Dreading a long layover? Here's how to turn it into a second vacation
Layovers are an unavoidable part of travel that rarely spark joy. Why? Because they often afford extensive periods of sitting and waiting, or grant you just 30 minutes to sprint across city-sized airports at Olympic speeds to catch the next flight.
Sometimes, it's a debate of whether seven hours is enough time to go through customs, leave the airport to explore, then come back and go through security again. Occasionally, you're contending with an awkward 12-hour stretch that may or may not be a great opportunity to explore a city, depending on whether that stretch falls in the middle of the night.
But what if instead of dreading layovers, it was possible to turn them into part of the vacation; something, perhaps, you could even look forward to? Read on to learn how to transform your next layover into an actual vacation.
Given how little vacation time most Americans have, it's not always possible to extend a layover. However, if you can budget in a few more days, the benefits of turning a layover into its own vacation go beyond simply getting to see another city. Considering the cost of flights, being able to work two trips into one flight also eliminates the need to book a second future flight to the layover destination.
Also, consider the benefits of easing jet lag. If you're traveling internationally, you probably spent a good amount of money on your trip and don't want to waste your first few days in paradise sleeping off your jet lag. When flying across the world, jet lag can hit hard — taking a multi-day layover lets you begin adjusting to the time difference before reaching your destination.
(Related: Jet lag doesn't have to ruin your trip. Here's what you can do.)
Price is a factor when choosing a layover destination, both in terms of how affordable the flights are, and also how expensive the layover city is. Many European flights have stopovers in Zurich, Switzerland, but even if you find a cheap flight through Zurich, know that it is one of the most expensive cities in the world.
The same goes for Singapore and Iceland, two excellent layover destinations that are also very pricey. However, while the layover may be costly, this is still a more affordable way to visit one of these destinations, rather than taking a dedicated trip there, as the flight would already be factored into your other trip.
If you only have a couple of days to stay, contemplate how quickly and easily you can explore the top sights. For short layovers, it makes sense to visit somewhere with densely packed attractions so you don't spend the entire time in a car or on a bus.
For extremely short layovers, consider booking a tour with a company like ToursByLocals; the company offers several hours-long tours with guides who may also be able to pick you (and your luggage) up from the airport and drop you back before your connection.
The timing of your trip can also help determine where you should — or shouldn't — schedule a layover, such as the Caribbean during hurricane season. Additionally, knowing what significant religious, cultural, or seasonal activities are taking place can impact where you decide to spend extra time.
A large number of international flights (including US-based airlines like Delta, United, and JetBlue) fly directly to Amsterdam before continuing on to Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Some of these stopovers include extra-long layovers that are 16-22 hours, which is enough time to explore some of the main attractions without having to book a separate ticket.
Nearly all of the city's top sights (Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, canal boat rides) are located within its hyper-walkable city center, which makes for efficient exploration. Note that many top museums here sell out months in advance, so book tickets as soon as you have your flight.
Singapore's Changi Airport might even be better known than the destination it's located in. Tourists flock here to visit its hundreds of eateries and to see thousands of plants adorning a 131-foot indoor waterfall. In fact, so many travelers schedule long layovers here that tour agencies arrange quick city trips right from the airport.
As impressive as the airport (and its food) are, there's far more to explore in Singapore. Travelers can spend up to 96 hours in Singapore without extra airfare costs, and through Singapore Airlines' Stopover Holiday Package, travelers can take advantage of free airport transfers and discounts on top attractions and luxury hotels.
Considering how many direct flights to Africa, Europe, and the Middle East fly out of New York's JFK Airport, New York City is an extremely popular layover destination for travelers heading from the West Coast. And, because booking a separate roundtrip ticket out of JFK can sometimes save hundreds of dollars per ticket, travelers can redirect those savings toward a vacation in New York.
The same goes on the West Coast, where many direct flights to Asia fly out of Seattle and Los Angeles, making both cities great options for layover vacations.
Given how many direct flights leave out of Dubai to Asia, Africa, and elsewhere in the Middle East, it's also a prime layover location. Dubai's hometown airline, Emirates, offers direct flights from a dozen US cities, and their Dubai Connect program provides free hotel accommodation, ground transfers, meals, and visa assistance to passengers with layovers between eight and 26 hours.
For longer stays, a separate stopover package is needed, and the Emirates Stopover program offers discounted rates on hotels, experiences, bundle packages, and new flight bookings.
