What Are The Best English Speaking Countries To Visit In Europe?
I know many of you would love to travel to Europe, but the thought of trying to communicate in a different language seems a bit daunting. So thanks to some feedback, I’ve compiled a list of the 5 countries you can visit without speaking the national language. You will need a passport in order to visit these countries, which means you will need one of my passport holders! The five countries are:
- Denmark
- Greece
- The Netherlands
- England/Ireland
- Malta
The Best English Speaking Countries To Visit In Europe:
Denmark
When I visited Denmark I didn’t even know how to say hi in Danish. And guess what? I didn’t have to. Every place I went in Copenhagen I was greeted with people who spoke English. Whenever people would greet me or needed to ask me something, they would speak in English with ease. If you want to vacation in a city where you won’t be intimidated by not knowing the language, Denmark should be on your list.
Greece
I thought when I traveled to Athens and Santorini I would be lost since I didn’t speak Greek. I didn’t have a thing to worry about, and neither will you! Basically everywhere you will go, people will speak English. From the small mom and pop shops to big hotels, you should be able to communicate with everyone without having to rely on an app or hand signals.
The Netherlands
Sometimes I think people of The Netherlands speak English better than Americans! You will have no issues getting around with your lack of Dutch skills. Everyone seems to speak English perfectly.
England/Ireland
In both of these countries English is the official language. Not only do you have plenty of beauty and history to choose from, but you can easily do it in English. In both Ireland and England they have very different accents than Americans so if you aren’t accustomed to hearing the differences that may be a bit difficult at first.
Malta
This is the only country I can’t vouch for personally. However, I have known travelers who have gone there and they haven’t had any trouble communicating in English while traveling. Check out Visit Malta for in depth information about this marvelous country.
Here are a couple extras for you!
Scandinavia
Ok, so Scandinavia isn’t a country, it’s a region. However, the three countries that make Scandinavia are Sweden, Norway, and Finland. English is widely spoken in all of those countries and if you choose to visit you shouldn’t have any issues.
Scotland
Scotland is a magnificent country that has so much to offer. And most of what they have to offer is in English. The accent may be a bit different than what you are accustomed to, but they are speaking English. Explore Scotland by checking out what they have to offer.
Interesting. I had the opposite experience in Greece. I remember the slight relief of going to London after Paris due to English speakers.
Really? That’s so surprising cause I literally never had a problem anywhere I went. What a trip!
it always fascinates Me how many countries embrace the Wnglish language and speak it fluently. Traveling to a county that speaks another language is intimidating so this is a great list to follow especially if you haven’t traveled abroad.
I wish I kept up with Dpanish/French from school. Don’t know until later in life how important a second language is.
As a Greek/Nigerian, I love that you state the truth about Greece, everybody speak English and all tourist place have english staffs.But don’t limit yourself to Athens and Santorini alone, Greece is a big touristic world, explore.
I almost only write about my personal experiences, so I’ve only been to Santorini and Athens but I definitely want to explore more, I loved what I saw! Thanks for commenting!
Very useful post. I’ve wondered about this very subject. Thanks for the info. #blmgirl
Are you serious? Where is Italy? 🙁
I perfectly know that English is not spoken widely here, but we have so many beauties to see… (e.g. main cities: Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan, Verona, Bologna…) It worth a visit!
As English is your native language, you don’t have any problem to communicate. I wouldn’t say “I ONLY speak English”, it’s such a good thing!
When I was in Vietnam, 2 weeks ago, I met 2 girls from Colorado and they agreed with me that for English speaking people as mother tongue it’s easier to communicate all over the world, even if in some countries this language is not well known.
Imagine how hard to me understand a vietnamese person speaking a bad English…! 😉 For you it’s easier! At least you master the language.
So… don’t be afraid to travel to other countries in Europe!! Spain is amazing, as well as Portugal, France…
I hope my comments will help you to plan your next trip to Europe and sorry for my English :p
I love Italy! But as I speak Spanish I was able to communicate with Italians that way. So I couldn’t include it on my list as I didn’t speak English while I was there:-)
Ok Roni, I forgive you 😉 Spanish is very similar to Italian, in same cases you just have to “cut” the final S!
I would add Germany to the list. My husband and I live there now and lots of people speak English as well as we do.
Hola! I’ve been following your site for a long time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Austin Tx! Just wanted to mention keep up the good job!
Thank you so much!
You’re also welcome in Wales and Scotland. 🙂 English is our first language here. England’s not the Uk!
I would have love to travel to one of these countries to stay permanently with my family especially NETHERLANDS. what a beautiful place to be.