We've said it before and we'll probably say it until nobody is left to hear it: Europe is, in our mind, by far the greatest continent on Earth, if only because of the variety when it comes to places you can travel to. There's so much on offer for every different kind of person, and it's difficult not to find that incredibly appealing.
Interestingly enough, though, it takes more planning than you'd think to make a holiday in Europe a success (baffling, we know). While interrailing tends to be one of the more popular things to do when heading over here, there are some places that aren't best suited to be visited for just one day - as sometimes, you'll find yourself needing a whole week in order to get the full experience.
Still, one of the best things about Europe is that everywhere can provide you with something different, and it really doesn't matter one way or the other as to how long you want to stay for. Nobody is going to criticise you for only staying somewhere for 24 hours, and in equal measure, nobody is going to claim that you can't spend a week somewhere that you really like.
Europe is an open book and deserves to be treated as such, to the point where it can be explored freely by all. So regardless of whether or not you're an actual European, from the USA or you're from literally anywhere else on the planet, make sure you sample these two kinds of holidays at some point in the not so distant future.
20 DAY: Wroclaw, Poland - Business And Pleasure
Wroclaw, pronounced 'Vrots-wav' by many, is a Polish city that isn't unlike many others in the nation. It has a great centre with lots of beautiful buildings, it's exceedingly cheap for those coming over from abroad, and it doubles up well as a place of business which is always helpful.
Still, you could probably get around it all in a day or so, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. After spending a few hours seeing the sights you'll be able to chill out and walk around the shops, before having a nice meal in the evening. On the whole, it's a really nice process, especially if you're heading there for work.
19 WEEK: London, England - The hub of the UK
The English are pretty spoilt when it comes to how many great cities we've got, and with London, in particular, you've got a city that's full of culture, sound and energy. Sure, it isn't perfect, but if you ask the majority of folks from around the globe where one of their top destinations to visit would be we guarantee that London would be in there nine times out of ten.
The thing is, it's so large and it's so 'ever-changing' that it'd be impossible to rush through the city in a day or two (and you shouldn't want to do so anyway). You need to take your time with a place like London, because that way, you can really experience it to the full.
18 DAY: Oslo, Norway - Far Too Expensive
Oslo leads the way as the most expensive city in Scandinavia, or at the very least, the most expensive 'major' city. That's quite the distinction to have and while that doesn't tell the entire story of what it's like there as a destination, it probably wouldn't be smart from a financial point of view to spend too long there.
Besides, it's surrounded by a sea of other great cities once you've seen what Oslo has to offer, so it's really a no-brainer. There are some fun things to do here and we'd recommend it to the majority of travellers, but you need to think logically.
17 WEEK: Madrid, Spain - Something For Everyone
As one of the two cities in Spain that most people tend to visit, Madrid serves an important purpose as the country's capital. It's big and it's bold, and while it may be slightly more reserved than Barcelona, that allows you to sit back and take your time when you're out exploring.
It also feels a little bit safer at times, too, and although there's a very specific divide between the rich and the poor, that doesn't mean you won't be able to have a good time. Yes, there are flaws, but we can guarantee that a week there - especially in the summer - will be enough to relax and entertain you.
16 DAY: Reykjavik, Iceland - A Fun Day Out
Reykjavik as a city is small, concise and to the point, which is probably why we like it so much. You can have a grand old time exploring all that Iceland has to offer in the city, and just 30-40 minutes away, you'll find the famous Blue Lagoon resort.
While the resort itself is pretty popular and may require an extra day of your time, a quick day visit would certainly be doable when you consider how much there is to do in Reykjavik by comparison. Of course, you won't want to head to Iceland just for a day, but this allows you to investigate every corner of the country before you head back home.
15 WEEK: Manchester, England - So Very Lively
It may not seem like it, but Manchester is a pretty buzzing place when compared to a lot of European alternatives. You've got the architecture, the restaurants, the sporting attractions, the nightlife and the great music scene - what's not to love?
You'd be doing yourself a favour by staying here for seven nights because then, you can truly appreciate how this city functions. It truly is a magnificent place in every sense of the word, and we'd challenge anyone to tell us differently.
If you have to prioritise anywhere on this list, we'd argue it should be the unofficial capital of the North.
14 DAY: Brussels, Belgium - Chocolate And Politics
Not only is Brussels a good place to buy lots of delicious Belgian chocolate, but it's also the hub for European politics - if you're into that sort of thing. Now that we've gotten those two things out of the way, let's move on, shall we?
We're kidding of course, but the general sentiment certainly rings true. There isn't a whole lot to do in Brussels and, on top of that, there are better alternatives around the country. It's convenient to get to from a transport perspective, but aside from that, we can't see any other reason as to why you'd spend more than a day here - unless you're visiting your family or something.
13 WEEK: Budapest, Hungary - A Perfect Escape
Ah, Buda. Not only would you be able to live like a king or queen here with a surprisingly low amount of money, but it's also very unique in the sense that you can't get everything done in a day. Seriously, you can try, and you can even stay for four nights, but you'll be left wanting more.
Trying out the different foods around the city as well as the baths will take up most of your time, and seeing the sights is always a fun thing to do, especially in the Hungarian capital. Budapest really is marvellous, and it's worthy of a visit from every different kind of traveller.
12 DAY: Gdansk, Poland - What A Place
We're heading back to Poland for our next entry and while it may seem harsh to suggest that it'll also only take a day to get around Gdansk, trust us, it's a compliment. This is one of those cities that always leaves you wanting more, and if you split your visits there up into different sections, it makes things all the more enjoyable.
