What are the best cities in Europe to visit ?

I love Venice. Yes it's expensive and crowded but you can find cheaper and less crowded bits if you hunt around. We've been a few times and I really want to go back.
I also love Seville and Madrid.

Don't miss Barcelona, for Gaudi's astonishing architecture, the fountains, the restaurants and the general vibe.

Definitely milan and Rome!

When we visited Vienna we loved the fact that the public transport was so amazing and well integrated that we could not only get round so many fabulous sites in the city but quickly go to the outskirts for a cruise on the Danube.

Sadly, in the last year, travelling on public transport is less of an attraction, but right from the beginning of the pandemic the Viennese have continued to use it, always wearing masks, using hand sanitiser and observing social distancing.

I love Venice too, spring or autumn better than mid summer crowd wise . Berlin is also very interesting, not that pretty given war damage but it’s funky, quite arty with a good nightlife. Paris is beautiful as is Vienna.

Within 50 km of where I live there are enough interesting and wondrous places to keep you busy for at least a year: Heidelberg, Mannheim, Schwetzingen, Karlsruhe, Speyer, and not much farther out Baden Baden, Cologne, Bonn, Ludwigsburg, Strasbourg, Selestat, Colmar, Darmstadt.... And that's only the cities. The Black Forest and the other woods and mountains along either side of the Rhine valley are not overrun and most welcoming.

Thanks so much for all your thoughts - some really great suggestions there.

I've got my pen at the ready to add to my list

JackyB thanks so much for your insights. Good to see some cities that are perhaps less well known. I can feel a tour of the area coming on. I'd plan to do it independantly travelling from place to place by train perhaps.

For me, it has to be Florence. It is astoundingly beautiful, not too big to walk round, and has the most amazing artwork, gardens and buildings of anywhere I’ve been.

Of the places you mentioned, Verona is beautiful, can be done in a day. I found Naples a bit too edgy, I wouldn’t walk round after dark if you know what I mean.

One of the most interesting cities I’ve been to is Dresden, the work to repair the damage left by the war, and the impressiveness of the communist restorations is quite fascinating, it was also very friendly there, not sure that they get a large number of foreign tourists, we certainly didn’t hear lots of British voices.

Istanbul! My favourite city in the world (after Edinburgh!) - and yes, part of it is in Europe. In fact, it's the only city in the world which straddles two continents. Fascinating place, steeped in history, with so much to see and do.

Oh yes Florence is beautiful. We only saw Verona briefly but I did stand on Juliet's balcony!

If you're going to Prague, make time to visit Ceský Krumlov too; it's a stunningly beautiful part of CZ. And if you're going to Ljubljana, leave time to visit Lake Bled.

Paris every time.

JackyB You live in a beautiful part of the world. Bavaria, Alsace and the Black Forest are all lovely.
Germany is not seen as a holiday destination by many British travellers and apart from the middle Rhine with its fairy tale castles and mediaeval villages, you rarely hear English spoken, but most Germans speak English well. We have always found everyone very welcoming.

I’d skip milan frankly although I did live there for four years it’s very different now. Definitely Venice and Florence rather than Verona.
Love Paris and I like Lisbon too. Copenhagen ?

I e never been to Amsterdam..... we were booked to go in March 2020 ?

MayBee70

Paris every time.

Same here MayBee70!

Graz in Austria. Not well known but full of interest. Take a climb up the shaky tower and a bus into the hills in the evening to eat.

Thanks again everyone, some really interesting food for thought there.

My lovely Dad who died at 87 last July was a great traveller. While I miss him every day and am still grieving, I'm planning a range of city trips as a tribute to his memory really. If he was here with me, he would be in his little element helping me with the planning, and would very much approve of me doing them. What I'd give for him to be coming with me. The two of us had a lovey little trip to Budapest in 2018 which is one of the reasons I would like to go back there.

I'm clocking off line for the night now, though look forward to seeing if there are any more suggestions when I'm back on line tomorrow.

Thanks again.

Paris every time, but I would always go back to Regensburg and Bamberg.

Vienna (haven't been for many years) for the cafes and the Jugendstil architecture (Hoffman, Loos, Wager) and the galleries - something to suit all tastes.

Turin and Bologna - both university cities and not crowded with tourists. For Bologna - Rick Stein's weekend programme shows some lovely food. It was on last night again but you'll find it on IPlayer. Turin has a wonderful cinema museum and also the Fiat factory as in The Italian Job. Part of it is now an hotel.

Does it need to be a city?

ITALY
Paestum (Capaccio), Campania
Herculaneum , Campania
Lecce, Puglia
Otranto, Puglia
Manduria, Puglia
Galatina, Puglia
Matera, Basilicata
Assisi, Perugia
Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Campania

BELGIUM
Antwerp

IRELAND
Galway
Cork
Clonakilty
Unionhall
Castletown-Bearhaven
Spiddal

USA
Bisbee, Arizona
Sedona, Arizona
White Bear Lake, Minnesota

Oh. I've drifted to America! Sorry.

Also, I love Naples! How did I miss that one off!

Loved Amsterdam! Easier to get around on foot than a lot of the larger cities. Also liked Prague and Barcelona.

Paris, Venice, Amsterdam, Vienna, Reykjavik, Prague, Dublin, Berlin, Florence, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Krakow, Athens and of course - Glasgow!