Forget your Romes, Parises, Londons of the world: if you’re keen on a European getaway in 2027, but you don’t actually fancy dodging literal dumpster fires and Haussmann boulevards overtaken by violent protests, you might want to give the traditional European city circuit a miss.
Lesser-known European cities that have been historically overlooked by tourists are stepping into the spotlight at last, and the proof is in the numbers.
According to Booking.com, perhaps the leading platform for hotel and experience reservations in the world, 3 smaller Euro gems are trending among travelers for 2027, and given the trends observed, we can’t say we’re surprised:
- 67% of travelers are craving a ‘plot-twist’ kind of getaway: they want their destination to surprise them in some way
- 65% are interested in trips that feature Gothic, or thriller-adjacent experiences, and nothing fits that square better than medieval towns
- 81% would pick a destination based on ‘vibes’: they’re more interested in how they’ll feel once there, rather than having a strict checklist of sightseeing spots
Ready for the top 3 reveal?
Europe’s Top 3 Trending Destinations According To Booking
Reims, France
The first European feature on the list is Reims, a smaller cathedral city in northeastern France that Travel Off Path has already covered in depth in this accompanying article. Talk about being ahead of the curve.
Roughly 50 minutes by high-speed TGV train from Paris Gare de l’Est, Reims is actually home to France’s most important Gothic cathedral, the soaring Notre-Dame de Reims, which if I may say so myself, is way more impressive, and way-richer in detail than Paris’ own.
Reims’ Gothic beauty rises 266 feet high, with three stunning stone-carved portals crowded with saintly figures, elaborate tracery and delicate reliefs, but step inside and you’ll find a vast rose window, 125-foot rib-vaulted ceilings, and the very altar where generations of French kings—from Louis the Pious in 816 to Charles X in 1825—were crowned.
Gothic vibes? Check, but that’s not the only reason why you should swap a burning Paris for quieter, uncrowded Reims:
It has a fascinating history stretching as far back as the 1st century BC, and its Roman-built Porte de Mars feels like THE ancient blueprint for the Arc de Triomphe. Nearby, the Cryptoporticus is a network of partly buried galleries dating to around 200 CE.
Other than offering a far calmer pace than the City of Light, and keeping you well clear of Paris’ main protest flashpoints, Reims is also the unofficial capital of Champagne—yep, as in the world-famous sparkling French export—so expect a whole host of bistrots serving cheese platters paired with bubbly, locally-produced Champagne.
Make sure you swing by Arbane on quiet Rue Noël, a local institution awarded with two Michelin stars just this year. This is a cosy, highly praised eatery known for its painstaking attention to detail, outstanding Champagne selection, and meticulously crafted seasonal menus.
Bratislava, Slovakia
Small capitals are where it’s at in 2027, and Bratislava might just be the ultimate pick: none of the overwhelming hustle and bustle of the average European metropolis, less opportunistic crime, and fewer uninspiring office blocks and busy thoroughfares swallowing up the historic core.
Bratislava Old Town does feel like being in a Disney movie, mind, with its stone-paved lanes running past old burgher houses and historic taverns, tightly-packed between remnants of city walls, and enough church spires to keep punctuating the skyline.
Did we mention the stunning whitewashed castle on a mound overlooking the Danube that looks like it was cropped straight out of a storybook?
The difference is, it still feels lived-in: locals haven’t been entirely pushed out of their historic centre, it’s not all Indian-run souvenir shops and kebabiers, and it’s somewhere both locals and tourists actually hang out.
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Bratislava is the perfect introduction to that lesser-known Slavic realm that is Slovakia:
It’s a short 55-minute train ride from Vienna, a convenient entry point for Americans crossing the pond, prices are by all means affordable by European standards—a hearty plate of bryndzové halušky with a half-liter jug of beer costs around $14—and it’s safe.
The 481,000-strong compact capital has far less exposure than Western Europe’s biggest tourism hubs to extremist threats, organized pickpocketing and street-level violence, despite sitting on their literal doorstep: central Bratislava lies only around 2 miles from the Austrian border.
On the Travel Off Path Traveler Safety Index, a live tool measuring safety perceptions using reports from recent visitors, Slovakia scores a certified-safe 86 out of 100.
Pescara, Italy
Away from the polished theatrics of Amalfi, and the increasingly bougie beach-club scene of Puglia, Pescara is a hidden treasure of the Italian Adriatic that locals themselves would love to keep secret for a little longer.
If only Booking hadn’t blown the cover…
The main card the platform plays is Pescara’s fresh, straight-off-the-boat seafood, and indeed, this unpretentious seaside city has a plethora of family-run, no-frills trattorie to its name.
The best pallotte cacio e ova—cheese-and-egg dumplings popular across the Abruzzo region—are found here, and you haven’t lived until you’ve tried brodetto alla pescarese, a peppery, vinegar-laced fisherman’s stew.
Then again, seafood and nonna cuisine aren’t the only way to our hearts.
Pescara has that real, slow-paced, everyday Italian life that seems almost entirely lost elsewhere in the Boot: city life largely centers on a 6-mile lungomare, where seafood restaurants and cycle paths run alongside a long, sandy beach hugged by azure waters.
Though this is definitely not the destination for imperial ruins or diehard Roman-history aficionados, Pescara Vecchia has its own fair share of historic sights:
Corso Manthonè is dotted with 18th and 19th-century buildings, and smaller veins lead to tiny piazzette flanked by family-run osterie.
Better yet: there’s far less of the average Italian hub’s traffic chaos, busy train stations prowled by professional pickpockets, or busloads of day-trippers who can think of little beyond their selfie sticks and perfect angles.
Gothic Vibes
Swap crowded Paris for this quieter city featuring a stunning Gothic cathedral, Roman history, and two Michelin star bistros serving local bubbly.
Storybook Charm
Experience a safe, affordable Slavic capital with a whitewashed castle on the Danube and historic taverns without the usual tourist traps.
Adriatic Secret
Escape the Amalfi crowds in this unpretentious seaside city known for fresh seafood, quiet cycle paths, and an authentic beach promenade.
Plot Twist Trips
Sixty seven percent of travelers are actively seeking surprising destinations that offer a plot twist away from traditional crowded European capitals.
Chasing Vibes
Modern travelers prioritize how a destination feels over rigid sightseeing checklists, driving interest in quiet, atmospheric medieval towns.
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