Europe

Overview – Best Places to Visit in Europe

Europe is the ultimate dream destination for Indian travellers — a continent where world-famous landmarks, centuries of art and architecture, dramatic Alpine landscapes, and vibrant modern cities are packed into a geography you can traverse by train in a matter of hours. A European Grand Tour covering France, Switzerland, and Italy offers arguably the finest introduction to what the continent has to offer: the romantic boulevards and magnificent museums of Paris, the snow-capped peaks and turquoise lakes of the Swiss Alps, the gondola-laced canals of Venice, and the ancient power of Rome's Colosseum and Vatican. These three countries alone offer a lifetime of discovery, and together they form one of the great travel itineraries of the world. Paris — La Ville Lumière, the City of Light — is one of those cities that genuinely lives up to its reputation. The Eiffel Tower, viewed from the Champ de Mars gardens as the iron lattice glows gold against a twilight sky, is as breathtaking in person as it is in every photograph. Built in 1889 as a temporary exhibition structure, it has become the most visited paid monument on earth. The Louvre Museum, the world's largest art museum, houses the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and over 35,000 works across 73,000 square metres of gallery space — you could spend a week here and still not see everything. The Arc de Triomphe stands at the top of the Champs-Élysées, and from its roof you can look down upon twelve grand avenues radiating outward like spokes from a wheel. Paris also has one of the world's strongest Indian communities — Indian restaurants, especially around the Gare du Nord area and in the suburb of Saint-Denis, are accessible and affordable. Switzerland is the jewel of central Europe — a small landlocked country of extraordinary natural beauty whose landscapes have inspired artists, writers, and travellers for centuries. The Swiss Alps in their summer grandeur present an almost impossibly perfect picture: meadows of wildflowers leading to glacier-fed rivers, rising to dramatic rock walls topped with permanent snow. Interlaken, set between two lakes in the Bernese Oberland, is the gateway to the Jungfrau region — home to the Jungfraujoch, the 'Top of Europe' at 3,454 metres, accessible by a spectacular rack railway that tunnels through the heart of the mountain. From the observation deck at Jungfraujoch, the view over the Aletsch Glacier — the longest glacier in the Alps — is one of the most awe-inspiring sights in all of European travel. The Swiss cities of Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, and Geneva each offer their own character — medieval covered bridges, café-lined lakefronts, and the deep peace of a country that seems to have perfected the art of living well. Italy completes the Grand Tour with an incomparable combination of ancient history, Renaissance art, and world-class food. Venice is unlike any other city on earth — a medieval island city of 118 islands connected by 400 bridges and 150 canals, where the only traffic is gondolas, water taxis, and vaporetti (water buses). St Mark's Square, the Doge's Palace, and the Rialto Bridge are among the most photographed sights in the world. Rome, the Eternal City, layers three thousand years of history upon itself: the Colosseum (70 AD), the Pantheon (125 AD), the Roman Forum, and St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City — the world's smallest sovereign state and the centre of global Catholicism. Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, houses Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's Birth of Venus at the Uffizi Gallery. Italian food — fresh pasta, risotto, Neapolitan pizza, gelato, and espresso — is a language of pleasure that needs no translation, and vegetarians are very well served across all Italian cities. For Indian travellers, the Schengen Visa is the essential document for Europe — a single visa that covers 29 European countries including France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, and more. The Schengen Visa for Indians is applied for at the consulate of the first country of entry (or longest stay) — the application requires passport photos, flight and hotel bookings, travel insurance, bank statements, and an income tax return. Fees are approximately EUR 90 (₹8,000–10,000 depending on exchange rates) plus a processing agency fee of ₹1,500–2,500. Processing takes 15–30 working days, so applying 2–3 months before travel is strongly recommended. Explore our curated Europe holiday packages at hmxglobaltravels.in for handcrafted multi-country itineraries with private vehicle transfers and guided tours.

Things to Do in Europe

Top attractions and experiences for your Europe tour package

Europe Travel Guide – Tips & Advice

• 1Schengen Visa is required for Indian citizens to visit France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, and most of Europe. Apply at the consulate of the first entry country (or the country where you will spend the most time). Required documents: passport (valid 6+ months beyond travel), photographs, confirmed flight and hotel bookings, travel insurance (minimum EUR 30,000 cover), 3 months of bank statements, salary slips or ITR. Fee: EUR 90 (₹8,000–10,000) plus agency fee. Apply at least 2–3 months before travel — processing takes 15–30 working days.
• 2Currency: Euros (EUR) in France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands; Swiss Franc (CHF) in Switzerland. 1 EUR ≈ ₹90–95; 1 CHF ≈ ₹95–100. Cards are widely accepted across Europe but carry some cash for markets, museums, and smaller restaurants.
• 3Book flights early — direct Air India flights from Delhi to Paris or Rome fill up fast, especially in May–August. Book 3–4 months in advance for best fares. Emirates, Lufthansa, and Air France are good one-stop options via Dubai, Frankfurt, or Paris.
• 4Jungfraujoch railway tickets must be booked in advance, especially in summer (June–August). The round trip from Interlaken Ost costs approximately CHF 230 (₹22,000). Book via the Jungfrau Railways website for the best rates.
• 5Venice: Get an early start at St Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace (open from 9 AM) — by mid-morning the square fills rapidly. The city is extremely crowded in July–August; visit in April–June or September–October for a better experience.
• 6Rome Colosseum tickets sell out days in advance in peak season — book online at coopculture.it or through a guided tour. Entry without booking can mean waiting 2–3 hours in queue.
• 7Vatican City: Free entry to St Peter's Basilica and Square; Vatican Museums (including Sistine Chapel) require advance booking. The museums are closed on Sundays (except the last Sunday of the month, when entry is free). Modest dress required — no bare shoulders or shorts.
• 8European trains are the best way to travel between cities — fast, punctual, scenic, and often cheaper than flying when booked in advance. Paris to Zurich: 4 hours by TGV. Venice to Rome: 3.5 hours by Frecciarossa. Book on Rail Europe or Trainline.
• 9Travel insurance covering EUR 30,000 medical cover is mandatory for a Schengen Visa application. Buy a comprehensive policy that also covers trip cancellation and lost luggage.
• 10Indian vegetarian food is available in all major European cities — particularly London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Zurich have large Indian communities with dedicated vegetarian restaurants. In Italy, pasta with marinara sauce, margherita pizza, risotto, and antipasti mezes offer excellent vegetarian options natively.
• 11Tipping: In France, round up the bill or leave 5–10%. In Italy, a coperto (cover charge of EUR 1–3 per person) is standard at sit-down restaurants; rounding up is appreciated. In Switzerland, service is usually included — rounding up is polite.
• 12Keep your passport and important documents secure — Europe is generally very safe but pickpockets operate in crowded tourist areas (especially Rome's Colosseum, Paris's Eiffel Tower queue, and Barcelona's Las Ramblas). Use a money belt or hotel safe.

Europe FAQs – Europe Tour Package Questions