Touring to Europe has all the time been on our journey bucket record. We initially hoped to go on a European tour in Might 2020 for our tenth wedding ceremony anniversary, however everyone knows what occurred that yr. Prior to now few years, I’ve realized that life is brief and we must always take the time to journey and revel in life whereas we are able to. Quick ahead 4 years later, and the dream got here true once we lastly went on our first-ever journey to Europe to 10 nations for nearly a month in June 2024.
As first-time vacationers to Europe, I considered sharing our itinerary, visa expertise, issues to do, the place to remain in numerous European cities, and different sensible suggestions that is perhaps of curiosity.
Touring to Europe includes a number of planning particularly for Filipino passport holders who first must safe a Schengen Visa. Initially, we deliberate to restrict our journey to simply 2 or 3 nations and journey for under 2 weeks given Artwork’s restricted trip days from full-time work. However because it was our first time in Europe, my mother and father who had beforehand traveled there steered we take a package deal tour to eradicate some journey uncertainties and avail of refundable journey reservations.
We used the companies of the journey company TRAVEL ENTERPRISE CORPORATION based mostly in Ortigas Heart, Pasig to make flight reservations (not precise bookings), journey insurance coverage, and safe a Visa appointment. We utilized and acquired our visas from the Italian Embassy in Manila for the reason that package deal tour began in Rome and we deliberate to remain in Italy the longest.
Aside from the hassles of securing all the necessities (financial institution statements, Earnings Tax Returns, Employment certificates, and so forth.), the Visa utility course of was easy and didn’t contain any interviews. We simply needed to submit all our paperwork and get biometrics completed and wait, which is all the time a nerve-wracking course of. Fortunately, we have been granted a a number of entry visa simply 4 days after we utilized and given extra days than what we requested, so we modified our flight dates and prolonged earlier than and after the tour.
NOTE: As soon as your visa is authorised, you may change your itinerary and go wherever you need throughout the Schengen Zone. There’s no border or passport management between nations. Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless finest to enter via the nation you utilized in and keep there the longest.
From Manila, we flew through Etihad Airways to the Fiumicino Rome Airport in Italy, with one layover. The flight time (9 hours to Abu Dhabi + 6 hours to Rome) plus airport transfers took virtually 24 hours due to a layover delay. To get to town middle from the airport, I booked a Fiumicino Airport – Rome Bus by Terravision (P379) to the Rome Termini through Klook . It’s also possible to journey the prepare on to town, however the bus is cheaper than the prepare (€14 or P885) and is safer when you’ve got huge suitcases. It’s also possible to use Uber and Freenow in Rome in the event you choose personal transport.
Our flight again to Manila was from the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam with a journey time of over 17 hours (6:25 hours to Abu Dhabi + 9:10 hours to Manila) together with the two hour layover. You may guide shared bus transfers to the Amsterdam airport (P411) however we simply booked a taxi to the airport from the resort (€45). Take observe that there’s a 6 hour time distinction between the Philippines and Central European nations.
Different airways that fly from Manila to Europe embody Emirates, Qatar Airways, and China Southern Airways. In line with varied information reviews, Philippine Airways (PAL) is eyeing to renew flights to Europe with direct flights from Manila to France by 2025.
We explored Rome in Italy on our personal for 4 days earlier than the beginning of the 15-day tour to eight different nations, which included a go to to historical websites in Rome and Vatican Metropolis. For historical past buffs, Rome is an incredible vacation spot due to its historical archaeological websites and historic landmarks just like the Colosseum and the Roman Discussion board.
I discovered Rome very walkable and simple to navigate on foot. We ended up strolling greater than 10 km a day simply to go to the totally different vacationer spots and church buildings, and rented bicycles to cowl extra floor. It felt secure strolling round and biking within the much less touristy areas. The spotlight of Rome for me was biking to the Appian Method (an historical highway constructed to move troops exterior the smaller area of better Rome) and Trastevere (a hipster district identified for craft beer pubs) on rented bicycles.
Rome isn’t an inexpensive vacation spot, however there are a number of free sights and inexpensive meals choices even in the course of the busy vacationer areas. I discovered the meals right here extra flavorful in comparison with different European cities and loved chowing down on pizza, pasta and beer.
We averted the crowds by visiting The Colosseum within the late afternoon and heading to Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and different landmarks within the early morning (round 6:30 – 7:00 am). I’d have beloved to go to different Italian cities like Florence, Milan and Lake Garda, however we determined to take it sluggish first to save lots of our journey price range and vitality for the opposite dearer cities.
For those who can, I’d recommend you stroll as a lot as potential. Rome’s public transportation is environment friendly and simple to make use of, however many buddies warned us concerning the excessive incidence of pickpocketing, which we witnessed whereas taking the subway.
