Daydreaming about where to go next in Europe? These destinations have new and noteworthy things to entice travelers—direct flights, hotel openings, and even a longevity certification. Some of these countries and cities are ideal for shoulder season beach getaways, while others entice with magical Christmas markets and northern lights viewings. Whether you want to travel next week or next year, here are seven exciting places to visit in Europe.
The Mediterranean island nation of Malta has ample postcard-worthy swimming spots and many warm months in which to enjoy them.
Photo by Jessie Beck
Malta
Come to this tiny three-island archipelago nation in the southern Mediterranean for a thrilling cultural mashup. Malta’s food, drink, art, and architecture have been influenced by centuries of foreign rulers, among them Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Sicilians, French, and British.
Travelers can wander the honey-hued streets of Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage site full of baroque architecture. Beyond the capital, go for a swim in the Blue Lagoon on Comino, explore ancient temples like the megalithic Ħaġar Qim, which predates Stonehenge, or dive into shipwrecks and limestone caves favored by scuba enthusiasts. For a slower pace, take the ferry 45 minutes to Gozo, a smaller island with cliff-top hikes, boutique wineries, and sandy beaches.
Malta’s local art and design scene is booming too, with contemporary art museum MICAS (opened in October 2024); the Malta Biennale (launched in 2024 and returning in March 2026); and Villa Bologna Pottery, a decades-old atelier that was revived by a young British Maltese couple and still produces charming, midcentury-modern–style plates, bowls, and ornamental ceramics.
Getting here will become easier next year, when Delta begins thrice weekly seasonal flights from JFK to Malta, kicking off June 7, 2026.
Where to stay
- Book now: The Phoenicia
Located just outside the city walls, the Phoenicia is the handiest base for strolling around Valletta. The art deco–style building dates to the 1930s, and the property has seven acres of pretty landscaped gardens leading down to an infinity pool that overlooks the harbor. The 132 rooms have welcome dabs of color—royal blue desk chairs and headboards and pink and white curtains.
Seventeenth-century waterfront district Nyhavn is one of Copenhagen’s most picturesque.
Photo by studiolaska/Shutterstock
Copenhagen, Denmark
The Danish capital assumed the mantle of UNESCO’s world hub for architecture in 2023 and will remain so through 2025. This year it also ranked as the world’s most livable city.
The charming old center of Copenhagen, notably the candy-colored buildings around Nyhavn, remains a must-see. But make sure to cross the pedestrian bridge there and walk (or cycle, the preferred Danish transit method) to Refshaleøen, the former shipyard that has been reborn as the city’s funkiest new neighborhood. The B&W flea market there can be a fine place to pick up well-priced midcentury goodies, while La Banchina is a tiny restaurant in a former ferry waiting room with an on-site sauna. (In summer, book in advance; from mid-October through March, you can drop in on Sundays and enjoy a schvitz and a warming bowl of vegetable soup.) The terrace out front is lively on a summer’s day, as locals take dips in the water and sip beer from the nearby Mikkeller Baghaven brewery.
Copenhagen is also one of the world’s most eco-conscious cities. It’s home to CopenHill, the cleanest waste-to-energy power plant in the world, which has a climbing wall and ski slope atop the recycled materials building, and GreenKayak, a nonprofit that lends free kayaks to those willing to remove trash from the Copenhagen canals as they paddle.
Where to stay
- Book now: 25 Hours Paper Island
Housed in a former paper mill, 25 Hours Paper Island opened in July 2024 on the island of Christiansholm across from Nyhavn’s iconic buildings. Choose from 128 rooms designed to feel like you’re in a Scandinavian summer house, with shiplap walls, hardwood floors, and an inviting hygge vibe.
Related: A Local’s Guide to the Perfect Long Weekend in Copenhagen
Karlskirche Church is just one landmark in Vienna, one of the world’s most livable cities.
