Recently updated on July 1st, 2025 at 10:49 am
Our Travel Directors know their homelands like the back of their hands. But they’ve dug even deeper to unearth the hidden gems of their countries for 2014.
We’ve cherry-picked some of our top insider moments to give you a taster of how you can discover the real Europe with Trafalgar.
Be My Guest – Best of Italy
Sail by private boat towards Isola Madre, a secluded island on Lake Maggiore where young princes used to play. Sip a glass of chilled Gavi wine and sample traditional Italian cuisine at Signor Telli’s lakeside restaurant, as he shares tales of his family and brings the history of the island to life.
Local Specialty – European Highlights
Take in the scent of sawdust as German horologists (watch- or clock-makers) craft cuckoo clocks in front of you. With the Black Forest as a backdrop, the journey feels like it’s straight from the pages of a Hansel and Gretel pop-up book. And Bavarian stories are played out in the carvings of the clocks made right in front of you, with their moving parts and musical cuckoo bellows.
Authentic Accommodation – European Whirl
Stay at the historic Grand Hotel Europe in the exclusive Swiss lakeside town of Lucerne. This 140-year-old hotel was built to cash in on the arrival of the Gotthard railway station, which never arrived. As you step inside, you get an authentic taste of life in 19th-century Lucerne.
Unique Insight – Spanish Wonder
Meander along the maze-like passages of La Boqueria market in Barcelona, its halls echoing with the booming and gossiping voices of its community of stallholders. Picking at samples of regional Manchego cheese, Jamón Serrano and fat olives, this insight into the shopping style of the Spanish has the potential to leave your stomach full and your wallet empty.
Local Expert – Prague, Vienna and Budapest
Our local friends weave their personal stories and favourite sights into the famous icons you see, like Prague Castle, Budapest’s Fisherman’s Bastion, and Vienna’s Hofburg Palace. There are quirky stories to enjoy while admiring the old masters – before the general public’s allowed in – at Vienna’s Museum of Fine Arts.
For more information on how we can take you beyond the expected, visit Trafalgar.com