Top 25 Things to Do in Europe: 2011 Viator Travel Awards

Get ready for the best of Europe!

Editor’s Note: This post is part of the Viator Travel Awards, an annual awards competition where we let our travelers select the top things to do and see in each of the major regions we serve, as well as the top things to do in our most popular tour categories. The awards culminate in the Viator Top Travel Destinations and our annual list of the world’s most travel-inspiring attractions.

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Welcome to the 2011 Viator Travel Awards: Europe Edition! We’ve combined input from traveler reviews and photos, data from the millions of travelers who visit Viator.com each year, plus data on which tours in Europe generated the most bookings in 2011, in order to crown the Top 25 Things to Do in Europe in 2011!

Making one’s way though Europe is one of greatest adventures a traveler can embark on. Chalk-full of history, culture and beautiful terrain, the most difficult part of your trip is deciding where to go! This year, Rome and Paris were our traveler’s top choices. With all the history, art, and tradition housed in these two cities, it’s no wonder that year-in and year-out, Rome and Paris come out on top.

From the world famous French vineyards to the amazing Italian countryside, here’s what our travelers have deemed the Top 25 Things to Do in Europe in 2011!

#25. Explore Spain’s medieval capital, Toledo

Take either a Half-Day or Full-Day Trip from Madrid to Toledo, a Spanish fairytale city full of windy cobblestone roads, historic architecture and of course the always lovely Tagus River. There is no shortage of wonderful photogenic sights to explore, such as the Iglesia de los Jesuitas, the Monasterio de San Juan de Los Reyes and the Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca.

#24. Tip-toe through Tulips from Amsterdam

#24 - Jump through tulips on the Keukenhof Gardens and Tulip Fields Tour

Holland is synonymous with quite a number of things: soccer pride, the color orange, bicycles, windmills, and who can forget, colorful tulips. A tour through the Keukenhof Gardens and other available trips to tulip fields is a great way to spend time in the country’s most vibrant city, Amsterdam. See rows and rows of this gorgeous flower and even take a few back home for your garden. Check out more Keukenhof Garden tours & tickets on Viator.

#23. Sightsee in Barcelona

Enjoy Spain‘s second largest and most relaxed major city, Barcelona. There is probably no greater pleasure to the city than simply trekking up and down it, visiting the musical fountains or going round and round in the Barri Gotic. To save yourself taking perhaps too much of a siesta, try the Barcelona Hop-on Hop-off Tour: North to South Route, and make the most of your Euro trip.

#22. Visit Mont Saint Michel

Located on an island near the coast of northern France in Lower Normandy, Mont Saint Michel is known as a spectacle more than a thousand years old. A World Heritage Site, it is known for historic events, such as the fending off of the British during the Hundred Years War. Make your visit all the better with the Mont Saint Michel Day Trip from Viator.

#21. Loire Castles from Paris

Nothing quite spells out the glamour and lavish beauty of the French high-life as the Loire Castles. The most scenic Chambord, Cheverny and Chenonceau castles are full of grand 17th-century interiors, plush green surroundings and unmistakable radiance. The largest of the Loire castles, the Chambord Castle, was built for King Francois I as a hunting lodge. With the Loire Valley Castles Day Trip, you will get to visit all three.

#20. Hike Cinque Terre

Located in the Italian region of Liguria, Cinque Terre, or five lands, is as picturesque as it sounds. At the Manarola, a full town is embedded in the rocky coast, which is a spectacular sight. Take the hiking day trip or small group day trip, both leaving from Florence.

#19. Go to the Top of Europe

Hello from the Top of Europe!

The Jungfrau-Aletsch region is the most glaciated part of Europe. Located in Switzerland, the sight is accessible from its rich capital, Zurich. This UNESCO-protected natural wonder is all the more reason to take a trip to the High Alps. With a series of ecosystems, this unmistakable landscape is a can’t-miss European destination.

#18. Visit the Royal Castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof

Take a day tour from Munich and visit the Royal Castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof. Looking like they are straight out of an Arian fairytale, the stunning royal castles are amongst the best in all of Europe and certainly in Germany. The Schloss Neuschwanstein is located just a few miles away from the lovely town of Fussen.

#17. Tour London’s Top Attractions

London is in itself an ever-changing urban platform of European trend, culture and movement. A trip here is inevitable for an European traveler, and what better way to get acquainted than to take the Original London Sightseeing Tour? Hop on and off at all the city’s famous stops, including Buckingham Palace and the London Eye.

#16. Drink Champagne in Champagne

Here's to champagne in Champagne!

Well, we all know where it comes from, but drinking Champagne in Champagne is quite another story. Take a day trip from Paris to explore the famous French region and sip on the world-renowned sparkling wine.

#15. Take a 4-Day Tour of Spain

One of the loveliest and most beautiful countries in all of Europe, making your way through Cordoba, Seville and Granada from Madrid is a great way to see some of the best that Spain has to offer.