Mexico City — often referred to as CDMX (Ciudad de Mexico) — may be one of the biggest cities in the world, but it's also one of the easiest to explore. Major airlines offer direct flights here from almost every major US city. Once you've arrived in CDMX, it's a quick hop around the Caribbean or down to Central and South America.
Or, stay longer and explore the vibrant culinary scene and the alternative and artsy side of Mexico City, where many of the top attractions are conveniently located in and around walkable neighborhoods. You can also head an hour north to the Mayan archeological site of Teotihuacan, home to the third-largest pyramid in the world.
(Related: A taste of Mexico City.)
Given Iceland's climate, your itinerary could differ dramatically depending on when you visit. While some options — like visiting glaciers, geysers, and thermal baths — are available year-round, summer is the best time for hiking, biking, and puffin-spotting, while winter is the best time to see the northern lights.
Iceland's largest carrier, Icelandair, makes it an even more appealing layover destination with its generous 'Stopover in Iceland' package that allows travelers to spend up to seven days in Iceland before flying to Europe.
The website is easy to use and the booking process lets you choose a stopover on one or both legs of the journey, and it even offers suggested one-, two-, and three-day itineraries.
Cassandra Brooklyn is a New York City-based writer and tour leader who specializes in sustainability and the outdoors. She is the author of the guidebook Cuba by Bike. Follow her on X.
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Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
London's ‘Little America' is no more. What's taking its place?
From the Eagle Bar on the top floor of the new Chancery Rosewood Hotel in Mayfair, the views across London are unobstructed, save for a gilded aluminum eagle, its wings spread wide, which crowns the midcentury modern building that once housed the U.S. Embassy to the United Kingdom. The Americans pulled up stakes in 2018, relocating the embassy to a giant fortified cube on the south bank of the Thames. They left behind the eagle, along with a collection of monuments and memorials in the adjoining Grosvenor Square — relics of what was once an American citadel in its ancestral land. John Adams lived on the square. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower had his wartime office there. A statue of Franklin Roosevelt gazes across the patchy lawn. Diplomats threw star-spangled election night parties, while hopeful travelers lined up outside for visas. During the Vietnam War, protesters clashed with police under the trees. Now, Grosvenor Square is being recast for a post-American age. The Chancery plans to open to guests in early September, its Persian Gulf owners having converted the Brutalist landmark, designed by Eero Saarinen, into a Rosewood luxury hotel, with junior suites starting at 1,400 pounds (nearly $1,900) a night. The square, which lies in front of the hotel and has a different owner, is closing this week for a 13-month refurbishment. The project will add lush plantings that celebrate biodiversity and link the 6-acre expanse, which has fallen into a state of neglect, more closely to its 18th-century Georgian roots. The owner, Grosvenor Property, insists it is preserving the legacy of a place once known as 'Little America.' But Grosvenor Square attests to how much the world has changed, not least since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Start with the fact that the embassy was bought by investors from Qatar, whose government recently gave the Trump administration a Boeing 747 as a replacement for Air Force One. 'If you're trying to attract people, if you're trying make money, highlighting America's prominence is not the way to do it,' said Leslie Vinjamuri, the director of the U.S. and Americas program at Chatham House, a research group in London. 'It's a good time to take a step back, to play it down a bit.' Ties between Britain and the United States ebb and flow, she noted, in a 'special relationship' that is neither as serene nor as harried as often portrayed. A new global crisis could swiftly bring these old allies back together. But Trump's acrimonious dealings with Europe have indisputably changed the mood. 'There is just a sense of pulling apart between the U.K. and the U.S.,' said Vinjamuri, who will leave London this month to become CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Trump, who has a soft spot for the royal family and other totems of imperial Britain, complained bitterly about the sale of the embassy. He blamed it, wrongly, on his predecessor President Barack Obama. (The decision was made during the George W. Bush administration because of security concerns.) 'We had the best site in all of London,' Trump said in 2018. The new location, in a redeveloped industrial section of London known as Nine Elms, was 'lousy,' he said, spurning an invitation to a ribbon cutting. Indeed, since the days of Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde, Grosvenor Square has been synonymous with posh London. The Grosvenor family laid it out in the 1720s to anchor the expansion of its property empire into West London. With grand dimensions and an elegant oval shape, it attracted wealthy residents, who were given keys to their own private Eden in the capital. (It became a public park after World War II.) It also attracted Americans, starting with Adams, who lived on the northeast corner from 1785 to 1788 as America's first envoy to Britain. After Eisenhower quartered himself there, it was nicknamed 'Eisenhower Platz.' The Roosevelt statue was paid for with donations from ordinary Britons as a gesture of gratitude to the United States for its aid in the war. Nothing sealed the American connection like the opening of Saarinen's chancery in 1960, a hulking nine-story building that was the first purpose-built embassy of any country in London. In its early days, it was reviled by some critics as a jarring intrusion on the genteel Georgian symmetry of the square. 