Europe: How the West Is One

The European Union's European Navigator (ENA) provides historical background and useful official documents and clippings exploring the formation of Europe. The perspectives are drawn primarily from government officials, lawmakers, journalists, and other writers, and each section introduces you to different angles of modern European history.

Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door 2007 was written by a seasoned and Europe-obsessed travel writer who has also produced other books, television and radio series, and a Web site that we profile in the "How will I get around when I'm in Europe?" section of this guide. He updates his series of printed travel guides yearly, with country and region additions including a general Europe guide. One Amazon.com user recommends this book especially for new travelers to Europe, and another suggests reading the book in its entirety before departure. You can access portions of the book online at Rick Steves' Web site.

Let's Go Europe is an annual Europe guide from the Let's Go travel series that covers the continent very thoroughly. This guide is best for the ambitious traveler-one who is considering tackling several European countries at once, rather than just one or two.

Europe on a Shoestring is from Lonely Planet, the well-known travel-guide publisher that also produces "Shoestring" guides on individual countries and regions. The Europe edition is a popular resource with students and other travelers interested in getting the most out of their money. Emphasis is on the western European countries, but one reader notes that the 2007 guide has been updated to include every European country. Lonely Planet also posts extensive Europe travel content online.

Budget Travel is an online travel magazine that covers all regions, and has an especially thorough and innovative section on Europe. Emphasis is on thrift, spotlighting surprising locales and affordable hideouts. Also check out this index of articles on Europe, including pieces on "Italy's Newest Art District," "Paris's Top Baguettes," and "Ditch the Crowds," a profile of the Andalusia region of Spain.

Independent Traveler published this article, "Planning a Trip to Europe: Your 10-Step Guide," with the soloists in mind, but the advice is pertinent to anyone going to Europe. Get simple tips for booking accommodation and transport, and link to multiple resources: airlines, accommodation finders, and users' trip reports.

World Travel Guide is an encyclopedic travel resource with a page devoted to notable tourist attractions in many European countries. Click on the name of the attraction for more information about the sight as well as contact information and amenities available, such as parking.

TimeOut is the popular event magazine covering dining, music, readings, lectures, art shows, comedy, and more. Check out the "City Guides" section for a directory of events and sights in dozens of European cities.

Free in Europe is an ultimately helpful listing of free tourist attractions in numerous European countries, despite its cluttered layout. The site lists churches, cathedrals, shopping areas, gardens, and more, and includes direct links to the destinations' official sites where applicable. Be aware that some links on this site do not work, but the majority do and are quite useful.

The U.S. Department of State puts together a comprehensive guide called "Background Notes" that covers every country in the world for the benefit of travelers. These guides are updated frequently and will give you an encyclopedic rundown of a country, shedding light on military and political situations and noting whether the U.S. government has issued any warnings. After exploring the link above, take a look at the "Consular Information Sheets" page, which explains the foreign entry requirements for every country, including vaccination and visa needs.

Europe for Visitors is the reference site of Durant Imboden, a well-known U.S.-born European travel writer who has been mentioned in publications like USA Today and The Washington Post. His site is an important tool both for the first-time and seasoned European traveler. The section "Other Practical Information and Travel Tips" provides some important links and advice on safety, learning languages, traveling on your own, cameras, tax-free shopping, and more. Also check out the index to "General Advice", which provides insight on insurance, money, luxury travel, packing, and beyond.

World Travel Tips is an independent site that includes user input and pinpoints what makes each country in the world unique: What is its population? What are its major cities and unique towns? What customs should you be aware of before you arrive? For example, the country profile page of Russia quickly and clearly brings you interesting cultural anecdotes, and profiles some potential travel destinations.

TravellersPoint is a relatively new travel site specializing in destination guides by a hired staff of travel writers, and has an accommodation section that's very useful for last-minute hotel and hostel deals. Browse the "Europe Forum" to discuss travel ideas and experiences with other site users (free membership is required). Site users can also contribute their experiences in the "Blogs," "Photography," and "Forums" sections.

My European Adventure is the blog of California resident Daniel Scriver, who spent 40 days traveling around Europe in 2006. He documented his whirlwind trip with photos and video in this neatly designed blog.

RealTravel is one of the largest travel sites on the Web, depending on traveler input for its vast amount of content. Users upload travel photos, create blogs chronicling their journeys, review accommodations, and generally aide their Web-surfing peers in a better understanding of the locations they've visited. Visit the "Europe Blogs" section and choose the countries that interest you to view illustrated diaries of others' experiences.

