Featured Links

ABOVE: A supermarket in Paris, France.

The archived links below are from the "Featured Links" section of our Europe for Visitors home page. They're listed in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent.

For thousands of other links with descriptions, see our city guides, our many European travel articles, and the 200+ pages of links in our Europe Travel Planner.

Zürich Airport
We're big fans of Switzerland's largest airport, which offers "Fly-Rail Baggage" and other services from an onsite railroad station.

Ex-cons guide tourists in Naples
The Daily Mail reports on a Neapolitan program that authorities claim has reduced petty crime against tourists.

The Beatles Story, Liverpool
"The world's only Beatles-themed attraction" is located in Liverpool's historic Albert Dock.

International London Tattoo Convention
Some 20,000 people showed up for last year's edition of Britain's most important body-art show; the 2009 convention will be at Tobacco Dock from Sept. 25-27.

ms Rotterdam becomes the "love boat"
In July, 2009, the captain of Holland America Line's ms Rotterdam helped a Dutchman propose to his cruising girlfriend from shore.

Euromast Suites, Rotterdam
Enjoy "sweet dreams at 100 meters" in either of two suites with dizzying views and the highest balcony in Rotterdam.

The Great River Race
On September 5, 2009, London's "river marathon" will pit 300 crews against each other for a 22-mile (35-km) upstream rowing race from the Docklands to Richmond.

Zürich Airport
Along with Munich International Airport, ZRH is at the top of our "favorite international gateways" list. Its railroad station has frequent trains to downtown Zürich and many other cities.

Lavaux Panoramic
See the Lavaux vineyards above Lake Geneva by "tourist train" from April to October. (In French, but you can translate with Google.)

Visit Flanders
The Tourist Office for Flanders is one of two tourist offices that represent Belgium in the U.S.; the other, the Belgian tourist Office, focuses on Brussels and other French-speaking areas.

What a Trip
Northern California travel writer Nancy D. Brown covers Europe and other destinations in her blog. Recent entries include articles about Switzerland.

CGN, Lake Geneva
Switzerland's Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman operates cruises and scheduled boat service on the largest lake in Central Europe.

Open-this-Gate.com
The German National Tourist Office celebrates the 20th anniversary of the "Fall of the Wall."

Montreux Jazz Festival
The grande dame of European jazz, pop, and rock festivals is still going strong after 32 years. The 2009 festival is from July 3-18.

Canal Voyagers
Tour Britain's inland waterways by hotel narrowboat. Two vessels, the Snipe and Taurus, travel in tandem to offer 4-, 5-, and 7-day cruises for up to 9 guests at a time.

The Isle of Bute
"The Jewel in the Clyde" is the ancestral home of the Stuart royal dynasty in Scotland. Today, it attracts visitors with a jazz festival, an agricultural show, more than 20 miles of country walks, and traditional B&Bs like The Port Royal Hotel, a.k.a. The Russian Tavern.

MOSI: Underground Manchester Gallery
The Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester, England has a section devoted to water and sanitation--complete with a simulated Victorian sewer and a history of the toilet.

Barrier Free Travels
Candy Harrington's blog has "travel information for slow walkers to wheelchair users." She's also the author of a book, Barrier-Free Travel.

The Man in Seat Sixty-One
Don't let the obscure title fool you--this site is packed with at-a-glance timetables and other useful information for planning a rail trip between the UK and the Continent.

BMW Museum, Munich
After years of preparation, BMW's new museum is open with seven exhibition areas that cover 90 years of the company's automotive heritage.

Tandoori Love
"Madame, you marry me, I will cook for you" is one of the more memorable lines in this Bernese-Oberland-meets-Bollywood movie from Switzerland.

Belgian Brewers
Search for Belgian breweries and their Web sites alphabetically or by location.

Industrial Heritage Trail, Germany
Former factories, museums of technical and social culture, and a 400-km circular route through Germany' Ruhrgebiet honor 750 years of industrial history in the region.

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
Britain's most popular amusement park attracts 7 million visitors a year. It has 145 rides and shows, loos that have won Toilet of the Year awards, and a "Big Blue Hotel" on the premises.

