The Best Places to Go in Europe in 2024

This is part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2024 – find more travel inspiration here.

At the end of each year, we look ahead to what’s coming next in the travel world as we pick out the top destinations we’d recommend to our fellow globetrotters for the following 12 months. Our expert contributors nominate the destinations that are on the up right now, because of a flock of hotel openings, perhaps, murmurings of Michelin arrivals, shiny new museums or a concerted conservation effort taking root. These nominations make up the Best Places To Go In 2024, in which we shine a light on the destinations that are due their moment in the sun.

This year, as well as turning our gaze to global destinations in the Best Places to Go in the World in 2024, we’re also looking to the spots that are making waves on each continent right now. This list is an edit of Europe's countries, regions, cities and neighbourhoods that are worthy of your time and attention next year.

All 12 destinations are places we’re keeping a keen eye on right now: from first-time sports events in Italy to astonishing nature in Scandinavia and a curious surf scene in France. Happy travels.

All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The grande dame of the Mediterranean remains unrivalled thanks to its pitch-perfect brand of low-key luxury, exceptional service and focus on sustainability. But in recent months, the Balearic island has added even more jewels to its crown; among them is Son Bunyola, Richard Branson’s latest hotel, in the Tramuntana Mountains. Not far from there, in the town of Puigpunyent, the team behind Andalucia’s stellar Finca Cortesin has opened Grand Hotel Son Net in a 17th-century manor house. Also adding to the excitement for 2024 is the slick styling of Ikos Porto Petro, farm turned boutique stay The Lodge and Zel Mallorca – the first Zel hotel is a collaboration between Rafael Nadal and another homegrown big hitter, Meliá. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also the Four Seasons, which takes over the much-loved Hotel Formentor, Mandarin Oriental Punta Negra, beachfront Aethos and Marugal, which has unveiled its second project on the island after Cap Rocat. Meanwhile, S’Arracer del Dimoni hotel will open in Santa Margalida, and Belmond La Residencia will continue its artists-in-residence programme and the third edition of art installation Mitico, in collaboration with Galleria Continua. – María Casbas

Just over the border from San Sebastián, the French resort town of Biarritz is prepped to step out of the shade of its Michelin-star-studded Spanish Basque counterpart and welcome a new generation of sophisticate. They are booking into its artfully resuscitated belle époque hotels, including Experimental’s brand new Regina Biarritz, Unbound’s Hôtel du Palais and enigmatic indie Villa Magnan (book a table at De Puta Madre and dine with local interior designers and filmmakers). The late 20th century was not kind to this beautiful town on France’s southwestern coast, its dwindling fortunes and faded grandeur standing in stark contrast to its late-19th-century and early-20th-century heyday, when Emperor Napoleon III had his summer palace here, and his Spanish wife Eugénie promoted Biarritz as a health resort. Happily, in-the-know Spanish and French urbanites have rediscovered this belle époque delight, lapping up a hip surf scene (Biarritz is one of Europe’s oldest surf destinations, thanks to a bunch of American filmmakers who visited in the 1950s) and fuelling a youthful Basque culinary scene, from the thrilling Les Halles covered market to neo-bistro Epoq and Michelin-starred favourites such as L’Impertinent. – Anna Hart

Is there anywhere more popular than the Greek islands right now? This past summer, the Cyclades – an island group that includes Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Milos and Ios – dominated social-media feeds with beautiful blue and white backdrops, thrilling beach clubs and nightclubs, and unparalleled shopping. With more smart stays being unveiled in 2024, as well as new flights, next summer is the time to make a Cyclades trip happen. Etihad, British Airways and Saudia added new routes to various Greek islands in 2023, plus the 2022 launch of Cycladic, the first inter-island airline, means it’s easier than ever to get there. Hotel business is booming. Santo Pure in Oia on Santorini has just added 20 new suites, and next year it will be joined by sister hotel Santo Mine, a 37-suite luxury resort. Slick boutique hotel Kalesma on Mykonos will launch its spa for the 2024 season, including a hammam and cryotherapy area. Five-star, 80-acre Gundari Resort will open on Folegandros next May, while a new One&Only property will come to Kea in April. Such plush hotels are rare on these islands, expanding the options for luxury stays in the Cyclades. – Ali Wunderman