EuroTrip provides planning for "backpacking, hostels, bus, and train travel on a budget across Europe." Apart from all the tools needed to book a multi-destination European trip, there's also a handy bookstore that includes the "Let's Go" and "Lonely Planet" series. The instruction on the site is not vast, but you will find plentiful accommodation reviews, advice on ticket buying, a heavily used forum section, and a rental car search engine.

Tickets to Europe is more specialized than many other flight search engines. The focus is on travel to and from the United States and Europe, including less mainstream destinations like Hungary and Estonia. Airfare is not as cheap as on the flight search engines in our next section, but this accounts for the trans-continental aspect, as well as for any transfers necessary within the United States and Europe. The site's "Travel Tools" section is also worth a look. Here you'll find currency converters, weather information, country dialing codes, and more general travel resources.

Kayak has a clean and fresh design approach to flight, hotel, and car rental search. The site produces many search results for U.S.-to-Europe flight travel and trawls more than 140 other sites in compiling its data. As an alternative to a site like Expedia, Kayak is optimal, as it includes large airlines like Alitalia, smaller carriers like BMI, and other engines like LastMinuteTravel.com.

EuroCheapo , whose slogan is "We've been there," trawls hotel sites like Booking.com to find the most affordable hotel rooms in dozens of European cities, including Lisbon, Krakow, and Nice. The site's clean design and clear pictures take the mystery out of finding hotel and hostel accommodation. The site is also spruced up with useful features like its "European Bus Guide" section, which we recommend in the "How will I get around?" section of this guide.

Hotique is a directory of some of the most high-end hotels in the world, whether they're known for their famous architect, special amenities, or gorgeous locations. Several unique places in Europe are on the list, including the Xara Palace in the city of Mdina, Malta, and the 1896 industrial shell that now houses the Gastwerk Hotel in Hamburg, Germany.

Hostelz is a large database of hostel room listings worldwide, with two sections devoted to Western Europe and Eastern Europe/Russia. Head to one of those pages for a clean, uncluttered index of the cities and towns in which hostel listings can be found. Even lesser-known countries, such as Andorra, are covered. The site also benefits from "brutally honest" comments and reviews from users.

Transitions Abroad is an online publication specializing in resources for international studying, working, and living. This article discusses camping around Europe, taking into consideration RV travel and tents. Author Edward Newton "has traveled to more than thirty countries for trips of up to one year.”

Eurocampings is a UK-based site that has compiled a list of campgrounds in approximately 30 European countries. There are useful details to the site, such as the amenities search, which includes swimming pool, shower/hot water, and coast proximity. There are also campground selections specifically with winter sports, disabled travelers, and naturists in mind (top right-hand side of the page).

Sleep and Tell is a hotel review site that includes 16 major European countries, including Germany, the UK, Portugal, and Turkey. Users give hotels ratings that include categories such as "cleanliness of rooms," "spaciousness of rooms," and "hotel surroundings." The hotels' individual profile pages list their ratings, amenities, photographs of the property and rooms, an explanation of basic features and location, and quotes from former guests.

HotelChatter is one of the most thorough European hotel reviews on the Web, as it covers all 45 European countries. But reviews are not as comprehensive as on SleepAndTell. You will find photographs of the hotels, the average price of a room, and in some cases, "Stories" accompanying the hotel's page, written by former guests. Browse the "Hotels in France" page, for example, and you will be presented with a blog-type design that lists large, clear photos of hotel rooms with accompanying words about the experience of a stay there.

EuroTrip , mentioned in the "How do I get there?" section of this guide, has a good hostel directory and review section that covers 20 or so of the most popular country destinations in Europe. Where applicable, users have provided comments to describe their stays; if not, the directory solely lists location and contact information.

Rick Steves , a European travel expert who has produced television and radio shows, also has an excellent Web site where you'll find possibly the best independent, unbiased guide to Eurail on the Web. Start at "Step 1: How Eurail Passes Work" to learn which countries cover the passes and what each type of pass can be optimally used for. Move on to Step 2 for suggested timetables and guides to using the Eurail to create a multiple-step vacation. It's also worth exploring Steves' "Plan Your Trip" section, which is a general guide to European travel highlighting some of Steves' destination picks, other travelers' suggestions, and a "Favorite Links" area at the bottom of the page, which lists accommodation options, transportation links, and sightseeing ideas.

RailEurope clearly explains the variety of rail options available while traveling in Europe, whether you're visiting one country, two, or several (see the menu in the left sidebar). Specials and promotions are clearly highlighted on the homepage, as are some of the most popular train itineraries including Italy, France, and Switzerland. The site also features a hotel finder, specials targeted at students, groups and seniors, and a ticket shipment tracker tool.

