The Best Trips to Europe

A stop along Cinque Terre

The grandfather of wine country, Tuscany is more then just some of the oldest modern vineyards making some of the best wine in the world. It's the spectacular city of Florence and their outdoor cafes and markets, their cheap designer suits and Italian leather shoes, underground American Jazz bars and the Duomo to boot. It's Cinque Terra, a series of five small towns along the Italian Riviera's Amalfi Coast, connected by hiking trails, all of which serve home-cooked local cuisine, and locally produced wine in their intimate seaside inns. It's the island of Elba, where Napoleon was 'exiled,' a reasonably unexplored jewel of the Northern Mediterranean that will feel like an escape within your escape.

Gothic Prague

Due to it's gothic architectural beauty, Prague was one of the only cities preserved by Adolph Hitler when the Nazis razzed the Eastern Block during World War II. Beyond egomaniacal dictators, Prague has survived communism and massive flooding over the last century to retain one of the most vibrant community of artists in the world. One walk along the spectacular Charles Bridge -- the gothic centerpiece to the city -- will convince you of that, as stand after stand of incredibly talented artists set-up from sunrise to sunset, painting portraits, carving original wood sculptures and putting on puppet shows. Food, drink and lodgings are undoubtedly eclectic but delicious--and cheap. And trips just outside the city are worth the seemingly third world bus transport. Check out Kutna Hora and their jaw-dropping church made out of human bones, a memorial to those who died during the Black Plague.

La Tomatina in Bunol

Of course there's Paris, which everyone has to see, for some reason. But the real spot to visit is an entire country south, in the Northeast of Spain. Start in Catalonia, which boasts Moorish and Roman castles along the Mediterranean Coastline with small Spanish beach towns that turned out world famous artistic influences like Salvador Dali and Antoni Gaudi. Then, there is Barcelona, of course, one of the finest Bohemian cities in the world. From there, head South into the sun drenched regions of Spain, visiting Valencia and Sevilla. If you plan this right, you will be in Bunol, Valencia in late August during the La Tomatina, the annual city-wide tomato fight that takes over the streets of the city.