ATHENS
Athens is a must-see destination on any European vacation. The capital and largest city in Greece, it’s also been the center of Greek civilization for 4,000 years. Athens may be an ancient city, but it has a contemporary atmosphere with an active restaurant, bar and nightlife scene.
The Mediterranean climate of Athens makes for hot and dry summers (with an average temperature of 92 degrees in July) and mild winters with moderate rainfall (with an average temperature of 48 degrees in January). Since it can be very hot and dry in the summer and occasionally rainy or snow in the winter, the best times of the year to visit Athens are spring and late fall. The winter, however, is the low season for tourism, so travelers may find the city to be less busy with tourists then.
Since Greece is part of the European Union, the official currency of Athens is the Euro. U.S. currency can easily be exchanged for Euros at banks, post offices, travel bureaus and foreign exchange offices in Athens. If travelers don’t want to exchange their currency, almost all hotels, shops and restaurants accept credit cards.
BERLIN
Germany's largest and capital city is a sprawling metropolis known for its many contradictions. While Berlin is steeped in history and offers visitors many historically significant landmarks and cultural museums, the city also boasts a very modern side to it with pioneering architecture and a vast array of contemporary art galleries. This is a city where Eastern Europe meets Western Europe. It's a city of constant change due to its tumultuous past. Today, Berlin and its metropolitan area is home to over 4.5 million people and is a thriving tourist destination with much to offer in terms of culture, entertainment, shopping, and history.
Berlin is a massive city, its core being the historical hub of Mitte where the majority of attractions, restaurants, galleries and clubs are located. The mega metropolis stretches in every direction including the City West, East Central, North, East and South districts. Although perhaps daunting in size, Berlin is known for its organized and impressive public transportation system that connects all major points of the city.
DUBLIN
Dublin is Ireland's capital city and a vibrant metropolis where over a quarter of the country's population lives. Dublin remains an intimate European capital city, rich in its cultural heritage and offers visitors much in terms of local charm from touring historical castles to cozy conversations over pints in traditional pubs. Located along the banks of the river Liffey on Ireland's east coast at Dublin Bay, Dublin is divided into two distinct areas, the south side of the river and the north side of the river. To the north is the main boulevard called O'Connell Street where the majority of shopping streets are located. Along the south side of the city is where you'll find such sights as Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Grafton Street and the popular Temple Bar area. With all of its charms and quirks, Dublin is a proud city and a favorite for many travelers.
This Irish gem of a city is considered a cosmopolitan capital, but the heart of Dublin can be experienced through the many historical attractions and the local cultural traditions. Discover the city's rich literary history at the Dublin Writers Museum, which showcases the lives of distinguished local writers such as James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw and W.B. Yeates. The many museums from the National Gallery of Ireland to the National Museum of Ireland are all extensive in their collections.
MADRID
Rich in culture and tradition, teeming with tapas bars, and boasting a bustling nightlife, Madrid is a world-class capital city with a great deal to offer its visitors. Madrid features a mix of the classic and the modern from its architecture to its attractions. Madrid is well known on the tourist travel map for its celebratory environment with its rich cultural environment. Centrally located on the Iberian Peninsula, this city is home to roughly three million residents and serves as the headquarters to government institutions and organizations. It's a city of restaurants, attractions, live music venues, and locals are known for exhibiting a high quality of life.
Madrid is a modern capital city, renowned for its vibrant culture and entertaining options from its restaurant, bar and café scene to live music, dancing and abounding with attractions from parks and churches to museums and shopping. As the center of the Spanish Empire for many centuries, Madrid's culture is dominated by its royal history with its many palaces and official buildings.
Madrid is famous for its climatic extremes. Although it tends to be sunny all year-round, it can be freezing in winter and is always extremely hot in summer, when the locals who are known as Madrileños take a break from the heat in the mid-day during the typical siestas. It's common for businesses to close down during this time.
VIENNA
Vienna, Austria's largest and capital city, is home to over 2.5 million people including its metropolitan area and serves as the nation's hub for culture, politics and economy. It's also a very popular tourist destination offering its visitors a wealth of attractions from its most historic periods to showcasing the city's most modern elements. Renowned as a cultural center, Vienna is brimming with museums, art galleries, theater and, above all, music including the opera. With great museums ranging from ancient Roman excavations to modern and hip museums, Vienna offers quite a large variety of exhibitions. Mozart, Schubert, Strauss and many more Austrian composers have lived in this grand city. When in Vienna, don't miss the experience of a classical concert by one of Vienna's great sons of music in one of the main classical music venues like Musikverein, Konzerthaus, or the Vienna State Opera.
Vienna is a romantic city, with great parks to stroll through, laid-back coffeehouses and restaurants made for foodies. It is not hard to fall in love in Vienna all over again. Vienna also offers a great selection of shopping with handmade goods, such as chocolate, porcelain and leather goods, many of which make for excellent souvenirs and gifts. Slow down and enjoy the old world pace of this imperial city, which these days is a perfect mixture of history and contemporary art of living. Make sure not to miss spending some time in one of the traditional coffee houses, where no waiter will ever present visitors with a check if they don't ask for it and one order will allow visitors stay as long as they like. Steeped in culture, history and music, it's no wonder so many people love to visit this shining example of a European capital city.
PRAGUE
Home to about 1.2 million people, Prague is a cosmopolitan city in the heart of the Czech Republic and has a long history as one of the cultural, artistic and political centers of eastern Europe. The beautiful city is set in central Czech Republic and offers visitors a stunning landscape of green forests, rolling hillsides and the blue Vltava River that flows for about 20 miles directly through the city.
Prague is also home to a great array of pristine architectural styles and presents a stunning collection of well-preserved buildings. Some of the styles scattered throughout the city include Baroque, Art Nouveau, Renaissance, Cubist and Neo-Gothic. As the political center of the country, Prague is the seat of the Czech Government and houses of Parliament in addition to various national television stations and other media outlets, including Radio Free Europe. The area is also an educational center for much of eastern Europe, and hosts over 10 universities and colleges, including Charles University, one of the oldest universities in Europe.