Eurail.com is the official site of the trans-European train company. Here you will find the most accurate timetables and secure means of purchasing Eurail tickets, which can be mailed to your door in five days. Consult the Eurail FAQ for a quick summary of the Eurail system and answers to payment and ticket type queries.

UrbanRail is a site that has been online since 1997, started by a German man who has since compiled dozens of subway and tram lines for European cities, which can be printed out and taken on your trip. The design of the site is clean and colorful, and the number of lines currently available is extensive, ranging from Amsterdam to Warsaw with about 40 in between.

Momondo is a Europe-based low-cost flight search engine with a crisp, bright design. Momondo offers a price calendar, which lets you view fares across days quickly and easily, and has created a hotel search. For high end, "highly individualized" hotels, visit "Hip Hotels", which have been chosen by the site staff. This human-powered editorial element is an encouraging feature. For flights and hotels, Momondo also searches hundreds of other sites, including engines like Expedia and LastMinute.

DoHop , based in Reykjavik, Iceland, immediately tells its visitors that more than 650 airlines are used in its search process. An added bonus of this clean and easy-to-use site is its Travel Guides, which tell you all of the airlines based in a country, as well as every airline that flies to that country.  This site is an excellent bookmark as an airline reference source, even if you do not book through it.

SkyScanner is a flight search tool targeted at the European traveler, though you will also find airfare results for flights to and from the United States, Australasia and the Middle East. SkyScanner, unlike some of the flight search sites you may be used to, like Travelocity and Expedia, often features low-cost European-based airlines like RyanAir and easyJet in its results. User reviews report that this site is best for flights originating in the UK.

EuroCheapo , the accommodation finder, also features a very comprehensive guide to bus travel around Europe. The staff admits to being "train snobs" before discovering the perks of cheap cross-European air and bus fare. Check out the "Bus Information by Country"  section to find specific routes available for 35 European countries (and counting).

BusAbout is a bus tour operator for dozens of well-known European cities and several smaller destinations, such as Lagos, Spain, Siena, Italy and Bordeaux, France. The "European Explorer" section explains options for Europe enthusiasts, and the emphasis is on adventure and flexibility. Go to the "Trip Options" section to learn about the company's northern, southern, and western loops, as well as the Flexitrip, which lets you travel between two or more separate loops.

BikeAccess has an online directory of bike rental facilities in dozens of European countries and cities.

Euro-Bike and Walking Tours provides single- and multiple-country bike and walking tours in Europe and New Zealand. Consult the index page of current tour options for brief descriptions of what's on offer. Click on the links to the individual tours' pages to learn pricing, accommodation, and a more detailed itinerary.

GORP provides quick descriptions and pricing for bike tours up front, with listings available in dozens of European destinations. You can book your tour through the site, and it is recommended to surf around GORP, as this is one of the best specialty adventure travel sites around. You can find user reviews of equipment, accommodation, and transportation, much of which is relevant to travel in Europe. Be sure to check out "Top Europe Trips," which lists many adventures, not just bicycle-bound trips.

CruiseDirect is a cruise search engine that covers several major cruise lines including Cunard, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean, all of which operate Europe-specific cruises out of ports such as Istanbul, St. Petersburg, and Monte Carlo. Use the search engine on the right-hand side of the page to do your own search based on desired locations. Take note of other areas of the site, such as "Group Cruises" and "Last Minute Cruises," both listed at the top of the page.

CruiseCritic will give you more from the traveler's point of view, with written reviews and ratings of cruises worldwide. Click on any of the six categories of Europe cruise destinations to learn more about routes and regions. The "Find a Cruise" option (located at the top of the page) allows you to book through the site. Be sure to check out the "Features" section, with tools like "Ask the Editor" and special articles on cruise-related safety issues, particularly weather.

easyCar is the global rental car service and offshoot of popular low-cost airline easyJet. easyCar offers three different classes of cars and many makes in over a dozen countries. Pick-up is available at many locations in major cities or at airports. The easyCar site is particularly easy to use, too, mimicking the clean orange design and simple search functions of easyJet.com.

EuropCar is a rental service catered to U.S. and Canadian residents looking to rent a car in Europe, as well as some African and Middle Eastern countries. Conveniently, cars can be picked up and returned in different countries. and insurance add-ons are also available through the site. The site is an excellent pre-trip organizational tool, allowing model selection, providing insurance add-ons, and even a hotel-finder tool, located in the left-hand sidebar.

AutoEurope is a rental car wholesaler that offers some great deals for the top destinations across Europe. If you're planning a European road trip, this site is for you.