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Adventure Holidays in Europe

Proof if proof was needed that Europe is where it’s at for adventure holidays.

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Adventure holidays in Europe can be some of the best adventures in the world. As adventure playgrounds go, it’s hard to argue with Europe and its 10 million square kilometres.

You can pretty much dream up any sort of adventure possible, and the odds are that it will be an adventure holiday that it’s possible to have in Europe. Unless it’s something to do with cycling around the world of course. Or visiting a very specific national park or capital city or mountain range. But stop getting so pernickety. You get our point. You can do all sorts of adventure holidays in Europe, from kayaking between the fjords of Norway to winter hiking in the Julian Alps of Slovenia, coasteering and wild camping in Cornwall, rafting and canyoning in Bosnia, bear watching in Romania and snorkelling in Albania.

Fancy getting knee deep in snow and watching the northern lights in Finnish Lapland? Off you go, and tell Santa we’ve all been good boys and girls while you’re there. Sunshine and sea kayaking in Sardinia more your thing? No problem. Want to get yourself up something? Hell with it, why not climb Mont Blanc? Or get significantly more off the beaten track and head off hiking in Kosovo. We know we’re sort of just listing stuff now, but honestly Europe has so much. And we’ve not even mentioned wild camping in Croatia, trekking Iceland or cycling the Silk Road in Georgia. Gosh. Good continent (though aren’t they all?).

In the rankings of all the things Europe’s got going for it, the fact that it’s a continent bursting at the borders with adventure holiday potential is definitely right up there. So let us take you under our wing (or maybe on the train?) and show you exactly why adventure holidays in Europe are up there with the best of them.

So what are some of your options?

Break up Europe into its various pieces and you’re left with a nice, long, list of adventure-flavoured ingredients. Let’s run you through some of the tastiest ones we can take you to now. We’re not saying they’re the best adventure holidays in Europe, because that’s entirely subjective. But we are saying that we offer the trips we offer for a good reason.

Scandinavia anyone? We run trips to the Norwegian Fjords, Finnish Lapland, and Sweden’s beautiful national parks - to name just a few. With its epic scenery, flowing rivers, the “freedom to roam” mindset that means you can pretty much wild camp wherever you want, luscious forests and, of course, the Northern Lights, adventurous souls will love Northern Europe. Let us take you there.

Heading towards the eastern side of the continent, we run a number of trips to the Balkans. The Balkans is one of those areas not that many people know that much about - particularly in terms of adventure holidays, but it’s genuinely amazing. Home to Slovenia’s highest mountain Mount Triglav, for example, Triglav National Park is an absolute feast for the eyes and generally just an excellent place to spend some time. While we’re in this corner of the map, and discussing the trips we run, shout out also to Montenegro’s Unesco-listed Tara River and the islands of Croatia.

Back in the United Kingdom (and despite the seemingly endless debates around Britain’s place in relation to the European Union, the UK is very much part of Europe) there are more adventure opportunities than you can shake a very big, very outdoorsy-looking, stick at. Here at Much Better Adventures, we can, for example, take you to Snowdon, Ben Nevis, and the Scottish Highlands for a bona fide bonanza of activity-filled shenanigans. There’s also yoga in Cornwall, cycle touring in the Peak District and so much more.

Needless to say, these are just a few of our options. Remember when we said Europe is 10 million square kilometres? Yeah, Europe is 10 million square kilometres. There are endless adventure holidays in Europe. Check out our full collection.

And what can you do there?

Let’s be honest, if you’re naming something that you can’t do on your adventure holidays in Europe, then you’re being extremely niche, aren’t you? We feel confident in saying that there is pretty much nothing you can’t do on an adventure holiday in Europe. But there are also some very specific things that you can do, that you can’t do elsewhere. So let’s have a look at them.

