Europe travel guides

Europe rewards travelers who move by train and travel in shoulder season. April to early June and September to October give you open terraces without August queues or August pricing. The strongest value sits east of Vienna — Prague, Kraków, Ljubljana — while Italy, Ireland and the Nordics need a larger daily line. Good routes: Rome to Venice by rail, Dublin down to Cashel and Limerick by car, and the Norwegian coast north from Ålesund.

Daily budgets: Backpackers run about $55 a day, mid-range travelers $170, luxury $500 and up. Run your own numbers →