For the first time ever, the first three stages of the Tour de France will take place in Italy in 2024, a historic moment for the country, the sport and the prestigious race. Competitors will saddle up in Florence, head east towards Rimini on the Adriatic Coast, follow the Apennines north through Emilia-Romagna and complete stage three in Turin. With their truffles and terroirs, Italy’s northern regions are best known for their gastronomic heritage, but two-wheeled pursuits have long been part of the landscape. The 1998 Tour de France champion Marco Pantani was born here, while professional racer Davide Cassani was instrumental in developing the Via Romagna, a 462km network of cycling routes throughout the region. Now, tour operators have upped their game in time for the event: Tourissimo’s week-long cycle holiday is designed to provide guests with live-action access to the tour itself, plus the chance to conquer the hills and thrills of Emilia-Romagna. Ride International Tours and Ride Holidays have released new routes to reflect growing interest in the region, while the looping, leisurely route between Parma and Modena by Inn Travel leaves more time for sampling local delicacies along the way. Those more comfortable on four wheels will find the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and the annual Motor Valley Fest, both in May, irresistible – this is the birthplace of Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini after all – while those who prefer life in the slow lane can board new railway routes between Turin and Canelli with Fondazione FS’s 1930s carriages or take Nightjet’s overnighter from Verona to Liguria (via Milan and Genoa). Make a final pit stop in Pesaro to find out why it’s been crowned Italian Capital of Culture for 2024. – Anna Prendergast

For a bewitching break in 2024, go north. Yorkshire-born sculptor Henry Moore once said: “The observation of nature is part of an artist’s life.” And Yorkshire has some of the most seductive nature: sweeping landscapes like living oil paintings; undulating dales and peaks; deep-forested moors with big skies; heady lavender fields; lofty woodlands filled with birdsong; and golden sandy sweeps skirting the peppermint-blue sea. The Brontës’ romanticism is not lost. In 2024, go stargazing in Yorkshire’s national parks at the magical Dark Skies Festival. The Yorkshire Balloon Fiesta will return to its new home at Castle Howard in 2024, with rainbow-bright, early-morning mass balloon flights and night glows. There were plenty of Michelin mentions for the county in 2023, with keen eyes on the 2024 list, so restaurants with rooms are ramping up. Just up the road from The Black Swan in Oldstead, Michelin-lauded chef Tommy Banks’ latest outpost, The Abbey Inn, opened in May and its three luxurious bedrooms, care of Tommy’s mother, were launched in July. For the ultimate culinary sleepover, stay two nights and eat at both restaurants. Newbie Mýse, helmed by chef-and-sommelier couple Joshua and Victoria Overington, is a petite restaurant with rooms set among caramel-coloured cottages in the sleepy village of Hovingham. Book in for its creative tasting menu, then retire upstairs to one of the cosy-cool rooms. In June, Middleton Lodge, a sustainable luxury retreat bordering the Yorkshire Dales National Park, launched the Forest Spa in the heart of a serenely wooded estate. Don’t pass by honeycomb-hued Helmsley, with its emerging culinary scene and the recent opening of Pignut – a restaurant with a sustainable focus and impressive casual and tasting-menu options. Expect plenty more magic in 2024. – Rachel Everett

Bodø’s position on the pristine shores of northern Norway affords it endless days in the glow of the midnight summer sun and shocks of fluorescent light come winter, when the aurora borealis erupt onto the night sky. This small Arctic fishing town is a European Capital of Culture for 2024, which will result in the area’s largest-ever arts programme, including about 1,000 events and an influx of people interested in creativity in all its forms. The region’s unique Sami heritage is championed here, while striking modern expansion is seen in buildings such as the world-class, harbour-fronting Stormen Concert Hall, which can hold 900 people and will form a crucial centrepoint for the celebrations.

