Saying goodbye to Europe and some tips and tricks we learned along the way
By the time you read this, I’ll be half a day ahead of you and eating my way through Singapore (more likely, I’ll be actively sleeping). The last couple weeks have been a blur of Eastern and Central Europe, stopping in Vienna, Prague, and Budapest before departing for Asia from Istanbul, the nation that straddles both continents.
Vienna, Prague and Budapest-the former Habsburg Capitals-were all more different from one another than I would have expected considering their proximity and unity under one empire for hundreds of years. We only barely skimmed the surface in each place. Vienna’s first impression was refined and serious, despite the word wiener-meaning Viennese in German-appearing everywhere and activating a 12-year-olds sense of humor in us. Prague had some of the most stunning architecture I’ve seen in all of Europe, but we couldn’t break through the tourist-y surface. And Budapest, known to me mostly as a party city with a seriously challenging language, surprised us as an enticing and alluring place that felt exciting and international, but manageable and livable all the same.
As one of the most expensive places we’ve been, Vienna more than exhausted the budget. Here we got creative with ordering food through a budget app that partners with restaurants to reduce food waste, finding free museums, and waiting for the latest- and coldest- possible moment to ice skate for a far reduced price.
Vienna’s Christmas Markets opened mid November and we could find one on nearly every corner of the city. The biggest and most dazzling was the Wiener Christkindlmarkt complete with the marble neo-gothic spires of the city hall glowing behind the 60 foot tall Christmas tree and the Wiener Christkindlmarkt sign arching over the entrance; the word wiener, gleaming high above the market goers. We followed our nose around the wooden cabins that housed the vendors; roasting nuts, both spicy and sweet, the smell of Langos-deep fried bread covered in butter, salt, and garlic-, the warm cinnamon and clove in the ethers of Glühwein. We wound around the double decker carousel, toddlers in ski bibs jumping excitedly to get on; stopped at the stalls to admire the hand painted ornaments, the explosion of Christmas in each little booth, and made our way to the ice skating rink just before closing.
delighting in the langos at the Wiener Christmas market
We left refined Vienna and its Christmas markets for less festive, but far more frigid Prague. Fat, fluffy, snowflakes drifted down on the town for two days, but nothing stuck.
Our first and last taste of snow!
The architecture in Prague was mind blowing. Every facade reminded me of something out of a Wes Anderson film; bright pastels popping next to one another in the falling snow; ornate art nouveau patterns and elements, including whole murals of women similar to Mucha’s work; art deco adornments and whole sculptures affixed to the buildings; intricate, decorative trims on the roof. The buildings in Prague were unlike any other place I’d seen.
A handful of stunners
Much of our time in Prague was spent with new and old friends. Our friend who we went to Mostar with, Anya, and her partner, Alex, met us for a day and we felt the warmth of belonging, yapping with our friends while exploring the city and turning a very normal bar into a karaoke bar with the help of some amenable bartenders. In the hostel, we spent hours talking to new people, learning about their countries-specifically in an hour long conversation where the British Parliament was semi-successfully explained to me-and what they’re searching for in life and out of their trip.
probably my favorite building in Europe
It’s fun doing very little research on a place before we arrive. It sounds a little crazy if you’re thinking of this as a PTO vacation, but we have the luxury of time. Going to a place not knowing what to expect yields a more genuine response and reaction to it; it reveals something more about myself and something more honest about the city than watching some YouTube video to prepare could. It’s a privilege in our lives at this moment that I’m grateful to have. And it's how I came to be surprised by Budapest. Despite Hungarian being one of the hardest languages in the world to learn, Budapest had a bustling international community that seemingly brought with it the joys that diversity tends to do. Full of restaurants, bars, history, and beautiful architecture, all while being affordable, Budapest was a highly livable city and a delight to explore.
The day we spent at the world famous Széchenyi Thermal Bath was one of my favorites on the trip so far. With 18 geothermal pools to choose from, this 100-year-old complex felt like the Disneyland of spas. Grant and I hopped from tub to tub, eager to see how they compared; the differences were imperceptible but the novelty of it never wore off. I sat in the cold plunge pool, a balmy 11 degrees Celsius, for more than 5 minutes and even worked up the stamina to go under the water before warming up in the hot plunge. We stood under spouts of geothermally heated water and let it pound on our achy shoulders, our sore feet, working out the months deep knots from carrying our lives on our backs. The absolute icing on the cake was the whirlpool inside the largest outdoor pool. We learned that if you put your back against the wall, the current from the jets hits you just right and you fly through the pool. Tourists and locals alike crashed into each other in the pool, giggling and laughing and shouting sorry in an array of languages. It felt like being a kid again. We left the pools relaxed and rejuvenated, with far less achy feet.
