Touring to Europe has at all times been on our journey bucket record. We initially hoped to go on a European tour in Could 2020 for our tenth wedding ceremony anniversary, however everyone knows what occurred that yr. Up to now few years, I’ve realized that life is brief and we should always take the time to journey and luxuriate 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 international locations 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 could be of curiosity.
Touring to Europe entails numerous planning particularly for Filipino passport holders who first must safe a Schengen Visa. Initially, we deliberate to restrict our journey to only 2 or 3 international locations 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 prompt we take a bundle tour to get rid of some journey uncertainties and avail of refundable journey reservations.
We used the providers of the journey company TRAVEL ENTERPRISE CORPORATION based mostly in Ortigas Middle, Pasig to make flight reservations (not precise bookings), journey insurance coverage, and safe a Visa appointment. We utilized and received our visas from the Italian Embassy in Manila because the bundle 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, Revenue Tax Returns, Employment certificates, and so forth.), the Visa utility course of was simple and didn’t contain any interviews. We simply needed to submit all our paperwork and get biometrics completed and wait, which is at all times a nerve-wracking course of. Fortunately, we had 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 authorized, you’ll be able to change your itinerary and go wherever you need inside the Schengen Zone. There’s no border or passport management between international locations. Nevertheless, it’s nonetheless greatest to enter by way of the nation you utilized in and keep there the longest.
From Manila, we flew by way of 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 heart from the airport, I booked a Fiumicino Airport – Rome Bus by Terravision (P379) to the Rome Termini by way of Klook . You can even journey the prepare on to town, however the bus is cheaper than the prepare (€14 or P885) and is safer when you have massive suitcases. You can even use Uber and Freenow in Rome in the event you desire non-public 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 ebook shared bus transfers to the Amsterdam airport (P411) however we simply booked a taxi to the airport from the lodge (€45). Take observe that there’s a 6 hour time distinction between the Philippines and Central European international locations.
Different airways that fly from Manila to Europe embody Emirates, Qatar Airways, and China Southern Airways. Based on numerous information stories, 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 international locations, which included a go to to historic websites in Rome and Vatican Metropolis. For historical past buffs, Rome is an incredible vacation spot due to its historic 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 Means (an historic highway constructed to move troops outdoors the smaller area of larger Rome) and Trastevere (a hipster district recognized for craft beer pubs) on rented bicycles.
Rome isn’t an affordable vacation spot, however there are numerous free points of interest and reasonably priced 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 might have beloved to go to different Italian cities like Florence, Milan and Lake Garda, however we determined to take it sluggish first to avoid wasting our journey price range and vitality for the opposite costlier cities.
Should you can, I’d recommend you stroll as a lot as doable. Rome’s public transportation is environment friendly and simple to make use of, however many associates warned us in regards to 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
- Through 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 accommodates the ceiling painted in fresco by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, thought of 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 by way of rolling hills, picturesque vineyards, and medieval cities. Tuscany is thought for its olive bushes and wheat, traditionally planted collectively to kind the perfect 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 way quieter than its well-known neighbor, however from right here you’ll be able to go to the principle vacationer space of Venice simply by way of water taxis.
Venice, referred to as the “Metropolis of Canals” is one in every of Italy’s most picturesque cities, with placing structure and delightful bridges set amidst winding canals. Venice is constructed on an archipelago of 118 small islands related by over 400 bridges over the advanced 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 recognition and price, it continues to draw vacationers. We loved wandering by way of the maze of alleyways to hunt for Libreria Acqua Alta (a comfy, offbeat bookstore with books piled on prime of gondolas and cute resident cats), sipping on Aperols and Bellinis, and the scrumptious home-cooked salmon risotto and seafood pasta meals within the lodge we had 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 acquainted with 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 heart, visited the colourful Hundertwasserhaus artist’s village, tried Schnitzel, watched an entertaining classical Viennese live performance, and went craft beer looking at night time.
What struck me probably the most about Vienna was how clear, neat and arranged every little thing was. It’s no surprise classical musicians thrive right here. Every thing felt so orderly. Their trendy public transportation works on an honesty system, with no ticket boundaries 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 heart)
- Hofburg Palace
- Hundertwasserhaus (artist village)
- Viennese Live shows
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 cut up from the Czech Republic. Whereas we didn’t keep lengthy right here, I preferred the vibe. Locals in cafes and memento retailers had been pleasant and welcoming. The capital Bratislava is the one capital on the earth that borders two international locations (Austria and Hungary), making it excellent for day journeys from these international locations.
Bratislava, set alongside the Danube River, is surrounded by vineyards and mountains, crisscrossed with forested climbing and biking trails. The very best place to go is the pedestrian-only, 18th-century previous city recognized for its full of life bars and cafes. From right here, you’ll be able to see the reconstructed Bratislava Fortress perched atop a hill overlooking the previous city and the Danube.
