Luxury travel in Europe, 15 top picks for the demanding traveler
Luxury travel in Europe as an article extensively covers and links to a great number of stunning places with superior hotels and great things to experience. To some folks, it has to be expensive to qualify to others not. It all depends on where you are in life. In this article, we will tickle your inner luxury soul and hopefully send it in the right direction. Sunset in Ireland speaks louder than 1000 words. These are the highlights we go for. Experiences and places that will transform and enrichen your life.
Amalfi has always been on top of my list since a wonderful wedding trip back in the day. So let´s start there.
Italy and Amalfi, where luxury travel is 2.000 years old
The rugged Amalfi coastline south of Rome with a number of elegant yet relaxed places and hotels to stay in elegant as ever, late summer in Amalfi is a dream come true. And yet some prefer the early summer or late spring for the freshness, and the flowers and it is frankly less crowded.
Positano is our best bet
Positano is on the Amalfi coastline south of Napoli. It is a string of pearls when it comes to small, cozy, sometimes cheap sometimes luxurious beach-hugging villages and resorts. Positano is absolutely one of the most charming of all.
Amazing Amalfi coast. Positano, Italy
So when to visit Positano on the Amalfi coast?
Without a doubt according to the locals in Positano, the best time of the year to see the Amalfi Coast is from April to June, when the spring flowers are in bloom, the weather is just warm enough, and the temperature of the Mediterranean allows for the first dip in the Mediterranean of the season.
By choosing late spring or early summer, you can also avoid the tourist crush of July and August and the rather hot temperatures later in the year.
Why do the stars drop by on the Amalfi Coast every year?
The Italian Amalfi Coast is also a top pick in Italy for international celebrity holidays and honeymoons forever like Marcello Mastroianni and Brigitte Bardot or Mick Jagger or Madonna. It is the pure Mediterranean elegance and vibrant warm air and colors that makes it one of the world’s most picturesque corners. And for breakfast at your elegant hotel, you may well hear an almost ecstatic head waiter announcing that dinner that day is freshly caught tuna and it replaces some other dishes. Go with the flow. settle in. The Amalfi Coast has a rather dramatic shoreline with the most charming fishing villages. Along the coast, you can find some remarkably beautiful luxury hotels.
Hotels around Amalfi (August 22)
Capri Italy
Drop by Capri when on the Amalfi coast?
Rent a posh boat and watch out for the paparazzi! Make sure to visit Capri Island, which has been celebrated as a romantic, beautiful coastal resort since the times of the Roman Republic.
Portoazzurro, Isle of Elba, Italy. Where Napoleon spent some unwanted time
Today we have freshly caught tuna for dinner
And at breakfast at your elegant hotel, you may well hear an almost ecstatic head waiter announce that dinner that day is freshly caught tuna, and it changes the menu completely, well nice then. Go with the flow. Find the pace.
The Amalfi Coast has quite a dramatic coastline with the most charming fishing villages. Along the coast you can find some remarkably beautiful luxury hotels.
Hop on a rented boat and have a little fun with a few bottles of Rosé, lots of cool San Pellegrino and watch out for the paparazzi if you’re famous 🙂
Capri island in Italy. View from the ship.
Be sure to visit Capri, an island that has been celebrated as a romantic and beautiful island close to the motherland since the days of the Roman Republic.
And then Napoleon was actually a prisoner on Elba a little to the north. the 2 islands are often mistaken.
Beautiful Lago di Como with splendid views. Village Tremezzina. Lombardia, Italy, Luxury travel in Europe
Lago di Como is a stylish Northern Italy
Elegant North Italy and the luxurious travel options are here symbolized by Lago di Como. It could also have been Firenze or a number of other places. Northern Italy has many lakes with mountains rising out of the lake like the Lago di Garda, so close to the top ski resort Madonna di Campiglio, you can walk up there in less than 2 hours from Riva, the northern charming town next to the Lago di Garda. Now that was a detour to say that the reason we choose Lago di Como is the laid-back elegance of the place, the many times it has been used in famous films and it simply epitomizes Italy elegance.
