UPDATE: Thursday, March 28 at 12:40 p.m. ET
Welcome to TravelPulse's inaugural March Travel Madness Bracket: The Ultimate Journey Tourney. Pick your winners in the Europe region now through March 31 to see which destinations advance to the Elite Eight!
Rome, Amsterdam, Switzerland and Dublin are the last four destinations standing after two rounds in the Europe region.
Two of the region's heavyweights in second-seeded Paris and number three London are both out after failing to earn at least 50 percent of the vote against number 10 Dublin and sixth-seeded Switzerland, respectively.
Will Dublin's Cinderella run will continue against Switzerland and how will top seed Rome fare against its stiffest competition yet in fourth-seeded Amsterdam?
Don't forget to vote on the other regions of The Ultimate Journey Tourney Bracket, including the Americas and Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East and Asia, Australia, Antarctica and Oceania .
UPDATE: Monday, March 25 at 1:50 p.m. ET
Welcome to TravelPulse's inaugural March Travel Madness Bracket: The Ultimate Journey Tourney. Pick your winners in the Europe region now through March 27 to see which destinations advance to the Sweet 16!
Chalk prevailed for the most part in the opening round of the Europe region as only one of the top eight seeds-seveth-seeded Iceland-went down. Still, top-seeded Rome only earned 61 percent of the vote to advance past 16th-seeded Budapest. The Italian capital will matchup with number eight Athens in Round 2.
Second-seeded Paris and 5th-seeded Barcelona both secured a region-high 74 percent of the vote in their first-round victories but will have tough tests against Dublin and Amsterdam in the second round, respectively.
The final showdown will feature number 3 London up against 6th-seeded Switzerland.
Don't forget to vote on the other regions of The Ultimate Journey Tourney Bracket, including the Americas and Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East and Asia, Australia, Antarctica and Oceania.
Europe is home to many of the world's most visited places but the jury is still out on which destination is the continent's undisputed champion.
There's a strong case to be made for Rome, Paris and London, among others. Even so, emerging places such as Iceland and Croatia are giving those iconic cities a run for their money.
Now, travelers can let their voice be heard by voting on Europe's top destinations in the inaugural March Travel Madness: The Ultimate Journey Tourney Bracket.
First-round voting ends on March 24. Don't forget to vote on the other regions of The Ultimate Journey Tourney Bracket, including the Americas and Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East and Asia, Australia, Antarctica and Oceania.
Here's how the Europe region lines up:
1) Rome vs. 16) Budapest
Budapest will be a massive underdog when it opens up against top-seeded Rome. Italy's sprawling capital is unparalleled in terms of art, architecture, history and culture and appears likely to make a deep run.
2) Paris vs. 15) Berlin
The City of Light is among the world's most visited so its popularity can't be denied. However, mesmerizing Berlin shouldn't be overlooked just because of its underdog status as a 15 seed.
3) London vs. 14) Croatia
Easily one of the most tantalizing opening-round matchups of March Travel Madness, wide-ranging London takes on up-and-coming Croatia, a charming country that's winning over more and more luxury travelers.
4) Amsterdam vs. 13) Vienna
The 4 vs. 13 matchup in the Europe region will pit Amsterdam against Vienna in a showdown between two envied cities. Will travelers prefer the Dutch capital's renowned museums to the Austrian metropolis' underrated wine scene.
5) Barcelona vs. 12) Lisbon
Barcelona is so popular with tourists that it's actually become a problem of late and Lisbon continues to gain significant momentum as an alternative European destination. Something has to give when they square off in round one.
6) Switzerland vs. 11) Prague
Yet another intriguing matchup in the Europe region with tremendous upset potential, number six Switzerland battles wallet-friendly Prague. You can't go wrong planning a trip to either but there can only be one winner.
7) Iceland vs. 10) Dublin
Two buzzing destinations located outside of continental Europe, Iceland versus Dublin is too close to predict but the winner is almost certainly set up for a second-round matchup with heavyweight Paris.
8) Athens vs. 9) Venice
The heart of Ancient Greece and the historical capital of Europe, Athens will kick off March Travel Madness against Venice, another European city so beloved it's being forced to combat overtourism concerns.
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