It’s hard to believe our time in Europe is over. We’ve oscillated through a rollercoaster of emotions; elation and joy, content and proud, grief and despair, loneliness and isolation, boredom and discomfort, confusion and delight. Traveling, especially backpacking, is like a pressure cooker. Every sensation is heightened, every emotion is monumental and engulfing. If you want to experience rapid change, embrace being deep discomfort and delight at the same time.
Reflection of the Fisherman’s bastion
Budapest parliament building from the Fishermen’s Bastion
I’m not unrecognizable from the Amelia of August, but I can feel the small shifts already working through me. Where I used to be meticulous with my planning and traveling, now I show up to a bus leaving the country three minutes before departure. I have no explanation for this 180 other than the confidence I have in myself as a traveler, and problem solver, to make it to my next destination. If we miss the bus -which has never happened and hopefully won’t- I’m confident we can find another one. I have more faith in us than ever before, both as individuals and a unit. Making this decision, and going through with it, has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, I’m positive that almost anything else on this journey will be easy in comparison. And now, I can embrace the adventure that awaits behind a mistake or a missed connection. Things will always be out of my control, they will always go wrong or differently than how I expected. I’ve always known that-whether I accepted it or not is a different story-but now I have the flexibility and confidence to adapt more easily than ever.
The best gift these last few months have given me is time. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a deep seeded anxiety about time. I’m aware that it's slipping through my fingers as we all march towards the same end. The sensation has become a crushing, numbing despair as I transitioned out of school-something I loved-to working 40 hours a week-something I absolutely did not love. Nothing chaps my ass like the forced participation in a society that works you to the bone to survive, that puts a price tag on your free time and forces you to consume things we’re too busy working to create just so we can stretch that minute amount of our free time just a tiny bit further. A weight has been lifted from my chest and I can breathe easier in this moment knowing that my life is truly my own.
Hopefully, this newsletter has inspired you to go on your own adventure. I remain shocked at how easy it is to travel through Europe but I know that the process of beginning can be daunting. I hope this little guide will help demystify some of the process. Like with all things in life, the hardest part is making the decision.
We visited:
2 continents
13 countries
19 cities (not counting the day trips!)
Miles I walked this week: 72.6
Miles I walked since the trip began: 657.1
Tips for your next Europe trip and some notes on our experience
Credit Card points
Credit card points have saved us thousands of dollars and been essential to the budget. We’ve also earned thousands on the trip to use again on the trip. An ouroboros of credit card points. I love them!
Do not convert your credit card points to their cash value through your card, but rather transfer them to airline partners.
Read up on how long it takes for points to transfer and call the airline before transferring the points to ensure there isn’t some fine print reason you can’t book that flight with points.
This is the guide we used to learn how to maximize our credit card points. We only paid $48 for our flights to Singapore.
These are the credit cards we used: Capital One Venture Card and Chase Sapphire Card (if you sign up for one through these links then we both get extra points). Both cards often have big sign up bonuses and are partners with most major airlines, increasing your chances of getting a free flight. They’re generally regarded as the best travel cards out there but you can do more research on your own using Nerdwallet.
I absolutely recommend getting an ATM card with zero transaction fees. We opened a checking account with Charles Schwabb for this purpose and every month we get a refund for the ATM transaction fees. We’ve received more than $100 back so far.
Transit and Accommodations
Europe is so well connected. All major cities have multiple transit routes available and several medium sized cities are also easy to access. Croatia was one of the more challenging places so we rented a car but we could have taken buses and been a little more inconvenienced.
Buses are cheaper than trains and fine for shorter distances but trains are a bit more comfortable if you’ll be traveling for 7+ hours
Flights are affordable but the extra fee for a carry-on, let alone checked bag, is often as much or more than the flight
Flix buses are an affordable, great way to navigate Europe and very timely. Do not expect a grace period for the bus departing. We’ve booked buses up to one day in advance without a problem.
