Last night at 9:28 PM I booked my flight to Asia. We are going to Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. I could not be more excited! I think I was most excited for the price we got for the flight – $865.34 with all taxes and fees. That's cheaper than all of my previous flights to Europe in the past 5 years! I am feeling like I got this whole travel thing down.
But you know who really has it down? Casey from Land of Marvels. I happen to have her on the blog today and she really is an expert. I turn to her for all my travel needs, as she's been everywhere! Today she's discussing some of the best spots in Europe you might not think to travel to.
Hi everyone! I'm Casey from Land of Marvels, a travel blog that covers places that I visit, travel tips to help you plan your own adventures and the honest truths about our world and travel in general. I'm so excited to be here today!
Europe is one of my favorite places to travel: it's safe, easy to get to from the US and is so diverse from country to country, yet incredibly easy to get from place to place. And while the big cities like London and Paris and Rome are wonderful and totally worth the trip, they also tend to be the most crowded and the most expensive. The wonderful thing about Europe is that there are so many smaller, lesser known spots that are just as great to experience and the majority of the time, they are way cheaper to travel to than their larger counterparts. Here are some of my favorite spots in Europe that are a little lesser known, but still totally worth an adventure!
Want the charm of small town Italy in a fairly decent sized city with a medieval history too? Verona is your place. Just a short train ride from Milan, Verona is what you expect Italy to be: charm, history and amazing food, but without the chaos of the country's larger cities.
Looking for a destination to visit in the UK but don't want to go through busy London? Edinburgh is a great option. It's way cheaper than London, is so much fun to wander and within close distance to other great spots in Scotland like St. Andrews. Plus it's where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter, so you can imagine the inspiration she drew from the city!
Even though it's becoming more and more popular, Iceland is still relatively quieter than the rest of Europe in terms of tourists. A breathtakingly beautiful place, Iceland is well worth a visit for quirky locals and an insanely gorgeous landscape. You'll leave wanting more and with Iceland Air's great stopover option when flying to Europe, even a few days in this incredible country won't be enough.
Spain in general is pretty popular with tourists and while Sevilla may be the most known of this list, it's still well worth a visit. A quick train ride from Madrid, Sevilla completely stole my heart. Filled with orange trees, cobblestone streets and colorful buildings, Sevilla is a place you could wander for days. It's clean, easy to navigate and relatively inexpensive compared to other spots in Europe.
Portugal is often overlooked by many when planning a trip to Europe, but it's actually a great destination. So much cheaper than a lot of Europe, Lisbon is a great spot to enjoy a break in this ocean side city. It's a little rough around the edges, but this city grows on you with each passing moment!
Looking to experience France but without the crowds of Paris? Nice is a great option. Located on the Mediterranean in Southern France, Nice is a gorgeous city complete with colorful buildings and a lovely waterfront. Nice has a charming small town French feel but with the amenities of a larger city. You'll find everything you love of France here and more!
Most people think of Dublin as a base for exploring Ireland, but few venture up North. Northern Ireland is gorgeous: rolling green hills and sheep as far as the eye can see plus insane cliffside ocean views. I recommend renting a car and exploring little towns like Bushmills and the Giants Causeway to get a great feel for Northern Ireland.
Isn't Casey the coolest? Check out more of her inspiring posts on her blog.