Issues to do in Rome
- The Colosseum
- Roman Discussion board
- Trevi Fountain
- The Pantheon
- Piazza Navona
- Spanish Steps
- St. Mark’s Basilica and different free church buildings
- Trastevere
- By way of Appia
- Largo di Torre Argentina
- Villa Borghese
The place to remain in Rome
Vatican Metropolis, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church, is a separate nation from Italy. This landlocked enclave inside Rome is taken into account the smallest state on the earth and will be visited in simply half a day in the event you’re already in Rome.
Traces getting in right here will be notoriously lengthy, so we took a skip-the-lines tour to enter and visited the Vatican Museums, which shows the gathering amassed by the Catholic Church all through the centuries, together with a number of of probably the most well-known Roman sculptures and masterpieces of Renaissance artwork on the earth.
The guided tour included a go to to the Sistine Chapel, which incorporates the ceiling painted in fresco by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, thought-about a cornerstone work of Excessive Renaissance artwork.
Issues to do in Vatican Metropolis
- St. Peter’s Basilica
- Sistine Chapel
- The Vatican Museums
- Vatican Necropolis
- Raphael’s Rooms
- Vatican Gardens
From Rome, we made our solution to Venice by bus, stopping at Villa il Leccio close to Tuscany for lunch. The scenic drive handed via rolling hills, picturesque vineyards, and medieval cities. Tuscany is understood for its olive timber and wheat, traditionally planted collectively to type the most effective produce in all of Italy, in addition to wines.
From the mainland of Italy, we boarded a ferry to Lido Island, a small island within the Venice lagoon the place we stayed for two nights. Lido is far quieter than its well-known neighbor, however from right here you may go to the principle vacationer space of Venice simply through water taxis.
Venice, often known as the “Metropolis of Canals” is one in every of Italy’s most picturesque cities, with hanging structure and exquisite bridges set amidst winding canals. Venice is constructed on an archipelago of 118 small islands linked by over 400 bridges over the complicated community of canals.
Venice has been used as a filming location for films like The Italian Job, On line casino Royale, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Regardless of its immense reputation and value, it continues to draw vacationers. We loved wandering via the maze of alleyways to hunt for Libreria Acqua Alta (a comfy, offbeat bookstore with books piled on high of gondolas and cute resident cats), sipping on Aperols and Bellinis, and the scrumptious home-cooked salmon risotto and seafood pasta meals within the resort we have been staying in.
Issues to do in Venice
- Gondola rides
- Piazza San Marco
- St. Mark’s Basilica
- Doge’s Palace
- Ponte de Rialto
- Bridge of Sighs
- Venetian glassmaking
- Libreria Acqua Alta
- Murano and Burano Islands
The place to remain in Venice
From Venice, we headed over to Austria in Central Europe, which lies within the Jap Alps. Most of us are aware of Austria having grown up watching the basic movie The Sound of Music. The actual von Trapp household as soon as lived in Salzburg and the film was filmed in and across the metropolis. Austria is famend for its pure landscapes, literature, artwork and music. It’s the birthplace of classical composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Strauss.
We stayed 2 nights within the capital metropolis Vienna, had picnic meals within the gardens of Schonbrunn Palace, strolled across the metropolis middle, visited the colourful Hundertwasserhaus artist’s village, tried Schnitzel, watched an entertaining classical Viennese live performance, and went craft beer looking at evening.
What struck me probably the most about Vienna was how clear, neat and arranged every part was. It’s no marvel classical musicians thrive right here. Every thing felt so orderly. Their trendy public transportation works on an honesty system, with no ticket obstacles at stations and no formal, everlasting ticket checks on subways, native trains, trams and buses. Vienna felt very peaceable, walkable and secure. I’d suggest Vienna for solo vacationers.
Issues to do in Vienna
- Schönbrunn Palace
- St. Stephen’s Cathedral
- The Ring (Vienna’s historic metropolis middle)
- Hofburg Palace
- Hundertwasserhaus (artist village)
- Viennese Concert events
The place to remain in Vienna
From Austria, we traveled to Slovakia, a small nation that was previously a part of Czechoslovakia earlier than it formally break up from the Czech Republic. Whereas we didn’t keep lengthy right here, I appreciated the vibe. Locals in cafes and memento outlets have been pleasant and welcoming. The capital Bratislava is the one capital on the earth that borders two nations (Austria and Hungary), making it excellent for day journeys from these nations.
Bratislava, set alongside the Danube River, is surrounded by vineyards and mountains, crisscrossed with forested climbing and biking trails. The most effective place to go is the pedestrian-only, 18th-century outdated city identified for its vigorous bars and cafes. From right here, you may see the reconstructed Bratislava Citadel perched atop a hill overlooking the outdated city and the Danube.