'It had this sense of America being big and bold, and in a British context, a sense of 'Wow, how American,'' said Matthew Barzun, the last U.S. ambassador to have an office in the building. Barzun, who witnessed ups and downs in the trans-Atlantic relationship over Syria and Brexit, said the old embassy was designed to be 'light and open and welcoming.' But after the terrorist bombings of embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, 'we added more and more fences and bollards,' he said. 'You start out building things to keep people out,' Barzun said, 'but you end up trapping people in.' Converting a diplomatic fortress into a sleek, five-star hotel was a design and engineering test for Qatari Diar, a real estate company backed by Qatar's sovereign wealth fund. The Qataris brought in Rosewood, a luxury hotel chain that was started in Dallas and is now owned by a Hong Kong conglomerate. 'Creating warmth was the biggest challenge,' said Michael Bonsor, the hotel's managing director, as he offered a sneak peek. 'You have this juxtaposition of one of the most secure, fortified buildings in London, where Marines used to run around with machine guns. It wasn't the most hospitable building in the world.' Dapper and discreet, Bonsor could have been a diplomat if he hadn't gone into hospitality. He said the hotel would make nods to its past, but would avoid becoming a Cold War-style theme park. In addition to the eagle, which is a protected landmark, the hotel has reinstalled statues of Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan that once flanked the building (the statues are wrapped in tarp to protect them during construction). Inside, the Chancery has retained some of Saarinen's design elements, notably his exposed-concrete ceiling. But prizewinning British architect David Chipperfield has reconfigured the building to add an atrium with cascading chandeliers. Two palatial penthouses are named after Elizabeth and Charles, monarchs not presidents. The hotel said their scale would appeal to guests from the Middle East. Across the street, the proprietors of Grosvenor Square are similarly aware of the tug between past and present. While they will retain the FDR statue, as well as a memorial to victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, they plan to add serpentine paths and extensive plantings to soften the square's stark appearance. 'The austere design, which was important during the Cold War period, has had its day,' said Cordula Zeidler, a heritage and design expert who advised Grosvenor Property. 'Having more plantings is both a Georgian concept and something people want today.' James Raynor, the newly named CEO of Grosvenor, acknowledged the complicated political backdrop to the project. But he said, 'I don't think we should be altering it for the long term on the basis of short-term noise.' In turbulent times, Raynor even holds out hope that the 18th-century square can still serve as a 21st-century bridge. 'Will the park by itself change the diplomatic relationship between the countries?' he said. 'I doubt it. But it will allow us to recognize what the two countries have done for each other.' This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Copyright 2025
New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
Furious Europeans target tour buses, attractions with water guns in anti-tourism protests
If you are jetting off for a European summer, there is one date to beware of: June 15. Locals in tourist hotspots who feel foreigners are turning their cities into playgrounds while they are left behind with a housing crisis, rising rents and environmental impacts are planning to disrupt airports, tour buses and popular attractions with placards and water pistols to get their point across. Advertisement Following a meeting in Barcelona in April, a coalition of activists — the Southern Europe Network Against Touristification – revealed they were planning a day of protests on June 15. 'The goal is not to attack individuals but to draw attention to the social and environmental toll tourism is taking on our cities,' one unnamed organizer from Lisbon told EU Today. 'We are being squeezed out of our homes, our public spaces, and our daily lives.' 'It's not about hating tourists – it's about saving our communities,' said another activist. 3 A tourist watches protesters during a demonstration calling for a change in the tourism model in the Canary Islands, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, May 18, 2025. REUTERS Advertisement The Spanish island of Majorca is expecting its biggest day of anti-tourist demonstrations yet, with 60 groups wanting to bring the streets to a standstill with the slogan, 'For the right to a decent life; Stop touristification'. It is certainly not the first time we have seen these kinds of protests. One of the latest incidents to grab global headlines was in Barcelona in April when protesters congregated outside the city's Sagrada Familia Basilica wielding water pistols and shouting 'tourists go home' as a bus packed with visitors made its way through the streets. Advertisement Brett Mitchell, the Australian managing director of Melbourne-born global company Intrepid Travel, said he understood the frustrations of people living in these tourist hotspots and getting the balance right was a real issue that needed to be dealt with. He said it was on everyone, including government, tour operators, cruise lines and airlines, to get around the table and work on solutions for responsible destination management. 