Bellagio, Lago di Como, Italy
Where is Lago di Como?
Located not far from Milan in the north of Italy, Lake Como is very deep and surrounded by tall mountains, stretching 50 km. At the south, it forks into what appear to be two long legs, where you’ll find the beautiful town of Bellagio.
Lago di Como (northern Italy) scenic view, luxury travel in Europe
Its blue waters, wooded lakeside slopes, and luxurious villas have attracted picky holidaymakers since the time of the Roman Empire. Lake Como is undoubtedly one of the most iconic lakeside resorts in Europe.
Bellagio, Lago daci Como, Italy
Tuscany is the perhaps best place in Italy to enjoy excellent wine, food and even unexpected pristine beaches
Tuscany has enchanting countryside, where low twisting mountains and hills. Many with vines and here you grow some of Italy’s most famous wine. Including the Super Tosany wine. 7 in all. These landscapes co-exist with some of the European architectural wonders like Firenze (Florence) and Siena, making it a magical region for foo. It is also home to an incredible amount of extraordinary art, from architectural masterpieces to frescoes, sculptures, and paintings. Typically visitors will head to Florence, Siena, and Pisa to take in the artistic and city heritage of Tuscany.
Field of vines in the countryside of Tuscany, Italy. Luxury travel in Europe
The Tuscany Coast has plenty of great beaches to choose from, including the high-end Versilia, which is famous for its nightlife in the summertime. Of course, regardless of where you head, wonderful wine and cuisine play a central role in the Tuscan lifestyle.
Firenze in Tuscany, Italy.
Travel to Italy
Portofino, a few miles from the French Riviera
Located on the Italian Riviera, yes right next to the French Riviera, Portofino has a long history of receiving celebrity and artistic visitors. One of the most picture-perfect photogenic fishing villages on the Mediterranean, Portofino boasts a stunning harbour dotted with pastel-coloured waterfront buildings.
City of Portofino, Liguria, Italy, the epitome of luxury travel in Europe
Enjoy your favorite drink by the harbor and watch as the yachting set arrives to anchor. Cafes, restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries line the pretty, tiny streets.
Wingbuddy delivers awesome package tours to Italy
Italy
Tuscany, from popes to passion
France
Groupe Barrière is one of the leading providers of luxury hotels in France
Groupe Barrière is one of the leading providers of luxury hotels in France
Spain delivers big on luxury
Spain has many luxurious places to visit from San Sebastian to the far northwest facing the Atlantic Ocean and is blessed with a plethora of top Michelin Restaurants.
Let’s start in the far south and work our way up.
Puerto Banus, Marbella harbor, Spain, luxury travel in Europe
Marbella and Puerto Banus
Marbella is undisputedly the most exclusive place to visit in Southern Spain and Puerto Banus is the famous jet set harbor right outside main Marbella. Whether you enjoy sunbathing with a waiter within reach, renting a boat or going golfing on some of the very best golf courses in Europe. This is the place. And the weather almost rarely lets you down. The claim is 360 days of sun a year. There is absolutely no shortage of fine or relaxed restaurants and the buzz in the evening next to the yachts in the harbor is as good as any place, and still very relaxed.
Marbella´s track record as a jet-setter’s first pick in Spain
It’s long been a hit with the rich and famous, particularly around the port area – Puerto Banus. If you haven’t been before, be sure to go at dusk for dinner and drinks, which is a pleasant time to see some of the most amazing cars being shown off by the super-yacht-lined port with helicopters transporting the guests to and from say Dubai for a nice evening.
In Marbella, you have to see the Ocean Club, Villa Tiberio and Marbella Club – for starters
Marbella has plenty of luxury beach clubs and remarkable villas, as well as Villa Tiberio – its legendary restaurant. Top of the list is the Marbella Club, which is an understatement for seaside collections of deluxe restaurants and different hotel choices and villas. Once you’re finished celebrity spotting, the sweetest spot in the old Marbella could well be the Orange Square – Plaza de Los Naranjos and the rest of the surrounding old town. Beautiful quaint streets are filled with cafés, restaurants, and tempting boutiques.