Instead of running through everything they have to offer in one go, you can spread it out across a matter of months or maybe even years. This is without a doubt our favourite Polish city of them all, and a quick dash around the centre itself and the riverside will show you why.
11 WEEK: Moscow, Russia - It’s Just So Big
Ah, Russia. A lot of people tend to think badly of the European/Asian nation, if only because of how intimidating it is and how poor its reputation is. Still, if the recent World Cup has proven anything, it's that stereotypes aren't always that accurate.
The country put on a great event from beginning to end, and Moscow played a large role in that. It's big and it's beautiful in more ways than one, and as is the case with most things in life, you shouldn't allow someone else's opinion to throw you off something that you really want to do. So if you want to explore the Russian capital, go for it.
10 DAY: Bath, England - Thoroughly Enjoyable
We're big fans of old, culture-filled cities from England and the United Kingdom as a whole, and that's why we've included Bath in here. The city makes for a wonderful day out regardless of how young or old you may be, and the best part of it all is its simplicity.
It doesn't scream from the proverbial rooftops and it certainly doesn't try to be anything bigger than it is. It serves a great purpose as a city, and on top of that, it's an absolutely phenomenal place to visit if you want to walk around some traditional English Christmas markets.
9 WEEK: Barcelona, Spain - Spanish Pride
Barcelona is just fantastic and we urge you not to take our word for it because you need to go and experience it for yourself. As the European equivalent of the city that never sleeps, it certainly moves at a million miles per hour, and there's a parade of things to do there.
Sure, you could take the tour bus around the city for a day, but you need to be able to really take everything in and that won't happen in the space of 24 hours. Hell, that won't even happen in five days, and we'd argue that 10 days wouldn't even be all too crazy.
8 DAY: Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Let The Good Times Roll
Look, you're going to hear a lot of stories and tales about what it's like to go to Amsterdam, but you just need to try and trust your instincts. It's a fantastic place, and in our mind, you should view it as the European equivalent to the Vegas rule: never spend more than 24 hours there at one time.
In the same way as Gdansk, it feels a lot cooler to spread things out to the point where you get to go on lots of little adventures there as opposed to overstaying your welcome. 'Dam is a special place and because of that, it deserves to be treated with respect.
7 WEEK: Paris, France - The City Of Love
It's damn near impossible to not be interested in a trip to Paris on some level. It may be a little bit 'predictable' in the eyes of many as a holiday destination but let's face it, there's a reason why it's so popular, and there's a reason why it still holds up so well to this day.
Paris is so big and so vast that you'd be a fool not to spend a week here, soaking yourself in the beauty and the atmosphere that highlights everything great about France and its people. There's just so many things to see and do, to the point where we'd honestly recommend spending at least a couple months planning the trip.
6 DAY: Vienna, Austria - There’s Something Missing
Vienna is absolutely breathtaking from an aesthetic standpoint and you won't find too many travellers who will disagree with that. Of course, Austria as a whole has many different sides to it, but this city, in particular, is great for that 'wow' factor.
Unfortunately, there isn't all that much to do beyond 24 hours, and that's just the harsh truth of the matter. It's a wonderful place to go on a day trip if you're heading off somewhere the next morning, but that's about it. That's not a harsh assessment, either, it's just what our own experience was like over there.
5 WEEK: Berlin, Germany - Big And Bold
Have you ever been to Berlin? If the answer is yes, then can you believe just how astonishingly big it is? We couldn't. When we went on a day trip to Tropical Islands, it legitimately took about 35 minutes on the train until we officially left the city itself.
So, by that description alone, we're assuming that you can understand why we've listed this under the 'week' section. Don't get us wrong, it's still a really cool place to spend some time, but for people who aren't that experienced with travelling, it can be a little bit daunting and that's understandable.
4 DAY: Basel, Switzerland - The Swiss Trap
Basel is a pretty cool place to visit if you're into state of the art football pitches, good pubs, interesting restaurants and a lot of cultural diversity. Aside from that, we can't think of much to do there, although for one night only, we're convinced that you'll have a good time.
The prices can turn a lot of people away in terms of wanting to visit, and we can't say that we blame anyone for that. Switzerland, in general, is a very expensive country and it's not like they're able to hide that fact, which makes it one of the 'lower ranked' cities to visit on this list.
3 WEEK: Copenhagen, Denmark - Simply Wonderful
Something that a lot of people sleep on when it comes to Copenhagen is just how important it is to Europe. Not only is it absolutely gorgeous, but it's also a big place for business with a lot of architects and upstart companies originating there.
The Danes are often praised for a variety of different reasons and Copenhagen is one of them because the city itself is just so fun. If you spent a week there then we guarantee that your problems would drift away, as you ride your bike around without a care in the world. Sounds great, right?
2 DAY: Hamburg, Germany - An underrated Gem
We've spoken about the positive connotations of the lovely city of Hamburg many different times as of late, and because of that, some will be surprised as to why we're putting it in the 'day' section. Well, readers, it's really very simple: because it's a tiring place to visit.
When you go there it's easy to get caught moving at an crazy pace, because it feels like there's a lot to do in a small amount of time. You see, in truth, there's a reason why so many stag and hen parties visit the city - it's great to get in and out of within a 24 hour period.
We love you, Hamburg.
1 WEEK: Stockholm, Sweden - Save Your Pennies
While Stockholm may still be a pretty expensive place to visit, just take one glance at that image of the snow and tell us it doesn't look like a winter wonderland. Even when it's the summer time it's certainly a beautiful place to be, and we can't stress that fact enough.
Stockholm is rich with fun things to do and great places to visit, perhaps even more so than Copenhagen - and that's a big statement to make. The locals know how to make tourists feel at home, too, and while we listed them in the week section, we could easily spend a month here without getting bored.