The centuries-old cultural links between the United States and Europe run extremely deep on both sides of the Atlantic. In equal measure, Europeans are fascinated by the culture and freedom of the New World, and Americans are lured to the Old Continent by the prospect of learning about the cultural heritage of their ancestors who immigrated to the States. Both Europe and the United States contain a fantastic wealth of tourist attractions, and choosing which of them you should visit on vacation can be rather tricky. This article will present three unmissable tourist attractions from each side of the pond to help you decide.
United States
1. Times Square, New York City
Probably the most iconic sights in the whole of the United States, Times Square is first on the list of must-see tourist sites. A few decades ago, it gained an unwanted reputation for being “the wrong side of the tracks” due to the prevalence of prostitution and its thriving drug trade. Nowadays, the area is much safer and home to the headquarters of many of the world’s biggest brands. Its massive glowing neon signs, enormous malls, talented street performers and historic theaters stretch for five blocks and are must-see for any visitors to the Big Apple.
2. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Coming in a close second, San Francisco’s imposing Golden Gate Bridge dominates the horizon as you look out over the sea to the north. Once gaining the moniker “the bridge that could not be built”, San Francisco’s most famous landmark rightly takes its place as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. 11 people died in the construction of the bridge, which cost over $70 million dollars and took four years. The bridge stretches for 1.7 miles and incorporates of 80,000 miles of cable.
3. Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas
The city of Las Vegas rises like an impossible mirage from the Mojave Desert in Nevada. The main street is known as the Strip and is where many of the most famous casinos in the world are located, including Caesars Palace and the MGM Grand. The weird and the wonderful are on show every night, as people from everywhere converge to party and mix it with the high rollers. Before you book your ticket to Vegas, make sure you check out a guide to ESTA visa to find out whether you are eligible for the visa waiver scheme.
Europe
1. Eiffel Tower, Paris
. No trip to Europe would be complete without a visit to this stunning iron tower that was built as the entrance of the 1889 World’s Fair. Reaching over 1,000 feet into the Parisian sky, the Eiffel Tower held the mantle of the tallest building in the world until 1930. Incredibly, the tower initially attracted criticism for its wrought iron lattice design. Today, however, it is visited by around 7 million people a year, making it the most visited monument in the world which you have to pay to enter. U.S. citizens will soon be able to visit attractions like the Eiffel Tower without having to apply for a visa with the introduction of the ETIAS visa waiver scheme. Check to see whether you are eligible by clicking on a guide to ETIAS here.
2. Colosseum, Rome
Constructed almost 2,000 years ago, the Colosseum in Rome is one of Europe’s most iconic tourist attractions. It once served as an amphitheatre which hosted gladiatorial battles that took place in front of capacity crowds of as many as 80,000 baying spectators. Located in the center of modern Rome, the structure remains in remarkable condition and offers a fascinating insight into the lives and passions of the inhabitants of the ancient city.
3. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
Without a doubt the best-known landmark in Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia is a unique-looking basilica designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, one the city’s favorite sons. Gaudí died in 1923 without seeing his masterwork completed. Incredibly, work on the structure, which is a fantastic example of the fusion of Gothic and Art Nouveau styles that characterized much of Gaudí’s work, has still not been concluded, with the final date for completion set for 2026. Remember to check whether you are eligible for the new EU visa waiver scheme before flying into Barcelona – for more info check out this guide to ETIAS here.
Any trip to either the United States or Europe this year should include at least one of the tourist attractions mentioned in this article. All you need to do now is to work out how to squeeze them into your travel itinerary.
