Europe

We visited Malta in winter. Water activities are not possible in winter, so, this post will tell you what else there is to do in Malta. If you have only one day then go to Mdina. If you have two days, then do Gozo as well. If you have three days, then do the old temples. And if you have four days then do Valletta as well. The island has excellent public transport that you can count on. 1.5 Euro one-way ticket valid for a 2-hours journey in any direction. I would recommend staying in Sliema or St. Julian’s for maximum comfort. If you want a Mediterranean-style stay then go to Valletta or Mdina instead. The Tallinja app gives better suggestions than Google Maps regarding intra-island public transport. Day 1 - Mdina Visit the old capital of Mdina. It has a classy Mediterranean look to it. ...

Málaga, a port city in the south of Spain is known for its beautiful beaches. We went there in December, so, this blog post will tell you what to do if you can’t or won’t do water activities. Day 1 - Museums Málaga is the birthplace of Picasso. So, a visit would be incomplete without a visit to the Picasso museum. The entrance fee is 9 euros. And do take the free audio tour along with it. ...

Lisbon has a quintessential old European city charm to it. Compared to Madrid, it is more rundown though. Day 1 - Baixa-Chiado area Check out the main square (Baixa-Chiado), see the oldest running bookstore, and learn the history of the various parts by doing a walking tour. A big earthquake came in 1755 in Lisbon. Apart from the red-light district, most of the city was destroyed and that made people start questioning God. One Church, Convento De Carmo, has some last ruins to indicate the impact of the earthquake. ...

Barcelona Public transport is good, get a Metro card with ten tickets, it can even be shared simultaneously. Beware of pickpockets. Credit card acceptance is high, but not 100%. Paella, a rice dish, is famous in Barcelona Day 1 Start your day with a walking tour. I would recommend Sandeman’s walking tours. In the afternoon, check out the History Museum. It is pretty detailed and has remains of the historic Roman city of Baracine. ...

Madrid, originally Myrit, was set up by Moors in about 700 AD, to fight against the Catholic Spanish stronghold of Toledo which used to be the old capital of the Castile kingdom. Public transport is good, get a Metro card with ten tickets, and it can even be shared simultaneously. Beware of pickpockets. Credit card acceptance is high, but not 100%. Churros + hot chocolate are famous in Madrid. The city has pedestrianized itself over time, so the city center is entirely car-free. Day 1 Start your day with a walking tour. I would recommend history-focused Sandeman’s walking tour and tourism-focused Rick Steve’s self-guided audio tour. After the tour, check out Puerta Del Sol, the Sun Gate. There are quite a few small interesting spots here, for example, the bear climbing the tree which is on the city’s Coat of Arms, and the 0 KM sign. ...

Rome has a rich history pertinent to western civilization. There are three different aspects of roaming in Rome, namely, architecture, history, and religion (Catholic - Christians). I was profoundly interested in history and to some extent, in architecture, and that influenced my itinerary. Day 1 - walks Start with a walking tour and after walking tour use Rick Steve’s free audio tour to wander in the heart of Rome, primarily, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Spanish steps. Then use Rick Steve’s Jewish Ghettos walk to do a self-guided tour of Jewish ghettos. ...

Compared to Prague, Rome, Vienna, and Split, Venice is a tourist trap. The city is made up of a collection of 100+ islands. Bridges connect most of them, and you can walk throughout the city. All the public transport is using water buses called Vaporetto. A single trip costs 8 Euros. If you are planning to use Vaporetto, buy a 24-hour pass worth 20 Euro which covers unlimited trips on Vaporetto. Start your day with a walking tour which will give you a good understanding of the history of the city. After the walking tour, visit St. Marks’s Basilica and the square next to it. St. Marks is the patron saint of Venice. There is no entrance fee for the basilica; there is a fee for its treasury and the top floor though. ...

Croatia is a Balkan country south of Austria. It’s a small country of 4 million inhabitants and cities with medieval architecture. Games of Thrones was shot here. Basics The currency is Croatian Kuna (HRK), which is about 1/7th of a US Dollar. One can use a Schengen visa to enter Croatia. Public toilets are expensive. Almost all restaurants provide free access. Tap water is drinkable. Public transports between cities and even to the islands are pretty good. Use www.azk.hr for finding and booking local buses. Most people speak English in tourist cities. Useful phrases The language seems to be harder than the German language ...

Budapest, pronounced Budapescht, consists of two cities, hilly Buda in the west, and flat Pest in the south. The city structure is similar to Prague. Day 1 Start your day with a walking tour. While there are many specific ones like focusing on Jewish quarters etc. I chose the generic one which covers the history and the culture of the city. After the tour, spend time checking out the castle before heading down to the Hospital in the rock. It was a hospital built during the cold war to survive a nuclear attack. The guided tour at this place is subpar though. ...

Vienna is a historic city. First, a pivotal battle between the Ottoman Empire and Western Europe was fought in 1683, and then, during the second world war, significant support to Hitler came from Vienna. Some tips for the first-timers The dominant spoken language is German, but it is not hard to find English speakers. Public transport is great and a 24-hour pass costs 8 Euros. Most of the good spots are near the city center, so don’t stay too far away. Toilets inside shopping malls, big grocery stores, and restaurants are usually free. Outside ones charge 0.5 Euro. Which museum to see Vienna is full of museums, and one can spend a week just checking out the museums. Entry cost varies from 4 Euros to 20 Euros. I would recommend deciding what you want to see and make a decision based on that. I was not interested in checking out natural history or art museums since they are similar to the museums I have seen before. Therefore, I picked “Museum of Art Fakes” and “Museum of Abortion and Contraception.” Both unusual and unique to Vienna. ...