#14. Go on a Day Trip to Capri

You will get to the small but beautiful island of Capri via Rome. Known now as a luxury coastal resort, there is quite a lot to do other than, of course, sit on the beach and enjoy a cocktail. Get to the Blue Grotto and explore this wonderful cave at the water’s edge that was used as a bathhouse during Roman times.

#13 - Take a Gondola Ride in Venice

#13. Take a Gondola ride in Venice

Spend the day exploring the many waterways of always amazing Venice. With the Skip the Line: Venice in One Day tour combine a cruise down the Grand Canal with some of Venice’s other most popular attractions, including St Mark’s Basilica, San Marco, Santa Maria Formosa, and the Rialto Bridge.

#12. Visit Normandy

Any history buff will appreciate a tour through the D-Day battlefields as well as the beach where the Allies were able to push back the Nazis during the turning point of World War II. At the location of one of history’s most important battles, the Normandy D-Day Battlefields and Beaches Day Trip is an unforgettable experience.

#11. See Michelangelo’s David

Skip the line at the Florence Accademia and Uffizi Gallery Tour and get an up-close encounter with what is perhaps the world’s most recognizable sculpture, Michelangelo’s statue David.

#10. Explore the Palace of Versailles

There are many ways to explore Versailles, which is located on the western edge of Paris. With so many sights to learn about and see, including the amazing architecture of the Palace of Versailles and the lush Hall of Mirrors, take the Versailles Small Group Day Trip from Paris.

#9. See Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper

To this very day, academics and historians pick apart the significance and religious implications of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. On the Milan Half-Day Sightseeing Tour an inclusion on the tour gets you a date with the masterpiece as you explore one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.

#8. Explore Paris’ Top Museums and Attractions

#8 - Outside the Louvre in Paris

Nobody wants to slow down their vacation on lines and long waits, but with the Paris Louvre Museum Guided Tour, you will get to skip all that. With no shortage of amazing things to see in the city, the Paris Pass gets you to all the great Paris attractions, including the Musée d’Orsay, Arc de Triomphe and Centre Pompidou.

#7. Take a Day Trip to Pompeii

Located close to Naples, the ancient ruins of Pompeii is a virtual museum of a civilization from more than 2,000 years ago before it was consumed by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD. From Rome, take the Pompeii and Amalfi Coast Small Group Day Trip or the Naples and Pompeii Day Trip, also from Rome.

#6. Explore Stonehenge

Everybody knows about Stonehenge, however, not everybody gets to see it. An archeological gem of Europe, take a day trip from London, viewing Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bath.

#5. Tour Tuscany & the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Take a one-day tour of Tuscany and get up-close to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of Italy’s most iconic attractions. In Tuscany, you will see some amazing architecture, as well as plenty of remnants from the Renaissance, and also enjoy some of the best food on the planet.

#4. Combine an Eiffel Tower Tour with a Seine River Cruise and a Show

Combination tours are a great way to see all the major highlights of a city without spending a fortune or taking up too much value time. Both the Eiffel Tower, Paris Moulin Rouge Show and Seine River Cruise and the Eiffel Tower, Paris Cabaret Show and Seine River Cruise combine three of Paris’s top attractions, the Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge, and a Seine River Cruise, into one spectacular tour! Not the combination you were looking for? Paris offers tons of Eiffel Tower & Moulin Rouge combination tours, for every type of traveler!

#3. Explore Ancient Rome and the Colosseum

Skip the lines and catch a glimpse of ancient Rome and the Colosseum on a half-day walking tour, or hop on and off a double decker bus to see what’s left of Europe’s most famous empire.

A trip to Paris wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Moulin Rouge

#2. See the world-famous showgirls at Moulin Rouge

At the Moulin Rouge Show Paris, the lights go down, the curtain goes up, and the troupe appears on the stage for the world’s greatest cabaret. This iconic attraction sells out months in advances, it’s no surprise it’s one of our most popular tours in Europe!

#1. Skip the Lines in Vatican City

Whether it be the Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Rooms or St Peter’s, no matter what religion you follow (or don’t) the Vatican is one of the world’s greatest monuments to religion and history. So, it’s no surprise that taking a Vatican tour is the #1 things to do in Europe in 2011. With the Skip the Line: Vatican Museums Walking Tour including Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Rooms and St Peter’s, and the Skip the Line: Vatican Museums Walking Tour, you get to see it all without the wait.

With the economy in recovery and the world’s sights still waiting for visitors, now is as good a time as any to spin the globe and take a trip. These top things to do and see in Europe and Viator’s associated tours are just the ticket to see the attractions that have defined an entire continent, as well as save a few dollars in the process.

That’s Viator’s list of the Top 25 Things to Do in Europe in 2011. Stay tuned for more lists in the coming days, to help you plan your next trip across the globe. Let us know what you think, tell us about your own travel experiences, and most important of all – happy travels in 2012!

- Viator Travel Team