Visiting Europe: Country Guides for Artsy Travelers

Europe has been my primary travel destination for decades, and I still feel like I’ve only scratched the surface. Every country has its own distinct arts scene, its own museums, its own way of folding culture into everyday life and its own reasons to keep coming back.

This series collects my best tips for artsy and independent travelers visiting eleven European countries. Each guide draws upon my experiences in multiple trips and covers the cultural highlights, practical logistics, and personal recommendations I wish I’d had on my first visit.

Whether you’re planning your first trip to Italy or your fifth to France, I hope you find something useful here.

The Guides

Austria: Music, imperial grandeur, and some of Europe’s finest museums

Denmark: Design, Vikings, and a food scene that changed the world

England: Free museums, literary landmarks, and more history than you can absorb in a lifetime

France: Art, food, and the country that invented both as cultural experiences

Germany: Complex history, world-class museums, and better food than its reputation suggests

Greece: Ancient ruins, archaeological treasures, and islands that look as good as the photos

Iceland: Otherworldly landscapes and a rich arts and culture scene

Italy: More art per square kilometer than anywhere else on earth

The Netherlands: Canals, Old Masters, and cheese for breakfast

Portugal: Lisbon, Porto, and a country still largely undiscovered beyond its cities

Spain: Gaudí, the Prado, the Alhambra, and the Camino de Santiago

Carol Cram standing in front of one of the houses that Beethoven lived in Vienna, Austria.

Visiting Austria: My Best Tips for Artsy & Independent Travelers

My favorite trip to Austria was when I spent several days in Vienna on a solo trip to research my ...

Visiting The Netherlands: My Best Tips for Artsy & Independent Travelers

I first visited the Netherlands in 1970 on my epic round-Europe trip with my mom. I remember being fascinated by ...

Visiting Italy: My Best Tips for Artsy & Independent Travelers

Visiting Italy is a dream for artsy and independent travelers. From ancient Roman ruins and medieval hill towns to Renaissance ...

View of the Mezquita-Catedral and Roman Bridge in Córdoba at sunset, one of Spain’s most historic and atmospheric cities

Visiting Spain: My Best Tips for Artsy & Independent Travelers

I first visited Spain when I was a student at university in England. I flew to Barcelona and met friends ...

Artsy and independent travel in France with world-class museums and cultural landmarks

Visiting France: My Best Tips for Artsy & Independent Travelers

I first visited France on my epic around-Europe trip with my mom when I was fourteen. We only went to ...

Colorful historic buildings and boats along Nyhavn harbor in Copenhagen, Denmark

Visiting Denmark: My Best Tips for Artsy & Independent Travelers

If I were thirty years younger, I'd seriously consider living in Denmark. It's just so, I don't know, Danish. Denmark ...

Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, a fairy-tale landmark and iconic sight for artsy and independent travelers visiting Germany

Visiting Germany: My Best Tips for Artsy & Independent Travelers

On my first epic round Europe trip when I was a teenager, I only visited Munich, where I was impressed ...

Visiting Iceland: My Best Tips for Artsy & Independent Travelers

Iceland rewards the artsy traveler with some of the world's most amazing scenery. For such a relatively small country, Iceland ...

Visiting Portugal: My Best Tips for Artsy & Independent Travelers

I have visited Portugal several times since my first visit in 2010 during which I quickly realized that Portugal is ...

Visiting England: My Best Tips for Artsy & Independent Travelers

England has played a major role in my life since I first visited on my epic European trip with my ...

View of ocean and windmill from Mykonos in Greece.

Visiting Greece: My Best Tips for Artsy & Independent Travelers

Greece was not on my radar until relatively late in my European travels, which turns out to have been my ...

About Carol

Carol M. Cram writes novels inspired by the arts; runs Artsy Traveler, an arts-focused travel blog, and Art In Fiction, a curated database of 2,700+ novels inspired by the arts; and hosts The Art In Fiction Podcast. She has also authored 60+ textbooks on computer applications and taught at Capilano University for over two decades. Carol lives with her husband, artist Gregg Simpson, on beautiful Bowen Island near Vancouver, BC.