Have you ever just needed a vacation so bad you decided you were going to go big or not go? That was this trip for Karlie and I. We both had places we had dreamt of going and began to dream big for this trip of ours. She had a block of vacation from work already so we decided to work with those dates, before you know it we had our master plan. Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland, Italy what a line up. We decided that once in Europe we would solely take trains to each new destination. This trip turned out to be one of the best yet. Highly recommend travel by train if your destination are close like ours were. If you chose to travel by train download the app Omio you will be able to see schedules as well as buy tickets. Karlie is an absolute planner so we always had something to do or see if we wanted because she researched all the things, that was a major plus for a girl like me who plans nothing. Neither of us had been to any of these countries/cities so that made it exciting as well.
So you already know there was no way I was going to check a bag knowing I was going to have to lug this thing around Europe. I chose to take my Away the bigger carry on suitcase my parents got me for my bday and a totes I got from Amazon. I will say I love the size of my Away suitcase but for the price I feel it should roll better. As far as packing goes I will do the best to show you what I packed since I forgot to take photos of that part. I knew it was going to be cold so I planned to layer and chose lots of neutrals. I packed 4 pair of shoes, 5 pants and I believe somewhere around 10-12 tops. I could have done with 4 pants and 8-10 tops for sure. The best advise I can give is take things that can mix and match as well as layer. Trust me you will not look like you are wearing the same clothing if you plan it well. We had friends telling us how did you only take one bag and I’ve never seen you rewear anything. It can be done my friends.
AMSTERDAM
Karlie is Dutch so this was a must for her. I had a friend from ministry school I reached out to who hosted us for the two nights we were there. That was such a treat. If you have friends in a different country go visit them having a local to take you around is much better. We found a place for amazing apple pie, tried cheese, drank coffee and had great food. She took us to the Red light district where she’s developed relationship with the women here and speaks life into them it was such a beautiful thing to see. We took a water fairy through the canal which was also really nice and a way to escape the rain for a while. Definitely recommend going to Amsterdam even if you only have a day like we did. Next time, I will go for longer.
GERMANY
Next stop Germany for Octoberfest. I had a good friend from ministry school I wanted to visit in Munich, Germany who just so happened to live a mile from Octoberfest. He gave us his apartment for the time we were there. My friend Amanda from England joined us in Germany, such a good time. David took us around the city and helped us order proper German food. Octoberfest is really fun but can be a bit of a challenge. You have to buy a table to get drinks but most are already taken so if your lucky you stand really close to one and someone will give you a drink. It’s a lot of trail and error. There are also a ton of Americans there who start drinking really early. The Germans say you know they are American by the fact that they are lined up at 11 am to get it. The Germans do appreciate the fact that almost everyone went to the lengths to buy or rent the dirndl (for women) and lederhosen (for men).
SWITZERLAND
The most magical place I’ve been so far. Norway was the top until I went to Switzerland and I will say I was truly blown away. I would recommend a trip to Switzerland to anyone and everyone. It’s definitely not the cheapest place to visit but do yourself a favor start saving now and GO! You will not regret it. Our first night we stayed in a hotel downtown Lucerne, such a cute little town and there’s a nice hike up to an old castle. The rest of our stay we took a train to Interlaken where we got a cute Airbnb with the sweetest host. It was a small town and very quiet but just what we needed after a busy trip in Munich. We did a day trip to Lauderbrunnen which was so amazing. We chose a restaurant that had a view of the most amazing waterfall. The views all around this city were breathtaking. We met some locals who advised we take a gondola up the mountain and take a train to the top where we would have even more amazing views. Y’all we were legit at the top of this mountain having tea watching people paragliding between the mountains. Truly these photos do not do justice to seeing it in person. Do yourself a favor start saving now and book a trip.
ITALY
Last but not least Italy. What an adventure this was. We took a train from Switzerland directly into Venice. I personally would not do this again. Venice is not a place to lug around your bags. Its a cool place to go but I would stay in a difference city and go in for a day trip. It’s certainly fun to experience but you do not need more than a day there. It’s very small and exceptionally crowded. Our hotel was nice and a good location. We met my friend Candace at the hotel dropped off our bags and toured the city. We didn’t go into any of the building because the lines to get in places were extremely long. I honestly was overwhelmed by this city I think because the heavy foot traffic but overall my least favorite place we went to in Italy.
The next day we took the train to the airport where we rented a car to take us to Cinque a Terre. WHAT A JOURNEY. I drove all day and boy these streets in Cinque a Terre are made for only one car. They are tiny and windy. We also lost cell reception and ended up on a road that was a dead end because a landslide took a portion out. We finally ended up at our destination by the grace of God but I was overwhelmed yet again lol. All this to say please don’t rent a car and drive in Cinque a Terre there are plenty of trains that you can take. We stayed in an airbnb there as well. Please note there are tons of stairs here as well so the lighter you pack the better. There are 5 towns there we stayed in Vernazza, you can choose any of them to stay and the train will take you to each of the other towns so you can easily visit them all. Such a fun experience I do recommend going just not driving there.
Onto the next and our final stop Florence. So in Florence you definitely need a car to get around if you decide to not stay directly in the city like we did. We stayed at Borgo Divino in Montespertoli its an old farmhouse with the most amazing view. The staff was excellent and made us feel at home. We did a wine tasting since the property makes wine, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. All the food we had at the hotel restaurant was excellent and the wine was better than anything i’ve had in the states. We also chose to do a cooking class there which was such a fun experience. We picked fresh herbs from the garden, made pasta from scratch, drank champagne and laughed a lot. I would recommend staying at Borgo Divino and driving into Florence when you want to explore the city.
Hope you enjoy this if you have questions about where to stay and places to visit don’t hesitate to ask.