Can transfers between travel destinations be turned into part of a trip?
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Rather than only visiting a country's major cities and treating travel days as time lost between destinations, more holidaymakers are turning to sightseeing opportunities along the way by stopping in smaller cities and visiting unique landmarks.
According to booking data from Daytrip, a platform specialising in city-to-city travel with car transfers, travellers are making the journey itself part of the holiday by stopping in places that may usually be overshadowed by larger and more popular destinations.
Based on a survey of summer bookings made via the platform by mostly American tourists visiting the continent, the platform has unveiled its ranking of the top 10 European stops travellers are going to in between destinations.
“The rankings reflect a growing preference for making the transfer itself part of the vacation,” Daytrip said. “Rather than spending hours simply getting from one destination to the next, travellers are choosing to break up long transfers with visits to historic towns, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and iconic landmarks along the way.”
Instead of just spending hours in transit, here are the destinations topping the ranking this summer.
Daytrip's top 10 European sightseeing stops
- Pompeii, Italy
- Obidos, Portugal
- Český Krumlov, Czechia
- Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Coimbra, Portugal
- Aveiro, Portugal
- Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
- Ston, Croatia
- Stonehenge, England
- Bratislava, Slovakia
A short or long stay in Pompeii?
Topping the list is the preserved Roman city of Pompeii. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is just less than an hour by road from cities such as Naples, Sorrento and Ravello.
As the summer temperatures continue to swelter in Italy, as with the rest of Europe, Daytrip recommends braving the outdoors with sun protection, comfortable walking shoes and plenty of water, as there is limited shade. However, it also advises venturing out earlier in the morning to not only beat the heat, but the tourist crowds.
Although the platform said that no more than four hours is needed to see Pompeii’s main sites, for the traveller with more time on their hands, a combined visit with the nearby Mount Vesuvius, where a hike leads to the crater rim, rewards visitors with panoramic views of the Bay of Naples.