Let’s look at the top 15 travel destinations in 2018! Time really flies and 2018 is probably the one year that came and went for us the quickest. It seems almost impossible that we have been able to gather so many amazing memories during this year. Many of these memories are of course connected to Little A’s development and she has really been our little sunshine during 2018.
When it comes to travel we have felt quite grounded. At the same time we have spent more than 10% of the year abroad. And we have been to five new countries – Cyprus, Greece, Montenegro, Portugal, and the Vatican.
Our Top 15 Travel Destinations in 2018
We might not have left Europe during 2018, but there is no lack of new amazing places. And, of course, a few return visits of old favorites. We visited several places in Italy during our two visits to the country. A month in Greece also led to several places getting onto this list. We actually noticed just now that we haven’t traveled much within Sweden this year.
Here you go, here’s a list of our top 15 travel destinations in 2018. Which are yours?
#15 Lahti, Finland
Lahti is a place that had the opportunity to end up much higher on this list. In March, we were greeted by a town covered in snow. Sadly we were all soon forced to take cover under the blankets. Our week in Finland was heavily affected by us getting sick. Fortunately, we were lucky to at least first get the opportunity to meet some of Susann’s relatives as well as an old friend. We will just have to return to enjoy the snow another time. During the trip, we also had the chance to visit some new places in Finland, such as Naantali, Ekenäs, and Raseborg Castle.
#14 Paphos, Cyprus
We are usually not so fond of tourist areas. So, we usually tend to avoid places invaded by sun-seeking tourists. However, we found cheap flights to Paphos for a weekend trip during our month in Athens. So there we were, enjoying the sunshine and food while still trying to figure our what there was actually to see. Our conclusion is that sometimes it is just nice to go and enjoy yourself, but a day or two like this is probably enough for us. Little A did at least get a good rest from the big city of Athens.
We will remember our weekend in Paphos because of the great Indian food we ate there and the long walks along the coast.
#13 Åland Islands, Finland
It is hard for us not to include the Åland islands on a list like this one. We visit the islands a couple of times each year, mostly to visit family. Especially the summers would not be
#12 Gällivare, Sweden
Susann might have been left at home, but Little A and I did really enjoy our visit to Swedish Lapland. It is hard not to add Gällivare to a list like this. Just imagine the small Swedish town in the middle of the summer, with the sun barely setting during one of the hottest summers in memory north of the polar circle.
#11 Florence, Italy
Like so many others, we liked Florence, even though we found it a bit overrated. That’s why the city doesn’t make it higher on our list of top 15 travel destinations in 2018. It is majestic and it is beautiful, but we didn’t really feel any connection to it. We enjoyed the long walks in the maze of small streets, but we did not feel the city.
#10 Bratislava, Slovakia
Bratislava is an important city for us and we are always keen to re-visit it. We don’t really consider ourselves tourists when we go there. Instead, we visit our old favorite places and try to explore something new.
It’s also a great opportunity to meet old friends over good wine and a tasty cheese plate. Old memories mixed with new takes Bratislava to top 10.
#9 Warsaw, Poland
There is one word that is especially fitting for the Polish capital. Grey. And grey it was when we visited it in the last days of December. Poland has many beautiful cities, Warsaw is not one of them.
However, Warsaw has good shopping and Georgian restaurants. There are also fascinating places of interest, including the Old Town. During our stay, we stuffed ourselves with Georgian food and took long walks. Warsaw is a perfect example of a city that has more to offer than major tourist attractions.
#8 Prague, Czech Republic
It seems that we have visited many famous European capitals this year. In central Prague, you can always expect a lot of tourists. We stayed in a nice part of the city, Karlín, in a really nice flat. From here, we took long walks to the center and long the river.
During our stay in
#7 Rome, Italy
There is always room for the Eternal City on our top 15 travel destinations in 2018. And we didn’t even enter the attractions! Our phones counted many, many steps while we explored central Rome by foot.
We know that someday we will return! There are still so much more to explore.
#6 Bergamo, Italy
After Milan (it’s not on this list of top 15 travel destinations in 2018, but we actually went there as well), we thought it’d be a good idea to relax in a small Italian town. Bergamo is a treat. The Upper City is very beautiful, while the more modern Lower City has its own charm too.
This was not our first visit to Bergamo, but it was the first time we had the chance to explore it. And we liked what we saw! From our previous trip, we also know that it’s a good starting point for daytrips to other cities in northern Italy as well as Lake Como.
#5 Podgorica, Montenegro
The red thread seems to be grey cities. It is not its greyness that helps Podgorica reach the fifth place on our top 15 travel destinations in 2018. Instead, it’s all about its unpretentious charm.
In addition, one of the advantages of Montenegro is the size of the country – the distances are short, so it’s easy to explore the country in a short period of time.
#4 Athens, Greece
Athens was special to us because we decided to stay there for an entire month. It was our way of escaping the day-to-day routines. In many ways, Athens is an interesting city to live in. There are many historical sites and a lot of things to do.
Little A has now in an early age been introduced to Greek history with visits to places like the Acropolis, the Tempel of Zeus and the Ancient Agora.
#3 Frascati, Italy
We enjoyed Rome, but even more so we liked the small towns outside the Italian capital. In fact, Frascati makes it higher than Rome on our top 15 travel destinations in 2018. Why? Because you can find all the good things about Italy without all the stress. And still be in Rome in about half an hour.
#2 Kefalonia, Greece
The Greek islands really are a world of their own! Think beautiful beaches, good food, and a lot of tourists. Fortunately, we decided to stay in the capital Argostoli, far away from the most touristy parts. Being a bit off season also made it more pleasurable.
The highlight of our trip to Kefalonia was our road trip around the northern part of the island. Kefalonia really has a lot to offer with spectacular surroundings.
#1 Madeira, Portugal
An emerald island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is #1 on our list of top 15 travel destinations in 2018. We visited the island of Madeira in February and were greeted by amazing natural wonders.
Even though the weather wasn’t ideal during our visit, its nature was truly stunning. As we rented a car, we saw a big part of Madeira. And we traveled with great company, Susann’s parents. According to Susann, she had the best coffee ever on Madeira. And she still claims this is true, even after all those trips to Italy!
Goodbye 2018, Welcome 2019!
So here it is! Our top 15 travel destinations in 2018. As you can see, we have mixed capitals and city life with islands and countryside. It will be interesting indeed to see what 2019 will bring – we already got Kiev and Malta on our list.
We wish you a successful new year and happy travels!
