'''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.