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ILUXURYTRAVELS

Europe destination guide

The Europe destination guide.

Europe runs two seasons that barely overlap: chalets from December to April, and the Mediterranean from May to September. The trick is knowing which shoulder weeks still work — a Portofino October or a Courchevel late March — and where a car helps rather than hinders. This guide covers both.

Travel tips

Pick the airport before the house

Geneva serves most of the French and Swiss Alps within two to three hours; Nice, Ibiza, Mykonos and Olbia put you inside an hour of the villa. A house an extra ninety minutes out costs you two half-days.

Cars help on the coast, not in the Alps

Puglia, Mallorca, Corsica and the Douro want a car. Resort villages like Courchevel 1850, Zermatt (car-free) and Val d'Isère do not — a driver on call is cheaper than parking and easier in snow.

Book the festive fortnight a year out

Christmas and New Year in the Alps, and August on the Riviera and the Greek islands, are the two windows where the best houses go twelve months ahead and rates roughly double.

Chalets are catered; villas usually are not

An Alpine chalet rate normally includes a chef, host and daily housekeeping. Mediterranean villas typically include housekeeping only, with a chef, driver and boat added on request.

Know the entry rules for your passport

Non-EU visitors are limited to 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area, and the EU's new entry-exit checks add time at the border. The UK and Switzerland run their own rules.

The best months to go

December – April
Alpine season; best snow January to March, longest days and terrace lunches in late March and April.
April – May
Mediterranean shoulder: Puglia, Mallorca and the Amalfi Coast warm and quiet before the crowds.
June
The best-value summer month — sea warm enough, islands not yet full, rates below July.
July – August
Peak everywhere south; book by the previous autumn and expect the coast roads to be slow.
September – October
Our favourite window: swimmable sea, the Douro and Tuscan harvests, and empty cities.
November
Quietest month; city houses in London, Paris and Milan at their best value before the Alps open.

Local culture and etiquette

Lunch is the main event in the south

Italy, Spain and Greece eat late — dinner from 21:00 in Ibiza and Mykonos is normal. Shops close in the afternoon in much of southern Europe; plan around it rather than against it.

Dress codes are real on the Riviera

Beach clubs from Cap d'Antibes to Porto Cervo expect smart resort wear after sunset, and several refuse trainers. Alpine restaurants are more relaxed, though the Michelin rooms are not.

Greet before you ask

A bonjour, buongiorno or kalimera before a question is the whole difference in France, Italy and Greece. Service is included by law in France and Italy; rounding up is enough.

Sunday closes things

Switzerland, Austria and much of Germany shut almost entirely on Sundays, and Alpine resorts change over on Saturdays — which is why chalet weeks run Saturday to Saturday.

Must-visit places

  • Courchevel 1850

    The reference address in the Three Valleys: ski-in chalets with chef, spa and staff in the rate.

  • Zermatt

    Car-free, Matterhorn in the window, and skiing into June on the glacier.

  • Ibiza

    Cliff-edge estates at Es Cubells and Cala Jondal, quiet fincas in the north.

  • Mykonos

    Sunset-facing villas above Agios Lazaros and Psarou, with chef and driver standard.

  • Amalfi Coast

    Positano and Ravello houses with terraces over the sea; go in May or late September.

  • Paris

    Apartments and townhouses for a city opening or closing to a longer European trip.

  • Douro Valley

    Quinta estates and harvest in September — the most underrated week in Europe.

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