The British Library, London
Feeling the economic pinch? See the Magna Carta, the Gutenberg Bible, Beatles music, and other treasures without spending a pound.

Bear Pits & Park - BernInfo
This fall, the 500-year-old Bärengraben in Bern, Switzerland will be replaced by a large "bearpark" that will give more play space and privacy to the city's mascots.

Albert Dock, Liverpool
Britain's most celebrated 19th Century dock complex is now home to the Merseyside Maritime Museum, the new International Slavery Museum, the Tate Liverpool, the Beatles Story, and other attractions. (Also see VisitLiverpool.com.) 

GoNomad: Seville's Flamenco Museum
Hunter Styles wrote this illustrated review of a performance at the Museo del Baile Flamenco, where you can tour the exhibits before a stunning (and sweaty) performance by world-class dancers and musicians.

Passion Play of Škofja Loka
Slovenia's best-preserved medieval town will stage its 18th Century Passion Play for the first time in nine years, from March 28 to April 19. (See www.slovenia.info for tips on travel to Slovenia.)

British Lawnmower Museum
See lawnmowers of the rich and famous, the first solar-powered robot mower, and more at a museum in Lancashire. (And remember: "When the growing gets rough, the tough get mowing!") 

e²: Paris Vélo Liberté (video)
In Paris, the Vélib' bicycle-sharing program has been a resounding success.This 3-minute PBS video clip in MP4 format shows the program in action and discusses the study that preceded its introduction.

Parlo con Carlo
If you're looking to learn conversational Italian and can't afford to live in Italy, ask Carlo Pescatori--a former chemist who resides in Venice--to deliver live lessons via Skype. (Carlo also rents three Venice vacation apartments in the building where his family lives.)

Bicycle Day Trips Around Amsterdam
Catch the train to Weesp, where you can rent a bike for a customized guided tour of rural landscapes and historic towns.

Bicycleband Crescendo
If you like tubas with your two-wheelers, watch this YouTube video of a Dutch marching band on bicycles.

Enjoy England's North Country
This official tourism site offers trip-planning advice, special offers, and bookings in four neighboring regions: North East England, Yorkshire, England's Northwest, and the Isle of Man.

National Railway Museum, York
Britain's--and the world's--largest railroad museum has more than 100 locomotives and attracts some 840,000 visitors per year.

Perfect Places to Hit the Hay in Germany
Can't afford a hotel? Try a hayloft. (This article is from The New York Times.)

Digital City: Hunter Walker
Read the blog of an up-and-coming travel writer--including a lively piece titled "Inside an Amsterdam Marijuana Coffee Shop."

Café Nol Amsterdam
You needn't be a hipster to enjoy drinking in Holland's capital. This friendly, funky pub in the historic center of Amsterdam is a haven for tipplers who are middle-aged or older. (How can you not like a tavern that plays Dutch covers of Golden Oldies?)

Traveling Boy
More than a dozen travel writers have banded together as "the traveling Boitanos" to cover destinations around the world. (One of my favorites: John Clayton, who has visited 51 countries and broadcast more than 5,000 radio travel features.)

From Wawa to Paris
Tom Douglas, a Canadian travel writer, publishes an electic, entertaining blog for active and armchair travelers.

Isle of Man Tourism
Biking, birdwatching, and motorcycle racing are some of the popular activities on this scenic, self-governing island in the Irish Sea.

MedJetAssist
International evacuation by air ambulance can leave you bankrupt, unless you've planned ahead. (MedJetAssist is geared to residents of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with expat memberships available at a higher cost.)

SwizerlandMobility
Hike, bike, skate, or canoe your way through Switzerland--a country with 1,100 km of skating trails alone!

VVdeFrance.com
This French-language directory has links to official sites for cities, towns, and villages throughout France.

The Time Zone Converter
In addition to a "What time is it in..." window, this site has a time-zone reference card, lists of time zones for specific countries, and links to other time-related pages.