Photo by Anikin Dmitrii/Shutterstock
Vienna, Austria
After reigning supreme as the world’s most livable city in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, and 2018, Vienna has fallen to second place. It’s still high on our list, though, no matter the season. The Danube bisecting the city becomes a social thoroughfare in the sunshine, a place to linger and chat. Kayak down the river or enjoy a drink on Motto am Fluss, the riverboat-turned-restaurant that sits moored downtown.
If you’ve come to Vienna for the cakes (no shame in making Sachertorte the impetus for any trip), don’t miss the Vollpension project, where seniors use their baking know-how to bolster their incomes in a pro-social café; it also has a studio for in-person classes. Pick from an assortment of delicious recipes doled out by a roster of sprightly locals, from apple strudel to Sacher-style chocolate gâteaux.
You’ll also find sweet treats at Vienna’s more than 20 Christmas markets, where you can sip glühwein (a hot mulled wine), nibble roasted chestnuts, and wander through souvenir stalls. The expansive Viennese Dream Christmas Market, in front of City Hall, kicks off on November 14, 2025.
Where to stay
- Book now: Mandarin Oriental Vienna
The brand new Mandarin Oriental Vienna (opening October 20, 2025) sits in a handsome art nouveau building from the early 1900s and has 86 rooms and 52 suites. The hotel is five minutes walk from pretty Stadtpark, the Museum of Applied Arts, and the Mozart Museum.
La Seu (Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma) is a sumptuous Gothic structure finished in the early 17th century.
Photo by Boris Stroujko/Shutterstock
Mallorca, Spain
Spain is the only European country to make the list of best countries for expats to live abroad and has 2 of the 10 most livable of cities in Europe, Madrid and Barcelona. But if you’re looking to get off the Spanish mainland, consider a nonstop flight from Newark (EWR) to the island of Mallorca. After United Airlines’ inaugural flight to Palma de Mallorca in 2022, the carrier has continued service every summer since, a sign of its confidence in this place as a hot destination.
Pause in the island’s capital, Palma de Mallorca, for some sightseeing, specifically at the Gothic masterpiece of the cathedral known as La Seu. Suspended from the ceiling in one annex is the cardinal’s hat, which is said to presage disaster if it ever falls. Next, head inland for countryside that’s more like Tuscany or the Hudson Valley than a Mediterranean beachfront. Rent a bike to crisscross the UNESCO-listed Tramuntana mountain range (e-bikes are a smart option, as some climbs can be steep), or tackle one of the dedicated cycle routes laid out more than a century ago by a forward-thinking Mallorquin, civil engineer Antonio Parietti.
Where to stay
- Book now: Son Net
Son Net is the standout among a cluster of hotels that have opened in response to the island’s rising profile. The 17th-century manor house is a sight to behold, dripping in ivy and surrounded by palm and pine trees and thickly planted flowers. Its 31 rooms have exposed wooden beams, mosaic floors, floral wallpaper and curtains, and freshly cut flowers. Some rooms have their own terraces.
Related: Been There, Seen That: 7 Compelling Alternatives to Europe’s Busiest Cities
The charming coastal town of Bergen is a highlight of Norway.
Courtesy of Mao Yuqing/Unsplash
Norway
When it comes to sustainable travel, Norway is making headway as the best country for it. Its Norient Express train line, expected to launch in autumn 2026 with two electric trains, will run a five-night, six-day sleeper service from Bergen through Oslo and north to Trondheim. By 2026, the government will require all cruise ships and tourist boats in the West Norwegian Fjords to be zero-emission.
The country’s also making moves on the car front. Starting this year, all new cars must be zero-emission. (In 2024, 89 percent of new cars sold in Norway were electric). Before you head out on the ultimate EV cross-country trip, Afar writer Jessica van Dop DeJesus advises you to keep EV etiquette in mind: “My friend Ingunn, a lawyer on the west coast of Norway, says that ‘there’s an unwritten rule that you should not charge up to 100 percent, especially if others are waiting. If you go into a restaurant while charging your car, keep an eye on the charging time,’” she writes.
