European Country Guides

Get to know the countries you are visiting before you set off

Europeans like nothing more than a visitor who tries to speak the language when visiting their country, even if it's really bad they will appreciate the effort. In the same way they also appreciate people who have taken the time to understand a bit about the country they are visiting.

So, in order to make this easier we're providing our visitors with European Country Guides. In each of these we're going to give you a guide to the country's history, politics, economics and geography. After reading them you'll probably know more than a lot of the locals you'll meet!

Austria
Capital: Vienna | Population: 8.2 million | Timezone: GMT +1
Belgium
Capital: Brussels | Population: 10.5 million | Timezone: GMT +1
Croatia
Capital: Zagreb | Population: 4.5 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
Czech Republic
Capital: Prague | Population: 10.3 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
Denmark
Capital: Copenhagen | Population: 5.5 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
England
Capital: London | Population: 50.1 million | Timezone: GMT
Finland
Capital: Helsinki | Population: 5.2 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
France
Capital: Paris | Population: 63 million | Timezone: GMT +1
Germany
Capital: Berlin | Population: 83 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
Greece
Capital: Athens | Population: 11 million | Timezone: GMT + 2
Hungary
Capital: Budapest | Population: 10 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
Ireland
Capital: Dublin | Population: 3.9 million | Timezone: GMT
Italy
Capital: Rome | Population: 58.5 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
Netherlands
Capital: Amsterdam | Population: 16.4 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
Northern Ireland
Capital: Belfast | Population: 1.7 million | Timezone: GMT
Norway
Capital: Oslo | Population: 4.6 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
Poland
Capital: Warsaw | Population: 38 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
Portugal
Capital: Lisbon | Population: 10.4 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
Romania
Capital: Bucharest | Population: 22.3 million | Timezone: GMT + 2
Scotland
Capital: Edinburgh | Population: 5.1 million | Timezone: GMT
Serbia
Capital: Belgrade | Population: 7.5 million (excluding Kosovo: 2.4 million) | Timezone: GMT + 1
Spain
Capital: Madrid | Population: 43 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
Sweden
Capital: Stockholm | Population: 9 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
Switzerland
Capital: Bern | Population: 7.4 million | Timezone: GMT + 1
Wales
Capital: Cardiff | Population: 2.9 million | Timezone: GMT