Europe Explore Europe Like Never Before!

Europe offers many different cultures, sites and environments to look around and explore when you go on holiday, and not all of these are completely foreign. Just like the US for instance, Europe has plenty of zoos to offer and if you’re a fan of animals then these can make for a great day out that all the family can enjoy. Here we will look at some of the top zoos for you to look around and explore. If you’re nearby and on holiday, then be sure to drop in and look at the wildlife.

Berlin Zoo:

Berlin is one of the top European zoos and one of the top tourist destinations in Berlin itself. This is the oldest German zoo, and also one of the world’s very largest. Here you’ll be able to look around at 15,000 animals – an impressive selection by any standards.

Zoo De La Palmyra:

Created in 1966 this is one of the most highly recommended zoos in Europe. This is also one of the top European zoos thanks to its commitment to introducing the animals back into their natural habitats. The animals are also interactive and you can even feed the Giraffe.

Barcelona Zoo:

Another of the top European zoos that offers activities and interaction with the animals. Among other things you can enjoy dolphin shows, picnic areas, pony rides and more.

Longleat Zoo:

Longleat in England is more safari than zoo, which makes it a different entry on our list of top European zoos. This one lets you drive through enclosures of lions and wolves, and lets you get out to feed reindeer and other animals. It also has rides and activities, a maze and more making for a great day out. It’s worth visiting too as it’s located right by stone henge which is another point of interest for tourists coming to Europe.

Prague Zoo:

Prague zoo is another top European zoos and a well known entry. With a vast selection of animals of course, as well as various shows and events and children’s zone (containing a children’s Zoo filled with safe animals for kids to play with and feed), there’s plenty to do for a whole day. At the same time this is one of the top European zoos because it offers more than just animals – also letting you see a selection of exciting fauna in the ‘Indonesian Jungle’ and ‘Monkey Island’ pavilions.

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The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic images in the world, and one that is completely synonymous with America… which is why it’s strange for many to learn that there is a second Statue of Liberty in France. In fact there are several more statues of liberty in France, and the Statue of Liberty herself in the US is actually called the ‘Liberty Enlightening the World’ or ‘La Liberté Éclairant le Monde’. The statue was given to the US as a gift from the French people and was designed by a French man named Frédéric Bartholdi – so it’s no wonder that they would have a second Statue of Liberty for themselves… or several (interestingly the statue is also of the Roman Goddess of Freedom – Libertas – so it is actually quite multicultural in origin).

In fact, what might be truly surprising for many to learn is that the second Statue of Liberty is not technically a European statue at all – but rather the American statue in New York Harbor. That’s right – the first Statue of Liberty was actually in The Luxembourg Gardens in Paris meaning that in a way the more famous New York statue is the second Statue of Liberty.

The statue in the Luxembourg Garden, or the Jardin du Luxembourg as it is known there, is a far smaller statue that was used by Bartholdi as preparatory work for the larger scale New York statue (as reads a bronze plaque on the statue). It was given to the Luxembourg museum in 1900, and later moved to the beautiful and serene park in 1906, A stroll through these gardens is a great way to spend a day in Paris and this European Statue of Liberty is one of several attractive statues to be seen there.

A second Statue of Liberty located in Paris is by Grenelle Bridge on the Île Aux Cygnes – an island in the Seine. This Statue of Liberty is 11.50 meters high and  and looks Southwest down the river. This statue reads two dates – ‘IV JUILLET 1776′ (the United States Declaration of Independence) and ‘XIV JUILLET 1789′ (the storming of the Bastille).

While these two statues and the ‘main’ Statue of Liberty are considered the only ‘true’ Statues of Liberty, there are many other replicas and aspects that can stake a claim to being the ‘Second Statue of Liberty’. These include the original plaster that Bartholdi used to make the New York Statue, which is now visible at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris; a full sized torch called the Flame of Liberty at the entrance to the Pont de l’Alma; and others outside of France such as the 35 meter copy at the Heidepark Soltau theme park in Germany, the small replica in Visnes in Norway where the copper for the New York statue was mined, the sitting Statue of Liberty in the Ukrainian City Lviv and a 17 foot tall replica on top of the ‘Liberty Shoe Factory’ in Leicester in England.