Ibiza, where the jet set party still hangs out
Although the beautiful Balearic island of Ibiza with its bigger sister Mallorca is often associated with ravers, it has much more to it and is a favorite celebrity holiday destination and playground for many affluent people as well as anybody else. Ibiza is listed as a UNESCO site not only for its historical heritage back to the Phoenician period, which is both unknown to most sunseekers and still very interesting as well but also recognized by Unesco because the surrounding Mediterranean is an excellent example of interaction between the coastal and marine ecosystems.
View of Cala d’Hort Beach, Ibiza, Spain, true luxury travel in Europe
Apart from the more well-established party vibe of the island and its beaches, Ibiza is also home to picturesque villages, a pine-clad landscape and a surprisingly peaceful side – just waiting to embrace those who seek tranquility.
Ibiza, see places to stay, hotels, restaurants, and what to do
Mallorca, classic Spain right next to Barcelona
The island of Mallorca begins with a most charming harbor in its capital Palma, with wonderful architecture, add to that quaint town and beautiful beaches all around the island. The nature of the island is quite delightful, beaches and luxury hotels and with some stunning scenic inland regions including 100 km of mountain ridges in Terra di Montana, that are perfect for hiking and trekking, and where Chopin lived for years while composing some of his best works.
Mallorca has plenty of attractions, both on land and out at sea, quality fine dining, great nightlife, and some of Spain’s best hotels. It is really an island that has something for everyone.
And if you need more, you go to Barcelona by hydrofoil or plane or to Ibiza.
Mallorca and the amazing mountains, Serra de Tramuntana
San Sebastian
France
Cote d´Azur still got that extra gear
The French Riviera has been a firm favorite with the rich and famous and old money for a very long time. What’s not to like? Best beaches, super service, glamorous hotels, fine dining, and incredible shopping in Nice and Cannes.
Monaco overseeing the town and harbor, France, luxury travel in Europe
For the ultimate in luxury, be sure to head to St Tropez, the world-famous millionaire’s playground. There are plenty of luxurious yachts available in its port and you may even spot Simon Cowell hanging out in or on his super-yacht. Lucky dog.
Bordeaux
Greece
Santorini
Mykonos
Ireland, green-meadows-near-dingle. Luxury travel in Europe
Ireland
Dingle is the top pick in Ireland
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is the only town on the Dingle Peninsula and is located on the Atlantic coast, approx. 50 miles southwest of Tralee and 71 miles northwest of Killarney. The main occupations of the city are tourism, fishing and agriculture: Dingle Mart serves the surrounding countryside. And Dingle has gained a reputation for luxury travel as well due to the overall beautiful experience, where you standing on the tall cliffs, feel you can see all the way to the new world, the Irish fled too in the poor old days reaching for a better life. Now i am sure some Irish return to the beauty of the town and area.
Let’s take a closer look at Ireland.
Dubrovnik in Croatia delivers stunning luxury journey in Europe
There’s no doubt that Dubrovnik is one of the jewels of the Adriatic Sea. The city became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979 because of its iconic old town – a walled medieval city.
“The ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’, situated on the Dalmatian coast, became an important Mediterranean sea power from the 13th century onwards. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces, and fountains. Damaged again in the 1990s by armed conflict, it is now the focus of a major restoration program coordinated by UNESCO. We look forward to seeing a fully restored Dubrovnik, already, very beautiful.”
“Those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik” was the statement made by the author George Bernard Shaw, who was clearly enchanted by what he called the Pearl of the Adriatic.
Panorama of old city Dubrovnik on a beautiful summer day, Croatia, Luxury travel in Europe
A bewitching holiday destination with beautiful ocean views, Dubrovnik is truly inspirational. If you are traveling at the height of the season, try to come around mid-August, when the Dubrovnik Summer Festival is on.
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