It is SO EXCITING (and sometimes a little scary) to start thinking about your first international trip. Especially when the world is your oyster, but it’s a very big oyster with a seemingly infinite number of places to choose from. But don’t worry! We are here to help make things a little easier! In this post, we are sharing the best destinations for your first international trip.
These destinations have minimal language barriers for English speakers, have great transportation options, and are easily reachable by most major airports. They are also cities that are very well connected to other cities via public transportation, so you can easily take day trips or add other cities to your itinerary with minimum hassle.
If you are coming from the United States, you will truly be blown away by European infrastructure and how incredibly easy it is to jump from place to place. Just don’t cram too much into a short amount of time – you don’t want your schedule to be so full that you don’t have any down time.
These destinations are all places that we’ve personally visited, so feel free to drop any questions you have in the comments at the end of this post or visit our linked blog posts for more information!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post on best destinations for your first international trip are affiliate links. That means at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission from purchases made which will go toward bringing you more travel tips, tricks, and tidbits!
Things to Consider Before Your First International Trip
We have an entire blog post dedicated to how to plan your first international trip that tells you how to find flights and the best place to stay, how to stay organized while planning, and how to find activities to fill your itinerary. But here are some additional things to keep in mind as you consider destinations for your first international trip:
- Your phone carrier probably offers an international plan. They generally run around $10/day. A much cheaper option is getting an eSim! These digital sim cards allow you to use your phone in other countries at a cheaper cost. Airalo is widely considered one of the best companies to use for eSims, especially in Europe.
- Effective January 2025, everyone (including children) traveling to the United Kingdom for tourism is required to get an Electronic Travel Authorization. It costs £16 and lasts two years or until your passport expires (whichever comes first). The turnaround time on this is typically 3 days.
- All of the countries listed in this post are considered safe, but every major city has its bad areas. Do your research and read reviews before booking accommodations!
- You’ll need a power converter in other countries! We like this one, because it can be used all over the world. You can see all of our fav travel must haves HERE.
- Your passport can take a few months to arrive. Choose the expedited option when ordering if you need it quickly. You can read all about how to go about getting your US passport HERE.
Here are the Best Destinations For Your First International Trip:
London, England
London is one of the best destinations for your first international trip for numerous reasons:
For starters, it has 2 international airports (Gatwick and Heathrow) that you can usually score pretty good flight deals to from the eastern USA. It also has fantastic public transportation – buses and the tube are easy to navigate, and taxis and Ubers are readily available. You won’t need to rent a car while you’re there!
One of our favorite ways to get acquainted with a new place is on foot. It really allows you to get an idea of local life and culture. If you want to see a lot of London’s top sights in a short amount of time, be sure to check out our Self-Guided Walking Tour of London’s Top Sights! This walk will take you along the Thames River from the iconic Tower Bridge to the bustling vibrant Borough Market, past Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre to the towering London Eye, and finally ends at Westminster Abbey (which is conveniently located directly next to Big Ben).
Museums abound in London. Kids will love The Postal Museum, Science Museum, and Natural History Museum. History lovers will enjoy visiting the Churchill War Rooms or the British Museum, while art enthusiasts can visit The National Gallery or Tate Britain.
As you can see, London is a big city that has a lot to offer. So we recommend spending at least a few days there. But it’s very well connected to the rest of the UK, which makes it a great jumping off point if you want to get outside of the city center (which we always think is a good idea!).
If you want to use London as a home base to take day trips, some popular options are Bath, Stonehenge, Harry Potter Studios, and the Cotswolds.
If you want to spend some time in London before hopping over to another place, there are several good options: Edinburgh is less than a 5 hour train ride north, Ireland is less than 1.5 hours away and flights are usually under $50, and Paris is less than 3 hours away by train!
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and frequently makes the lists of the most beautiful cities in the world (it’s actually Kayla’s favorite place she’s ever visited!). The medieval architecture prominent throughout its Old Town makes it easy to visualize what the area would have looked like hundreds of years ago – and if you do the tour of Mary King’s close, you’ll get to go inside some of the medieval dwellings that are now below street level!