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There are many great countries to visit in Europe, and any of them offers a unique experience with lots to see and do. Here we’ll look at visiting England in Europe, and give you a quick guide to what it’s like, what to do, and what to expect.

Of course when you visit England in Europe you need to decide which part of the country you want to visit. Here there are lots of options, but your decision will drastically effect your experience. Of the many places to go in England in Europe, some popular options are Brighton, Bristol, Bournemouth, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Cornwall and of course London. Of these Brighton, Bristol and Bournemouth will give you an experience of seaside towns and you can expect slightly better weather and the chance to visit the beach. Meanwhile Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester are big industrial cities (honorable mention should also go to Birmingham), while London is the capital and boasts all of the most famous sites.

If you travel to England in Europe then you can expect to meet a lot of English people of course. While everyone is different regardless of their nationality, there are definitely national ‘traits’ and tendencies. Expect the English to be very quiet and reserved and generally polite, though there is also a big drinking and pub culture and the streets in the larger cities can become quite ‘rowdy’ at night meaning it’s not always entirely safe to walk through built up areas at pub closing time.

This pub culture however is a big part of visiting England in Europe and when you’re there you should definitely take the time to visit a pub, get a pub lunch, and to try some beer. The cuisine in England mostly comes from this and to try some of the local grub you should order yourself pie and chips, cottage pie, a roast dinner or a fry up. However because of the large number of immigrants in the larger cities you can also sample a lot of other cuisines while in England in Europe and Curry and Italian restaurants are very common.

Tips are not usually included in the bill bear in mind and it’s expected that you will tip then 10% of the overall price. You should also tip taxi drivers, but generally no other services. Remember that England still uses the British pound and not the Euro, and that one dollar is roughly equal to sixty pence.

There are lots of great things to see and do in England in Europe and these include the large sites in London such as the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Column etc. There are also lots of other activities scattered around the country such as theme parks like Thorpe Park and Alton Towers, or other days out such as Longleat, The London Dungeons (highly recommended), or Splashdown. Hopefully this quick overview of visiting England in Europe should entice and prepare you for visiting, but be sure to do more research into the precise area you’ll be visiting in order to get the very best experience.

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Europe is a vast continent with many different countries to visit. Within these countries are hundreds of different cities, nature reserves, towns, villages, historical sites and natural formations making it incredibly difficult to know which places to visit in Europe when travelling there. Here we’ll try to narrow down some of the top places to visit in Europe so that you can get the most from your travels and be sure not to miss some of the true highlights of this fantastic continent. Some of these will be cities, some will be historical sites and some won’t fall into any of these categories – but all of them are fantastic experiences and some of the best places to visit in Europe.

Glacier in Austria: There are many glaciers in Austria, and these include the Dachstein glacier, Kitzsteinhorn glacier, Rettenbach glacier and Pasterze glacier among others. These are all great places to visit in Europe for the excitement on standing on a floor made of ice, the fantastic surrounding mountains, and the brilliant photo opportunities they provide.

Auschwitz: Auschwitz is the famous concentration in Poland. Not one of the nicest places to visit in Europe, but certainly one of the most historically significant places to visit in Europe and one that is incredibly mind boggling and famous the world over.

The Zakopane Mountains: The Tatra mountains in Zakopane are one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in Europe and also one of the most accessible. Certainly one of of the places to visit in Europe that can offer the most fantastic vistas and amazing sense of scale.

Dubrovnik: Dubrovnik in Croatia is a fantastically colourful city, and looking down from the city gates at a view of the rooftops and coastline is one of those ‘wow’ moments that come very rarely.

Amsterdam: Amsterdam is one of the places in Europe that is known the world over – and for that reason alone it is a must-visit. At the same time though it’s also a great spot for stag and hen parties and famous for debauchery – as famous as it is infamous but also very modern and beautiful.