Traveling on a budget but don’t want to share a room with 7 strangers? Check Hostels for their private rooms. They’re often very affordable and nicer than a hotel in the sense that they have full kitchens and free activities
airports are not consistent about making you put your liquids in a bag. We mostly have not had to do this and have gotten away with having, maybe, more than we should have.
If you have to check in at the airport to get your boarding pass, they are much more likely to weigh your bag. When we’ve had digital boarding passes, we’ve never had our massive 12kg carry ons or our big front packs given a second glance.
If you’re traveling for a long time, a couch can really make a big difference in how you’re able to relax and unwind. That’s often what I miss most about where we stay.
A lot of our accommodations in Andalucia in Spain did not have a freezer and the fridge there was, often, not kept incredibly cold.
Health
Get Covixyl, an anti-virus nose spray, to protect you while traveling. No one wants to be sick on vacation and many people are.
Generally, over the counter medicine and vitamins aren’t as strong here. A lot of things labeled Vitamin C have a paltry 25mg and we had a hard time finding something comparable to DayQuil.
It see
We went to the doctors once and it was for a flu and COVID booster but it was easy to navigate and I’ve heard similarly from friends who have been sick abroad.
Most medicine can be purchased at their pharmacies (denoted with a green cross), and not at their version of our drug stores. Pharmacists, generally, speak English well or can get what you need if you show them a picture.
Restaurants and Food
Restaurants are a consistent way that we interact with locals no matter where we go. The customs can vary and I find the best approach is to take a few moments to observe what other people are doing. There has been nothing in Europe that I have eaten that’s bothered my stomach or made me bloated like it’s American counterpart does. The restaurant etiquette is similar in most places but can feel very different from dining back home. For context, we are not going to fancy, classy restaurants.
We very rarely needed to speak to someone to get a table. Generally, you walk in and sit down and eventually (sometimes slowly by US standards) a server finds you. If it's not clear just ask!
Servers in Europe are not working for tips and it changes the dynamics of their service. They don’t frequent your table as often-very rarely did anyone come back after our food was served to ask how it was-and you usually have to flag them down for the check. It seems rude coming from America, but that’s not the intention and it has the benefit of not feeling rushed through your food.
Condiments aren’t free in most places! The ketchup does not flow like water here!
Water is also not free in most places! Croatia was one of the few places that would give us a glass of water free of charge. You can ask for “tap water” and see if that gets you anywhere, but often they charge a few euros for a bottle. Bottles have two options: still or sparkling. Sparking is usually referred to as “with gas”
We haven’t come across any part of Europe where the water was not safe to drink. It still doesn’t hurt to Google it though.
The water in Rome that flows from the fountains around town is safe to drink and delicious. Seriously, some of the best water I’ve ever tasted.
Don’t expect ice in your drink. I’ve been able to ask on hot days for it but it's not always guaranteed
Bathrooms
Before we left, my boss suggested I make a blog about bathrooms abroad. How right he was! The content is endless. There are so many different shower and toilet configurations, etiquette and standards. I never thought I would feel so passionately about my preferred toilet and shower options.
Bathrooms are also not always free! Public restrooms, whether it be in a restaurant, train station, or museum, have generally been pretty gross with some countries being much worse than others. Paid restrooms are generally lightyears cleaner because there’s an attendant and I find its worth the euro or fifty cents.
Always bring a travel pack of tissues and hand sanitizer for the aforementioned bulletin
“WC” means water closet, or toilet
Some countries, mainly Spain and some parts of Italy, don’t have toilet seats on their toilets in the women’s bathrooms. I have yet to learn the purpose of this but it could be a helpful heads up if you have mobility concerns and it’ll keep you from wondering “who the hell would steal a toilet seat” like I did the very first time I saw this.
McDonald’s is a good go to if you can’t find another restroom
Safety and scams
Everywhere we went felt safer than our actual home in Asheville. Even late at night and alone; even in places that have reputations for being “unsafe”. While you should always do your research on safety, you’re statistically unlikely to be physically harmed
Read about the scams that are present in the city you’re visiting and keep an eye out.
