If you are headed on a European vacation, check out some of the best surf spots in Europe. While you can find decent surf almost anywhere if you try, the best surf spots in Europe are in France, Portugal and Spain.

In France, Hossegor is well known due to the ASP WCT surf contest held there. Many spots in the area, such as Bourdaines, La Centrale and Les Estagnots are popular and often crowded. If you head a little north, you may find some good surfing without as many people. South of Hossegor, you will find Cavaliers, Anglet and Biarretz. Like most of Europe, you can surf in the summertime but fall provides the best surf.

If you are in Spain, Mundaka is the place to go. Mundaka is located on Spain’s northern coastline. In Mundaka, getting out is easy but the rip tide tends to drag you back out, so be careful. Also in Spain, you will find some hot surf spots like Pantin in the Ferrol region. The surf is good but crowded.

Though there is surf in summertime, the best time is in the fall. The warm weather and water, along with the terrific waves, make fall the ideal surfing time in Spain. Huge swells are prominent in the winter, but the weather is often cold and rainy.

In Portugal, you will find many fantastic spots. The most consistent and best surf spots in Portugal are on the Peninsula of Peniche. This area offers ideal surfing conditions, along with a north and south facing coastline. On the Peninsula of Peniche, you will find at least 20 different surf spots that provide good waves for all level of surfers, whether you are advanced or just starting out.

Fall is also probably the best time for surf in Portugal. The water is still relatively warm and the waves are consistent. However if you like big, cold waves, then wait until winter, when the surf is also less crowded.

Other places to consider for a European surf vacation are the Canary Islands, West Ireland (in September and October), and both North East and South West England.

One of the important things you should consider before planning a surfing vacation is, of course, whether or not your destination has the kind of waves that you desire. If you are a beginner you may not want to be riding fifteen foot waves off the coast of Australia, for example. That is why surf maps and surf reports exist; they allow you to plan ahead for your surfing adventure by gauging the best spots and describing for you what to expect.

Surf reports exist on the Internet as standalone images, usually with color coding to denote the sizes of the waves, much like a weather forecast uses color to show different weather conditions. They include forecasts for near shore wave activity that go several days into the future so that you know exactly what to expect. One such website is wetsand.com, which offers free detailed surf reports based on the region that you select. Offering a detailed map, surf forecasts, tide charts, wind forecasts, and weather conditions for the area, you can often glean all that you need to know just from this service. You can also sign up to get surf reports by email so that you can keep an eye on a certain location for an extended period of time.

Sometimes, though, that is not enough detail for the traveler who wants to know everything about their destination. If that is the case, surfmaps.com provides detailed surf maps for many regions all over the world. These surf maps contain descriptions of the conditions that you will face as well full-color maps of the surf spots in the area. They are about $4.00 per region and can be immediately downloaded upon purchase. Besides the useful surf map, the detailed writing about the spot tends to be very helpful, containing those “insider secrets” that the natives of the area usually keep to themselves.

There are plenty of other databases online from which you can get tons of information about tides, weather, and choice surf spots. The best way to find these is to use a major search engine. Planning your trip beforehand, as well as knowing what to expect when you get there, is very important and it enhances the whole experience.