'The reality is tourism is not going to slow down, it's a mega trend and it's only going to become bigger and bigger, and if the issue is not addressed it's going to get worse and worse every year,' Mitchell said. While tourism is vital to the local economies of these destinations — and more generally, in bringing the world together — Mitchell said at peak times locals were being 'pushed out' or having their 'whole lifestyle completely turned on its head'. Advertisement 3 Acitivists against tourism stop a tourist bus in front of La Sagrada Familia Basilica, to protest against overtourism in the city, in Barcelona, Spain, April 27, 2025. REUTERS 'As a traveler, I think there's a lot of things we can do,' he said. 'Traveling in smaller groups; we always believe there's always a much better experience for locals and also you as a traveller. 'Look at the off seasons or shoulder seasons; it's another really good way to try and avoid crowds. 'Getting off the beaten track; yes go and see these amazing iconic tourist spots but get there early and then move on and go and see other alternative areas and destinations. 'And then we really believe in trying to spend locally, so really try and do your research and make sure the money on the ground when you're spending it in these countries is going to locally owned businesses and supply chains.' Sarah Orr, from travel insurance comparison site Compare the Market, described the day of protests as 'terrible timing for the tens of thousands of Aussies' who head to Europe this time of year. Advertisement She said some comprehensive travel insurance policies cover expenses for additional accommodation and travel expenses as a result of riots, strikes and civil commotion. 'However, most policies will not cover you for cancellation fees and lost deposits, if the unrest escalates, continues for some time and/or the commencement of the unrest predates the purchase of your insurance,' she warned. 'While these protests are unlikely to cause major disruptions, it's a good idea to read up on when and where they are happening, so you can plan your itinerary accordingly and avoid them if possible. 'The protests will target tourist hotspots, major landmarks and high foot traffic areas. It may be a great opportunity to visit some less 'touristy' parts of the city, to take in the culture conscientiously.' Advertisement 3 A man displays a sign during a demonstration calling for a change in the tourism model in the Canary Islands, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, May 18, 2025. REUTERS Popular destinations across the world have been desperately trying to find new ways to cope with a massive boom in tourism post-Covid and avoid the trend dubbed 'overtourism'. New taxes and fees have been introduced, caps have been put on visitor numbers, and new hotels and short-term rentals have been banned. Japan has urged Australians to explore the country beyond the typical tourist hotspots as visitor numbers reach record highs. About 920,000 Australians visited Japan in 2024, setting a new record. This year we're expected to break the one million mark for the first time. Advertisement And Japan's advice echoed that of Indonesia in 2023, which pleaded with Aussies to explore more of the country beyond Bali. Foreigner crackdowns across the globe Countries across the world are continuing to crack down on foreigners. Advertisement Donald Trump's 'enhanced vetting' for arrivals at US airports appears to be getting the most attention, but there is plenty more happening elsewhere. Italy has changed its citizenship laws, making it significantly harder for Australians (and other foreigners) to get a passport by descent. You can no longer get citizenship if your great-grandparents were born there, it has to be a parent or grandparent. Venice is doubling its entry free for day-trippers this season and expanding the days it applies to. The fee, first introduced a year ago, was 5 euros ($9) and is now 10 euros ($18) for any visitors who don't book more than four days in advance. Spain has ended its 'golden visa' that allowed non-EU citizens to get residency by buying property worth more than 500,000 euros, which closes off a pathway to Spanish citizenship. Meanwhile, the city of Malaga has prohibited new holiday rental properties in 43 neighbourhoods for three years and a court has backed Barcelona's ban on short-term holiday rentals from 2028. The UK began requiring Australians, and a bunch of other countries who were previously exempt, to complete an application and pay a fee to enter. The EU will do the same but has delayed implementing the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system for 30 European countries multiple times, with the latest timeline indicating late 2026. Scotland's capital Edinburgh has revealed next year it will join a number of cities now charging a tourist tax on overnight accommodation. A 5 percent charge will be added. In Japan, the latest plan for hotspot Kyoto is to raise the historical city's accommodation tax tenfold — from 200-1000 yen ($2 to $11) per night, depending on the price of the lodging, to between 2000 and 10,000 yen ($22 to $115) per night. Meanwhile, the mandatory fee for hiking Mount Fuji has doubled to 4000 yen ($46) per person for the peak season this year. A fee and requirement to book a limited spot was first introduced last year. Nepal has also hiked the permit fee to summit Mount Everest during peak season by 36 percent. It will now cost $$25,150, up from $18,450. Last year, notable changes in holiday hotspots included Bali introducing a $15 fee to enter the wildly popular Indonesian island, Greece introducing a cap on visitor numbers to the famed Acropolis in Athens, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands banning new hotels from being built.
