In 2025, travelers reluctant to abandon overcrowded hot spots like Barcelona and Lisbon and take advantage of near euro-dollar parity — which makes travel to Europe more affordable for U.S. visitors — are instead balancing keeping quieter “bypass destinations”. : lesser known places close enough to make a side trip from a popular city.
Reims, France (near Paris) and Brescia, Italy (near Milan, one of 52 places to go this year) were among the most popular detour destinations seeing an increase in Expedia searches. European travel agencies have also seen a surge in bookings for Montserrat, another 52 Places feature, an hour by train from Barcelona. Normandy from Paris. and Sintra from Lisbon.
After another year of record heat, the summer trend continues to grow, with more travelers looking to swap warm southern European destinations like Greece and Portugal for more temperate climates in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
“Night tourism,” or night travel, is another trend emerging from a desire to escape the heat of the day and a growing interest in stargazing and other celestial events, such as the northern lights.
“We’re calling 2025 the year of Iceland,” said Jennifer Schwartz, co-managing partner at Authentic Explorations, a New York-based travel company specializing in Europe. “Although the next total solar eclipse isn’t until 2026, people are paying attention because of the cool climate and ideal location for stargazing.”
Tromsø, Norway, is another prime Northern Lights viewing destination trending on Booking.com.
Rail travel continues to grow as an alternative to air travel within Europe, particularly among environmentally conscious travelers and those looking to travel at a slower pace.
Railbookers, a travel company specializing in rail holidays, says 2025 will be the year of “tailored rail travel”, with customers looking for tailor-made itineraries and experiences.
“Rail travel has grown in popularity in recent years and is increasingly seen not just as a means of transport, but as an integral part of a holiday,” said Frank Marini, president of Railbookers.
Switzerland, Italy, Britain, France and Ireland are among the most popular European train holiday destinations this year, the group said.
