From Portugal’s Algarve to the Swiss Alps: Europe’s best destinations for a spring hike

Traveling to Europe in the summer months is a rite of passage—steamy nights spent in the south of Spain, snoozy days on the most beautiful Greek islands, breezy afternoons sipping rosé on a terrace in the South of France. But as tourism levels continue to rise after a few quiet years, and peak-season temperatures climb from Italy to Croatia, is the appeal of a big European summer holiday dwindling?

A beach is to a vacation is as ice cream is to apple pie: essential. We dream of beaches in Europe and we imagine that feeling of flaxen sand between our toes, the sounds of sea waves crashing on the shoreline, and the updrafts of salty ocean breeze. The small snag is, everyone else gets the same idea, and during peak seasons, carving out a spot on the shore to set out our picnic or recline with our beach read can feel like an impossible feat of engineering.

Perhaps Portugal's Algarve region won't be as popular this summer as United Airlines would've hoped.

The Easter holidays are rapidly approaching and if you're looking to book a break, it could be the perfect time for a train adventure. 

Portugal’s sun-soaked south-meets-west coast comes into its own in the summer months. It’s a gloriously varied and enticing landscape—a seemingly never ending series of rocky coves and luminous beaches, sleepy villages, thumping tourist towns, world-class seafood and clifftop bars.

Ah, summer in Europe. Slow mornings spent reading books and trying all the local pastries you can get your hands on; afternoons strolling along the river or exploring quiet neighborhoods; evenings sipping rosé in sun-dappled squares. The only thing that can disrupt the pure bliss of summer in Europe is the threat of heaving streets, packed bars, and overbooked restaurants—a reality that is, unfortunately, all too common in the continent’s most popular destinations.

The new routes will be operated by Airbus A220-300 aircraft.

The inaugural flight from the airport will depart to Tenerife on 1st April 2025, and in Summer 25 two based aircraft will fly holidaymakers from Bournemouth Airport on their package holidays with Jet2holidays and leisure flights with Jet2.com. 

The top 10 countries receiving the most travelers generate 84% of Europe’s total aviation emissions. 

The flying programme includes six destinations that are exclusive to Jet2.com and Jet2holidays from Liverpool John Lennon Airport – Gran Canaria, Menorca, Rhodes, Zante, Madeira and Bourgas (Bulgaria).

It was a handpainted sign on a wooden barn that piqued my interest in Gruyères. I was travelling from Emmental to Montreux last year, following the wonderful Golden Pass rail route. Our train paused at Montbovon, the start of a steep climb up to the line’s final dramatic mountain pass. There was the prospect of stunning views of Lake Geneva ahead. To the right of the railway, I spotted the bold sign: “La Gruyère vous salue” (the region, like the cheese, lacks the village’s final “s”).

I am at the back of an inflatable kayak on Portugal's famously scenic Douro River, paddling wildly against the current, when it hits me: River cruising sure has changed.