European Sojourn

Tight on budget? Dump the popular European destinations for the little-known wonders that are equally attractive

- Sutirtha Sanyal

For the majority of Indians, Europe promises a dreamy landscape, one that gets draped in a pristine white blanket in the winters, and upon thawing, gives way to a rolling countryside of lush green hills and thick brown forests dotted with fairy tale castles and forts, some of them witnesses to bloodcurdling historical events.

In the last couple of years, Indians have been making a beeline to Europe, including the affordable and the not-so-affordable destinations. According to a World On Holiday report by RateGain Travel Technologies, a data analytics company, Indian travel to Europe surged by 190 per cent in FY24, with leisure family trips growing at 318 per cent.

“This reflects India’s increasing interest in European destinations, especially among budget travellers,” the report said. Incidentally, many planned their trips on short notice. “Notably, 32 per cent of travellers booked trips within a 0-15 days window,” the report said.

Besides the usual destinations—France, Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Austria—other countries in central Europe, such as Poland and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, are also becoming popular with Indian travellers.

Typically, we tend to box Europe into a single compartment, but that’s not the right approach. If India was to be superimposed on a map of Europe, it would span from Norway to Italy on the north-south axis and from France to Belarus and beyond on the east-west longitude. Just like different Indian states offer diversity in history, culture and climate, European countries, some of which may be smaller than many Indian states, are as diverse.

But besides the difference in climate, culture and culinary habits, the holiday and travel cost also vary widely. The Nordic countries and the popular destinations, such as France, Germany, and Switzerland, are expensive compared to those in central and eastern Europe.