Issues to do in Bratislava
- Bratislava Citadel
- Michael’s Gate
- The Blue Church
- St. Martin’s Cathedral
- Bronze statues of varied figures (Napoleon’s Military Statue, Schone Naci, ČUMIL the Manhole man, Hans Christian Andersen Statue, and so forth.)
- Obchod v Muzeu (Oldest Store in City)
Then it was onwards to the Czech Republic, the place we stayed for two nights within the capital Prague. The Czech Republic is legendary for its beer, with Czechs consuming probably the most beer per capita on the earth, they usually’re happy with it.
I discovered it refreshing to see locals socializing and consuming overtly alongside the riverside and parks. The vibe in Prague was very creative and laid-back. Folks have been pleasant, and meals and drinks have been inexpensive.
Apart from visiting just a few architectural websites and landmarks, we visited the Prague Beer Museum, tried Goulash (a thick beef stew made with onions and spices), strolled round Charles Bridge at evening, stumbled upon a stunning bookstore with a den, and drank craft beer in a bike-themed bar underneath a bridge.
I beloved the vibe in Prague and wouldn’t thoughts staying longer subsequent time.
Issues to do in Prague
- Prague Citadel
- Charles Bridge
- Previous City Sq.
- Astronomical Clock
- St. Vitus Cathedral
- Wenceslas Sq.
- Dancing Home
- Lennon Wall
- Kafka Museum
- Jewish Quarter
- Prague Beer Museum
The place to remain in Prague
After crossing the border in Germany, we stopped first at Regensburg, a UNESCO-designated Previous City, residence to 1,500 heritage buildings, together with the 800-year-old Stone Bridge and Ninth-century Alte Kapelle. Right here, you could find the roughly 900-year-old Historic Sausage Kitchen of Regensburg, one of many oldest eating places on the earth.
Then it was off to Munich, Germany’s third-largest metropolis after Berlin and Hamburg, the place we stayed for one evening. Munich is residence to centuries-old buildings and quite a few museums. It’s famed for its annual Oktoberfest celebration and its beer halls.
Our introduction to Munich was strolling via the famed Hofbräuhaus. Based in 1589, the most well-liked beer corridor and one of the well-known on the earth. Rowdy celebrations have been in full swing resulting from ongoing Euro Cup. We additionally went on a stroll across the outdated city corridor space to gaze on the Glockienspiel, a world-famous mechanical clock, together with hordes of different vacationers.
Issues to do in Munich
- Glockenspiel
- Marienplatz
- Hofbräuhaus
- Neues Rathaus (city corridor)
- English Gardens
- BMW Museum
- Oktoberfest (September to October)
The place to remain in Munich
From Germany, we made our solution to Switzerland passing Liechtenstein, one other tiny European nation excellent for day journeys. The sixth-smallest nation on the earth is positioned between Austria and Switzerland, and is understood for its medieval castles, alpine landscapes and villages linked by a community of trails. The capital, Vaduz is a cultural and monetary middle and essential vacationer hub, residence to a row of memento outlets, cafes and museums.
Liechtenstein is visa-free or presents visa on arrival entry to 180 nations and territories together with the Philippines. Nonetheless, it doesn’t have an airport of its personal and is normally accessed via both Austria or Switzerland by land (which do require visas). The closest airports are positioned in Switzerland and Germany.
Issues to do in Liechtenstein
- Vaduz Citadel
- Kathedrale St. Florin
- Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein (trendy and modern artwork)
- Postmuseum (Liechtenstein’s postage stamps)
- Vaduz Metropolis Prepare
Then it was off to Switzerland, one of many nations I used to be most excited to go to. We stayed 2 nights within the Lucerne, one of the lovely Swiss cities. Nestled between mountains and a shimmering lake, Lucerne provided probably the most picturesque views of the lake and snow-capped mountains.
Our resort was conveniently positioned proper throughout the lake and we loved strolling right here and watching the swans and geese swim. There are just a few eating places by the lake, however you may as well take out meals from stalls or have a easy picnic by the lakeside.
The highlights of Switzerland included driving the Cabrio cableway and funicular railway (courting again to 1893) to go up Stansershorn, which had an incredible mountain view and consider deck. We additionally took a scenic cruise round Lake Lucerne, strolled across the Previous City, visited the Chapel Bridge, a picket bridge decked with vibrant work that spans the Reuss River and spent a leisurely afternoon strolling across the gardens of Meggenhorn Citadel at no cost.
Whereas Switzerland was probably the most lovely nation we visited, it was additionally the most costly. The price of on a regular basis gadgets in comfort shops, meals in eating places and beer felt considerably increased. Locals use Swiss francs right here, which is stronger than the Euro. Switzerland is one other nation the place I’d have beloved to remain longer, particularly to strive the totally different trains to different cities.