Trabi Safari
Are you headed for Berlin or Dresden? Take a local driving tour in a Trabant (Eastern Germany's Communist-era cult minicar), with your guide giving directions through the radio.

Midsomer Murders Locations Index
Are you a fan of the long-running British TV and DVD movie series? If not, why not? And if so, you can plan a self-guided tour of Midsomer movie locations with this guide.

PutYourFlareOn
An American expat blogs about living in Paris, motherhood, and buying a café, L'OisiveThé, in the French capital's Asian district near the Place d'Italie.

Fright Nights
Britain's "Original Ghost Hunting Company" has evening tours, ghost festivals, haunted weekends, and even ghost-themed corporate events.

Pension Milou
How can you not like a canine pension famille on the Côte d'Azur where guests can share the owner's bedroom and the Web site has a quote that reads, "Dogs are our link to paradise"?

Vauban.de
In Freiburg, Germany, an old military site has been redeveloped as a "sustainable model district" with 5,000 residents, energy-efficient housing, and an emphasis on people instead of cars.

Tourist Remover
Are people blocking your photos of the Eiffel Tower, St. Peter's Basilica, or Westminster Abbey? Scrub 'em out with this online picture-editing tool from Snapmania.

Career in Norway
The booming Norwegian economy needs qualified foreign workers, and this Web site can help you find job postings in six major categories. The site also has information on living and working in Norway.

Pagan Holiday: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists
Tony Perrottet's book (originally published as Route 66 A.D.) is a lively, historically fascinating account of Grand Tours in the Classical Era, interpersed by reports on the author's modern-day experiences in the same locations.

Dialects of English
Before heading for the hinterlands in the UK (or to its former colonies), read Dr. C. George Boeree's discussion of regional pronunciations and slang.

HareFares.com
Looking for budget-airline routes in Europe? Pick your departure and destination countries, choose from the airports shown, and bingo! You'll get a list of low-cost carriers that connect the two cities.

GoBarging's Renaissance
The new, luxurious flagship of European Waterways Ltd. offers 6-night river and canal cruises in rural France, with pickup and dropoff in Paris.

SharonArts
Sharon Kivity, a British arts manager, offers cultural tours for opera and classical-music fans. This year's tours include the Festival de Ópera & Música Clássica in Ponte de Lima, Portugal and the Festival de Valloires in Picardy, France.

Eurostar's New Station: St. Pancras International
The London terminal for Eurostar's high-speed train service has moved, and travel times are now as short as 2 hrs 15 minutes to Paris and 1 hour 51 minutes to Brussels.

ChinaMusing
Kunming is a long way from Europe, but Jade Frank's blog about living in China is great background reading for anyone who's ever considered teaching English abroad. (Jade wrote our Amsterdam Dungeon article while living in the Netherlands.)

PintPrice.com
Looking for a cheap spot for your bachelor party, kegger, or hiccuping holiday? Use this database to see where beer prices are at their best.

European Boating Holidays
Pilot a self-drive boat in Ireland, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, or Poland. Two brands, Locaboat and Cardinal, offer a choice between traditional comfort and five-star luxury.

Bayerische Staatsoper
The world-renowned Bavarian State Opera offers several hundred opera, ballet, and chamber-music performances each year. The Nationaltheater, the Staatsoper's main venue, offers public tours at 2 p.m. on most days, and the Munich Opera Festival takes place in summer.

Capital One
At a time when most U.S. credit-card companies are giving travelers the shaft with foreign-transaction surcharges, Capital One remains a refreshing exception. (And no, I'm not being paid to say this.)

Travel Website Owners
Looking for indepedent travel-planning sites by professional travel writers? TWO (see logo below) has a directory that you can search by region, country, or other topic.

The World Clock: Europe
See what time it is in European cities, or use the site's time zone converter.

Petite Anglaise
This blog by an Englishwoman in Paris is so popular that it spawned a six-figure book deal.

Easy Access Europe Tips
This page at Ricksteves.com has useful advice and links for disabled travelers.

Jungfrau Marathon
Forget running on city streets--in the Bernese Oberland's gruelling mountain marathon, runners huff and puff uphill from Interlaken to Kleine Scheidegg.

