'''Western Europe''' is one of the regions of Europe. Most people coming from North and South America going to elsewhere is the world will likely fly via here from a stop or to catch an connecting flight. It has the most flights worldwide than anywhere else however most people find there is plenty to do here. It contains over 137,000,000 people in it and is one of the most densly populated areas in the world.

Countries

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  • Belgium
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • Ireland
  • Luxembourg
  • The Netherlands
  • Other territories

  • Channel Islands (United Kingdom)
  • Isle of Man (United Kingdom)
  • Common sub-region names

    Benelux:

  • Belgium
  • The Netherlands
  • Luxembourg
  • Cities

    In order of population

  • London - 14 million
  • Paris - 9 million
  • Birmingham-2.7 million (including satellite towns)
  • Manchester - 2.6 million (Greater Manchester)
  • Glasgow - 2.3 million (including satellite towns)
  • Amsterdam - 1.4 million
  • Brussels - 1.3 million
  • Liverpool - 1.3 million (Metropolitan Merseyside)
  • Edinburgh - 1.2 million (including neighbouring districts)
  • Dublin - 1.1 million
  • Rotterdam - 584,000
  • Belfast - 579,554
  • Bristol - 551,066
  • Lyon - 470,000
  • Cardiff - 300,000
  • Cork - 190,384
  • Understand

  • The Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Belgium, France,and Netherlands are members of the European Union; Channel Islands and Isle of Man are not.
  • Belgium, France, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, and Netherlands use the Euro.
  • Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Netherlands are members of the Schengen Agreement [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement], removing border checkpoints.
  • The region "Western Europe" is sometimes confused with the "Western Bloc", which was a Cold War name for the market-economy countries of Europe, as opposed to the Eastern Bloc of communist countries. "Western Europe" is used here more specifically.

    Get In

    By Plane

    With 8 out of the 30 busiest airports of the world located here there are many flights and operators, including budget airlines, which can often be cheaper than bus or train. Major airports can be found for the following cities, however most cities all have good airports with many international connections:

  • Dublin, Ireland
  • Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
  • Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
  • Birmingham, England, United Kindom
  • Manchester, England, United Kingdom
  • London, England, United Kingdom-Has 5 airports: By far the worlds main air hub with 138 million passengers every year.
  • *Heathrow
  • *Gatwick
  • *City
  • *Stansted
  • *Luton
  • Paris, France-Has 2 airports:
  • *Charles de Gaulle
  • *Orly
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Brussels, Belgium
  • By Train

    There are excellent connections to and from Germany and Switzerland in Central Europe and good connections with Italy and Spain.

    By Car

    By Bus

    Get Around

    By Train

    You can see the whole region by train. Cross border connections are very good between most EU countries. Paris and London are the main hubs in Western Europe and the Eurostar train takes just over 2 hours to travel between the two capitals.

    By Car

    By Bus

    See

    Do

  • Climb over the '''Giant's Causeway''' in Northern Ireland
  • Go biking on the Dingle Peninsula in western Ireland
  • Visit Blarney Castle and West Cork in Cork, Ireland
  • Explore pubs in Dublin
  • Cruise to the islands of the Scottish Highlands in Scotland
  • Scan for the Loch Ness Monster
  • Tour a whisky distillery in Scotland
  • Admire the massive Forth Bridge near Edinburgh
  • Climb up the extinct volcano to Edinburgh's castle
  • Go to Blackpool, go out on a pier, go up Blackpool tower, ride antique trams, and ride "Europe's greatest collection of white knuckle rides" at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
  • Go hiking or boating in the English Lake District
  • Walk or bike through the insanely quaint Cotswolds
  • Ride a Welsh railway, either go up Mount Snowdon on the Snowdon Mountain Railway or ride the Blaenau Ffestiniog Railway
  • Stroll the historic Welsh town of Conwy and see the massive castle
  • Visit an English university town like Oxford or Cambridge, and maybe do some punting
  • Admire Stonehenge, from a distance, since you can't go directly up to it
  • Tour the bizarre "biomes" of the Eden Project
  • See the White Cliffs at Dover ideally from the sea
  • Call home from a phone booth near Big Ben at the top of the hour while the bells chime
  • Explore the creepy '''Tower of London'''
  • Ride the '''London Eye''' Ferris Wheel
  • Stroll in a '''London''' Park like Hampstead Heath, Regents, St. James, or Hyde
  • Zip through the chunnel on a high speed train from London to Paris or Brussels
  • Go to the top of the '''Eiffel Tower''' in Paris
  • Stroll grand Parisian Boulevards
  • Climb '''Montmartre''' Hill in Paris
  • See a managable amount of art in the Louvre, or see the art in the Orsay Museum, in a former train station
  • See the surprisingly modern architecture in the business district of La Defense
  • See the Science Museum in Villette Park, and the other odd attractions assembled there
  • Stroll an old train viaduct on the Promenade Plantee in Paris
  • See the stunning, but crowded, Versailles Palace
  • Ride the '''TGV''', one of the fastest trains in the world, from Paris to Lyon
  • Cross the beach at low tide and then climb to the top of Mont Saint Michel
  • See the '''D-Day''' Beaches of Normandy
  • Explore Chartres Cathedral
  • See the quaintness of the Alsace
  • Sunbathe on the beaches of the French Riviera
  • Eat Belgian chocolate, cheese, and beer
  • Take a canal cruise of Bruges
  • See the unusual '''atomium''' and nearby little Europe in Brussels
  • See the battlefield at Waterloo
  • Bike alongside or cruise the canals of Amsterdam
  • See Anne Frank's Amsterdam house
  • See, cautiously, Amsterdam's '''Red Light District'''
  • Bike through the tulip fields of Holland and its windmills
  • See the astounding architecture of central Rotterdam
  • Climb the tower of the Dom-church in Utrecht
  • Sleep

    Eat

    Drink

    Get Out

    Stay Safe

    Despite its population density, the area is generally very safe, though this varies greatly depending on where you go. Obviously in most major cities you will find areas with high crime rates. These areas should be avoided by tourists. Same-sex couples and those identifying as LGBT should have no problems as this is one of the most tolerant regions in the world. In fact many people come from around the world because of the tolerant atmosphere. Illicit drugs can be a problem, but not one which should affect tourists.