Forget the crowded beaches of Albania or the overpriced tourist traps of Western Europe. Vilnius is a wildly affordable, virtually uncrowded European capital where the streets are safely frozen in time, the medieval magic is real, and a beer costs just $3. But with international tourism to this $60-a-night Baltic gem surging nearly 19% in …

Forget the Mykonos windmills and Santorini’s overpriced blue domes. Those are the islands everybody seems to flock to year in, year out, and granted, they do have their charm. If you want Aegean views without the cruise hordes, the elbow-to-elbow crowds, or the eye-watering villa prices, you need to look further east. If, like me, …

While Spain protests your arrival and Italy charges a premium just to sit on the sand, one breathtaking Mediterranean paradise is actively begging tourists to visit. No “go home” graffiti, no $15 drinks, and zero EU fingerprinting lines for Americans. If you are exhausted by the horror stories coming out of Europe’s most popular beach …

If you think Spain’s best summer escape is in Madrid or Barcelona, you’re looking in the wrong place. This year, the crown goes somewhere completely different—an island that’s quietly trading its sleepy Mediterranean reputation for serious momentum among American travelers. Welcome to Mallorca. With pristine calas, storybook medieval villages, and a glamorous coast, it’s officially …

This is rich coming from someone who’s always banging on about nipping down to Italy every chance they get for a bit of sunshine and their beloved pistacchio gelato by that stone jetty, but I’m not sure if you’ve been following the news lately, but Europe is going bonkers with their EES rules. The (now) …

Millions of Americans are about to battle the insane crowds in Greece and Italy this summer. But did you know you can unlock a stunning, crowd-free Mediterranean haven on a single, direct flight? I’ve spent enough time hauling my camera gear through packed, sweltering European tourist traps to know that shoulder-to-shoulder crowds completely ruin the …

Italy is one of those countries that no matter how hard I try to take a break from, I keep getting drawn back like bees to honey. 50 Italian cities in, 13 out of 20 regions visited, and all of the country’s mainline tourist destinations ticked off, I could in theory, you know, hang the …

If you’re a faithful Travel Off Path reader, and you’ve been following my own adventures on here for the past half-decade, you probably know by now I have a soft spot for a little offbeat European gem. I haven’t done everything, of course, but 40-plus European countries in, from remote Portuguese islands marooned in the …

Is it just us, or has the medieval city surrounded by ancient walls archetype been effectively co-opted by Dubrovnik lately? You’ve got Instagrammers to thank for that, and of course, a certain HBO blockbuster series that keeps on milking the hype years after it wrapped up. As much as we love those teal Mediterranean waters, …

Booking a summer trip to Europe usually feels like choosing between two terrible options. You either fly direct into a massive, overcrowded tourist trap like Paris or Rome, or you spend 18 hours navigating a brutal maze of layovers and terrifying commuter flights just to find a quiet beach. Starting my travel days flying out …

Everyone knows Venice for its winding canals, imposing Byzantine basilica, and grand palazzi built along busy waterways, but have you ever heard of the Eastern European Venice? Well, there’s a bunch of cities that actually lay claim to that title, including… ahem, Saint Petersburg in Russia, but only one of these orient-leaning ‘Venices’ is actually …

If you’re thinking of going on a little impromptu trip to Europe this summer, but you’re unsure where to go with reports of crackdowns on Airbnbs in Barcelona and increasing curbs on mass tourism across Amalfi, we have just the answer for you. Tucked away in the southern corner of Portugal, hugging the bright-blue Atlantic …