Issues to do in Lucerne
- Stanserhorn
- Chapel Bridge
- Lake Lucerne
- The Cruise
- Meggenhorn Citadel
The place to remain in Lucerne
Crossing again via Germany
From Switzerland, we crossed again to Germany and stopped for lunch in Heidelberg, which is residence to Germany’s oldest and one in every of Europe’s most respected universities. Heidelberg can be identified for cuckoo clocks.
From right here, we proceeded to Sankt Goar and cruised via Rhineland, passing vineyards and fantasy castles. We stayed one other evening in Koblenz, one of many oldest cities in Germany, earlier than one other lengthy drive to Netherlands.
The place to remain in Koblenz
On the best way to the Netherlands, we handed via the city of Cologne, residence to the Cologne Cathedral, the biggest Gothic church in northern Europe. This wonderful church options immense twin towers that stand 515 ft (157 meters) tall. The cathedral was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Web site in 1996.
Netherlands is world-famous for its windmills, tulips, clogs, cheese and vibrant bike tradition. We spent two days visiting the Dutch countryside, went inside a standard windmill, discovered how conventional picket clogs have been made, and took a ship cruise across the canals.
Amsterdam was the final cease of the tour, however we prolonged our keep for an additional week, and determined to go to Belgium, leaving most of our baggage in storage within the final resort we transferred to.
We additionally frolicked in Vondelpark, toured the Heineken Brewery, walked across the notorious Pink Gentle District and had dinner in Chinatown as a break from Dutch meals.
Issues to do in Amsterdam
- Windmills
- Vollendam
- Monnickendam
- Canal cruise
- Heineken Brewery Expertise
- Pink Gentle District
- Vondelpark
- Zaanse Chans
- Anne Frank Home
- Van Gogh Museum
The place to remain in Amsterdam
We booked tickets on the spot to journey by NS Worldwide prepare from Amsterdam to Brussels in Belgium, which is about 2-3 hours away. At this level, we have been a bit drained from the fixed shifting round and needed to relax out a bit and Brussels was an awesome place to do this.
The resort I picked in Brussels was not as costly as Amsterdam and was centrally positioned close to the Grand Place, so it was simple to discover on foot. We spent 3 nights in Brussels and determined to skip Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp to take it sluggish.
We loved the beer tradition, walked to parks and church buildings, did a self-guided tour of the comedian guide route, went meals tripping, tried totally different Belgian beers and candies. I additionally met up with a Belgium-based buddy (Aleah of Solitary Wanderer) and had a pleasant catch-up session over Belgian waffles and occasional.
Issues to do in Brussels
- Grand Place
- Les Galeries de Royale
- BoursBeurs
- Manekin Pis
- Chocolate
- Beers
- Comedian E book Route
- Bruges and Ghent
- Luxembourg and Dinant
The place to remain in Brussels
Again in Netherlands
From Brussels, we took the FlixBus again to Netherlands (which was cheaper than the prepare) and spent one other three days in Amsterdam.
One of many issues Amsterdam is understood for is its vibrant biking tradition. Town has extra bikes than individuals and the spotlight of our final leg was biking across the metropolis. There are numerous biking routes round Amsterdam that we have been selecting from, so we tried to do 2 in someday.
We ended up occurring an 80-kilometer journey to Zaanse Schans, a historic neighborhood that has the look of an 18th/Nineteenth-century village, and Marken (a coastal village with a port and conventional homes) and again to Amsterdam the identical day, taking advantage of the lengthy daytime (the sundown was at 10pm).
Amsterdam can be identified for historic figures like Anne Frank and artists like Vincent Van Gogh. I’m glad we have been in a position to pre-book museum tickets for the the Anne Frank Home and the Van Gogh Museum on the day of our flight again.
I really feel extraordinarily grateful for this journey to Europe. It’s been a whirlwind of memorable experiences together with journey errors that would have been averted (however at the least we now know higher). Every European nation and metropolis had a unique character and vibe. There have been some locations the place I wouldn’t thoughts returning to and staying longer, different locations I’m happy with seeing simply as soon as in my lifetime, and different locations I want we may have included if our time and price range permitted.
However total, I feel our first journey to Europe supplied an awesome overview of various nation highlights and what to anticipate on future journeys.
10 COUNTRIES: Italy, Vatican Metropolis, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium
16 CITIES (within the order we visited): Rome, Vatican, Venice, Vienna, Bratislava, Prague, Regensburg, Munich, Vaduz, Lucerne, Heidelberg, Sankt Goar, Rhineland, Cologne, Amsterdam, Brussels
I’ll strive my finest to put in writing extra detailed nation guides/travelogues (particularly the DIY bike excursions, memorable beer experiences, and notable museums) and hyperlink again to them on this publish, however for now I hope different vacationers will discover the fundamentals and sensible info useful for their very own journey planning.
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