The ‘Little Gems’ of Europe: Five places you should visit this summer

York (England)

You won’t find anywhere in the North of England that says ‘medieval’ quite like it, York is an exceptional cultural city with an historic architecture to please any type of person. Whether you want to shop the day away through York’s busy streets or experience the dark history of the city at the ‘York Dungeons’, you won’t leave unsatisfied by the experience.

How to get here: If you’re based in England, York is fairly easy to access by train. However, if you’re from overseas, flying to either Manchester airport or Leeds/Bradford airport is your best bet; you will then drive or get public transport to York.

I interviewed Becky Finn, who has lived in York all of her life, to give you an insight to what to expect when visiting York.

Annecy (France)

Annecy is an alpine town in the South-East of France, which I believe should be the number one location on your travel itinerary. Famous for its startling lake and the alpine mountains that surround it; you for sure won’t fail to take some great pictures.

With such an incredible backdrop, there’s a reason to why everyone in this town is always outdoors. Whether you want the swim in the pure water of Lac d’Annecy, discover the old town ‘Vieille Ville’ or hike the surrounding mountains, you will forever remember this phenomenal town.

How to get here: Your best bet, if you’re flying from the UK, is to fly to Geneva, Switzerland; then drive or catch the train to Annecy, which is approximately a 50-minute drive.

Geneva (Switzerland)

Geneva, a muti-cultural city filled with all sorts of life and charm. It is among the Europe’s richest and also most expensive, however don’t let this put you off. Situated on the shores of Europe’s largest alpine lake, Geneva has everything you want from a city, if you’re looking to ‘splash the cash’, you won’t be far from the designer clothes shops and big-time jewellers such as Rolex. However, if you’re looking to find the ‘urban’ side of Geneva, I suggest coming away from the silky smooth lakeside promenades, and head into the Pâquis quarter or take a walk along the river Rhône and discover the local bars and restaurants, which are bound to touch your taste buds.

How to get here: Geneva airport is very close to the city, so access by air is fairly easy from most major city airports. If you’re travelling by train from another European city, Geneva’s train station has incoming trains from all sorts of major cities and towns.

Trieste (Italy)

This has to be the most unexpected addition to the list, mainly down to being the ‘hidden city’ of Italy. Located in the North-East of Italy, just a few kilometres from the Slovenian border, is Trieste, an Italian port city, which I believe is one of the most underrated and unfairly over-looked cities in Europe; especially when you have the likes of Rome and Venice sharing the same country. However, in terms of Italian cuisine, historic castles and astonishing sunsets, Trieste is a serious competitor to the ‘big dogs’ of Italy.

How to get here: Flying to Trieste from the North of England may prove to be abit tricky unless you fly to Venice, then catch a train or drive to Trieste, but at least you have an extra city to visit. On the other hand, if you’re from the South of England, flights regularly depart from London Stansted to Trieste.

Travelling to Italy — Vox Pop

I took to the streets to ask people if they’ve travelled around Europe and where, this was my favourite one.