The Most Popular Summer Travel Destinations in Europe

Image: London, England. (Photo courtesy of Emily Krause)
Image: London, England. (Photo courtesy of Emily Krause)
Patrick Clarke
by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 12:52 PM ET, Wed April 20, 2022

Americans are eager to get back to Europe this summer, based on Allianz Partners' Top 10 Summer European Destinations review, which found that travel to Europe will soar an incredible 600 percent over last year.

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to loosen, London, Paris and Dublin remain the three most popular places on U.S. travelers' itineraries in 2022.

The award-winning travel insurance and assistance company analyzed more than 40,000 flight itineraries for trips between five and eight days in length taking place between Memorial Day and Labor Day to find that the U.K. capital still dominates, accounting for a whopping 22 percent of bookings to the continent. However, Paris jumped Dublin after ranking third in 2021.

Reykjavik, Iceland remains the fourth-most sought-after European destination for Americans summer vacationing across the pond, with Rome climbing one spot to fifth.

Edinburgh, Scotland also overtook Athens, Greece this year, reaching sixth. Meanwhile, Lisbon, Portugal jumped into the top 10 for the first time since 2019, claiming the seventh spot. Athens is down a total of three spots from 2021 to eighth, followed by Barcelona and Amsterdam, which round out the top 10 for 2022.

Allianz's study also determined that a majority of those travelers venturing abroad this summer (75 percent) will spend seven days on vacation while a little more than one in 10 (11 percent) are planning to spend at least eight days away.

What's more, Friday, May 27 is expected to be the most popular travel day this summer as Americans look to get a jump on the holiday weekend.

"The pandemic made people realize you can't take travel for granted and many Americans are eager to visit Europe this summer," Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA, said in a statement. "European destinations have made a significant effort to welcome Americans back and our data shows tremendous pent-up demand for travel to the continent. International travelers should always consider travel insurance plans that provide reimbursement for covered trip cancellations and medical emergencies that may occur while traveling."

Last week, Allianz revealed the hottest U.S. and international destinations for this upcoming summer. While travel to Europe is on the rise, Mexico and the Caribbean continue to dominate the list of the top places for Americans traveling overseas.

For the latest insight on travel around the world, check out this interactive guide:

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Patrick Clarke

Patrick Clarke

Senior Editor

A Maryland native and wanderer who has lived across the U.S. from North Carolina to SoCal, Patrick Clarke graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in journalism. He previously worked for Bleacher

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