In contrast, the New Town side has Georgian architecture and modern shops. It is incredibly easy to venture between the two areas on foot, though it should be noted that Edinburgh is a hilly city, so your legs will be feeling the burn if you aren’t accustomed to walking on inclines!
One of the things we love most about Edinburgh is that despite it being such a bustling hub of history and entertainment, nature abounds. Hikers will love ambling up the ancient volcano known as Arthur’s Seat. For those wanting a less strenuous uphill climb, Calton Hill gives you the best views of the city and is our favorite spot to watch the sunset. Our favorite nature spot of all though is the quiet self-guided nature walk from Dean Village to Circus Lane.
Edinburgh is the perfect city for history lovers. While the earliest known inhabitants of the area date back to 8500 BC, the 16th century saw a renaissance in science, medicine, literature, and religion – leaving a long lasting mark that can still be seen throughout the city to this day.
Edinburgh has one airport that is just a short 30 minute bus ride to the city center. The capital city also has a train station, making it easy to venture to the Highlands or south to England. If you need a break from walking around the city, cabs are readily available to take you where you want to go.
We have several guides to Edinburgh to help you kickstart your planning to this stunning city. We have guides on the best places to stay and the best places to eat. We even have a guide to how to find all of the sites that served as inspiration for Harry Potter.
Edinburgh truly has something to appeal to everyone. We recommend spending 3 days here before venturing on to explore the northern part of Scotland. It’s also a great option to combine with London, as they use the same currency and are only around 5 hours apart by train.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Because of the Red Light District and the city’s legalization of marijuana, Amsterdam is sometimes perceived as being a seedy city. On the contrary, the Amsterdam we’ve experienced on our two visits was nothing but positive. It is one of the most family-oriented places we’ve visited, has a rich culture, an incredible food scene, and the people are friendly and warm. These are just a few of the reasons it makes our list of the best destinations for your first international trip!
Schipol Airport is Amsterdam’s international airport, and it offers easy transportation to the city center by train or bus. Once you’re in the city center, you can get to place to place on foot, by tram, or by bicycle if you really want to live like a local. Did you know there are more bicycles in Amsterdam than residents? There are so many bicycles they even have multi-level parking garages dedicated solely to bicycles!
Amsterdam is absolutely beautiful with its many canals that run throughout the city and the arched bridges that drape over them. If you want the idyllic picturesque experience of Amsterdam, we recommend staying in the De Pijp neighborhood. This area has great restaurants and shops, is within a short walking distance to main attractions and tram stations, and isn’t heavily flooded with tourists like other parts of Amsterdam tend to be.
Amsterdam is an art lover’s paradise. The Rijksmuseum is the Netherlands’ most well known museum, with an impressive collection of Dutch national art that includes the likes of Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. The Van Gogh Museum is situated right beside the Rijksmuseum and has the world’s largest collection of the artist’s work. For those interested in more modern art, the Moco Musuem always has an interesting array of modern and contemporary art. These three museums are conveniently located beside each other in the aptly named Museumplein (Museum Square).
Probably the most famous landmark in Amsterdam is the Anne Frank House. The museum is situated in the same house where Anne and her family hid to escape Nazi persecution. Visitors not only walk in the footsteps of Anne when visiting the house, they also get to see her diary on display. This is a sobering experience, but one we wholeheartedly recommend.
Another must do activity while in Amsterdam is a canal tour – this is an excellent way to learn a little history about Amsterdam and get a lay of the land (or water in this case). You should also stroll through Albert Cuyp Market, an outdoor market that has been open since 1905! It’s a great place to sample Dutch specialties such as Stroopwafels, Poffertjes, and herring – all popular snacks in the Netherlands.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen might not be top of mind when thinking of destinations for your first international trip, but it’s an excellent choice! It should be noted that Denmark is considered one of the more expensive countries in the world though, so it’s not the best option if you are trying to budget.
