Traveling through Europe as an LGBTQIA+ person – DW – 07/24/2025

DW

5 days ago

Europe is known as a continent of diversity. For LGBTQIA+ people, there are nevertheless a few things to bear in mind when traveling.
Rights for LGBTQAI+ people vary greatly around the world: What is punishable by death in some countries is regularly celebrated at colorful Pride events elsewhere. Even within Europe, both the legal situation and the social acceptance of the queer community vary greatly from country to country.
"Basically, the needs of lesbians, gays, trans* and everyone else in between are exactly the same as anyone else," emphasizes Jörg Argelander. Together with Gregor Hiebel, he has been running the Berlin travel agency "overtherainbow" since 1996, where he regularly advises LGBTQIA+ people on safe travel. "I want to relax, I want to have fun, I want to meet new people and I want to be able to move around freely," he says, summarizing the wishes of his customers.
It can therefore be useful for queer travelers to obtain information in advance about social norms, possible support centers and their own rights in the country they are traveling to.
The EU is committed to protecting LGBTQIA+ people through various provisions such as the Treaty of Amsterdam (1997), the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000) and anti-discrimination directives. Nevertheless, some EU member states or candidate countries are currently going in the opposite direction: Hungary and Georgia, for example, recently removed "gender identity" from their equality laws. At the same time, however, there are also positive developments: As of this year, Austria's Federal Equal Treatment Act stipulates that "gender" includes sex characteristics, gender identity and gender expression.
The Rainbow Map, compiled by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), is a good resource for assessing the legal and political situation of European travel destinations. As a global umbrella organization of organizations that campaign for LGBTQIA+ rights, ILGA evaluates 49 European countries each year based on 76 criteria in seven categories.
For the past ten years, Malta has taken first place in the ranking; this year, the archipelago achieved a score of 88.83%, well above the European average of 41.85% and that of the European Union (51.13%). The bottom three countries in 2025 are Russia (2%), Azerbaijan (2%) and Turkey (5%). Germany is in eighth place with 69.1%.
When preparing for a trip, however, it is also worth looking beyond the legal situation of the country so as not to unintentionally violate social norms or customs. LGBTQIA+ travel guides, travel blogs, apps or even the website of the German Foreign Office can be useful to learn about national customs and practices in advance.
On the streets of big cities in Portugal, for example, same-sex couples are not uncommon — but the public display of affection between adults, regardless of gender, is unusual. Portugal is also one of the few European countries in which there is a self-determination law, similar to the one that Germany adopted in November 2024.
For TIN* people (trans*, inter* and non-binary people), passing through border controls can be especially difficult. "To be very specific: If your passport doesn't say M or F, but instead says diverse, then entering certain countries can be a problem. And the problems start with your airline ticket," says Argelander.
It is still uncommon for airlines to offer the option of "diverse" on your ticket. Also being prepared emotionally for invasive questions, for example by security staff at the airport, is still recommended in 2025. "Especially when it comes to trans* people, it's no fun being waved out of the body scanners, which happens every time. This is something that happens to trans people, and people who are not affected by this are not even aware of it," emphasizes the travel agency manager.
In Germany, it is also possible to apply to the dgti association for a supplementary ID card, which documents all self-selected personal data and a current passport photo, thereby explaining any differences between one's appearance and the information in official documents. The ID card is intended to prevent discrimination and, following the introduction of the Self-Determination Act, is particularly suitable for people who have not yet made a final decision on a legally binding name or gender change. The dgti ID card is recognized by many authorities, interior ministries, banks, universities, insurance companies and the police, but is only valid in combination with an official identity document.
In addition, the association provides numerous tips for TIN* people on its website about traveling and other areas of life.
Once you are at your destination, it can be nice to network with the local community. There are apps that you can use to find other travelers or queer hostels, for example. LGBTQIA+ travel agencies are also a good way to get to know people from the community, if desired. In addition, large cities often have neighborhoods or streets that are known for their queer scene: the Marais in Paris, Chueca in Madrid or Via Lecco and Via Tadino in Milan are just a few examples.
"Gay beaches," where predominantly queer people converge, can also be found at some beaches. Elia Beach and Paraga Beach on Mykonos are especially well-known. If you are more interested in cultural events, you will of course also find quieter places in many cities where you can still connect with the local community: In the "Queer Britain' museum in London or in the queer bookshop "Antigone' in Milan, for example. Incidentally, Berlin, Amsterdam and Helsinki are considered especially popular cities in 2025 due to their wide range of LGBTQIA+ bars and clubs.
In addition, Argelander lists Spain and Greece as the most popular countries. "Because the local culture there is sometimes even more progressive than we are in Germany. And it's not even a topic of discussion," he explains. In most European countries, LGBTQIA+ people can generally travel without worries and be sure that they will meet people from their community, especially in big cities.
Nevertheless, caution is advised, as isolated attacks on queer people can also occur within Europe. Jörg Argelander emphasizes: "Ideally, we would go through life completely invisible in this regard. But we are not invisible, and we don't want to be."