paris in the warm, sunny months of June, July or August and budgeting your finances wisely or else you may find yourself spending more money than you originally planned.
Check out our YouTube video to learn more!
By: Katie Why, Juliana Brivio, Jack Valenti, and Emma Weil
If you want more perspectives on places to travel in Europe check out some blogs from other ISI study abroad students!
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