Where to stay
Book now: Wood Hotel Bodø
The Arctic city of Bodø, one of Europe’s 2024 Capitals of Culture, is a unique place to explore (and get in some northern lights action). In May 2024, the Wood Hotel Bodø opened its doors with 145 rooms; most of them have views of the Norwegian Sea and the Børvasstindan mountains (as does the infinity pool), plus a sauna and organized activities like climbing a via ferrata (a protected outdoor route) and cruising the surrounding fjords.
Two attractions for visitors: dining at Five Little Pigs in Wallingford and touring Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire
Courtesy of Five Little Pigs(L); photo by Wildwater.tv/Shutterstock (R)
Oxfordshire, England
Oxford, England, has long been flocked to for its illustrious university, sandstone buildings, and intricate church spires. And in the past few years, the smaller towns throughout the county of Oxfordshire have become destinations in their own right, making the cut for Afar’s Where to Go in 2025 list.
Southeast of Oxford, the well-heeled riverside town of Henley-on-Thames is best known for its rowing regatta each July. Outside of the event, wander the town’s flagstone market square or leafy Thames-side footpaths, tour the Henley Distillery, and go for a Sunday roast at the Bottle & Glass Inn. Thirteen miles west is Wallingford, former hometown of Agatha Christie. For a delightful seasonal meal here, book a table at Five Little Pigs (a reference to one of Christie’s novels) that may include a Scotch egg, a dry-aged steak, or a ratatouille pancake.
Where to stay
- Book now: Bull
The town of Burford is reviving its main street with the 18-room Bull. Housed in a 16th-century former inn, the homey-chic hotel has Damien Hirst and Liu Bolin artwork on the walls, plus Banksy’s Met Ball installation hanging in the front window.
Li Cossi beach, along Sardinia’s northern Costa Paradiso, is one of hundreds of rugged stretches of sand that ring the island.
Photo by Vadym Lavra/Shutterstock
Sardinia, Italy
If you’re over the crowds of (other) foreign tourists in Italian hot spots, fly or take the ferry to the country’s second-largest island, Sardinia. As with Malta, Delta will run a seasonal direct flight from JFK to Olbia starting May 20, 2026.
An undiscovered paradise this is not, but there are so many wild little beaches around the island that you’ll still be able to find a quiet place to swim. Sardinia is full of incredible nature besides sandy stretches like the northern Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast). Travelers can hike to the deep gorges of Gola di Gorropu or even traverse Sahara-like landscapes at the Dunes of Piscinas. Plus, female hikers can stay free for up to three nights on the Santa Barbara mining trail, thanks to the Leg’s Go in Cammino Women’s Edition initiative, which is valid most of the year except the summer months.
Sardinians tend to be active and eat a healthy Mediterranean diet; in September 2025, the town of Arzachena in the country’s northeast joined nearby Ogliastra as one of the island’s two Blue Zones, places around the world where residents have the longest, healthiest lives. Learn more about longevity in Sardinia and how to prepare common Sardinian dishes at home by taking a cooking class, a fun way to meet other travelers.
Where to stay
- Book now: Le Dune Piscinas
Set along an 11-mile stretch of deserted beach on Sardinia’s rugged Costa Verde, Le Dune Piscinas is framed by Europe’s tallest sand dunes, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The former mining warehouse has 28 rooms done up with sandblasted Orosei marble, exposed stone walls, and custom Sardinian fabrics. Each room comes with a dedicated parasol and sun loungers on the hotel’s private beach.
Related: What It’s Like to Spend the Night Amid Europe’s Tallest Sand Dunes
This article was originally published in 2023 and most recently updated on September 26, 2025, with current information. Sophie Friedman, Jenn Rice, and Lottie Gross contributed to the reporting of this story.