Bonn, Germany
The capital of the former Bundesrepublik is a lively cultural center, with fine museums and a month-long Beethovenfest in late August and September.

Sion Tourism
Switzerland's oldest city has hilltop castles, a new "sound and light" show, and easy access to French-speaking ski and summer resorts.

Flatseats.com
If you're lucky enough to travel business or first class, use this site to find the most comfortable seats on dozens of international airlines.

Project Alptransit Gotthard
Learn what's happening in the world's longest railroad tunnel, which will carry trains at up to 250 km/h when it opens for business in 2016.

Rome Reborn
Before visiting the Eternal City, see what it looked like at the height of its development in 320 A.D. The site's gallery includes still images and video clips of a computer-generated 3D model.

Pech Cujoul
Sharon Kivity of Sharonarts (which offers cultural and winetasting tours) recommends this "absolutely beautiful" gite, or rural holiday home, in the Lot region of France. 

The London Project
Read about "one city, seven million stories" at a Web site created by 60 journalists from 30 countries at City University London.

Fête de la Musique
One day a year, in late June, amateur and professional musicians turn into buskers all over France. (This slow-to-load site will open in a new browser window.)

The Train Chartering Company
Book a private train for your next family reunion or other group event "from anywhere to anywhere."

Couchsurfing.com
Crash with a stranger in any of 213 countries.

Ecofriendlytourist.com
This British site bills itself as "the user-friendly guide to green holidays" in the UK, with practical advice, links to tour operators, volunteer vacations, etc.

Phaeno
Germany's newest science museum is a sculpted building with 250 hands-on experimental stations for children and adults. It's next to the ICE train station in Wolfsburg, within walking distance of Volkswagen's Autostadt.

Schmetterlinghaus, Vienna
Commune with butterflies in Emperor Franz Josef's greenhouses, just 200 meters from the Vienna Opera. 

RFI Radio: Français Facile
Improve your French by hearing today's news on Internet radio. (Click "lire le script" to read text as you listen to the recorded 9:30 a.m. newscast.)

An American Dog in Paris
Read about the adventures of a Shetland Sheepdog and her owners, Tom and Maxine, during a two-month sojourn in the City of chiens.

i-Métro
Calculate point-to-point journeys on subways, trams, and buses in 200+ cities around the world, using the Web or your mobile phone.

Meet the Parisians at Work!
The Paris tourist office and Meeting the French offer low-cost guided visits to artists' workshops, designers' studios, chocolatiers, etc. You can even schedule behind-the-scene tours of theatres, racetracks, and the Paris Heliport.

Digital Photography Review
Before buying your next camera, read the in-depth reviews and news from Phil Askey and his staff. (DPreview.com has been online since 1998.)

LifeStraw.com
For a token sum per year, your charitable organization can protect a resident of a third-world country against waterborne diseases. The secret: a "personal water purification tool" that works like a drinking straw. (In the UK, see Rotary FiltaStraw.)

Gallery of Guidebooks
Read these mini-reviews from the San Francisco Chronicle before shopping for a guidebook series.

HiddenTrails.com
Two horsewomen told me about this company, whose outdoor vacations include equestrian tours. (When I met the women, they were on their way home from an "intensive" riding tour of mountains and beaches in Catalonia.)

La Charterie
This B&B in St-Aubin de Scellon, Normandy is highly recommended by a Canadian couple. (See their comments.)

Vermeer Art Tours in Amsterdam
Dr. Kees Kaldenbach, an art historian who specializes in Vermeer, offers 2½-hour tours that combine a lecture at his home with a guided tour through the Vermeer collection at the Rijksmuseum.

Travelinsider.com
Michael McColl's Web site was mostly in beta the last time I checked, but his e-mail newsletter about air travel is a "must read" for frequent flyers.

Johnny Jet
The peripatetic Mr. Jet offers travel tips, links, and a blog about his adventures around the world. (If you're lucky, you may run into him during your own travels.)

