As the most populated city in central Switzerland, Lucerne (or sometimes Luzern) is a must see for any visitors working their way through the country. Since we were traveling using the Swiss Train Pass, we stayed at the Waldstaetterhof, a comfortable three-star hotel located only steps away from the main train station. Since we were … More A City Stay In Lovely Lucerne
Impossible to miss, Fortress Hohensalzburg dominates the skyline view in Salzburg, Austria. While we originally did not intend to enter the Fortress, I do love a good viewpoint. Plus, the museum was a good way to try to dodge some of the rain we encountered in the city. Although there is a funicular that can … More Visiting Fortress Hohensalzburg
One of my first big trips out of the United States was a big one- all the way from New York to Australia and New Zealand! As a huge Lord of the Rings fan, the majority of my time was spent in New Zealand with a brief three-day stop over in Sydney, Australia. Believe it … More Bondi Beach Day
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- if I do nothing but visit different churches on my next visit to Rome, I’ll be happy. When traveling around Europe, I try to make sure that I visit a church or two- they’re like jewel boxes of art and architecture scattered throughout the city. Even … More Church Hopping in Rome
As a born and raised New Yorker, the state’s namesake doesn’t often figure into my trip planning, but knowing that I wanted to explore cities outside of London, I made sure to add York, England to my trip docket this time around. Since it was around the holidays, York was bustling with crowds and there … More New York Meets Old York
My visit to Italy was already several weeks into our trip around Europe, and we hadn’t quite gotten around to planning our days the way we should have. This, of course, backfired pretty spectacularly when it came to getting tickets to visit the Vatican with less than a 24 hour’s notice.
Cue the frantic googling montage as we tried to figure out a way to get last minute tickets to see the landmark.
Visitors do not need to pay to visit Vatican City itself, but tickets are mandatory to visit St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums- the things I actually wanted to see! … More Visiting the Vatican
When I was living in London a few years ago, my schedule worked out in such a way that I would often have free time on Wednesday afternoons. “Museum Wednesday” quickly became a beloved tradition that has carried on through the years. London is stuffed to bursting with world class museums, but one of my … More Museum Spotlight- Wallace Collection
Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer festival, celebrated worldwide throughout dozens of countries. The original festival celebrated the marriage of Ludwig I’s marriage to Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, and the tradition continues annually to this day. Despite the name, Oktoberfest actually takes place at the end of September, which means that we were not able to … More Brewery Hopping Through Munich’s Big Six
On my last trip to Germany, I disappointed myself by not making time to visit King Ludwig II’s famous Neuschwanstein Castle. On my second trip to the city, this trip was number one on my to-do list. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again! Since we were scheduled to be in Munich over the weekend, we strategically schedule the tour on a Sunday so we would have something to do when everything was closed in the city.
Not wanting to drive, we booked a group tour which included a visit to Linderhof Palace, Neuschwanstein Castle and a brief stop in Oberammergau. … More Kings and Castles- Visiting Neuschwanstein and Linderhof from Munich
No matter how much time is spent in Paris, it never feels like enough! New visitors may find themselves stuck with extensive waits to see busy museums and wasting their limited time on long lines. Using a few strategies I’ve accumulated over years of traveling, I was able to get into the Louvre within fifteen … More Top Five Ways to Avoid the Line in Paris