You know what’s a good way to unwind? Heading to the Norwegian Fjords for some kayaking and wild camping, that’s what. Speaking of nice times in Norway, how does dog-sledding in Tromso sound? Pretty great right? With Much Better Adventures, you can do all this and more - including finally ticking ‘see the Northern Lights’ off your lengthy bucket list. While we’re on the subject of things you can do in Scandinavia, we’re also able to get you ice-climbing up frozen waterfalls and snowshoeing in Finnish Lapland.

If you’ve ever dreamed of climbing to the summit of Mont Blanc like a proper mountaineering legend, you’ll be delighted to know that we can make this particular dream come true. Which you would know already if you’ve been paying attention. Similarly, if you’ve ever wanted to trek the Tour du Mont Blanc you’ll be chuffed to know that we can sort out the logistics of this challenge so you don’t have to.

Stand up paddle-boarding down Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, river rafting in Montenegro, and organised climbs to the summit of Slovenia’s Mount Triglav are all things you can do with us in the Balkan area of Europe.

On our Scottish adventures, meanwhile, you can learn winter mountain skills and climb Ben Nevis - the UK’s highest point. Elsewhere in the British Isles, with us, you can go surfing and do some coasteering.

How fit do you need to be?

On each one of our adventure holidays in Europe you’ll find a “difficulty” rating. Our ‘Easy’ trips are exactly what they sound like. They’re open to everyone. Easy doesn’t mean unexciting, but as long as you’re happy spending a few hours hiking, or cycling, or paddling you’ll be absolutely fine. You won’t need any previous experience, just an urge to explore the world.

Slightly more full-on than our ‘Easy’ trips, but not by much, our ‘Moderate’ trips are for people who maybe bike to work a few times a week, go to the gym, or play a bit of sport. They’re designed for curious people who want to explore new countries and culture in a, you guessed it, active way.

Challenging. OK, these trips are definitely a step up from the other two but they’re also well within the reach of anyone who has the right attitude and a reasonable level of fitness. These are the type of adventures where you’ll inevitably wish you’d done a bit more training beforehand, but also the type of adventures where you’ll come back proud of yourself; come back wearing a big old grin. You might get away with having no prior experience in the adventure’s main activity but we’d encourage you to get a little bit just so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

A wise man, probably one with a weather-beaten face hidden beneath a big bushy beard, once said that “If you don’t spend 90% of the time wishing you weren’t there, it’s not an adventure, it’s a holiday.” If these words speak to you on a spiritual level, then our ‘Tough’ trips are the ones for you. Physically challenging, mentally challenging, and technically difficult; these adventures are proper nails - taking you to wild and remote places where conditions can be incredibly harsh. Good levels of fitness are absolutely essential here, these are adventure holidays in Europe where the word “holidays” should probably be replaced by “expedition”.

Why do it with us?

So, you’ve decided to have an adventure holiday in Europe but you’re still a little on the fence in terms of doing one with us? Even after reading all this text? Well, you are committed. Maybe you’re thinking to yourself that you could organise it yourself, or get your mate to organise it, or ask a stranger in the street to organise it? And sure, you’re free to do whatever you want but before you run off let’s just quickly discuss why going on an adventure holiday in Europe with Much Better Adventures is definitely, definitely, the way to go.

Reason number one: we literally guarantee happiness. That’s right. You read that correctly. We’re officially a good time guaranteed; made it our mission, in fact, to ensure super excellent fun times by working with brilliant local guides, the friendliest hosts imaginable, and by hand-crafting the best adventure experiences the world has to offer. If one of our activity holidays makes you anything but happy, we’ll work with you to arrange a refund that’s fair. How cool is that?

Still not enough? Working with 100% local businesses, our platform model ensures of every $100 spent, $80 on average goes into the local economy. The UN reports* that that number is as low as $5 for typical mass tourism, which we think is plain criminal. And as well as donating 5% of our revenues to conservation work, we work with non-profits, NGO’s, conservationists and activists to campaign on important issues, and design adventures that can make a difference. Our trips are great for solo travellers, great for travelling groups, great for optimising your annual leave with multiple long weekend breaks, and just generally unbeatable from first minute to last. Join our tribe and head out on a Much Better European adventure.

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