Europe is back on our doorstep: your guide to five cities worth booking now

Posted on 20 October, 2026

Qatar Airways is returning to Canberra Airport from 9 December – and so are daily flights from Canberra to Doha, connecting us to more than 170 destinations worldwide.

Which means Europe – Rome, Barcelona, Paris, all of it – is back on our doorstep. No Canberra to Sydney dash required.

And if you’ve never flown Qatar Airways before, now is a very good time to start with special earlybird fares available until 30 October . Multiple-time Skytrax World Airline of the Year, it’s consistently rated one of the best in the world, thanks to wide-body aircraft, cabin service that makes a long-haul feel manageable, and a transit through Hamad International Airport in Doha (which is almost a destination in itself!).

Here’s your guide to five European cities worth adding to the list – and a good reason to start planning now.

Rome, Italy

Rome is one of those cities that doesn’t need to try. You turn a corner and there’s a Bernini fountain. Ancient history is a backdrop to daily life – laundry strung between buildings that have been standing for centuries, locals walking past the Pantheon like it’s a roundabout. The Colosseum, the Vatican, Trastevere at golden hour – all worth it.

For food, head straight to Testaccio, the working-class neighbourhood where Roman cuisine was born: Da Remo for pizza, Flavio al Velavevodetto for cacio e pepe eaten at a table cut into the side of an ancient hill made from 53 million broken amphorae (yes, really). If you can score a reservation at Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina, take it without hesitation – it’s widely considered one of the best restaurants in the city and earns every word of that.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona pulls you in with Gaudí and keeps you with the food. The Sagrada Família and Park Güell are non-negotiable – but so is La Boqueria market first thing in the morning, or a plate of razor clams at a Barceloneta beach bar at noon. Catalonia was named World Region of Gastronomy in 2025, and the city has 24 Michelin-starred restaurants to show for it. Disfrutar, with three Michelin stars and the No. 1 ranking on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2024, is one of the most exciting dining experiences on the planet right now. Reservations open a year in advance (it’s worth the planning!).

For something more neighbourhood-scaled, Berbena in Gràcia has a loyal local following and a seasonal menu that changes constantly, while Bar Cañete in El Raval does creative tapas at a long counter where you can watch the kitchen in action. And the Gothic Quarter at night, all narrow lanes and candlelight, is worth wandering with absolutely no plan. 

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam has a different energy to the other cities on this list – quieter, more lived-in, and very easy to love. The canal houses, the bikes, the flower markets – it’s a city built for wandering. There’s plenty to see. Van Gogh Museum is home to the largest collection of Van Gogh’s work in the world, while Anne Frank House – a place where one of the most significant works of our time was written – will stay with you long after you leave.

The city’s food scene has properly hit its stride. Kaagman & Kortekaas in the Palace District does nose-to-tail fine dining in a casual space – very Canberra-compatible. For natural wine and long afternoons, Boon & de Koot has a French bistro vibe and a terrace made for exactly that.

Amsterdam also works beautifully as a base for day trips to Bruges, Ghent, or the tulip fields of the Bollenstreek. If you can go in spring, go in spring.

Paris, France

Yes, Paris. Some destinations earn their cliché status, and Paris is absolutely one of them. The difference is in how you move through it – skip past the tourist circuit and into the neighbourhood bistros, the covered passages, the flea markets of Saint-Ouen, and the bookshops and boutiques you don’t want to leave.

Do the Louvre. Do the Eiffel Tower at dusk. Take a dinner cruise down La Seine. Wander through the Jardin du Luxembourg.

The city’s dining scene is one of the most exciting in the world. Try to get a table at Septime in the 11th – Michelin-starred, modern, and worth every effort it takes to book. Can’t get in? Head to Septime La Cave next door for natural wine and small plates. Le Café de l’Usine in Belleville, recently named Best Bistro in the Time Out Paris Food & Drink Awards, does a worker-priced lunch that is one of the best-value meals in the city.

London, United Kingdom

London is big, loud, and completely absorbing. Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the British Museum, the Tate Modern – most of it free, all of it worth your time. Walk the South Bank, do Borough Market on a Saturday morning, book a West End show. There are seemingly endless things to discover.

The food scene is the best it’s ever been. In Shoreditch, Brat does wood-fired Basque cooking with a Michelin star. while Cycene is a tasting menu experience unlike anything else – ring the bell, start with a drink at the bar, move to the kitchen, then settle into the 16-cover dining room for the main event. In Notting Hill, Canteen is the neighbourhood Italian everyone wants a table at – walk-in only, River Café alumni in the kitchen, and a seasonal menu that gives you a reason to go back.

Don’t sleep on Doha

While we’re here: Hamad International Airport in Doha ranked second best airport in the world at the 2025 Skytrax Awards – and walking through it, you understand why. There’s an entire indoor tropical garden (The Orchard: 300 trees, 25,000 plants, natural light pouring through a glass ceiling), a public art collection that includes a famous 23-foot yellow teddy bear by Swiss artist Urs Fischer, and dining that runs from Ralph’s Coffee by Ralph Lauren to high tea at Harrods.

But if your schedule allows a longer stopover, the city is a destination in itself. The Museum of Islamic Art is extraordinary – a building and a collection that both deserve proper time. Souq Waqif is an atmospheric tangle of spices and textiles worth getting lost in. The Corniche at dusk offers a skyline view unlike anything else.

For dinner, IDAM by Alain Ducasse sits atop the Museum of Islamic Art with views over the Corniche and Philippe Starck interiors – French-Arabic cuisine at its most refined, and named the best restaurant in Doha. Or head to Nobu, the world’s largest outpost of the Japanese-Peruvian institution, perched on its own pier in the Arabian Gulf.

Build in a night or two on the way there or back. You won’t regret it.

Getting there

Qatar Airways flights from Canberra Airport are resuming soon, with daily services stopping briefly in Melbourne before continuing to Doha and connecting onward to Europe and more than 170 destinations worldwide.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club members, oneworld airline members (Qantas, British Airways, Cathay Pacific), and Velocity Frequent Flyer members can all earn points and status credits on eligible Qatar Airways flights – so your European adventure starts paying off before you’ve even landed. Eligible passengers also get reciprocal lounge benefits.