Summer Vacations in Europe

Summer is in full swing and European travel is heating up! As of June 18, 2021*, the European Council now allows travelers from the United States to travel to Europe, and HomeToGo has a first look at the top destinations that Americans have been eyeing first. 

As observed in HomeToGo’s Return of Travel forecast, vaccines have given travel an instant boost and Americans have already been eager to travel again internationally.

According to HomeToGo’s research:

• 54% of U.S. travelers said they plan on traveling within 1-2 months after receiving the vaccine.
• 92% of those surveyed intend on traveling the same or more internationally after receiving the vaccine, compared to pre-pandemic.

HomeToGo took a look at the top 10 most popular European cities for summer 2021 escapes, predicting U.S. travelers are eager to eat tapas in Barcelona, marvel at ancient wonders in Rome or stroll rural countryside escapes near Galway. As observed following the June 2021 announcement that Europe was opening up to U.S. travelers, all of these cities saw an instant monthly boost in search interest.

From the rolling hills of Ireland to the turquoise beaches of Cyprus, the top trendiest countries based on those that have seen the biggest search increase in the past year compared to pre-pandemic include:

If you’re interested in a little island hopping, here are the beachfront getaways that are proving to be the most popular escapes as international travel opens up compared to search volume in 2019. This includes Mykonos, Greece, which has seen a +415% increase in searches since before the pandemic, as well as Sardinia, Italy (+303%) and Tenerife in the Canary Islands (+227%)

Looking for the latest travel restrictions?

If you are planning a trip to Europe, it’s important to take note of any travel restrictions or warnings that might affect your ability to travel. Check out HomeToGo’s COVID Travel Restrictions guide to plan accordingly.

Reach out to [email protected] for any additional questions or information. 

*Source: Press release from Council of the EU, June 18, 2021

Methodology 

Most popular cities: Based on searches on hometogo.com during the week following the June 18 Europe travel announcement (June 18 -25, 2021) with a check-in date between June 18- September 22, 2021. 

Monthly search increase: Based on searches on hometogo.com in between June 18 - 25, 2021 with a check-in date between June 18 - September 22, 2021, compared to searches in between May 18 - 25, 2021 with the same check-in dates period. 

Trending countries and islands: Based on searches on hometogo.com between June 18 - 25, 2021 with a check-in date between June 18 - September 22, 2021, compared to the same search period with the same check-in period in 2019. 

Median prices: Median price per night for accommodation between June 18 - September 22, 2021. Prices are in USD and were collected on June 25, 2021.