Map Scarves
Wear a silk map of London, Paris, Venice, or any of  half a dozen other European and U.S. cities around your neck--or, if you're male, turn your wife or sweetheart into a cartographic cutie.

Dogs Away
If you're planning to take a pet from Britain to Continental Europe, the humans at Dogs Away can help you cope with requirements of the PETS travel scheme.

The Euro: Our Currency
The EU's official Web site for the euro has pictures of banknotes and coins.

The Tent (Munich)
Stay in the big tent or bring your own shelter from late May until the end of Oktoberfest. The 33-year-old nonprofit Kapuzinerhölzl campground has brand-new toilets, hot showers, and a self-service laundry.

Kling Tut Vest
On your next long-distance flight, sleep like a mummy with your arms above your tummy.

European Beer Guide
Ron Pattison's directory is loaded with information about breweries and pubs, but turn on your pop-up blocker before you visit.

Swiss Railroad Station Check-In
Get your airline boarding pass and send your luggage ahead to the airport at more than 50 Swiss railroad stations. Or check your baggage through from your foreign departure airport to a Swiss railroad station with the Fly-Rail Baggage service.

Il Bragozzo
Tour the Venetian Lagoon in a replica of the traditional sailboats used by Adriatic fishermen and traders.

Spitsbergen Travel
Head north to Svalbard, Norway for Arctic expedition cruises, kayak trips, glacier treks, snowmobile adventures, and guides who'll protect you from polar bears.

Airlinemeals.net
High-altitude diners record their encounters with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks on routes around the world.

Seat Guru
Find seat maps (with comments on good and bad seats) for airlines and airplanes around the world.

ViaMichelin
Plan your European motoring itineraries with the Michelin Man's map site.

The Corries
See and hear the Corries perform their unofficial Scottish national anthem, "The Flower of Scotland" (a crowd favorite at Hampden, Scotland's national football stadium).

Sunrise and Sunset Calculator
Enter a location and date to determine sunrise, sunset, and twilight times for the city you'll be visiting.

Nando's Chicken Restaurants
"The home of Portuguese flame-grilled peri-peri chicken" has scores of restaurants in England, Scotland, and Wales. (My wife and I recently dined at London's Victoria branch, where the food and staff teamwork were first-rate.)

Ionad Foghlama Chléire
Bring 4 to 14 friends, and Cape Clear Island Language Services will teach you Irish (a.k.a. Gaelic) on an island off Ireland's southwest coast.

Bringing Pets to the UK
Before bringing a dog, cat, or ferret to Britain, learn whether your animal can avoid quarantine with the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS).

Slovenian Tourist Board
The Mediterranean meets Central Europe in a country with a long history and a lovely landscape. Ljubljana is Slovenia's capital.

The Art of Loving Switzerland
Anne Stockwell of The Advocate describes an Alpine art and architectural tour. Also see her article on Stress-Free Switzerland.

Nôtre Dame Cathedral in Paris
Learn about the building, check the mass and concert schedule, and climb the cathedral towers.

Kropla.com
Steve Kropla has everything you need to know about international phone-dialing codes, electrical voltages and plugs, and more.

Avalon House Hostel, Dublin
Our 19-year-old son recommends this hip hostel in a converted Victorian medical school. You can rent guitars and Irish drums at the reception desk.

Ramones Museum Berlin
Join a "rollercoaster ride through 22 years of fun, punk, bubblegum and trauma" at the world's first museum of Ramones memorabilia.

Meeting the French
Laurence Monclard and her colleagues offer dinners in Parisian homes, along with tours of gourmet shops, patisseries, and artisans' workshops.

Murphy's
Guinness may be good for you, but the people of Cork, Ireland claim that Murphy's Irish Stout is even better.

Rivella
In Switzerland, one of the top-selling soft drinks is made with milk serum

Kebab Mahal
Looking for a good but cheap meal in Edinburgh? Try this friendly little restaurant on Nicolson Square, between the Festival Theatre and the Central Mosque.

PPS: Great Public Spaces
The Project for Public Places describes "great public spaces, great community places" throughout the world--along with user nominees for its "Hall of Shame."

