We’ve all been itching to travel recently, largely due to the restrictive lockdown measures that have been placed upon us. The pandemic ruined many people’s travel plans last year, and many have wondered where they should go visit once the lockdown orders subside. International travel in particular seems alluring, as it has been a very long time since plane travel to many other countries was an option.

I will admit, I have never gone outside the country myself, but I was planning to last summer, before our plans got canned. So out of relentless optimism, I will attempt to help you answer this question by providing you with some potential European countries you could visit after it’s all over, and the two trips we came up with that can tie in multiple countries along the way.

The European continent is home to some of the best sights and scenes in the whole world, featuring countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, and more. However, Europe is such a big continent with so much to do, it would be difficult to do everything in one trip, and I would recommend splitting into two trips, one in western and southern Europe, and the other in eastern and northern Europe.

For the first trip I would do the UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Switzerland, and Italy, with the ability to add Ireland and Portugal. The United Kingdom is a very important and historically relevant country, and also is easy to travel to because the people speak English. The UK is regarded as one of the best countries in all of Europe, though it is no longer part of the European Union due to a referendum where the people of Great Britain decided to leave the union to gain more control over their country’s regulations and sovereignty, and escape from the bureaucratic “one size fits all” mentality of the European Union. Why is the EU important in an article about vacations? Because despite all it’s fault, countries in the EU have the same currency and can be traveled to and from freely, stating, “Citizens of the United States with a valid US passport can travel to 26 European member countries of the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days without having to apply or obtain a Schengen visa for short term tourism or a business trip.” This is something that the United Kingdom doesn’t have, which makes it less convenient for travelers. Regardless, the UK is still one of the best countries to visit on this list.

The other non EU country on this trip would be Switzerland, which features the very well known Swiss Alps and lots of cool villages and ski resorts to visit. Two other countries of note are Belgium and The Netherlands, with the Netherlands having lots of cool history as well as Amsterdam, a well known hipster town within Europe that could be worth visiting. As for Belgium, I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Belgium. I think that Belgium lacks much of the history other countries in Europe have, as it was artificially created. On top of that, the people of Belgium speak three different languages and none of them tend to like each other much, which certainly hurts its culture, making it not a huge priority on my list as opposed to other countries around it. Nevertheless, Belgium is still a solid enough country compared to others in the world, but I personally am not too thrilled by it.

France, Italy, and Spain are all very different countries that have very different cultures and languages, but all have very unique and interesting histories, and all are bucket list countries for me. France has numerous historical sites and are often very grand and elegant in nature, Spain has a fun atmosphere with very recognizable architecture, and Italy has the remains of a once grand empire with the food and design that make it iconic on the world stage.

I would be thrilled to visit all three of these countries, as they look to be some of the best and most culturally significant countries in the world.

When asked what her favorite country she visited on her trip was, local small business owner Brianne Burk replied, “I think Italy would be my favorite because of all the amazing architecture and all the history that’s there. Also the food was just amazing! But I also loved London because it too has a lot of history but it is also very modern, and I’m fascinated with British people, but the food was not good there!

The other trip would include Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Poland, and the Czech Republic, with the option of adding Norway, Austria, and Ukraine. Germany and Russia are the countries on this list that have the most historical significance (though not always for the right reasons) as well as cultural significance with lots of unique and historical sites such as the Berlin Wall and The Kremlin. Northern countries such as Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark are quaint and beautiful places with a laid back way of life that are worth checking out. The Czech Republic, Austria, and Poland are among the least talked about European countries, and thus they are overlooked, but all three have more than their fair share of beautiful cities and interesting things to do.

Of course, there are many other countries that I didn’t even mention, like Iceland, Greece, Romania, and more, but it really goes to show you how vast and how high quality the countries on the European continent are. Regardless of which route you decide to go, you should have an amazing and unforgettable experience.