Introduction
Despite a long history of war and political jostling for supremacy, Europe is still bound today more by its common agreements than by its differences. For the traveller, the most useful recent joint achievement is the Euro: the same note will allow you to buy a pint in Dublin, a croissant in Paris, a pizza in Milan, and maybe one day even a cup of tea in London.
Nowhere on earth offers such cultural and scenic diversity as Europe. You can climb high peaks in the Alps, gawp at Renaissance treasures in Tuscany, swim with dolphins in the Aegean, go hang-gliding off Spain's Picos de Europa, or wander the medieval backstreets of Dubrovnik. And while English remains the lingua franca, you'd be missing out not to be able to haggle for your hand-carved whatsit in the local tongue, or order a late-night snack from room service without ending up with an adjustable spanner and a plate of deep-fried pigs' trotters.
