Best cities to visit in Europe

[Maciamo]

Based on my experience of travelling and living around Europe, I would like to make a list the the best cities by category, rating them respectively 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B. Note that I have listed Nordic countries or Ireland, and have only been to Praha and Budapest in Eastern Europe. Basically, the numeral ranking is about the overall beauty/quality, while the letters refer to the length of stay to fully enjoy the city (A the longest, C the shortest).

1A : outstanding cities with enough sights for 1 to 2 weeks

London
Rome
Florence
Paris

1B : same as 1A, but with sights for less than 1 week (usually 2 or 3 days)

Salamaca
Seville
Venice
Nice
Oxford
Cambridge
Praha
Vienna
Istanbul

1C : same as 1B, but with sights for just one day

Cordoba
Caceres
Evora
Pontevedra
Santiago de Compostela
Carcasonne
Monaco
Pisa
Lucca
San Gimignano
Siena
Lille
Luxembourg
Bruges
Maastricht
Bath
York

2A : very good destinations with sightseeing for several days, but less impressive overall than those ranked 1A.

Brussels
Amsterdam
Copenhagen
Stockholm
Barcelona
Madrid
Lisboa
Budapest
Athens

2B : Same as 2A, but with sights that can be covered in 1 day

Granada
Merida
Milano
Marseille
Nimes
Avignon
Montpellier
Antwerp
Namur
Delft
Leiden
Brighton
Stratford-upon-Avon

3A : Less beautiful cities with enough exceptional attractions for several days

Berlin

3B : same as 3A but with sights that can be covered in 1 day

Bristol
Portsmouth
Salisbury
Canterbury
Munich
Frankfurt
Regensburg
Bonn
Trier
Aachen
Ghent
Gouda
Den Haag

[Dutch Baka]

you have been to all this places.. Damm i envy you!!!! hahaha... i agree with amsterdam, its a great city, but just for a couple of days. Paris is amazing, so agree with it too!!!!

[Maciamo]

you have been to all this places.. Damm i envy you!!!! hahaha... i agree with amsterdam, its a great city, but just for a couple of days. Paris is amazing, so agree with it too!!!!

Yes, I've been to all these places. However, I only selected those where I had been in the last 6 years to keep the comparison fair (so that I can remember all with about the same intensity). I have travelled a lot with my wife around Europe before coming to Japan. We bought a 2-month Eurolines pass for the main cities and also stayed in Spain for 2 months. As for Belgium and England, don't forget that I am the author of the Eupedia Belgium Guide and England Guide.

[Index]

What about Kraków in category 1B.

[Maciamo]

What about Kraków in category 1B.

I haven't been there, but I guess it's similar to Praha in ranking.

[Tsuyoiko]

Three of my favourite cities are Chester - which I would rank 2C; Wells, the smallest city in the UK, which I would rank 1C; and Shrewsbury (strictly speaking not a city, but it feels like one), also 1C. I like Manchester too, but it would probably be 5A - lots to do, but it's ugly as sin! My own city - Stoke-on-Trent - I would rank as 5B. It is ugly, but there are lots of museums, enough for a few days - as long as you like ceramics! The only city I have been to outside the UK is Bruges, and I would agree with your ranking. We were there for 5 days, and if it hadn't been our honeymoon we would have been bored after a day or two.

[Alma]

oh i really envy you!!!

for me, barcelona was really impresive, but nevermind...

you've missed Sarajevo :) -''Europe's Best Kept Secret'' according to this

[Maciamo]

The only city I have been to outside the UK is Bruges, and I would agree with your ranking. We were there for 5 days, and if it hadn't been our honeymoon we would have been bored after a day or two.

How comes you haven't done a day trip to Antwerp, Ghent or Brussels, which are all less than an hour away from Bruges ? Ghent is just 30min away and trains are really cheap in Belgium (compared to Britain).

[Tsuyoiko]

How comes you haven't done a day trip to Antwerp, Ghent or Brussels, which are all less than an hour away from Bruges ?

Because I'm boring

[Kinsao]

I'm not at all well travelled - out of those listed, I've only been to Paris, London, Barcelona, Oxford, Cambridge, York, Stratford and Portsmouth. I'm glad Paris and London are near the top of your list - I love them both for different reasons!

