Budget and low-cost airlines are just starting to make their way to the United States. However, they’re commonplace in Europe. We’ve enjoyed our fair share of $30-$50 international flights around Europe and have learned a few lessons on saving money and making the most of the flight.
We set our sights on Paris! It was a city on our bucket list, one we really hoped we’d be able to see on our European travel adventure.
There’s no reason to have a car in Paris. Just like most of the other cities we’ve visited, the public transportation is more than adequate, if not superior to driving.
Today was the big day; it was the day we’d be seeing the Giza Pyramids!
As soon as we stepped off the plane in Cairo, you could argue that our experience of Cairo had begun. We immediately felt we were in a new place; the people, the culture, and the history of Cairo are so different from the other places we’ve been to in our current travels.
Set on the Nile River, Cairo has an allure that can’t be denied. We first heard about it in grade school, where we learned about the wonders of the Nile, of papyrus, and of the Giza Pyramids.
After our visit to Zurich, we went on the Bernina Express, one of our bucket list train rides. So, since the train ended in Tirano, Italy, and Milan is only a two-and-a-half hour train ride along Como Lake, it seemed like the perfect place for us to go to next.
We love taking trains, they're a fantastic alternative to planes, when going from one place to another. However, the Bernina Express was on our bucket list for an entirely different reason. The sheer beauty of the mountains, glaciers, lakes, water falls, rivers, and bridges that the train passes makes this train arguably one of the most beautiful train rides in Europe, and possibly the world.
Finally, we were in Zurich! It was a bit of a debacle, but we made it!
We were finishing up work, washing clothes, and packing everything in our backpacks. It was time to check into our flight for the next day....
Istanbul is a place that we highly recommend taking some extra time to see and experience. For us, it was worth spending extra time just exploring the city and walking around because Istanbul is so different from most places we’ve been.
Public transportation in Turkey is a great way to get around the city while you’re visiting.
We did our research before arriving in Istanbul, however, what we think we know is often a bit different than what we experience once we arrive. We were excited to venture into a city that was very different than any place we’d visited in Europe so far. Not to mention, it’s one city on two continents!
Traveling continuously for months at a time can sometimes cause places and things to blur together. Turkey was a refreshing experience for our senses and Istanbul quickly set itself apart from other places we’ve visited.
We’ve been fortunate enough over the last five or so months of traveling to find homeowners gracious enough to allow us into their home to care for their pets and their home while their away. This has allowed us to see a great number of places that would have been difficult and much more costly otherwise.
You can’t walk the streets of Brussels (or many other Belgian cities for that matter) without smelling fresh waffles and seeing an abundance of specialty chocolate shops.
In part five of this multi-part city guide, we go over our adventures and sightseeing itinerary in Brussels.
In part four of this multi-part city guide, we go over our adventures and sightseeing itinerary in Antwerp.
In part three of this multi-part city guide, we go over our adventures and sightseeing itinerary in Ghent.
