Austria is a beautiful country with a diverse landscape which encompasses the imposing Alps mountain range and the lush Danube Valley. There are a number of excellent historical buildings and monuments to visit, and world class museums and art galleries are dotted throughout the main cities and Austria is famous for its culture and has produced some of the most important musicians and composers of all time including Mozart and Schubert. Vienna is a stunning city and houses one of Europe’s oldest and most respected opera houses, and Salzburg is well known for both its stunning baroque churches and historic building and also for being the birthplace of Mozart.

Things to See and Do
There are many activities and attractions on offer in Austria including:
· Hiking – the Austrian Alps offer a rugged and beautiful terrain which is criss-crossed by walking trails, and you can hike through varied landscapes including stunning glaciers, rocky caverns, pleasant alpine meadows and thick forests.
· Winter Sports – there are a number of top class ski resorts in Austria and all offer plenty of wintersports for you to enjoy including skiing, sleigh riding, curling, skating and snowboarding.
· Steam Trains – one of the best ways to experience the stunning Austrian scenery is to take a ride on the 19th century steam train, which passes through many wonderful areas from lush green slopes through to pretty alpine villages and towns.
· Wine Tasting – Austria is famous for its wines, and you can visit the wine growing regions of Southern Styria, Burgenland and Lower Austria and take part in wine tasting tours, sampling famous varieties from Riesling wine through to the full bodied reds from Baden.
· Vienna Ball – if you have ever dreamed of going to a proper ball, then Austria is the place for you as traditional balls are still held throughout the country and the annual Johann Strauss Ball is an amazing event, held in the stunning Hofburg Palace in Vienna with waltzes and traditional ballroom dances that will take your breath away.

Croatia has for many years been one of the Mediterranean’s best kept secrets as it enjoys all of the fine weather and gorgeous scenery of this beautiful area, without any of the high prices and big crowds of the Greek Islands. Croatia is growing more and more popular though, and is rapidly becoming one of Europe’s premiere seaside destinations and from here you enjoy the warm blue waters and golden beaches of the Adriatic combined with historic buildings and monuments of various UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Dubrovnik, Split and Trogir.

Top sightseeing destinations in Croatia include:
· Zagreb – this is Croatia’s capital and features a number of historic monuments including the stunning Cathedral, the beautiful tiled roof of St Mark’s Church and the Sabor which houses Croatia’s parliament.
· Zagorje – there are some amazing views out across the rolling hills and wine growing valleys of Zagorie, and there are two historic castles here as well, the Veliki Tabor and the Trakoscan.
· Dubrovnik’s Old Town – this historic walled city dates back to the 13th Century and the Old Town has achieved UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Top places to visit here include the historic Franciscan Monastery and several excellent examples of baroque churches.
· Split – this ancient city was founded by the Roman Emperor Diocletian back in the 3rd Century AD, and at the heart of its historic centre is the Diocletian’s Palace, another UNESCO World Heritage site.
· Trogir – this city was founded by the Greeks in the 3rd century BC, and has a number of stunning examples of Romanesque and Venetian gothic stone buildings.
· Brijuni National Park – Croatia has a number of beautiful islands, and the Brijuni National Park is a stunning archipelago of small islands just off the west coast of Istria, which are largely unspoilt and full of natural splendour.

Many airlines are now offering cut price flights all over Europe, and this has opened up lots of new destinations to the budget traveller allowing them to enjoy some of Europe’s most stunning and historic locations at very little cost.