Best of the Alps
A dozen of Europe's top mountain resorts offer time-tested summer and winter pleasures for English-speaking travelers.

American Red Cross
Donate your money or time to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

O'Brien Animal Transportation & Services
When your dog, cat, or elephant goes flyin', leave the paperwork and other details to O'Brien.

Sirens Resort for People with Disabilities
This resort in Skaloma, 1½ hours from Athens, offers five accessible apartments, a beach with a sea ramp, physiotherapy, and more.

SwissWorld
This information portal to all things Swiss is from Presence Switzerland, an official body that promotes Switzerland abroad.

Czech Tourism
To paraphrase Horace Greeley, "Go east, young man" (or young woman) to the Czech Republic in the heart of Central Europe.

SouthWestWalks Ireland
Linda Woods and John Ahern offer guided and do-it-yourself walking itineraries throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland. (Personally recommmended.)

Railfaneurope.net
View the photo galleries, browse European rail links, and learn about some of Europe's fastest trains.

Spirit of Paris
Michel Colson offers more than 100 stunning photos that range from scenic panoramas to lifestyle shots. (One of my favorites is a blur of bicycles from the Tour de France.)

OurUptown.com
This site isn't about Europe, but it's produced by our son, which is good enough for us. (OurUptown.com is a resource guide for the neighborhood of Uptown Minneapolis.)

Weatherbase.com
Look up high and low temperatures, rainfall, and other monthly averages for more than 16,000 cities around the world.

Zürich Street Parade
Up to half a million fans dance to techno and house music in Zürich, Switzerland each August. Learn how you can join the party.

Schnellbahn Wien
Thomas Kohlwein's comprehensive guide to Vienna's metropolitan railway network includes basic information for English-speaking visitors.

Cadbury World
A family-oriented chocolate theme park and factory tour in Bourneville, England, just south of Birmingham. Admission isn't cheap, but free chocolate bars are handed out during the tour.

ParisSkyPictures.com
Click the arrondissement numbers or use the menu windows to view aerial photos of Paris and other locations by professional pilot Jean-Louis Schmidt.

Paris Promenades
This "visual journal" focuses on the city's history. Click on the aerial  arrondissement photos for virtual tours.

Map24.com
Plan routes and view static or interactive maps with Europe's most technologically advanced map portal.

Americans in France
Jeff Steiner has articles and links for expats and visitors, including firsthand reports on his own experience as an American in France.

VisitOrkney
Neolithic sites, scenic hikes, birds, and the world's northernmost whisky distillery are just a few reasons to visit this archipelago of 70 islands off Scotland's northern coast.

Historic Highlights of Germany
Get tourist information on 13 German cities of "special charm, architectural brilliance, and historic character."

Discover Spas: Spas in Europe
Julie Register's worldwide Spa Register lists "day and stay spas" in nearly two dozen European countries.

BikeToursDirect
This American company offers escorted and self-guided bike tours from local operators, at local prices, in 27 European countries.

ViaMichelin
Use the "Driving Directions" form to plan your trip, or request an online map from the ViaMichelin database.

Eolo
Cruise the Venetian Lagoon aboard one of the few remaining bragozzo sailboats in Venice.

Busking Tips
Guitarist-vocalist Jesse Gersenson offers tips on singing or strumming for your supper in Europe and other parts of the world. (He also welcomes contributions to his Busking World Report.)

DoggiePubs
"Find out where you and your best friend are welcome" in Britain. From our collection of featured links.

Hotel Amenities: What You Can Take Home
Jana Jones of Sleeping-Around.com explains what hoteliers want you to take--and what they expect you to leave behind.

Tsunami Relief
Google has links to organizations that are accepting donations and channeling relief to countries that were devasted by tidal waves on December 26.

Passport Newsletter
The original "insider's newsletter" for luxury travelers has been dispensing reviews and tips to subscribers since 1965.

Aude Chambre d'Hôtes
This B&B was built in 1923 as the mansion of an industrialist. It's in Espéraza, a former hatmaking center (and home of a dinosaur museum) in the South of France.