Vaduz City, Liechtenstein

A short trip to Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein is the second-smallest country in Europe after Vatican City. While technically independent, it maintains a strong dependence on Switzerland. It uses Swiss Francs (CHF) as its currency Swiss embassies issue Liechtenstein visas It is part of the Swiss customs area Only Swiss citizens can work in Liechtenstein without a permit; other EU citizens need a work permit Liechtenstein is boring The place is boring. Even the mighty Rick Steve could not figure out What to write about it. ...

Surfing in Munich

Two days in Munich, Germany

Day 1 Start your day with a walking tour of the old town. Afterward, check out the wave surfing at the English Garden. At night, visit HofbrÀuhaus. They do have non-alcoholic beer for 5.7 Euros as well. ...

View of Interlaken Harder Klum hike

Two days in Interlaken, Switzerland

Getting from Zurich to Interlaken is expensive; a one-way train ticket costs 73 CHF. I would recommend doing a multi-day trip or getting a Swiss Travel Pass for longer stays. Interlaken is indeed a beautiful town, nestled between two stunning lakes, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Interlaken reminded me of Lake AtitlĂĄn in Guatemala. Interlaken is, of course, more luxurious and really expensive, though. Day 1 I would recommend hiking along the tram line towards Harder Kulm, a viewpoint overlooking the town. The hike is about 5 miles, takes 3 hours, and is moderately difficult. ...

Zurich Skyline

Why I don't recommend Zurich for travelers

Zurich, along with Oslo, Norway is one of the few unassuming expensive European cities that I would not recommend visiting. The joke goes that Zurich whose German pronunciation is tsĂŒ-rich/à€€à„à€žà„à€°à€żà€š is “too rich”. The city is entirely unremarkable in terms of tourist attractions. A day is more than sufficient to see the city. I would recommend starting with a walking tour, it will give you basic idea of the city. ...

Luxembourg City

A day in Luxembourg - the richest country in the world

Singapore is hot, humid, and opulent. Luxembourg is cold, windy, and opulent. By some measures, Luxembourg is the richest country in the world. It is also one of the safest. It is the only duchy, that is, a country ruled by a duke (a level below a king), in the world. It is also one of the smallest countries in Europe. The best way to see is to get in early via a direct train from Brussels to Luxembourg 5:30 AM -> 9 AM for about 26 Euro. ...

Antwerp statue that gave Antwerp its name

A day in Antwerp, Belgium

Antwerp is easily accessible from Brussels in about ~1 hour by train or ~40 minutes by bus. Compared to Brussels, Antwerp is small and charming. I would recommend starting the day with Legends of Antwerp tour. One great thing about this tour is that you get to see both a church and a museum for a short time for free. Both of these have entry tickets otherwise. This statue of a man throwing the hand of a giant (who used to demand tribute and punish sailors if they didn’t pay) into the sea gave the name to Antwerp. “Hand werpen” means “to throw a hand” in Dutch. ...

Pissing Statue in Brussels, Belgium

Two days in Brussels, Belgium

Brussels is a charming European-style city with cobblestone streets, historic architecture, and a rich cultural heritage. Brussels . I would recommend doing a day-trip to Brussels if you are visiting Paris or Amsterdam. Every street/area in Brussels has two names - one in French and one in Dutch. Sometimes, they are not even similar. The Grand Palace (Grote Markt) is the central square of Brussels and a UNESCO World Heritage site. ...

Liffey River

Two days in Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is a small city. Despite its high per-capita GDP, unlike Singapore or Tokyo, the city feels fairly low-key and more of a middle-affluent country. The official languages are Gaelic and English. To preserve Gaelic, all laws are officially passed in Gaelic! Day 1 The city of Dublin is not huge. You can walk everywhere and even skip public transport. I would recommend starting with a walking tour that gives you a great idea of the city. Rick Steve has great guides as well. ...

Westminster Abbey

London in 5 days

Day 1 - West Minster Start the day with a walking tour that gives you a nice history & geography of the city of London. Many of the royal palaces and crown-related buildings are in the city of “Westminster” which is next door to the City of London. Then head to the British Museum. Like most government-owned museums, it is free to access. However, I would recommend booking a reservation in advance. Rick Steves has a nice audio guide on touring the British Museum that I would recommend. ...

Lisbon Skyline

Four days in Lisbon, Portugal

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. ...