Here are just a few of the top budget destinations on offer in Europe:
· Prague, Czech Republic – Prague has a lot to offer visitors, from historic buildings through to a vibrant and exciting nightlife, and the costs of accommodation, dining out and shopping are quite low, which makes this an attractive choice for budget travellers. You can also easily travel around the main attractions of Prague by foot as it is a small, compact city and the public transport system is also cheap and efficient and this combined with low cost flights to the area means that you can keep your travelling costs to a minimum.
· Budapest, Hungary – this is another historic European city and like Prague it offers good value for money when it comes to sightseeing, accommodation, dining out and shopping. The transport system is also cheap and there are plenty of things to see and do.
· Rome, Italy – Rome often has a reputation for being an expensive destination, but budget travellers can find much cheaper options if they take the time to look around, and there are some excellent small family run hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and bars which can offer good value for money, often right in the heart of the city so that you will be able to walk to most of the main attractions. Budget flights tend to serve airports just outside the city, but transfer options are often provided by the airlines which will take you into the main city at a relatively low cost.
· Barcelona, Spain – this is a vibrant, bustling city which offers both historic splendour and the latest modern conveniences, and has recently become very popular for stag and hen weekends as accommodation, shopping and nights out are very cheap, and there are plenty of excellent budget hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. There are also a wide number of low cost airlines servicing this city so you should be able to get a cheap flight nearly all year round.

Europe can offer some of the most iconic tourist attractions in the world, and is a historic and beautiful continent to visit from the cooler, rugged forests and fjords of the north through to the warm golden beaches of the south. There are so many different things to see and do, and so many diverse cultures in Europe you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a holiday destination, but to help you decide where to go here are just of few of the most iconic ‘must see’ tourist attractions on offer:

Leaning Tower of Pisa (Torre Pendente di Pisa)
This amazing piece of architecture was constructed in 1174, in the heart of Pisa’s Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) and is famous not just for its attractive design, but also its peculiar geometry. The tower was built on soft, swampy soil, and has gradually sunk down causing the whole tower to lean over to one side, so that one side is now 5 metres closer to the ground than the other. This unique structure is an amazing sight, and a testament to the skill of the craftsmanship of its builders as although the tower leans it is still a solid structure.

Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel)
The Eiffel Tower was created in 1889, as a centrepiece to the Paris Exposition Universelle, which commemorated the French Revolution. The tower is made completely from iron, held together by thousands of rivets and at its time it was the tallest structure in the world (324m). Today the Eiffel Tower has become a centrepiece to the whole city, and a symbol of Paris itself and is one of the most iconic tourist attractions in the world receiving hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
London has many historic buildings but the neo-Gothic Palace of Westminster, sitting right on the River Thames, is one of the most stunning and iconic buildings in the world, and like the Eiffel Tower this and the adjoining clock tower St Stephens’ which houses the famous bell ‘Big Ben’ has become the centrepiece of London. The original Palace of Westminster was used as a royal residence, but after a fire in the early 1600’s it became the seat of the British Government, which it has remained to this day.

Cruises around Europe are very popular, and can be a relaxing and comfortable way to visit some of the world’s most amazing cities and coastal resorts and there are a number of ways in which you can get cheap, affordable European cruises even if you are on a tight budget.
· Pick Your Time – with cruises timing is crucial when it comes to cost, and booking in the off-season and shoulder seasons (October through to May) can save you a lot of money, and often the weather is still good on the shoulder seasons. It is also a good idea to book as far in advance as you can, as the best discounts offered by cruise operators are almost exclusively on very early bookings, or if you are flexible about when you can travel you could also try booking as late as possible as cruise liners will be keen to fill up empty rooms and will be offering some good discounts for last minute bookers.
· Repositioning Cruises – if you are not fussy about your destination or the length of your European cruise then you could look out for repositioning deals, which is when a ship is moving from one seasonal route to another. Rooms can be booked at cost price during these journeys, to help offset the costs of moving the ship to its new destination, but remember that these are likely to be longer journeys with a lot of time at sea between port calls, and there may not be as many onboard activities on offer during these trips.
· Hidden Costs – you must make sure you examine each cruise booking carefully before you make any commitments, as what may seem like a cheap deal at the time could end up costing you a lot of money in terms of fees and surcharges. Check what meals and onboard activities will be included in your ticket price, and also how much the offshore excursions will cost. It can be a good idea to book and pay for a number of activities and excursions before you depart, and this will help you to avoid getting carried away and running up any expensive charges whilst you are away.