Italy and Portugal still fill up every summer, but the destination Americans actually chase this year is the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic received its first nationwide Michelin Guide and joined the global luxury travel network that once reserved its best itineraries for Tuscany. It now ranks first among the destinations Americans book this summer, and it got there without the lines, the prices or the feeling of vacationing inside someone else’s highlight reel.
American travelers know what it feels like to show up somewhere famous and find out the experience has been franchised. The piazza that looked empty and golden in every photograph is full of tour groups by 9 a.m., and the restaurant a friend recommended two years ago now has a wait list and a lifestyle brand. The Czech Republic is where travelers go when they want Europe before all of that happens to it.
The numbers back it up clearly. Both Italy and Portugal are still drawing crowds, with year-over-year search interest up 15% and 29%, respectively, but growth for both has cooled noticeably. Meanwhile, interest in the Czech Republic has jumped 149% over the same period.
Prague just earned a Michelin stamp
Czech food culture finally has the credentials to match its reputation among locals, and that is fueling the move. In December, the Czech Republic received its first-ever nationwide Michelin Guide, covering restaurants well beyond Prague. The countrywide selection awarded one restaurant two stars, eight more a single star, four Green Stars for sustainability and 18 Bib Gourmand honors for exceptional value. It is proof that the dining scene has caught up with the architecture, in a country still best known abroad for goulash and pilsner.
Visitor numbers break the records
Search interest is one thing, but actual visitors are another, and the Czech Republic has both. The country welcomed nearly 23.6 million guests in 2025, a record that put both arrivals and overnight stays above pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Foreign visitors are staying longer than they used to, not just passing through Prague on a layover between bigger cities. František Reismüller, director of CzechTourism, said in a statement that the country is seeing strong interest from abroad alongside steady domestic demand, with stays growing faster than arrivals.
Luxury advisors also pay attention
The country is no longer just a budget alternative, either. In February, CzechTourism officially joined Virtuoso, the global network of advisors who plan trips for high-spending clients. Virtuoso travelers typically spend several times more than the average tourist and stay longer once they arrive, which means the same advisors who once defaulted to Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast are now adding Prague, Karlovy Vary and the Moravian wine country to their pitch.
There is plenty beyond Prague
Prague is not the whole story, either. The capital still draws the largest share of visitors, but towns like Český Krumlov offer fairy-tale architecture without the capital’s foot traffic, and the vineyards of South Moravia offer travelers a wine-country alternative to Tuscany that almost nobody back home has heard of yet. For a generation of travelers tired of standing in the same photos as everyone else, that obscurity is the whole point.
Kyrgyzstan and Australia are riding the same wave, climbing the list of fastest-growing summer destinations for Americans this year as part of a broader pivot toward cooler, quieter and less Instagrammed corners of the map. But the Czech Republic stands out because it offers something the others cannot: a short flight from major U.S. hubs, walkable cities and Western European infrastructure without Western European prices or Western European lines.
None of this means Rome or Lisbon is going away. They will keep filling up every summer, because some things are worth the wait. But the next time a friend asks where to go in Europe that does not feel like everyone else’s vacation, the answer increasingly is not a place anyone has heard of twice. It is the Czech Republic, and it will not stay a secret for much longer.
Jennifer Allen is a retired chef turned traveler, cookbook author and nationally syndicated journalist; she’s also a co-founder of Food Drink Life, where she shares expert travel tips, cruise insights and luxury destination guides. A recognized cruise expert with a deep passion for high-end experiences and off-the-beaten-path destinations, Jennifer explores the world with curiosity, depth and a storyteller’s perspective. Her articles are regularly featured on the Associated Press Wire, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, MSN and more.