Europe Tours

Europe is a dream destination for Indians looking to explore the different places, historical buildings, and exotic locations they’ve admired in the movies. If you’re planning a vacation soon, here are a few reasons to look at our Europe tour packages.

The Renaissance
You cannot have studied world history without learning about the Renaissance period. It profoundly impacted human history vis a vis art, architecture, literature, and culture in general. Some notable artists of this era include Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Donatello, and Caravaggio, who created art that still draws millions of tourists from across the world.

Notable among these are The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, The Birth of Venus by Botticelli, The Sistine Madonna by Raphael, the Portrait of Francois I of France by Jean Clouet, and more.

The movement, which started in Florence, and later expanded to Venice, Milan, and Rome, gradually spreading to France and other parts of Western Europe.

Some of the notable buildings of this period include the St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, the Chateau de Blois in Blois, the Chateau de Chambord in Chambord, and more.

The Architecture
Europe is a treasure trove of architectural marvels, some as old as the Roman and Greek civilisations. From quaint cobblestoned pavements to futuristic buildings in Helsinki, every city has its own style and influence. Rome is famous for its classical grandeur with its mix of ruins like The Colosseum and The Pantheon, and Renaissance palaces and churches.

Barcelona has a 2000 year old architectural history spanning several styles, such as Gothic, Catalan Modernism, and Art Nouveau. The most famous are the La Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila, designed by Antoni Gaudi.

Europe Tour Packages for Friends
Helsinki is Mecca for lovers of Modernist architecture. Some of the contemporary designs include the Saynatsalo Town Hall, the Kiasma Museum, and the minimalist Helsinki Cathedral.

Athens is famous for its Greek buildings, notably the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the Temple of Hephaestus.

The Food
With its sausages and ham, cheese, wine, and desserts, and a rich bread culture, Europe is heaven for foodies. While European cuisine may have common ingredients, it doesn’t mean the food is the same everywhere. When in the UK, you cannot miss their fish and chips or their chicken tikka masala. The French are revered for their patisseries, boulangeries, cafes, bistros, and brasseries. Italian food is so much more than pasta, pizza, and gelato. If the Germans are known for their sausages and beer, the Spaniards are famous for their tapas and pintxos. Not to mention the varieties of cheeses you’ll find – from the English cheddar to the French camembert and the Italian Parmigiano Reggiano.

Alcohol is an integral part of European culture, with different regions enjoying different alcoholic beverages. The English love their gin and whiskey, Scotts love their scotch, the Germans and Belgians love their beer, Russians prefer vodka, while the French and Italians love their wine.

The Scenery
While the cities have their charm, the quaint European countryside makes tourists fall in love with the continent. You can drive through the Mediterranean, Adriatic, and Aegean coastline to explore beautiful islands and towns like Santorini, Capri, Mykonos, Dubrovnik, Lisbon, and Valencia. Or trek through beautiful mountain ranges like the Alps, Carpathian mountains, and the Urals. Tuscany in Italy is famous for its rolling hills, vineyards, charming villages, and picturesque views. Nordic countries like Iceland and Finland are famous for Northern Lights, while England is famous for its beautiful forests, and the Netherlands for its tulip farms.

The Isle of Skye in Scotland looks magical with its breathtaking landscape and isolated beaches. The rolling hills of Cotswold, the Scottish Highlands, the scenic Snowdonia National Park in Wales, the Mont Blanc region in France, the iconic Etretat cliffs in Normandy, the lavender fields of Provence, the beautiful Lake Geneva and the mesmerising Zermatt and Lucerne.

The Markets
Food and farmers’ markets are the centrepiece of European culture. But not all of them are about food; some are flea and antique markets, and some are Christmas markets. The Edinburgh Farmers’ Market is famous for artisanal bread, organic vegetables, rich cheeses, etc. The Pigtown Festival in Limerick is famous for cookery demos, food tours, and foraging walks. Similarly, the Beaune and Chagny regions are famous for markets selling Charolais beef, truffles, Dijon mustard, and famous wines like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Some famous Christmas markets include Leipzig, Dresdner Striezelmarkt, Berlin, and Trier in Germany. Some famous farmers’ markets in Milan include Bologna, Tuscany, Lake Como, and Verona.

The Marche d’Aligre flea market in Paris is the best place to find old treasures, including books, jewellery, tea sets, cookware, and cutlery. The Borough Market in London has been around for 1000 years, selling bread, oysters, cheese, sausage rolls, and spices.

At GT Holidays, we can arrange a customised tour to castle countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic , Wales, Romania, and Scotland. Please message us on Instagram, and our tour managers will be happy to help.

The Castles
Castles and palaces are commonplace across Europe. Some of these castles are as old as the Middle Ages. Similarly, the palaces provided a lavish retreat to the royal families looking for a diversion from mundane life. France alone has over 45,000 castles. But it’s no match to Wales, which has more per square mile than anywhere in the world. Some famous castles in Europe include – the Dublin Castle in Ireland, the Conwy Castle in Wales, the Corfe Castle in Dorset, the Bled Castle in Slovenia, and the Chateau de Doue la Fontaine in France.

As for palaces, your trip to Europe is incomplete without a trip to Buckingham Palace in London and the Palace of Versailles in France. Other famous palaces include the Alhambra in Spain and the Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England.

The Churches
Europe is home to over 500,000 religious buildings that are now part of Europe’s heritage. These cathedrals and basilicas are famous for their awe-inspiring architecture, paintings, sculptures, and artefacts. Some churches are wooden, some are modern, and some have been converted into hotels.

The Notre Dame is famous for its stained glass windows, La Sagrada in Barcelona is famous for its architecture, the Aachen Cathedral is famous for its stained glass, and the most famous St Peter’s Basilica, renowned for Michelangelo’s paintings in its dome. The Sistine Chapel is perhaps the most famous of all churches for its overwhelming artworks – from Michaelangelo’s frescos to the altarpieces by Caravaggio.

The Monuments
Every Europe tour package includes visiting some of Europe’s famous landmarks. This includes Big Ben and Trafalgar Square in London; the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in Paris; the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon in Rome; the Leaning Tower in Pisa, Italy; the Brandenburg Gate and the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, Germany.

Some of the other attractions in Europe include Disneyworld in Paris, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the Madurodam miniature park in The Hague, Netherlands, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, and the Prado Museum in Madrid.