Food and Wine Trips in Europe

This itinerary shows Germany's cities, and precisely what they have to offer. You'll tipple to your hearts content in the beer gardens of Munich, see the magnificent architecture of Dresden—much of it restored since the fall of communism—before finishing up in Berlin, the design center of Germany and home to many of its modern architectural masterworks.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• History
• Food and Wine
• Art and Culture
• Architecture

This itinerary stops in cities with a focus on tasty brews, from the brown cafés of Brussels and Amsterdam to the specialty brews of Liege and Ghent, to the bustling byways of Antwerp and side streets of Brugge.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Shopping
• Food and Wine

See the best of West Germany's castles with this itinerary. It starts in Koblenz's Festung Ehrenbreitstein and moves through the three castles in the St. Goar region and the academic treasures of Heidelberg, before finishing at the castle-hotel in Neckarzimmern, the Burg Hornberg. This trip offers some of Germany's best castles, with plenty of local wine to make the learning fun.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Architecture
• Food and Wine

This itinerary moves up the coast from the City of Light to the city of nightlife. Along the way you'll see Delft's bandbox charm, the beers of Brussels, and the medieval delights of Brugge. Traveling by train is the best way to go.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Great Train Ride
• Food and Wine

The southern islands of Crete and the Dodecanese are full of superlative experiences: a lost civilization, deep gorges, Crusader's castles, and isolated beaches. This itinerary will take you through all of them, beginning and ending in Athens.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Natural Beauty
• Food and Wine
• Archaeology
• History

This itinerary showcases some of the best that Portugal has to offer, at a relaxed pace. Start your journey exploring Lisbon, before heading north to discover hilltop towns, castles, and fishing villages. Burn off all the rustic food by hiking in the massive Serra da Estrela, and don't miss the port-making region before heading south again to Lisbon and back home.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Food and Wine
• Architecture
• History
• Shopping
• Nightlife

Got kids? Then they—and you—will love this family itinerary to France. This trip is designed with their short attention spans and interests in mind. It has a good dose of fun, including a visit to Euro Disney, as well as just the right amount of time dedicated to museums and churches.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Food and Wine
• History
• Art and Culture
• Architecture
• Museums

This trip, true to its moniker, gives you all the best of the Netherlands and Belgium. Start among Amsterdam's canals, see the seaside by The Hague, and check out Rotterdam's busy nightlife. In Belgium, you'll see Brugge's medieval splendor, the artistry of Ghent, and the street life of Brussels before heading home.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• History
• Food and Wine
• Natural Beauty
• Nightlife
• Architecture

Traveling Ireland by rail is one of the best ways to tour the country. There are no white-knuckle rides as you face large tour buses on narrow, winding roads (and not to mention the stress of driving on the left). You can just sit back, relax, and take in the brazenly scenic landscape while enjoying a picnic lunch on the train. Starting from Shannon, this itinerary hits some of the most popular sites in Ireland, from Limerick and Blarney Castle to the famed Ring of Kerry and Kilkenny, before ending your trip in Dublin.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Food and Wine
• Natural Beauty
• Art and Culture
• Architecture

Why choose between visiting France or Spain? On this trip you'll hit the big cities like Madrid and Toulouse as well as spend time in each country's lesser known towns, like Zaragoza and St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. You'll go through mountains, vineyards and little coastal villages while exploring outstanding museums and churches.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Natural Beauty
• Food and Wine
• Nightlife
• Shopping

Starting in Barcelona and gently curving east, this itinerary showcases the highlights of northern Spain, along with Madrid. You'll explore fishing villages in San Sebastián and rocky beaches along the Basque Coast before hitting the museums of Bilbao. The trip winds down in Madrid, where you can tour the Prado and dance the night away.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Natural Beauty
• Food and Wine
• Museums
• Architecture
• Art and Culture

What's better than a road trip to explore a country? In this itinerary, you'll be road-tripping around Greece and criss-crossing from Attica to the Peloponnese to explore some its top ancient sites. You'll see the ruins of sacred Delphi, where the Oracle once uttered its prophesies, the ancient theater at Epidauros that had room for over 14,000 people, and the city which was given to Achilles as a gift.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Archaeology
• Food and Wine
• History
• Natural Beauty

This trip focuses on the best of Germany's southern region. From the bustling beer gardens of Munich to the financial buzz of Frankfurt, along the way you'll see the old-fashioned pomp of Augsburg, the scholarly focus of Heidelberg, and the perfectly preserved streets of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Art and Culture
• Food and Wine
• Museums
• History
• Nightlife

This itinerary takes you to three of Spain's greatest destinations: Barcelona, Madrid, and Seville. Each city has its own charm and attractions. You'll take in art museums and architecture, as well as superb cuisine—with plenty of time for breaks in parks or the beach. Best of all, these cities are linked by high speed trains.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• History
• Architecture
• Museums
• Food and Wine

Beginning in London, this trip highlights some of the quintessential attractions and cities in both England and Ireland. You'll see treasures ancient and new, from the Tower of London and the Roman spas at Bath to the Book of Kells and one of Ireland's liveliest cities.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• History
• Food and Wine
• Art and Culture
• Architecture

No one has mastered the art of living well as successfully as the Italians. This itinerary highlights locales in northern Italy that are dedicated to pleasure, from a luxurious lakeside getaway to gorgeous wine country to a cliff-lined seacoast. The trip is proof that you can have a wonderful Italian vacation without seeing one Renaissance masterpiece or setting foot in a cathedral—though there are plenty of opportunities to do both if you want to.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Art and Culture
• Food and Wine
• Natural Beauty
• Shopping

"Mezzogiorno" means "midday"; it's the informal name given to southern Italy, a region where a blazing sun heats up villages (sometimes making it imperative to remain indoors during peak summer hours) and casts a commanding glow. This is a magical land whose "Renaissance" happened in the 13th century during the reign of Frederick II. A car is usually the best way to get around, as train service can be slow and erratic. A quick overnight in Rome kicks off this road trip. You then go south to the beautiful Amalfi Coast, after which you'll head to Puglia, known for its mysterious trulli and its phenomenal food. From Puglia, you'll turn back north to bustling Naples, and wrap things up with another day in Rome.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• Architecture
• Food and Wine
• Beaches
• Museums
• Great Drive

This itinerary gives the best of what Austria has to offer—and some bonus Bavaria. After Vienna, head west through the gingerbread towns of Dürnstein and Bad Ischl, then to Salzburg, Mozart's birthplace and stomping grounds, and finally to Munich's beer gardens and Bavarian beauty. From classic operas to lemon sponge cake and cathedrals, you'll get a real taste of Hapsburgian grandeur.

This Trip's Top Experiences:

• History
• Food and Wine
• Art and Culture