From Iceland’s tectonic landscapes and Spain’s volcanic terrain to the glaciers and high peaks of the Alps, Europe’s national parks offer remarkably varied settings for walking holidays. For travel advisors, choosing between them involves more than scenery, with climate, trail choice, accommodation costs and a client’s experience all shaping the right recommendation.
A new comparison has attempted to narrow the field, naming Austria’s Hohe Tauern National Park as the strongest overall performer among 10 popular European parks. The Peak District in the UK finished second, followed by France’s Écrins National Park in third.
Compiled by travel insurance comparison site Quotezone.co.uk, the 2026 European National Park Index considered four equally weighted factors: the number of trails listed on AllTrails, park size, average August temperature and the cost of selected accommodation.
Hohe Tauern recorded the highest overall score. Extending across the Austrian provinces of Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol, it is the largest national park in the Alps and encompasses forests, alpine pastures, glacial valleys and high mountain terrain.
More than 300 of its summits rise above 3,000 metres, including the 3,798 metre Grossglockner, Austria’s highest mountain. The park also contains the largest glacial area in the Eastern Alps, alongside waterfalls, mountain lakes and glacial rivers.
For the Quotezone.co.uk index, Hohe Tauern was recorded as covering 1,856 square kilometres, with 185 trails listed on AllTrails. The study found accommodation from £65.30 for two adults for one night.
The Peak District placed second after recording 1,532 trails, considerably more than any other park included in the comparison. It also had one of the lowest sampled accommodation prices at £34.80.
Écrins National Park completed the top three. The French park combines 525 listed trails with a sampled room price of £36.50, placing it ahead of Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park and Italy’s Gran Paradiso National Park.
For travel advisors, the ranking offers a broad comparison of walking destinations rather than a definitive measure of park quality. The research considered only 10 parks, while trail difficulty, accessibility, transport connections and seasonal conditions were not included. Accommodation prices were based on the lowest available rate for two adults staying one night from 28 to 29 August 2026 in accommodation rated at least two stars.
Helen Rolph, travel insurance expert at Quotezone.co.uk, said the results showed that scenery was only one consideration when planning a walking holiday.
“Trail variety, accommodation costs and comfortable temperatures can all have a big impact on how enjoyable the trip is,” she said.
Rolph also advised travellers to review their insurance conditions before departure, as some policies exclude particular hiking or adventure activities unless additional cover has been purchased.