Beyond its cultural accolades, Bodø is also the gateway to the ethereal Lofoten Islands. The dramatic landscape of fjords and jagged peaks makes it a perfect playground for adventurers and photographers alike, offering unforgettable, dramatic views. Adding to Bodø’s appeal is its burgeoning food and drinks scene (try Lystpå for dinner and Brødrene Berbusmel Bakery for breakfast) as well as exciting new places to stay. The Wood Hotel will open in 2024, offering the town’s most luxurious lodgings yet, with pared-back Scandi design and floor-to-ceiling windows. For something a little more in tune with nature, try GlampNord. – Rosie Conroy

Tiny Kosovo lacks the stunning beaches of Albania and luxury resorts of Montenegro, but Europe’s newest country has sky-scraping peaks, pastoral countryside and heart-warming hospitality, a combination ideal for multi-day hiking and biking trips. 2024 will mark the 25th anniversary since the end of the Kosovo war, and there's much to discover in the region now. Following in the footsteps of cross-border adventure trails such as the Peaks of the Balkans and High Scardus, the Trans Dinarica cycling route opens in 2024, making its way past the minarets framing Prizren’s eponymous river, through the Ottoman market town of Gjakova and on to Peja. Perched on the edge of the Rugova Gorge, Peja serves as base camp for the country’s many outdoor adventures, including via ferratas and spelunking. A new pavestone path will soon connect the Lumbardhi River Promenade with the popular Health Trail that is the beginning of the south-to-west route through the inaptly named Accursed Mountains. Two additional forthcoming routes connect trails in the Rugova Mountains to the gushing White Drin waterfall and Radac cave. Steps from the waterfall, the sleek, modern Ujëvara e Drinit Resort specialises in rooms with a view and fresh trout dinners. Through-hikers can rest weary bones and fill hungry bellies further from town along the trails at rural guesthouses such as Ariu, where traditional Kosovar dishes include flija, made with dairy produced on-site. – Naomi Tomky

While the pandemic generated a new type of traveller – nature-loving and environmentally conscious – Asturias did not have to reinvent itself to attract them. The tagline “Asturias, natural paradise”, created almost 40 years ago, represents everything we look for in a getaway. Perhaps that is why this autonomous community is the most dynamic destination in northern Spain; it welcomed more than 2.4 million visitors last year, with more international travellers than ever. The climate also helps: heatwaves are barely noticeable. This is the year to discover its natural spaces, many of them UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, via rejuvenated routes such as the Camino Primitivo, a calmer branch of the popular Camino de Santiago, through some of the country’s least-known regions. Spain’s first rural hotel, La Rectoral de Taramundi, opened here, and other noteworthy addresses include PuebloAstur Eco-Resort in the Picos de Europa mountain range, Ecoboutique’s Solo Palacio and Las Caldas Villa Termal. Alternatively, book into new arrivals Palacio de Figueras from the Vestige Collection or CoolRooms’ Palacio de Luces. The food scene also makes Asturias unmissable. Its “landscape cuisine” rivals that of the Basque Country. There are 11 Michelin stars peppered around the region as well as an emerging culinary movement in the Caudal and Nalón valleys, while chefs such as Natalia Menéndez (Casa Chuchu), Diego García (El Pintu), Paula Lamas and Jairo Rodríguez (Roble) and Xune Andrade (Mont) are on the rise. Regional capital Oviedo has been declared as the country's Gastronomic Capital for 2024, bringing together more than 200 chefs at the Euro-Toques conference in April. – Clara Laguna

For 161 years, Copenhagen’s sprawling Carlsberg brewery held its secrets behind closed gates. When Carlsberg moved away in 2008, a plan was hatched to transform the old site, with its patinaed spires and life-size elephant statues, into a showcase neighbourhood. What attracts residents to the emergent Carlsberg District also charms visitors: copious green space, easy public transit and an evocative mash-up of contemporary and repurposed architecture, anchored by cherry-picked restaurants and shops. At the light-flooded Coffee Collective, they like to serve two roasts at once to contrast the beans’ terroirs. Aamanns, the pioneer of modernised smørrebrød, is also here, along with Neopolitan pizzeria Surt; Kona, a destination izakaya from former Noma chef Philipp Inreiter; and Studio, by Christoffer Sørensen, a Michelin Best Young Chef. Home designers Carl Hansen and Søn, by Adelborg and PP Møbler have arrived. Fashion’s Henrik Vibskov has also moved in, packing his atelier with kaleidoscopic garments, in contrast with the classic suits of Deerest nearby. In December 2023, the brewery itself springs back to life, with a state-of-the-art, interactive visitors’ centre and the revival of its 1847 bar-room. Also to come are Friday summer parties in the courtyard and the unveiling of namesake Carl Jacobsen’s lavish gardens, open to the public for the first time since their 1890 groundbreaking. Afterwards, retire to the windowseat of your room at Hotel Ottilia overlooking the construction cranes. In a city that believes in liveable density, you’re witnessing smart urban planning unfold. – Betsy Andrews

