Remember when sharing a vacation album involved actually sitting around the couch and flipping through a (gasp) physical book? Even though those days are long gone (thank God!), the bragging rights certainly aren’t. If you have likes on your mind (we’re talking about the Instagram kind) and want everyone to tap that (picture), you’ve got to have something that will turn heads and stand out from the rest. Here are 7 of our favorite photo ops that your Instagram needs, along with some expected, but still rad, honorable mentions. All of which of course require a #GreatEuropeanSummer and #nofilter.
London from the London Eye
Get a bird’s-eye view of London and ride the most iconic Ferris wheel in the world. Snap Big Ben, the Parliament building, the River Thames, and part of the Eye in your photo for a seriously eye-catching ‘gram (pun intended).
The Eiffel Tower at Night
While La Tour Eiffel is spectacular at any time, catching it at night is a sight to swoon over. Plus, it comes with a special bonus! Once it gets dark, the tower will come alive with spectacular twinkling, bright lights at the start of every hour.
La Sagrada Familia
At this point, one must ask the question: are the cranes or La Sagrada Familia more iconic? Good thing they both are and you can’t get a photo of one without the other. Someday, you’ll get to go back and tell everyone you saw this masterpiece before the cranes were gone.
Trevi Fountatin...without people in front of it
Stay up late or wake up early to get this picture that only professional photographers seem to secure. It’s worth any bags under your eyes from lack of sleep. Pro tip: want a picture that’s worth more than a thousand words? Drag a friend along with you, wait ‘til the time is right, and jump in. Hello fountain diving Instagram! We don’t condone any illegal activities or behavior though, so don’t get caught.
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Put on your best clothes and get in on this one, because you’re puttin’ on the Ritz tonight. You can’t take photos inside the Monte Carlo, so be sure to snap a few outside and throw them up for the world to see. Be sure to post it afterwards so you can add a caption like “Great night rubbing shoulders with [insert super incredible celebrity here]” or “Sorry this post is so late, there was no reception on the private yacht we partied on afterwards”.
Greece
Anywhere. Anything. Greece will illicit jealousy even if you’re taking a photo of a side street on an iPhone 3. Those blue roofs on Santorini look miiighty nice though…
Honorable Mentions: The Leaning Tower of Pisa
A tried-and-true classic. If you can create a pose that no one has done before, you truly are an Instagram King or Queen.
Anywhere you see water in Switzerland
Why this? Because you can #nofilter and shock everyone with the natural water color. Just wait ‘til you see it for yourself.
Impersonating a statue, any statue, just pick a statue…preferably a naked one.
You can do it anywhere, and it’s always hilarious.