National Geographic
8 hours ago
- National Geographic
How to experience 6 of Europe's most musical cities
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). While many cities can lay claim to being hubs of musical creativity, only a few become truly synonymous with a certain sound. After all, Vienna will always waltz to the tune of Strauss and few can imagine Seville without the passion of flamenco. In some cases, a city is its music. And, like that of a gifted composer, the European repertoire is vast. Whether for pop or classical, folk or techno, travellers will find no shortage of cities to immerse themselves in Europe's great soundtrack. There are hands-on workshops, interactive museums that chart the story of a genre, and nightly shows at age-old venues — perhaps the closest thing to seeing a city's soul. Whatever your taste, here are six of the best in which to plan a tuneful escape of your own. The Museo del Baile Flamenco houses costumes, art and interactive exhibits, which chart the history of the genre, with shows in the courtyard or cellar events space. Photograph by Getty Images, Miguel Sotomayor 1. Flamenco in Seville Seville's heart beats with flamenco. The stirring trinity of song, dance and music has its roots in the city's Gitano communities and has become an emblem of both Seville and Spain; such is its cultural value that it was added to the UNESCO Intangible World Cultural Heritage list in 2010. Tablaos are the place to experience the dance. Packed each night of the week, these venues can range from the casual La Carbonería, where locals come for tapas and a show, to more venerable institutions such as Peña Flamenca Torres Macarena, a stage and cultural hub for new and established performers, or El Arenal, where punters can enjoy a full-course dinner with a show. But the street is perhaps the most authentic stage of all. An outdoor performance might stir into life on the grand Plaza de España; on a tree-shaded patio in the Barrio de Santa Cruz, or in Triana, the buzzy, working class district said to be the birthplace of flamenco. The area is home to the Teatro Flamenco, a bijou theatre that holds nightly performances, as well as the workshop of teacher and guide Eva Izquierdo, who runs hour-long flamenco classes for budding bailadores (dancers). For an edifying experience, the Museo del Baile Flamenco houses costumes, art and interactive exhibits, which chart the history of the genre, with shows in the courtyard or cellar events space. Date for the diary: The annual Feria de Sevilla is a lavish celebration of Andalucian culture with parades, traditional dress, sherry and plenty of flamenco. 20-26 April 2026. Listen to: A Tu Vera by Lola Flores. More than just watering holes, Galway's atmospheric pubs have a proud tradition of hosting and championing Irish folk (or Irish trad) musicians. The Crane Bar heads up any list of must-visit venues, with both floors of this lively Victorian haunt host packed-out sessions each night of the week. Photograph by Getty Images, Thomas Winz 2. Irish folk in Galway The rousing sound of a fiddle is never far away on Ireland's west coast. Huddled against the Atlantic, Galway is a bastion of traditional culture, where poets, artists and musicians have long found a place to hone their craft in the city's bustling bars and salty-aired granite streets. More than just watering holes, Galway's atmospheric pubs have a proud tradition of hosting and championing Irish folk (or Irish trad) musicians. The Crane Bar heads up any list of must-visit venues: both floors of this lively Victorian haunt host packed-out sessions each night of the week, while Monroe's Tavern focuses on Irish-language music, and often throws dancing and poetry nights, too. With its charming web of streets festooned with flags and hanging baskets, the Latin Quarter is not to be missed. It's the beating heart of the folk music scene: buskers can be heard on street corners, covering classic ballads or trying out their own original tunes, while the pubs here make a fine place to while away an evening with a whiskey or two. Tigh Neachtain has been trading since 1894 and has platformed several well-known Irish folk artists, including acclaimed accordionist Sharon Shannon. Over at the charming Tig Choili, twice-daily live music sessions come courtesy of local and visiting musicians alike. Date for the diary: Now in its fourth year, the Galway Folk Festival promises a spirited programme of live music sessions across the city. 4-8 June. Listen to: My Irish Molly O by De Danann. Stockholm has been a powerhouse of European pop and now, fans can dig into the city's hit-making heritage at the Swedish Museum of Performing Arts, which explores the history and future of music, theatre and dance. Photograph by Getty Images, Kavalenkava Volha 3. Pop in Stockholm Ace of Base, Roxette, The Cardigans, Robyn and, of course, ABBA… Sweden's musical exports reads like a festival headline bill. For decades, Stockholm has been a powerhouse of European pop and now, fans can dig into the city's hit-making heritage