Going south for holiday is always a good idea, and never more so than during November in Europe! Check out our top country destinations here. Spoiler alert: They’re all on the Mediterranean.
Spain
We’ll start things off with the world’s second most popular destination for international tourists: España! Popular for a reason, there’s likely nothing we really need to say to pique your interest in visiting the land of flamenco, bull fights, Picassso and separatist movements, however, since we get paid per word, we’re going to keep typing anyway. While Barcelona and Madrid are the top draws for first time visitors, we do recommend getting off the beaten path and heading down to the region of Andalusia, which is why we’ve put together some brand new online guides to Seville, Malaga and Cadiz just for you!
France
If you read the first sentence about Spain above and were wondering which country in the world is number one when it comes to international tourist arrivals, here’s your answer: République Française. And similar to Spain, while no first time visitor to France is likely to skip Paris, there are plenty of reasons to head south to the Mediterranean here as well, the most important being that it’s the Mediterranean. We’ve got lots of spots along the so-called French Riviera or Côte d’Azur covered, from the larger cities like Nice and Cannes to smaller getaways such as St Tropez, Menton and Antibes.
Monaco
Is it a real country? Well, yes, technically Monaco is indeed a sovereign state, which in this case is headed by a Prince and is famously one of the most luxurious places in the world. If you’re not a member of the European aristocracy, the scion of an industrial magnate or on a business trip with an open-ended expense account, don’t fret, you can still drop by this city-state on the French Riviera and see what it’s got to discover – and then perhaps book a room in nearby Nice at a fraction of the price you’ll find in Monte Carlo.
Croatia
Here are In Your Pocket HQ we’ve been big fans of Croatia long before the budget flights from Britain, Germany and the rest of northern Europe made this beauty on the Adriatic a permanent fixture on the tourist map, let alone before Game of Thrones made various spots in Dubrovnik and Split amongst the most popular Instagram locations in the world. And while we’ve got guides to both those cities in our collection, as well as the capital Zagreb, this November we recommend checking out lesser known destinations like Šibenik, Zadar or Rijeka, the latter of which is the European Capital of Culture for 2020.
Greece
Since the end is nigh, we’ll cut straight to the chase with the final country on our list, Greece. There’s a reason why Greece has been popular with tourists since big wooden horses were cutting edge warfare technology and Zoroastrianism was all the rage when it came to monotheistic religions, and in the millennia since not all that much has changed. So pick an island (we recommend Crete, as we’ve got whole island pocketed and filed away under Heraklion and Chania, the two main cities), book those tickets, pack those bags and put enough food out so the kids don’t go hungry while you’re enjoying a romantic meal in the old harbour of some time-forgotten fishing village. Renting a car is also a great way to see the whole island.
Spain, France, Monaco, Croatia, Greece, that’s five. What’s the sixth country? Are you just seeing if we are paying attention? LOL.