EUROPE
A Few Possibilities
Paris, Barcelona, Rome, London, Brussels, Geneva, Athens, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Venice, Copenhagen, Dublin, Munich, Istanbul, Budapest, Prague, Bucharest, Madrid, Frankfurt, Monaco, Milan, Stockholm, Vienna, Reykjavik, Zagreb
Sights Worth Seeing
There are so many beautiful cities to visit in the world and Europe has an abundance of cities to visit and sights to see. When in London, you may want to visit Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, the Shard, and the Tower of London. In Paris, you can visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Rodin museums, the Sacre Coeur Basilica, Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe. Take a ride down the Seine River to see for a relaxing way to view the city. In Rome, there is the Vatican, the Coliseum, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and the St. Peter's Basilica. Barcelona offers the beaches, Parque Güell, Montjuïc, the Picasso Museum, and La Sagrada Familia. In Athens, you have the Greek ruins (Parthenon, Acropolis, and Erechtheion) and many islands including Santorini, Crete, Corfu, Milos, Naxos, Lefkada, Karpathos, and Mykonos.
Istanbul is considered a European city because it is separated by the Bosphorus Straits, and the rest of the country is considered to be in the Middle East. Istanbul offers many sites to see like The Blue Mosque, the New Mosque, the Hagia Sophia Museum, and the Topkapi Palace harem. Prague is the home to the Prague Castle dating back to the 9th century, the Charles bridge and Old Town Square, St. Vitus Cathedral which houses many national treasures, the 600-year-old astronomical clock, and the Lennon Wall. These are just a few of the sights to see in some of the many beautiful cities in Europe.
Shopaholics
In London, the some of the best shopping can be found on Oxford Street in Piccadilly Circus with more than 300 shops. In Paris, the Champs d'Elysse offers high-end shops. In Barcelona, there are many boutique shops found in Las Ramblas, but also main shops around Plaza Catalunya. In Amsterdam, the Magna Plaza, the Kalverpassage and the Gelderlandplein all are great shopping malls, the Nine Streets for a shopper's paradise and the museum district for luxury shops. Vienna has Mariahilfer Straße where you can find most major stores and street cafes, and Landstraßer Hauptstraße for shopping for all-sized pocketbooks. Stop in Rochus Market for the eats. Geneva rivals the shopping of London and Paris, with a focus on luxury items like watches, chocolates, glasses, and leather goods. And of course, we can't forget Milan, where shopping is basically a sport. In Milan, you can find just about every major brand in the Golden Rectangle (Quadrilatero d’Oro) and be sure to venture off the beaten path to find some of the best boutiques and goods. This just a drop in the bucket for the many shops to explore in Europe.
Nightlife
When it comes to nightlife, it seems Ibiza has all other cities beat. Ibiza boasts legendary clubs such as Space and Pacha with nightly raves that go way past dawn. Barcelona is another great party city with clubs and dance lounges that don't really get hopping until 1 a.m. Explore Las Ramblas for eccentric venues like BLVD, and beachside at spots like the Catwalk Club, Opium, and Shoko, with stylish crowds and international DJs. For some R&B or Hip Hop, go to Otto Zutz, a larger club with three floors inside an old textile factory. The largest club is Razzmatazz which offers several rooms and something for everyone.
In London, find anything from risqué burlesque shows to high-end superclubs. Visit Trapeze, a circus-themed bar that serves endlessly inventive drinks out of popcorn tub-style cups. Or check out Blues Kitchen for some blues tunes accompanied by sticky ribs and other American staples. For a glitzier night, go to the Ibiza-style Pacha and Studio 338. Try Corsica Studios for cutting edge music and a rebellious attitude straight out of 1970s London. Or visit Maggie’s, an 80’s style club with Iron Lady references incorporated into the décor. Shoreditch is now one of the hottest nightlife areas in the city and one of the coolest places to stay in London. In addition to bars and clubs, Soho has several theaters, jazz bars and restaurants to explore, making it a cultural hotspot.
In Paris, there are three popular neighborhoods for nightlife: Republique, Bonne and Bastille. Berlin has an intense and eclectic nightlife from the powerplant turned nightclub, Berghain with electronic music blasting, to the gritty, crumbling face of About Blank, with two main dance floors and a large garden with a graffitied Caravan and secret bungalow playing its own music. Check out Stattbad Wedding, a long-closed swimming pool just north of the city center. Or visit Salon zur Wilden Renate, a mind-blowing labyrinth of avant-garde junkyard rooms. Prague offers a more affordable nightlife with beer gardens and cellar bars. The Karlovy Lazne Club has five stories with a different theme on each. Most clubs cost no more than $5 to enter. Shout outs to these cities with a great nightlife too: Stockholm, Amsterdam, Rome, and Mykonos.
NOTE: This listing of nightclubs and lounges was created pre-pandemic and will be updated soon.