After flying into Copenhagen Airport, you can easily get to the city center by train or tram in under 20 minutes. Once in the city center, you can use the metro or buses to get around, but we went everywhere on foot during our visit. Copenhagen is considered one of the most bicycle-friendly countries in the world, so that is also an option!
One of the biggest attractions in Copenhagen is Tivoli Gardens. This is the world’s second oldest amusement park and served as the inspiration behind Disneyland. This place is *magical* and full of whimsy. Rides vary from thrilling rollercoasters, to high quality carnival-type rides for all ages, to rides that take you up and spin you in the air. There are also all kinds of hangout spots including an alley modeled after an old Danish market town, several beautiful gardens, and a Chinese bamboo forest! If you are visiting Copenhagen over New Years Eve, Tivoli Gardens is the perfect place to end your day before heading out to watch fireworks!
The 17th century astronomical observatory known as the Round Tower is also a big draw for first timers. Tourists visit every day to climb its famed spiral ramp that circles the tower 7.5 times before depositing you at the top to breathtaking views of Copenhagen. This is one of our favorite things on our list of 15 things to do in Copenhagen!
Other popular spots include the National Museum of Denmark where you can see Viking artifacts, Christiansborg Palace, Amalienborg Square, and the statue dedicated to one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most famous tales – The Little Mermaid. Of course, no trip to Copenhagen would be complete though without visiting the iconic Nyhavn – the iconic colorful waterfront area that dates back to the 17th century.
For an unusual and fun day trip, we recommend renting a bike and heading outside the city to see the Forgotten Trolls – an open air treasure hunt to find 6 enormous troll sculptures that are made out of recycled wood and other salvaged materials. If you aren’t interested in bicycling, you can also see these as part of this guided tour.
Rome or Florence, Italy
Italy is on most people’s bucket list and for good reason – it’s absolutely stunning, the food is incredible, the history and culture are rich, and it’s a country that oozes romance. It’s just as vibrant in real life as pictures make it out to be.
Rome and Florence are the two Italian cities that attract visitors most, and we think they make excellent destinations for your first international trip! And one of the best parts is you don’t have to choose between the two, because they’re only 1.5 hours apart by train.
Rome is the capital city of Italy so it is bustling and busy. It has a rich history and diverse architectural styles because of it. You’ll see everything from ancient Roman ruins to dramatic Baroque structures to more modern structures. Because it is a capital city with a large airport, you can usually find cheaper airfare to Rome than other Italian cities – making it a great first stop on your visit to Rome.
In Rome, you’ll get to see some of Italy’s most iconic landmarks like the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Vatican City. One of the best ways to check some of these landmarks off your bucket list is by taking a sunrise e-bike tour around Rome! Amanda did this when she had 24 hours in Rome and it was one of the highlights of her trip!
Florence on the other hand was the hub of the Renaissance movement and its heavy influence on the architecture and culture is still very evident today. The architecture there is predominantly from the Renaissance area, as can be seen in its most famous landmark – The Duomo. The giant dome towers above the rest of Florence’s skyline, making it a top tourist attraction. Especially since you can climb all the way up to the top of the dome for panoramic views of Florence!
In Florence, you can visit the Accademia Gallery and see some of the most famous works of art in the world, like Michelangelo’s David and Botticelli’s Birth of Venus painting. You can also walk across the medieval Ponte Vecchio bridge and shop in the jewelry and art shops that are built into the bridge – once a common practice but one you likely won’t see elsewhere today.
Despite Florence’s many attractions, it is compact and easily walkable, making it feel very manageable to first time visitors – even if you don’t speak Italian.
Whether you visit Rome or Florence for your first international trip, you’re bound to eat delicious food. While pasta and gelato are obvious must eats while in Italy, some lesser known things to try are Supplì (fried rice balls filled with mozzarella that are popular in Rome) and Florentine steak (a large, thick cut T-Bone steak that can easily feed 2 people). Try to get away from the touristy areas for a more authentic experience and research local favorites to avoid falling prey to tourist traps.
