The Amalfi coast gets a lot of hype as a sort of luxury travel destination, which it definitely can be, but it’s also possible to visit the Amalfi coast on a budget if you know what you want to prioritize and you don’t mind waiting for the bus! (More notes on buses below, but basically …
While any of the five towns of the Cinque Terre would be a wonderful place to relax for a few days, 48 hours is still enough time to visit and enjoy all five. The first question for planning your weekend in the Cinque Terre is whether you want to hike between some or all of …
I was lucky enough to spend about 3 weeks on Oahu in early 2024, staying on the North Shore fairly close to the main town of Haleiwa. Hiking on Oahu was one of my favorite experiences there! I didn’t rent a car myself, so I had some fun experiments riding the bus and an awesome …
Santorini may be the most famous of the Greek Cyclades islands – certainly with honeymooners and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants fans (anyone..?) – and can therefore be super crowded and expensive. I visited in May (2023), however, and found the crowds to be really reasonable and hotel prices not too bad as it was …
Paros and Naxos are perhaps somewhat less well known than other Cycladic Greek islands like Santorini and Milos, but at least one and ideally both are definitely worth a visit! I initially made reservations on both because I couldn’t choose one and fully intended to cancel one, but when I missed the cancellation window I …
Milos is quickly becoming one of the more popular of the Cyclades islands in Greece, and for good reason – there is an amazing variety of interesting geology to see at the beaches around the island, there are several great towns to use as a base or to explore, and the blue water and sunset …
I planned a visit to Split on my Croatia trip basically just as a stop on my way from the islands of Korcula and Hvar, to Zagreb – and then was surprised that it turned out to be one of my favorite cities in Europe! While it doesn’t have the dramatic architecture of Dubrovnik, it …
Prague had been on my bucket list for a long time before I visited in June 2023, and it did not disappoint! The old town can certainly be crowded with tourists, but there’s so much history and interesting architecture to explore, and it’s easy to get out into neighborhoods that feel less touristy as well. …
Croatia’s popularity seems to have taken off in recent years, and on my visit in spring 2023 I was excited to see Dubrovnik in all its Game of Thrones glory – but also wary of crowds that might make staying for very long overwhelming. I was also curious to explore some of the nearby islands, …
When I started planning my first visit to Florence, I really wasn’t sure how long to spend there – some people told me that it was sort of over-hyped and too touristy, while others said there was so much to see that I could easily spend a week! I ended up going for two nights, …