I really want to visit Riga, in Latvia - I plan to go there with some friends next summer. And we might go to Tallinn (Estonia) as well...

[Dutch Baka]

i am planning to go to Praha with my wife this winter... it looks so beautiful on the photo's, and not that expensive...!!!! tell me more about Praha maciamo!!!!!

[celtician]

Prague (Praha) is a magnificent Baroque city, very surreal, alchemical and mysterious. You must visit the Jan Svankmajer art gallery and walk a lot in the old town. A visit to one of the cellar beer halls such as U Flecku is a must. Food is not so good but who needs it when you've got atmosphere in spades!! Go dere.

[Harvey]

Hey I'm going to Prague in Feb!

What do you mean by atmosphere in spades?

[celtician]

All you have to do is walk around the old city and you can feel it, no explanation necessary.

[Kinsao]

The best city to visit in Europe is........ LEICESTER!!!!

OK, so the looks aren't really special, but the people are THE BEST!!!

[Sensuikan San]

No brainer ... Paris!

(How would you like to be ...
Going insane with me ...?
Oh, what I'd give for a moment or two ...
Under the plaster of Paris with you ...)

�W����

[FAM]

I see that cities in my country are not mentioned.Anyway.
I'm from Bulgaria. A small country in the southeastern part of Europe.
If you visit it, I recommend you my native town Plovdiv. It has a great, charming atmosphere. As well as Nessebar. It is situated at the Black sea coast.
Melnik-the smallest town in Bulgaria with beautiful houses and great wine.

http://www.snimka.bg/album.php?album_id=11121&photo=20
http://www.snimka.bg/album.php?album_id=11121&photo=24
http://www.snimka.bg/album.php?album_id=11121&photo=32
http://www.snimka.bg/album.php?album_id=10319&photo=2
http://www.snimka.bg/album.php?album_id=10319&photo=4
http://www.snimka.bg/album.php?album_id=9664
http://www.snimka.bg/album.php?album_id=9664&photo=4
http://www.snimka.bg/album.php?album_id=10026&photo=16

The last two images are made in Balchik. A town which is situated north from Nessebar. Enjoy.

[acquiredtarget]

I've always been enjoyed Trondheim, Oslo, Budo, and Stockholm. London was also enjoyable and I have somegood memories of Cologne and and Trier.

[4321go]

I heard Rome is a chaotic city ,so Rome should out of 1A .

[Maciamo]

I heard Rome is a chaotic city ,so Rome should out of 1A .

This thread is not about best cities to live, but to visit. And few cities can rival Rome in matters of touristical sights and atmosphere. Even for living - and I have lived there a few months - Rome is an extraordinary city, despite being a bit noisy and chaotic (hardly more than Tokyo though).

[4321go]

Right~ !

Yes, I've been to al these places. However, I only selected those where i had been in the last 6 years to keep the comparison fair (so that I can remember all with about the same intensity). I have travelled a lot with my wife around Europe before coming to Japan. We bought a 2-month Eurolines pass for the main cities and also stayed in Spain for 2 months. As for Belgium and England, don't forget that I am the author of the Eupedia Belgium Guide and England Guide.

Oh, You like travell very much~ I even guess you are a profession traveller before~ .

[Sensuikan San]

No brainer ... Paris!

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Just for the moment, though ... Paris might well be put on the "back-burner" !

What the heck is really going on there ? Reminds me of the 1968 riots!

How sad.

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[Ma Cherie]

Just for the moment, though ... Paris might well be put on the "back-burner" !

What the heck is really going on there ? Reminds me of the 1968 riots!

How sad.

�W����

Oh, now don't let a few riots keep you from visiting a wondeful city. I'm sure those riots will be over soon (hopefully).

[Dutch Baka]

they Burned 2000 cars in total, in 2 weeks time or so... and last night it spread out to I thought 9 other france city's... so not so fun in there at the moment!! so paris goes to 1B.. ;)

[wonderpt]

Maciamo what did you see in Lisboa?

It's my home city, but now I live in a little village called "Azeitão"