I’d suggest wearing a cross body purse that zips shut and keeping a hand on the zipper in crowded areas like transit and sightseeing spots. Do not put valuables in your pockets if your hands aren’t on them.
You may get scammed. It’s probably not the end of the world. We got scammed in Spain and Marrakesh and basically lost 20 bucks in total. Follow your intuition and if you do get scammed, its helpful to admit it to yourself and begin to understand what the signs were so you can avoid it for next time.
Be careful about dogs in Mostar and getting harassed as a single woman in Marrakech!
Look into registering your travel with the State Department and through their STEP program
We were unable to purchase travelers insurance since we don’t have a known end date yet. We did purchase Genki travelers health insurance which is affordable and has great coverage. World Nomad and Berkshire Hathaway were also companies that we considered.
Things I brought that have been essential to my success while traveling
The TRTL neck pillow. The sensation is a little strange but it makes sleeping in public a breeze.
A JBL mini speaker. It makes things a little homier when he have some private space and doesn’t take up hardly and room in my pack
Covixyl antivirus nasal spray. Pretty sure this is the reason we didn’t get sick when everyone in our hostel room was
Eye mask with Bluetooth headphones; another invention made for sleeping in public spaces.
Cocoon Travel Sheets. If you’re traveling on a budget and sleeping on budget sheets, or extra particular about cleanliness, these are amazing.
Rechargeable battery packs
a spiky ball to roll my feet out at the end of the day
Seabands. These are unfashionable, acupressure bands that really help with motion sickness. I’ve used these on planes, taxis, boats, subways; if I’m in motion I’ve got them on
My traveling watercolor kit
A portable tens unit. I use this for period and muscle cramps and it can be very helpful. If you’re someone that uses a heat pad for pain, I’d recommend buying it here in Europe. They use a different voltage (wattage?) than we do and, I can say, unfortunately, with first-hand experience, your American one will blow out here. You can pick one up at a medical supply store and they’re consistently around $40.
Apps to download
Google Maps - excellent at helping you to navigate the public transit, finding restaurants and grocery stores, sightseeing locations or hidden gems. Basically, we’d be dead without this app.
Trainline - we use this app to check the available trains.
Flix Bus - check the bus schedule and book them easily here.
Google Translate - Google translate has been super helpful and is only going to be more helpful for us in Asia. You can type in words to have translated, take picture of signs and translate them, use dictation to translate between languages, and download languages so that you can access these functions off line.
Converter app - get one that can also convert currency as well as temperature and distance.
The Airline your flyings’ app - we always download the app for the airline we’re flying so we can be sure to check-in the appropriate amount of time before boarding (some budget airlines charge a fee if you check in outside their allotted window). Your passes are stored on your phone which makes it incredibly easy.
Get Your Guide - great for tours and available activities in the area. Airbnb Experiences also has some good tour options.
Too Good To Go - this app partners with restaurants and grocery stores in cities to reduce food waste. What’s available from city to city varies but its a great option for trying a variety of foods for a cheap price. The bakeries are usually a great value and give you a lot of food.
WhatsApp - this is a messaging app that a lot of European citizens and also tour facilitators use for communication. It will let you message family back home on WiFi as well.
Rome2Rio - this app will tell you the transportation options available between two destinations. I don’t book the transit through the app, but it’s a good starting point for planning.
Polarsteps - this app has curated guides for cities, often made by locals, and can have great hidden gems.
Bolt - a taxi service app like Uber. It’s not in every city but its usually cheaper than Uber.
If there’s a city or subject you want to hear more about let me know! I’ll do my best to share what I know with you.
There’s more I have to say about the ways in which we have changed in the last few months and what this trip has meant to me, but I haven’t had a moment to deeply consider it lately. We’ve been moving fast these last couple weeks. I’m terrified and excited to be going to a part of the world that’s so different from everything I know. Europe is wonderful and can be very different from life back home, but it's not South East Asia. I’m worried about dengue and tsunamis and wild dogs. I'm dreading the humidity, but I’m jumping out of my skin at the idea of being bewildered, delighted, humbled and awed by the surprising and beautiful things that await us. And I’m excited to share it all with you.
Hoşçakal!
-Amelia
P.S.,
I wanted to thank you all for your support for the newsletter. It’s a strange thing to be so vulnerable on the internet and your kind words really mean a lot.
