Southern & Western Europe

Inês Duarte

Writes the Southern and Western Europe city plans, the best European cities ranking and the food cities ranking.

Published work

11 signed pages across 2 collections, biggest section first.

24-hour cities 9

BarcelonaMarket lunch, the Gothic Quarter, the beach at dusk, cava in El Born and the first Sagrada Família slot next morning. One central night was $102 (£76) on Kayak for January 15, 2027.Read
BrugesFrites on the Markt, a canal boat, a brewery tour, stew and a tripel after dark, then the Belfry climb before the crowds. One night inside the canal ring was $118 (£88) on Kayak for January 15, 2027.Read
FlorenceThe cathedral and a booked dome climb, lunch at the Mercato Centrale, the Uffizi, aperitivo in Santo Spirito and bistecca in San Frediano. One night inside the old walls was $76 (£57) on Kayak for January 15, 2027.Read
LisbonJerónimos and warm custard tarts in Belém, lunch at the Mercado da Ribeira, São Jorge Castle, dusk at Santa Luzia and fado in Alfama. A Baixa 3-star was $89 (£67) on Kayak for January 15, 2027.Read
MadridReina Sofía, Retiro, a calamari sandwich on the Plaza Mayor, sunset at the Temple of Debod and a late tapas crawl in La Latina. A central 3-star was $118 (£88) on Kayak for January 15, 2027.Read
ParisNotre-Dame, falafel in the Marais, a booked Friday evening at the Louvre, dinner in Saint-Germain and the tower sparkling at 10 p.m. One central night was $96 (£72) on Kayak for January 15, 2027.Read
PortoLivraria Lello and the Clérigos Tower at opening, São Bento's tiles, lunch at Bolhão, the Ribeira, sunset over the Dom Luís I Bridge and dinner by the port lodges. A Ribeira 3-star was $64 (£48) on Kayak for January 15, 2027.Read
RomeThe Colosseum and Forum on one timed ticket, pizza bianca, the Pantheon, dinner in Trastevere and the Trevi Fountain before the fee starts at 9 a.m. One central hotel night was $111 (£83) on Kayak for January 15, 2027.Read
VeniceCicchetti at the Rialto, a booked Doge's Palace slot, San Marco at dusk, a spritz in Cannaregio and the Grand Canal by night. One night on the islands was $71 (£53) on Kayak for January 15, 2027.Read

Rankings 2

About Inês

Inês covers the cities where a one-night trip lives or dies on a booking: Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Porto and Bruges. Her pages put the timed slot, the closing day and the price change near the top: the Louvre's closing day is Tuesday, and since January 14, 2026 adults from outside the European Economic Area pay $36 (£27; €32) there. Florence, the top city on the whole site, comes with a warning that its cathedral closes on Sundays.

She is also willing to hedge. Paris, Rome, Lisbon and Barcelona carry "one night, with a catch" verdicts, and the score takes the cut. She writes the best European cities for 24 hours and the best food cities for a 24-hour trip, where the ranking is half the editors' food score and half the Snack Score, as the method page sets out.

Inês is an editorial persona. The research, the sourcing and the arithmetic behind her pages are real; the privacy page explains how our bylines work.