Issues to do in Bratislava
- Bratislava Fortress
- 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 brazenly alongside the riverside and parks. The vibe in Prague was very inventive and laid-back. Folks had been pleasant, and meals and drinks had been reasonably priced.
Other than visiting a couple of 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 night time, stumbled upon a beautiful 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 Fortress
- 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, house to 1,500 heritage buildings, together with the 800-year-old Stone Bridge and Ninth-century Alte Kapelle. Right here, you’ll 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 night time. Munich is house 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 by way of the famed Hofbräuhaus. Based in 1589, the most well-liked beer corridor and probably the most well-known on the earth. Rowdy celebrations had been in full swing on account of ongoing Euro Cup. We additionally went on a stroll across the previous 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 thought for its medieval castles, alpine landscapes and villages linked by a community of trails. The capital, Vaduz is a cultural and monetary heart and predominant vacationer hub, house to a row of memento retailers, cafes and museums.
Liechtenstein is visa-free or presents visa on arrival entry to 180 international locations and territories together with the Philippines. Nevertheless, it doesn’t have an airport of its personal and is normally accessed by way of 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 Fortress
- Kathedrale St. Florin
- Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein (trendy and modern artwork)
- Postmuseum (Liechtenstein’s postage stamps)
- Vaduz Metropolis Practice
Then it was off to Switzerland, one of many international locations I used to be most excited to go to. We stayed 2 nights within the Lucerne, probably the most stunning Swiss cities. Nestled between mountains and a shimmering lake, Lucerne supplied probably the most picturesque views of the lake and snow-capped mountains.
Our lodge was conveniently positioned proper throughout the lake and we loved strolling right here and watching the swans and geese swim. There are a couple of eating places by the lake, however you too can take out meals from stalls or have a easy picnic by the lakeside.
The highlights of Switzerland included using the Cabrio cableway and funicular railway (courting again to 1893) to go up Stansershorn, which had an incredible mountain view and examine 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 Fortress at no cost.
Whereas Switzerland was probably the most stunning nation we visited, it was additionally the most costly. The price of on a regular basis objects in comfort shops, meals in eating places and beer felt considerably larger. Locals use Swiss francs right here, which is stronger than the Euro. Switzerland is one other nation the place I might have beloved to remain longer, particularly to attempt the totally different trains to different cities.
Issues to do in Lucerne
- Stanserhorn
- Chapel Bridge
- Lake Lucerne
- The Cruise
- Meggenhorn Fortress
The place to remain in Lucerne
Crossing again by way of Germany
From Switzerland, we crossed again to Germany and stopped for lunch in Heidelberg, which is house to Germany’s oldest and one in every of Europe’s most respected universities. Heidelberg can be recognized for cuckoo clocks.
From right here, we proceeded to Sankt Goar and cruised by way of Rhineland, passing vineyards and fantasy castles. We stayed one other night time 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 way in which to the Netherlands, we handed by way of the city of Cologne, house to the Cologne Cathedral, the biggest Gothic church in northern Europe. This wonderful church options immense twin towers that stand 515 toes (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, realized how conventional picket clogs had been made, and took a ship cruise across the canals.
Amsterdam was the final cease of the tour, however we prolonged our keep for one more week, and determined to go to Belgium, leaving most of our baggage in storage within the final lodge we transferred to.
We additionally frolicked in Vondelpark, toured the Heineken Brewery, walked across the notorious Purple 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
- Purple 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 had been a bit drained from the fixed shifting round and wished to sit back out a bit and Brussels was a terrific place to try this.
The lodge I picked in Brussels was not as costly as Amsterdam and was centrally positioned close to the Grand Place, so it was straightforward 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 ebook route, went meals tripping, tried totally different Belgian beers and goodies. I additionally met up with a Belgium-based pal (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 thought for is its vibrant biking tradition. The town has extra bikes than folks and the spotlight of our final leg was biking across the metropolis. There are numerous biking routes round Amsterdam that we had been selecting from, so we tried to do 2 in in the future.
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 sunlight hours (the sundown was at 10pm).
Amsterdam can be recognized for historic figures like Anne Frank and artists like Vincent Van Gogh. I’m glad we had 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 very 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 glad with seeing simply as soon as in my lifetime, and different locations I want we might have included if our time and price range permitted.
However general, I believe our first journey to Europe offered a terrific 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 attempt my greatest to jot down extra detailed nation guides/travelogues (particularly the DIY bike excursions, memorable beer experiences, and notable museums) and hyperlink again to them on this put up, however for now I hope different vacationers will discover the fundamentals and sensible data useful for their very own journey planning.
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