3Mar, 2023

London, United Kingdom

London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a 21st-century city with history stretching back to Roman times. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and Westminster Abbey, site of British monarch coronations.

Time in London:

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London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a 21st-century city with history stretching back to Roman times. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and Westminster Abbey, site of British monarch coronations. Across the Thames River, the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the South Bank cultural complex, and the entire city.

Sir Christopher Wren’s 17th-century St. Paul’s Cathedral towers above ‘The City’, where London’s global Stock Exchange conducts its business. Royal sites include Buckingham Palace, housing the monarch’s main residence and offices, and the Tower of London, a former prison that’s home to the Crown Jewels. The British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern explore local and

international history and art. West End theatres present classic and cutting-edge drama. Covent Garden, Soho and Spitalfields Market are popular dining and shopping areas. Major public spaces include Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park and Hampstead Heath.

When to visit

London is a year-round destination, getting busiest Jun–Sep and in the run-up to Christmas and New Year (Dec). Jul–Aug is when many Europeans take holidays, so visitors may face more crowds and limited availability of hotel rooms.

Key events include the London Marathon (Apr),
Notting Hill Carnival (Aug),
Frieze London art fair (Oct).
Sep–May is the city’s primary season for theatre, opera, ballet and classical music.
Summer’s warmer weather brings many free outdoor music and theatre festivals.

3Mar, 2023

Paris, France

Paris, France's capital, is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral.

Time in Paris:

2017-12-16 18:21:43 epa06394144 An illuminated Christmas tree is erected in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, 16 December 2017. After being cancelled in the past two years, since the November 2015 Paris attacks, the Notre-Dame cathedral forecourt is decorated with a Christmas tree again. EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON

Paris, France’s capital, is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is known for its cafe culture and designer boutiques along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

The famed Louvre museum houses da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” The Musée d’Orsay has Impressionist works by Monet, Degas and Renoir. On the Seine’s Right Bank, the Montmartre neighborhood is home to Sacré-Coeur Basilica and sweeping hilltop views. In the Marais, nightclubs sit among restored 17th-century mansions. On the Left Bank are the Latin Quarter, bustling with Sorbonne scholars, and the historically bohemian Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

The city’s open-air cafes are an institution for casual eating and people-watching. Fine-dining restaurants, bistros, markets and patisseries reflect other aspects of France’s famed culinary heritage.

When to visit

Paris is a year-round destination, but a common time to visit is summer (May–Jul), when the weather is warmest.

In June, the streets come alive for the Fête de la Musique.
Fête Nationale (Bastille Day) takes place Jul 13–14.
Many shops and restaurants close in August, when locals head off for holiday.
Many museums offer free entry during Journées du Patrimoine (Sep).
Paris is also busy during Fashion Week (Mar/Sep) and the Mondial de L’Automobile show (Oct).
Winters can be cold and damp, even snowy.

3Mar, 2023

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ capital, known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, legacies of the city’s 17th-century Golden Age. Its Museum District houses the Van Gogh Museum, works by Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum, and modern art at the Stedelijk.

Time in Amsterdam:

Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ capital, known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, legacies of the city’s 17th-century Golden Age. Its Museum District houses the Van Gogh Museum, works by Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum, and modern art at the Stedelijk. Cycling is key to the city’s character, and there are numerous bike paths.

Vondelpark has cafes and an open-air theater, and the nearby Royal Concertgebouw is a prominent classical-music venue. In the Jordaan district are shops and galleries, as well as the Anne Frank House, where the Jewish diarist hid during the Second World War. Dining ranges from casually decorated “living room” restaurants to traditional Dutch eateries and Indonesian rijsttafel (“rice table”) specialists. Coffee shops sell small amounts of marijuana.

The neon-lit Red Light District is home to the Erotic Museum, exhibiting provocative paintings and prints. In spring, Amsterdam is a base for visits to the surrounding tulip attractions.

When to visit

Popular times to visit are during tulip season (mid-Mar–early May), summer (Jun–Aug) when the weather is mild and warm, and fall (Sep–Oct).

Key events include King’s Day (Apr), celebrated with flea markets, outdoor concerts and an abundance of orange, the national color.
Gay Pride (Aug) is a citywide street party with a parade of boats down Amsterdam’s canals. Winters are cold and damp.

3Mar, 2023

Madrid, Spain

Madrid, Spain's central capital, is a city of elegant boulevards and expansive, manicured parks such as the Buen Retiro. It’s renowned for its rich repositories of European art, including the Prado Museum’s works by Goya, Velázquez and other Spanish masters.

Time in Madrid:

Madrid, Spain’s central capital, is a city of elegant boulevards and expansive, manicured parks such as the Buen Retiro. It’s renowned for its rich repositories of European art, including the Prado Museum’s works by Goya, Velázquez and other Spanish masters. The heart of old Hapsburg Madrid is the portico-lined Plaza Mayor, and nearby is the baroque Royal Palace and Armory, displaying historic weaponry.

In the 1970s Madrid became the epicenter of La Movida, a burst of expression in the arts. The Prado forms a “Golden Triangle” with the Reina Sofía Museum (home to Picasso’s “Guernica”) and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Sunday flea market El Rastro is in the medieval La Latina neighborhood, popular for nightlife, theater and tapas bars. Central square Puerta del Sol houses the statue of the Bear

and Strawberry Tree from the city’s coat of arms, while the Museo Arqueológico Nacional displays a vast collection of historic artifacts. Real Madrid, the dominant soccer club, plays at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

When to visit

Madrid is a year-round destination, with more visitors arriving in the warmer months Apr–Oct, though the city tends to empty in Aug when temperatures soar and shops and restaurants may be closed.

Major local events include the San Isidro Festival (2 weeks in May), celebrated with parades, street parties and bullfights;
Madrid Pride Week (Jun or Jul).
New Year’s Eve (Nochevieja) is celebrated by thousands in the Puerta del Sol square.

3Mar, 2023

Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy’s capital, is a sprawling, cosmopolitan city with nearly 3,000 years of globally influential art, architecture and culture on display. Ancient ruins such as the Forum and the Colosseum evoke the power of the former Roman Empire.

Time in Rome:

Rome, Italy’s capital, is a sprawling, cosmopolitan city with nearly 3,000 years of globally influential art, architecture and culture on display. Ancient ruins such as the Forum and the Colosseum evoke the power of the former Roman Empire. Vatican City, headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, has St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, which house masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes.

The 18th-century Spanish Steps sit at the heart of Rome’s high-end shopping district, with designer boutiques lining Via Condotti and Via Borgognona. Visitors toss coins into the iconic, baroque Trevi Fountain. The Pantheon, dating to the second-century A.D., holds Raphael’s Renaissance-era tomb. Rome’s hearty cuisine includes such traditional dishes as carbonara, amatriciana and saltimbocca.

After-dark activities range from seeing one of Verdi’s classic operas at Teatro dell’Opera to club-hopping in working-class Testaccio, once the city’s slaughterhouse district.

When to visit

Rome is a year-round destination, but peak travel season is Apr–Jun. Many shops, restaurants, and hotels close in Aug, when locals go on vacation.

Holy Week and Easter (Mar/Apr, dates vary),
the Rock in Roma music festival (Jul),
the period between Christmas and Epiphany (Jan 6), when many businesses are closed, though there is a large Christmas market in Piazza Navona.