Meterora: Meteora in Greece is one of the best places to visit in Europe because it is one of the oddest places to visit in Europe features buildings perched on top of huge rocks, originally built by monks to bring them ‘closer to God’.

The Plitvice Lakes: The Plitvice Lakes in Croatia are some of the most beautiful and spectacular lakes in Europe making it one of the places to visit in Europe with the most natural beauty. It also features astonishing waterfalls and just about every colour possible.

Krakow: Krakow in Poland is a fantastic gothic city with a nightlife set mostly underground and many huge castles and churches.

Stone Henge: In Wiltshire, England, Stone Henge is a mysterious historical site and people travel from miles around to wonder about the why and the how of this famous stone structure.

Euro Disney: For family fun and something a bit more commercial, Euro Disney is one of the best places to visit in Europe and offers a vast range of things to do.

London: London is another one of the most famous places in Europe with lots of sites such as Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. It also offers fantastic shopping and many other attractions.

The Champ-Elysées: All of Paris is of course worth visiting, but from the Champ-Elysées you can see the Arc de Triumph, Cleopatra’s Needle, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower all from a single spot making it one of the best places to visit in Europe. At the same time the road itself is incredibly long, very famous and filled with the most upmarket restaurants, bars and shops. Crossing the road itself is something of an adventure…

The Vatican City: The Vatican City amazingly is actually a country and the smallest country in the World. This itself makes it one of the places to visit in Europe already, but at the same time it also offers an amazing view from the top of St Peter’s Basilica, the fantastic museum (visit it at night for more amazing atmosphere), and the beautiful St Peter’s Square.

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Europe is a great place to go for city breaks. There are a vast range of exciting cities in Europe that each offer history, entertainment, dining, drinking, shopping and more. Mostly you can see everything you need to see in a weekend and that makes it the perfect way to drink in some culture and have an exciting experience without having to shell out and get the time off work for a full length holiday. Here we will look at some of the best European city breaks and what they have to offer.

London: London has lots to offer and is one of the most popular European city breaks of them all. It has amazing shopping – particularly in the form of Harrods (which is a shopping centre/entire day out) or Oxford Street (or Hamleys for the kids). Then there’s the entertainment which is extensive from museums to aquariums and the millenium eye to Madame Tussaudes. The food and drinks are also top notch as is the sight seeing with things like Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament and Nelson’s column all within walking distance. Like all the best European city breaks there’s also the great transport in the form of the underground which means you can reach all these places easily.

Krakow: Krakow is not the capital but the second largest city in Poland. Still though it’s one of the most exciting European city breaks offering the impressive Wawel castle to look around as well as the nearby salt mines and prison camp. All over Krakow though is incredible gothic architecture, and the nightlife as well as the dining is almost exclusively underground making this a very different entry to our European city breaks.

Paris: Paris is the most romantic place for European city breaks and so should be considered for any couples wanting to get away. It also has more sights than many other European city breaks including the Eiffel Tower, Cleopatra’s Needle, Notre Damme, The Arc de Triumph, The Louvre and more. There are also countless museums to look around, sprawling gardens and generally tonnes to see. And of course this being Paris there are some excellent places to dine or just to get a cup of coffee and watch the world go by. For the best shopping, bars and restaurants visit the The Champ Elysée. For something a bit different alternatively you could always visit Disney Land Paris too.

Prague: While there are many other fantastic European city breaks, Prague is the last we have time for on this short list. Highly beautiful and romantic (particularly at Christmas) Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and the second largest city there. Again like other European city breaks it offers many attractions and sights such as the Astronomical Clock, Prague Castle, Old Town (and the bridge), Jewish Quarters and more – but truly it is all a sight to see in itself.

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If you want to travel to Europe and enjoy a highly relaxing holiday with all the food and drink you could ever want, then European all-inclusive holidays could be for you. On European all-inclusive holidays you pay a lot more up front before you go away but this includes not only the price of your accommodation but also your food and drink, and often means you get a whole range of other benefits from your hotel such as activities, games, shows and other entertainment. European all-inclusive holidays aren’t for everyone though and they definitely have both strengths and weaknesses. Here then we will have a look at European all-inclusive holidays and their pros and cons to help you decide if this is the kind of holiday for you.

