Europe is a very popular tourist destination. In general, more tourists go to Southern/Mediterranean Europe than any other place in Europe. Western Europe follows, then the ever growing Central/Eastern Europe follows before Northern Europe, which attracts half the international tourists than Western Europe.

The most visited countries in order are France, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Below is a map of the Europe states. Europe now includes 51 independent states.

Western Europe

Since western Europe and the Mediterranean are the most popular, let's zoom in and see Western Europe with some compelling cities to visit marked on the map.

The yellow countries on the map use the euro as currency, the green states use the local currency, although in countries like Switzerland you can use the euro in many situations.

Now the map is beginning to take shape. You see cities you've read and dreamed about, or, in the case of Naples, Italy, you've developed an unfounded loathing for. You might be very surprised.

Relative Cost of Living in European States

Still haven't figured out where to go? Maybe you are a high flier, and would pick a couple of classy, expensive places to vacation. Or your pocketbook is nearly empty and you're looking or cheap. No matter. The chart below shows relative costs of each European State, with the United States thrown in for comparison purposes. The Czech republic is the reference point @ 100. So if you bought a burger for one dollar in the Czech republic, you'd pay $2.72 for it in Swizerland. The data has been extracted from Expatistan.com