Bristol Pride: is this the friendliest gay event in the UK?
Bristol Pride may not be the UK’s biggest Pride, but we think it’s the friendliest. Here’s everything you need to know, from the parade and parties to where to stay …

Europe is our home continent where we grew up and have travelled around extensively. When it comes to gay travel, Europe has some of the most gay friendly places on the planet with terrific gay scenes and some of our favorite gay parties.
Read on to find out more about our gay adventures across Europe, from clubbing in the super exclusive super club Berghain in Berlin, partying at Barcelona Pride, enjoying the gay XLSIOR festival in Mykonos, exploring the picturesque canals of Amsterdam and loads more!
Overall, Europe is one of the safest places in the world for LGBTQ travelers, particularly in the West and Northern part of the continent. This is where you’ll find some of the best European gay travel destinations such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland, Spain, Portugal, Malta, Finland, Norway, France, Denmark, the UK and France.
Sadly, parts of Central and Eastern Europe are extremely conservative and homophobic, especially Poland, Georgia, Moldova and Belarus. However, there are some pink havens in East/Central Europe in particular Prague, Vienna, Llubljana, Tallinn, Bucharest, Budapest and Bratislava.
The cities where we’ve felt the safest travelling as a gay couple include Berlin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Sitges, Gran Canaria, Mykonos and London.
Europe offers a wide variety of gay beach destinations to choose from, particularly in Spain with fabulous places like Sitges, Barcelona and Gran Canaria. All of them have a large gay scene with LGBTQ events taking place throughout the year, earning the reputation of being well recognised gay destinations. Another gay holiday destination we love is Mykonos island in Greece, which becomes a gay mecca during the summer months, especially when the XLSIOR festival is taking place in August.
Other very gay friendly cities in Europe for a vacation or a city break include Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Manchester, Lisbon, Prague and Berlin. Each one has an incredible gay scene, famous Pride events and lots of exciting parties.
Some of our most popular travel guides about gay Europe include:
Below you’ll find our latest gay travel content about Europe including our city guides, country travel guides and inspiring content detailing our experiences:
Bristol Pride may not be the UK’s biggest Pride, but we think it’s the friendliest. Here’s everything you need to know, from the parade and parties to where to stay …
Madrid Pride is one of the biggest gay celebrations in the world, taking over the Spanish capital with a massive parade, street parties, free concerts, and some of the biggest …
Our gay Madrid travel guide includes the best gay hotels, bars, clubs, saunas, Pride events, things to do, and more, based on our many trips to Spain’s vibrant capital. If …
Our gay Bilbao travel guide includes the best gay bars, hotels, saunas, Pride events, nightlife, and things to do in Spain’s vibrant Basque capital. From pintxos bars in the Old …
Homobloc is Manchester’s biggest, boldest queer rave that takes place every year in December. It brings together thousands of fabulous LGBTQ+ party goers across multiple stages with a range of …
We love Winter Pride Gran Canaria. Not only is it one of the best gay festivals in Europe, but it’s also a holiday in November with fantastic weather and sunshine …