Munich, Germany
Munich is another city that might not immediately come to mind as one of the destinations for your first international trip, but it’s a fantastic choice! While German is the official language of Munich, many people speak English and it’s an easy city to navigate.
In a 2025 study, Munich was ranked as the #1 most walkable city in the world! This means if you strategically plan out where you’re going to stay so that it’s near the city center, you can easily get to most of the top sites by foot!
Some of the highlights of Munich include the Glockenspiel clock in Marienplatz (the main square at the heart of the city center), Frauenkirche (15th century gothic cathedral), and the English gardens.
History buffs will likely want to do a guided walking tour to learn more about the WWII sites in Munich. There are also world renowned museums like the Deutsches Museum (the world’s largest museum for science and technology), the BMW Musuem, and the Munich Residence.
Germany has delicious food. Whether you want to try something traditionally German or international cuisine, the options are plentiful! There is a fantastic restaurant called Ratskellar, located directly behind the Glockenspiel that is a great place to try traditional Bavarian dishes like Wiener Schnitzel and Pork Knuckle. One of the best meals Kayla ever ate though was Swedish meatballs from Cafe Stockholm in Munich!
One of our absolute favorite things about Munich though is the Christmas Markets! For the month leading up to Christmas Eve, Munich offers some of the best Christmas markets in the world! And it isn’t like other cities where every market is exactly the same – Munich has themed Christmas markets! Kayla’s favorite market was the Medieval Market!
If Christmas markets aren’t your thing, Munich is also home to the original Oktoberfest. The festival centered around beer typically takes place at the end of September into the first week in October. Oktoberfest offers the chance to momentarily immerse yourself in Bavarian culture – donning lederhosen and dirndls is encouraged, live traditional music is easy to come by, and there’s a whole carnival put up in the city for all ages to enjoy.
If you’re visiting Munich, you should take advantage of how well connected the capital city is – not just to other cities in Germany, but other countries too! If you’re wanting to take a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle, it’s less than 2.5 hours away by train. If you want to tick another country off your bucketlist, Salzburg, Austria is only 1.5 hours away by train.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has stunning natural beauty and a vibrant culture. Belfast is its capital city and is a fantastic hub to spend a few days and use as a base for exploring areas near the coast.
Belfast’s claim to fame is that it is the city where the Titanic was built. They have an enormous museum where you can learn more about not just the Titanic, but the people who put so much of their life into building the ship. Belfast was once a booming industrial city, but the violence and economic hardships that came with The Troubles resulted took a huge toll on the manufacturing industry.
Today, a lot of the industrial areas now serve as the backdrop for incredible art installations. Belfast is known for having extensive street art with the culture and history of the area often serving as inspiration for the pieces.
One of our top recommendations for activities to do in Belfast is the Rhythm and Tales of Belfast Dinner Show. During the show, you are served an Irish inspired dinner followed by traditional music and Irish dancing. Through storytelling, you learn the history behind the songs and dances and in turn learn more about the history of Belfast in general.
After staying in Belfast a few days, you’ll want to go further afield to experience the splendor of Northern Ireland’s coast. We recommend taking a day trip to the Giants Causeway and Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge. This day trip ended up ranking among our favorite experiences of our 2 week trip around the UK.
While you won’t need a car to get around Belfast, it’s best to rent a car to visit the coastal towns. Northern Ireland is a great place to drive abroad for the first time – it’s low stress and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.
Your accommodations location in Belfast will determine how to best get around while you’re in the city, but there are generally 3 main options: Walking, buses, and taxis.
Some parts of the city are very walkable. For example, the historic city center where the Cathedral Quarter and St. George’s Market are located can easily be explored on foot. The Titanic Quarter is relatively close to these areas as well and can also be traversed on foot. Where parts of the city are so close together, it’s a great city to take a bike tour! We did this one and loved it!
For those wanting a longer trip, Belfast can easily be added to itineraries including London or Edinburgh, as flights are only around an hour and typically inexpensive.
Use our 4 Day Itinerary for Belfast to start planning your trip!
What do you think of these destinations for your first international trip? Let us know in the comments below!
Save to Pinterest