Renowned for its architecture, the Hungarian capital spans everything from art nouveau and neoclassical to gothic and baroque, with the Blue Danube connecting it all like a ribbon. And then there are the mineral-rich thermal baths, featuring ornate design flourishes. The city also buzzes with creativity, which spills over into the vibrant nightlife; the ruin bars district is a tangible example of crafting opportunity from the ashes of adversity following the brutality of Communist rule. November 2023 marks 150 years since the previously divided cities of Buda, Pest and Obuda were unified and, as well as a series of cultural events, the Chain Bridge – the city’s oldest and a “symbol of togetherness”, according to Mayor Gergely Karácsony – has fully reopened after a two-year restoration, granting excellent views of Buda Castle and the Hungarian Parliament Building. New builds such as the spectacular House of Music Hungary and the National Athletics Centre (the central stadium for 2023’s World Athletics Championships) are testament to a city with optimism for its next 150 years, as is Tui’s new route from Manchester, launching in summer 2024. The art deco W Budapest – formerly a palace and on a UNESCO World Heritage-listed street – opened in July 2023 opposite the Hungarian State Opera. Also in the Marriott portfolio is the Dorothea Hotel, with its 216 rooms and glamorous rooftop restaurant. In keeping with the musical events celebrating the 150th anniversary, the 2022 opening of the Hard Rock Hotel – Eastern Europe’s first – combines musical memorabilia (Prince’s faux-fur coat in a shade of, unsurprisingly, purple) with an in-thick-of-it location on Nagymező Street, Budapest’s legendary louche entertainment strip. – Sarah Rodrigues

Not as show-offy as Comporta, much less known than the Algarve and with more surfer vibes than the Costa Vicentina, Costa de Prata (Silver Coast) is the strip of Portugal’s Atlantic seaboard we are most excited about right now. Start a south-to-north road trip in Ericeira, where Aethos Hotels opened an outpost in which smart design is combined with laid-back coastal cool at the end of 2022. It was hot on the heels of Immerso, a hotel full of local crafts and the same truly Portuguese personality as new restaurant and beach club Balagan. Heading north, Areias do Seixo continues to be a benchmark for luxury stays on the Costa de Prata, while in Nazaré, where German surfer Sebastian Steudtner rode a world record wave of 26.21 metres, Ohai Nazaré has family-friendly glamping. A visit to Obidos, one of the most beautiful towns in Portugal, is the perfect excuse to stay at the bohemian Literary Man or, if golf is more your thing, check in at Marriott’s Praia D’El Rey. Along the coast, surfing hub Peniche has standout beaches, including Consolação and is a great jumping-off point for the Berlengas islands, an increasingly less secret paradise. The road trip ends in Aveiro, known as the Venice of Portugal, where MS Collection Palacete de Valdemouro has just opened under the Small Luxury Hotels banner. There’s no doubt that the Silver Coast is on track to take gold. – David Moralejo

So often overlooked in favour of its Dutch neighbour Amsterdam – or mistakenly written off as being as staid as Brussels – Antwerp is easily Belgium's most underrated city. In fact, the diamond capital of the world is somewhat of an undiscovered gem, with plenty of cool and culture for a weekend romp – and it's now easier than ever to visit thanks to the Eurostar from London (or hop on a direct flight and you can be in the city within an hour). There’s an impressive concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants to rival major European capitals. Perhaps best known is two-star The Jane, which was ranked number 39 in this year's World’s 50 Best Restaurants list and will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2024. If the exquisite 14-course tasting menu here is out of budget, the restaurant’s sleek new bar, untitled, which opened earlier this year, offers rustic dishes at a more accessible price point, all lovingly plated before your eyes by chef Joeri Timmermans. After dinner, roll yourself next door to bag a bed at August (a former Augustinian convent turned supremely serene sanctuary), or for a sleepover in the heart of town, sister property Hotel Julien is a design-led favourite. Once you’ve eaten your way through the city’s culinary offerings, walk it all off Zuidpark, an ambitious development set for completion by spring 2024. Pinned to be one of Antwerp’s leafiest havens, the seven-hectare park will have 30,000 plants and several smart water features – all part of the city’s continual effort to be greener. – Gina Jackson