Summer in Europe is the absolute BEST. I swear it’s just perfection. Spending days sipping Huge Spritz’s on terraces, nibbling on tapas and giant plates of calamari, swimming in crystal-clear waters, and gazing in awe at all the beautiful historic buildings covered in bougainvillea and gardens of fragrant Jasmine.
Having spent most of my life living in England, I’ve spent many, many summers on ‘the continent’ testing out the best places to experience a European Summer, so I figured I’d put together a guide on the top nine places I’ve been to that tick all of those boxes.
So, let’s jump into the best places in Europe for those ‘Euro Summer’ vibes!
1. Dubrovnik, Croatia
I only visited Dubrovnik for the first time in 2023, after over a decade of longing to visit. Well, the joke was on me for waiting so long, because the prices had skyrocketed compared to when I first heard of the place. However, it was 100% worth the wait (and the money!) because Dubrovnik ended up being one of my favourite cities of all time. Like, it’s so beautiful I actually cried.
It has everything you could wish for in a Euro Summer; incredible Hugo Spritz’s, a bar literally in a cave, stunning swimming spots to cool down in at the end of a hot day, and some of the most incredible and beautiful architecture I’ve ever seen.
We also found the food to be very good, and the locals were all super friendly. We also loved visiting the nearby Elaphiti Islands on a private boat, and our day trip to Trebinje, Bosnia was also a highlight of the trip.
Where to Stay: Hilton Dubrovnik
Favourite restaurant: Azur restaurant
Favourite Bar: Beach Bar Dodo
Read more: Spending 3 Days in Dubrovnik, Croatia (Travel Guide)
2. Rome, Italy
The first time I visited Rome, in 2014, I really wasn’t a huge fan of the city. We went in May with my family and it rained the whole time. However, I went back in June 2019 on a girls trip and absolutely fell in love with the place. Visiting Rome on a girls trip was probably the best way you can see it, it was just utter perfection. The only thing missing is a beautiful beach, as it’s located inland. But there are fountains galore and if you stay at a hotel with a swimming pool it’ll make things easier!
It’s such a cliche, but I adore the food in Rome, especially the gelato from Giolitti and the pasta at both La Buvette and Armando Al Pantheon! Explore the historic city centre, visit the beautiful Villa Medici, and go to an evening Vespers service at St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Between all of that, sip Aperol Spritz’s by the Trevi Fountain while people watching and enjoy every single second!
We stayed at the Spanish Steps apartment that’s part of Hideaways Club, which you can only stay in if you’re a Hideaways Club member, but hotels in the city I’d recommend are the Aleph Rome Hotel, Curio Collection By Hilton if you’d like a swimming pool, and Umiltà 36 for something sexier and more centrally located.
Where to Stay: Umiltà 36
Favourite Restaurant: La Buvette Roma
Favourite Bar: Stravinskij Bar, Hotel de Russie
Read more: The Perfect Luxury Girl’s Weekend in Rome, Italy
3. Kotor, Montenegro
Y’all. I think Montenegro is my actual favourite place that I’ve been to in recent years. It’s SUCH an underrated destination in Europe and is sooo quiet and cheap compared to nearby Dubrovnik! We visited Montenegro on a two-day trip from Dubrovnik, and had the best time ever.
It’s a really tiny country with beautiful fjords where the mountains come straight down to the water, and because it’s so small you can actually visit multiple places in Montenegro in just two days. I’d recommend visiting: Kotor Old Town, Perast, Porto, and Tivat.
Must-do’s in Montenegro are hiking up the old fortress in Kotor Old Town, enjoying an evening in Porto, and also make sure to spend a day at Nikki Beach in Tivat where you can enjoy a daytime party-atmosphere with multiple swimming pools right on the Bay of Tivat.
Where to Stay: Hotel La Roche
Favourite Restaurant: Verige 65
Favourite Bar: Forza Porto
Read more: How to Spend Two Days in Montenegro (Travel Guide)
4. Moraira, Spain
We’ve stayed in Moraira, in the Costa Blanca region of Spain, twice now. Each time we’ve rented the same holiday villa, and it’s honestly just the most perfect relaxing holiday spot.
The beaches are just beautiful, there are plenty of restaurants and cocktail bars, and it has a really lovely feel to it. It’s a fairly large town but very relaxed, and the visitors that tend to come are usually a bit of an older crowd, so it’s great for families or friends who are looking for less of a party-vibe.
Moraira is also a really amazing location to visit other places in Spain. You can get to the city of Valencia in under an hour’s drive, and nearby Altea is such a beautiful town set high on a hill with winding cobbled streets and pink bougainvillea adorning the whitewashed buildings.
Where to Stay: Rent a villa, or stay at Hotel Mañet in nearby El Portet.
Favourite Restaurant: Restaurante Club Náutico
Favourite Bar: Captain Andy’s Cocktail Bar
Watch my travel vlog from my week in Moraira in 2023!
5. Kefalonia, Greece
Ugh, Kefalonia. This Greek Island is an absolute gem. I feel like most travellers visit Santorini and Mykonos, and miss the lesser known islands. Kefalonia is SO beautiful though, and is home to white sandy beaches, Greek salads galore, and the magical Melissani Caves, an etheral underground lake known for its naturally created skylight that allows the sun to dazzle onto the water below.
