A European summer vacation is often taken to be the pinnacle of travel dreams. Days spent sipping wine on sunlit terraces, wandering centuries-old lanes and marvelling at world-renowned monuments and art are some activities that entail this dream. In 2025, however, contrary to the spotless dreams, the reality for many tourists has turned out to be gruelling, torturous and testing, to put things mildly. From visa hurdles and air travel chaos to scorching heat and soaring costs, Europe’s current travel landscape, riddled with uncharacteristic challenges, looks far from any ideal dream and is increasingly turning into a nightmare.