Normally European all-inclusive holidays will be holidays to sunny locations such as Turkey, Greece, Tenerife, Portugal or Bulgaria. These European all-inclusive holidays then provide the ultimate in relaxation and de-stressing as you don’t have to worry about any of the things you might worry about back home – your catering is taken care of, your alcohol and your cleaning. These hotels will normally be very large and have access to lots of swimming pools and beaches and this will mean that you don’t really need to leave the premises either so you don’t need to worry about transport or activities. You’ll wake in the morning, drink (alcohol included) and eat as much as you like during the day while relaxing by the pool or building sand castles and will then have a fabulous meal at the end of the day (the catering on European all-inclusive holidays is normally amazing). This will all then be a lot cheaper too than paying for dinner every night and particularly for large families.

There are downsides to European all-inclusive holidays however. The main one being that for many people relaxing by the pool the whole time will be a waste of a trip and you might as well be anywhere if you don’t see any of the local scenery. Trips and excursions are available at European all-inclusive hotels but these are very expensive and normally mean you only get a set amount of time in each place. And while the food is good it can be nice to sample local restaurants etc, which will cost you extra and will mean that you’re no longer getting the benefit of having paid in advance. You’re now paying that on top of what you already paid and this will mean it’s no longer cost effective. If you find you don’t like the hotel either – and some are better than others – then this will mean you’re stuck there with no means of escaping.

In other words then European all-inclusive holidays are a great way to relax and kick back somewhere sunny by the pool and they have their place, but to sample the culture and the environment you will be better off going it alone.

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When you say the word ‘desert’ it is common to think of the sahara, or of large sand dunes. Not often would your mind ever wonder then to Europe and most people would consider this a place with no deserts at all. However this is actually inaccurate and it might surprise you to learn that there are actually hundreds of deserts in the world and that yes, some of these are located in Europe. Meanwhile it might surprise you further to learn that the term ‘desert’ is not so easily defined and that there is actually some contention regarding what should and shouldn’t classify as a ‘desert’. As such there are European deserts as well as European ‘semi-deserts’ that don’t quite make the grade by most definitions.

A semi desert is a ‘semi-arid’ climate or a ‘steppe climate’ and this means that it doesn’t meet all of the definitions necessary to be a desert or not to the same degree. A desert is defined not by the temperature as one may think, or even the presence of sand, but rather by the ‘precipitation’ of the ground. This refers to the amount of water that the soil can hold and thus the amount of plant life and grass it can/could sustain. In the case of a semi-desert then, this is somewhere between that of a desert and a humid climate. Both are in Europe.

Accona Desert: Accona desert is not technically one of the European deserts but an afforementioned semi-desert (semi-arid). Found in Tuscany, Italy, it is notable for its dome shaped formations known as biancane (from the Italian for white).

Deliblato Sand: Deliblato sand is a large sandy area that is situated in the Vojvodina province of Serbia. This is the largest sandy terrain in Europe and is the remains of a ‘prehistoric desert’. It was formed when the Pannian Sea withdrew and is today a nature reserve, but also a popular hunting ground.

Oltenian Sahara: Who knew that Europe had their very own Sahara? The Oltenian Sahara is roughly 800km2 in size and is found in the Romanian province of Oltenia. This is not a natural desert however but rather the result of heavy deforestation in the 1960s resulting in vast sandy areas. The name Oltenian Sahara was created by the press and this is the only one of our European deserts to feature its own ‘sand museum’. Worth visiting just to find out what you could fill such a museum with (presumably sand…).

The Highlands of Iceland: This is a European desert that is an easy example of a ‘semi-desert’ that does not rely on ‘sand’ to be one nor a hot climate. It is ‘effectively’ a desert in that it has volcanic soil that so quickly absorbs precipitation as to allow no plant growth at all in the area.

Piscinas: This is one of the largest European deserts and is found in Sardinia, Italy.

Tabernas Desert: A desert found in Almeria in Spain, making it one that could conceivably be visited during a European holiday.

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