A new report has revealed which destinations European travellers booked trips to in 2026, with Spanish cities dominating the most popular holiday spots.
The “year in travel 2026” report by online travel agency eDreams ODIGEO analysed search and booking data for travellers across Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the UK and the USA to find the trends of 2026 and what might shape travel next year.
Globally, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Palma de Mallorca and London were the top five most booked destinations in 2026. Top searches in 2026 included Paris, London, Tokyo, New York City and Bangkok.
In terms of the top five growth destinations, travellers preferred “far-flung” places such as Durban (80%), Melbourne (57%), Cape Town (55%), Johannesburg (50%) and Sydney (48%).
This reveals an appetite for “Southern Hemisphere escapes that offer the best of many worlds: vibrant cities, access to stunning beaches and outdoor activities”, the report said.
On the other hand, Paris, London, Tokyo, New York City and Bangkok are where travellers are setting their sights for next year in terms of bookings, while Tokyo, London, Paris, Orlando and Cancun are the top five searches for 2027 travel, according to the data.
“People’s appetite for travel is as strong as ever, and we expect 2027 to be another big year based on the early signs,” Dana Dunne, CEO of eDreams ODIGEO, said.
New insights on preferred destinations for hotels
For the first time, eDreams’ research also looked into hotel booking data. Globally, European destinations including Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Rome and Amsterdam were the most popular globally in 2026 for choosing where to book a hotel specifically.
Cities like Cagliari in Italy, Dublin in Ireland and Tirana in Albania have also seen growth of 78%, 76% and 74% respectively.
“Travellers are also balancing European favourites with a growing interest in second and even third-city destinations that offer new cultural experiences,” eDreams said.
Travellers from the UK have strong appetites for shorter breaks of one to two days (68%) that are closer to home, with top hotel booking destinations like Barcelona, Amsterdam and Paris. Brits also love a staycation much closer to home, with growth destinations including Manchester (112%) and Belfast (56%).
Rome, Barcelona, Paris, London, Madrid, Battery Park in New York, Bangkok, Rio de Janeiro, Amsterdam and Sevilla remain “perennial favourites” among travellers, with 2027 bookings so far showing “strong interest in European city breaks”. Cultural immersion, food and adventure were among the main reasons cited for bookings.
Top booked destinations: Where Europeans travelled to in 2026
French travellers
For travellers from France, the top three booked destinations in 2026 featured Marrakech, Barcelona and Lisbon. Palma de Mallorca and Madrid, also featured on the list, alongside Porto, Tunisian island Djerba, and closer to home, Nice.
Top booked destinations 2026
- Marrakesh, Morocco
- Barcelona, Spain
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Porto, Portugal
- Palma De Mallorca, Spain
- Djerba, Tunisia
- Madrid, Spain
- Rome, Italy
- Istanbul, Türkiye
- Nice, France
Spanish travellers
Like Brits, Spaniards were also keen on the staycation trend in 2026, with seven out of the top 10 most booked destinations being Spanish. This included Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife, Malaga, Sevilla and Gran Canaria. Popular non-Spanish destinations were Paris, Rome and London.
Top booked destinations 2026
- Madrid, Spain
- Paris, France
- Barcelona, Spain
- Rome, Italy
- Palma De Mallorca, Spain
- Tenerife, Spain
- London, UK
- Malaga, Spain
- Sevilla, Spain
- Gran Canaria, Spain
Portuguese travellers
Paris was the top booked destination among Portuguese travellers in 2026. Barcelona and Madrid round up the top three, followed by Rome, Funchal, London, Amsterdam, Ponta Delgada, Geneva and Zurich.
Top booked destinations 2026
- Paris, France
- Barcelona, Spain
- Madrid, Spain
- Rome, Italy
- Funchal, Portugal
- London, UK
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Ponta Delgada, Portugal
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Zurich, Switzerland
Italian travellers
Italian travellers preferred to set off to Barcelona, Tirana and Paris. Other destinations popular among Italians included Catania, Madrid, Olbia, Amsterdam, Milan, London and Ibiza.
Next year, Italians are set to head to Paris, Madrid, London and Barcelona. Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, alongside Amsterdam, New York City, Budapest, Rome and Valencia are also among the top booked destinations for Italians in 2027.
Top booked destinations 2026
- Barcelona, Spain
- Tirana, Albania
- Paris, France
- Catania, Italy
- Madrid, Spain
- Olbia, Italy
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Milan, Italy
- London, UK
- Ibiza, Spain
Top booked destinations 2027
- Paris, France
- Madrid, Spain
- London, UK
- Barcelona, Spain
- Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- New York, US
- Budapest, Hungary
- Rome, Italy
- Valencia, Spain
German travellers
Spanish destinations also proved popular among German travellers, with three out of the top 10 most-booked places – Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona in first and second place, and Madrid in fourth. Other top booked destinations included Istanbul in third spot.
Top booked destinations
- Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain
- Istanbul, Türkiye
- London, UK
- Vienna, Austria
- Madrid, Spain
- Paris, France
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Athens, Greece
- Tirana, Albania
Top booked destinations 2027
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- London, UK
- Barcelona, Spain
- Gran Canaria, Spain
- Rome, Italy
- Vienna, Austria
- Tenerife, Spain
- Athens, Greece
- Lisbon, Portugal
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