European Tour

Description

France, the largest country in Western Europe, has long been a gateway between the continent's northern and southern regions. Its lengthy borders touch Germany and Belgium in the north; the Atlantic Ocean in the west; the Pyrenees Mountains and Spain in the south. It also borders the Mediterranean Sea in the southeast; and the Alps, Switzerland, and Italy in the east. France has a very diverse landscape. There are beaches on the southeast coast, home to the French Riviera, and towering mountains in the south and east, including Europe's tallest peak, Mont Blanc, which rises to 15,781 feet (4,810 meters) within the French Alps. Spain occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula, stretching south from the Pyrenees Mountains to the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Spain from Africa. To the east lies the Mediterranean Sea, including Spain's Balearic Islands. Spain also rules two cities in North Africa and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic. The interior of Spain is a high, dry plateau surrounded and crisscrossed by mountain ranges. Rivers run to the coasts, creating good farmland. Still, the interior of the country gets very hot in summer and very cold and dry in the winter. Droughts are common. Portugal is the westernmost point of Europe and lies on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The long Atlantic coastline is popular with visitors and locals alike. Surfers are drawn to the strong surf in the west, and the warm, sandy beaches in the south are a haven for tourists. Most people live along the coast, with a third of the population living in the large metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto.

Overall Weather Conditions

Don't discount July and August. Although Europe's tourist crowds can generally be plotted on a bell-shaped curve that peaks in July and August, there are exceptions. For instance, Paris is relatively empty in July and August but packed full in June (conventions) and September (trade shows).

Additional Information

Though the continent of Europe is divided into 50 countries, there are several countries that have territory in both Europe and Asia. Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia are considered to be “transcontinental” with portions of their countries on multiple continents.