There’s also the pretty town of Fiskardo which is worth a visit, and the small village of Assos that has the most perfect swimming water! Make sure to visit the main town on Kefalonia of Argostoli, and definitely go to King George’s Castle and enjoy lunch at Kastro Cafe. Another of our favourite things to do was to go for a swim at Avithos Beach and end the day with dinner at the cute beach cafe there.
Where to Stay: Rent a villa!
Favourite Restaurant: Kastro Cafe Kefalonia
Favourite Bar: Avithos Beach Cafe
Read more: Spending a Week on the Greek Island of Kefalonia
6. Côte d’Azur, France
While I’ve spent most of my life living in England, I did spend four years in Australia, including two years of high school there. As such, I have a whole bunch of friends who still live there. About six months after my second miscarriage, my best friend from Australia came to England to stay with me, and at the end of her trip we went to the Côte d’Azur (aka, the South of France) for the week of my due date. We called it our ‘honeymoon’ trip because it was the sort of holiday you do for a honeymoon, and the whole week was about treating ourselves: luxury hotels, fancy cocktails, gelato galore, and dressing up for dinner every night.
We had the most perfect holiday ever, and it was exactly what I needed during that difficult week. We started in Nice, before driving to Monte Carlo and staying at Hotel Metropole. After two nights there we drove to Cannes, where we stayed at Hotel Martinez, and then we drove back to the city of Nice.
Unmissable places to stop include Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat to visit the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and enjoy a swim at Paloma Plage, Villefranche-sur-mer, Antibes for a swim at Plage Keller, and of course, you need to walk along the Croissete in Cannes and
Where to Stay: Hotel Martinez
Favourite Restaurant: Fouquet’s at Barrière Le Majestic
Favourite Bar: La Chunga
Read more: Roadtripping the French Riviera on a Girls Trip
7. Helsinki, Finland
We actually visited Helsinki in the autumn, but it would be so, so perfect as a summer destination! It definitely has slightly different vibes to your typical Europe Summer, but it’s beautiful all the same. We adored the Finnish sauna experience at Löyly Helsinki (and jumping into the freezing North Sea is probably a lot more pleasant in the summer!), and the city itself is very clean, safe, and friendly.
There’s just a really great vibe in Helsinki and I would 100% recommend it, whether in the summer or autumn. There are also lots of great bars and restaurants, lovely hotels, and a good amount of things to see and do in a few days.
Where to Stay: Radisson Blu Aleksanteri
Favourite Restaurant: Savotta
Favourite Bar: Rooftop bar at Hotel Torni
Read more: Spending a Weekend in Helsinki, Finland
8. Fethiye, Türkiye
I visited Fethiye in 2019 and really loved my stay at Hillside Beach Club. This is very much a relaxed beach vacay rather than a sightseeing adventure, but I really recommend it if you just want to flop on a beach and not think of anything all week. Every room at the hotel has an ocean view, and the hotel being full board means all meals are included, and the drinks you pay for are very, very cheap. They have a really great app where you can order drinks directly via the app from your beach chair!
The resort is super secluded and has one main pool and beach, and then two adults-only beaches, including one that you can get a little boat to. There are also two spas – both amazing and very well priced – and plenty of food and activity options! I LOVED the white party at Pasha on the Bay, and the food there was also my favourite. If you fancy a day trip out of the resort, it’s easy to get to the local town, or you can visit the abandoned village of Kayaköy.
Where to Stay: Hillside Beach Club
Favourite Restaurant: Pasha on the Bay
Favourite Bar: The beach bars!
Read more: 5 Days at Hillside Beach Club, Turkey
9. Mallorca, Spain
Mallorca, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands, is having SUCH a moment this year, and I am absolutely here for it! I mean, beach clubs, great food, and unique history – what more could you want?! I visited Mallorca years ago and had such an incredible holiday there. You can either do as we did and rent a villa, or stay at one of the incredible hotels on the island.
The beaches here are absolutely unbeatable – we loved Cala d’Or, and Cala Llonga Marina is also very cute. Deià is also an incredibly popular little village. Of course you need to spend a day exploring Palma, the capital city, where you can visit historic sites including the Castell de Bellver and Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca.
Where to Stay: Cap Rocat Hotel Mallorca
Favourite Restaurant: El Olivo at La Residencia, Belmond Hotel, Deia
Favourite Bar: NENI at Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel
Places next on my list:
There are four places on my top ‘to visit’ list for next year’s Euro Summer! I’d love to know if you have any tips for them?!
- Sardinia: because it looks SO dreamy!
- Sicily: See above. And also, the food!
- Malta: It just looks so beautiful, especially the beaches.
- Albania: Apparently Albania is exactly what Croatia was like 20 years ago!?
The Obsession with Going on a ‘Europe Summer’ Trip
Honestly I love this latest obsession with going on a ‘Europe Summer’ trip – mostly because I love that my TikTok and Instagram feeds are now filled with dreamy photos of beaches, cocktails, and giant plates of seafood!
So, where are you going this summer!?
Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of Content Marketing at Amazon by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.