at the Swedish Museum of Performing Arts, which explores the history and future of music, theatre and dance. The Avicii Experience tells the story of the late, chart-topping DJ with a collection of unreleased music and virtual-reality karaoke, while the club Trädgården sees revellers dance beneath Skanstullsbron bridge. And, in the city that gave the world Spotify, vinyl still has its place; Bengans, Snickars and Mickes record stores are a music-lover's dream, while Pet Sounds sells used records beside a cocktail bar. But no trip to the city would be complete without a whirl around ABBA The Museum, where the career of Sweden's most successful act is celebrated through interactive exhibits and memorabilia. Date for the diary: Drömmen Festival will bring together pop legends from Sweden and around the world, including Ronan Keating, Gipsy Kings and Shirley Clamp. 7 June. Listen to: It Must Have Been Love by Roxette. 4. Classical in Vienna Just like the Danube, music flows through the heart of the Austrian capital. Some of history's greatest virtuosos — from Mozart to Haydn, Beethoven to Strauss — lived and worked in Vienna, leaving a musical legacy that's as rich as a Habsburg palace. When it comes to live music, the Vienna State Opera shines as one of the world's most opulent music venues, while the Golden Hall at the Musikverein is home to the Vienna Mozart Orchestra. Mozart's legacy lives on in performances at the Orangery at Schönbrunn Palace, the space where he premiered The Impresario in 1786. The House of Strauss, meanwhile, is the world's only remaining concert hall where all four Strausses performed. Not everything takes place in palatial surrounds though. Intimate piano recitals are held at the Mozarthaus, where the composer lived, while the Annakirche is a baroque jewel of a church that hosts affordable concerts. Date for the diary: 2025 is the bicentenary of Johann Strauss's birth. A special concert by the Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony Orchestra and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter will mark the big day on 25 October. Listen to: The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II. The French capital is peppered with old-school jazz clubs, and few are as hallowed as Le Caveau de la Huchette, on the Left Bank. Photograph by Getty Images, Shironosov 5. Jazz in Paris When American troops were stationed in Paris during the First World War, they brought with them the improvised rhythms of jazz. In the years that followed, this sound took Paris's music halls by storm and has become entwined with the city's soundscape. The French capital is peppered with old-school jazz clubs, and few are as hallowed as Le Caveau de la Huchette, on the Left Bank. The building dates to the 16th century and has staged countless stars of swing in its time, including Sidney Bechet and Lionel Hampton. On the Right Bank, life on the Rue des Lombards saunters to the sound of jazz, for it's home to three of the city's finest bars: crowds squeeze into the Duc des Lombards, Sunset/Sunside and Le Basier Salé for late-night jam sessions. But, if one figure epitomises the French jazz era, it's Josephine Baker who turned heads in 1926 when she performed at the Folies Bergère wearing a banana skirt. The legendary music hall remains an art deco icon of Paris's musical heritage. Date for the dairy: Jazz festivals include Jazz à La Villette, held in the Parc de la Villette. August/September 2025, dates TBC. Listen to: Black Trombone by Serge Gainsbourg. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the underground electronic music scene offered West and East Berliners a way to come together. Photograph by Getty Images, Mahiruysal 6. Electronic in Berlin If German reunification had a sound, it would be one of wavy synths and drum machines. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the underground electronic music scene offered West and East Berliners a way to come together. Since then, the city has become the pounding heart of European electronica. Venues have popped up in disused landmarks across the city, harking to the 1990s when students began squatting in abandoned buildings. A fine example is Tresor, which began in the cellar of a former department store in 1991. Now housed in a decommissioned power plant, its killer sound system draws fans from across the world. Kater Blau — a former soap factory — is a popular, open-air summer spot beside the River Spree, while ://about blank takes a political approach to techno, offering 'hedonistic, insurrectionalist dialectic'. Top of any list, however, is Berghain, the cathedral-like club where (almost) anything goes. Top-quality sound and performances aside, the mysterious entry policy is all part of the appeal and has revellers queuing for hours. Date for the diary: Rave the Planet Parade mixes rave culture with political demonstration. 12 July. Listen to: Autobahn by Kraftwerk. Published in the European Cities Collection 2025 by National Geographic Traveller (UK). 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