You are crazy my kid, you need to go to Berlin

Recommended stay time

3 days and two nights

Currency (Euro)

EUR	USD
1	1.12

Transport

In my opinion the public transport of Berlin is one of the most completes ones that I have seen. However, as I’ve told you before, I love to get to know a city walking as much as I can. Also, as a big city Berlin counts with platforms such as Uber and Cabify for those moments when you are in a hurry or whenever walking or public transportation is not an option.

As a capital you can arrive in Berlin by bus, train, car or airplane, being every option ok.

Accomodation

I recommend Meininger Hotel. They have three options in Berlin, in Alexanderplatz, Berlin Mitte and Central Station. All those options are budget friendly and you can decide which one fit better your needs.

Activities

There are a lot of activities for every kind of tastes to do in Berlin.  Furthermore Berlin, as the german capital, is city charged with history and that’s why it has a lot of memorial and important places or monuments. As well, Berlin is a multicultural city that has adopted a lot of cultures aside from it one one. As a result Berlin is one of the cities, which its mother language is not a requirement to live there (if you speak english at least).

You can find a lot of festivals, parties and crazy things to do in Berlin. However, if it is your first time visiting Berlin I would highly recommend to stick to its historical side and calmly try some german beers. What I’m about to recommend you are, for me, the unmissable places or things to do / see in Berlin.

To start you can go to Alexanderplatz, which is one of the largest squares in the world, there you’ll find two important monuments to see. First the world watch, which shows the time in 148 all day long. Second the Fernsehturm, TV Tower in English, the 368 mtr tower that you can appreciate mostly from every point of the city. From here you can go walking to some imporant places and ending in the Holocaust Memorial. Passing first the museum island, where you can find six internationally significant museums. Next to it you’ll find Berlin’s cathedral which you can enter for 7 EUR. Then you can pass by the Babelplatz, where you can find a memorial to the Nazi book burning. Continue to the one of the iconics monuments of Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate. Next to it you’ll also find the holocaust memorial. From there you are close to the Tiergarten, which is the principal garden of the city and contains the city zoo.

I would leave for another day the visit to East side Gallery, where you can see part of the famous Berlin Wall with a lot of artistic graffities. Also to visit Checkpoint Charlie, which was where the people had to check their passports to go from the american sector to the soviet sector, or vice versa.

I went to the jewish museum in Berlin. I have to say that emotionally it is hard to watch but historically I love that topic, so it was a very interesting experience.

Food tips

Due to the large turkish presence in Berlin, their influence on the food is remarkable. Give it a try to a very well known fast food in europe, that was brought by the turkish, and go to Mufasa’s Kebab. It is known because berliners say it is the best kebab in town. Also try the little arabic food stores along the city. They are really cheap and delicious.

Personally I love an italian restaurant that’s called Vapiano. It is budget friendly and you can see how they cook your pasta or pizza at the bar.

If you’re a hamburger lover, go to Burgermaister. It is really good and friendly with the budget.

Packing

Depends on the season. Bring comfy sneakers.

Recommended stay time

Two nights and three days. Staying both nights in Lisbon

Currency (Euro)

EUR	USD
1	1.12

Transport

Lisbon is not the type of city that has everything in the same you would want to see in the sae area. Also, it has a lot of hills, which makes walking harder but not impossible. I used a mix of public transportation, uber/cabify, walking and even rent a scooter of Lime.

To go from Lisbon to Sintra, we rented a car which was cheap and perfect for what we needed.

Accomodation

The accomodation in Lisbon is very budget friendly. There are a lot of hostels and most of them include breakfast. We stayed in a Hostel private room for three near the Alfama neighborhood. It was B. Mar Hostels & Suits.

Activities

Enjoy the views in the different viewing points that this city has to offer. I can recommend:

• Santa Luzia
• Gracia
• Santa Catalina
• Senhora do Monte
• Das Portas da Sol

Visite the cathedral of Lisbon, called La sé. Go to Praça do Comércio, one of the most importants squares in Lisbon because it was where the royal palace was located for many years. There you can see the arch of triumph. After that you can go to the neighborhood Belem and enjoy the sunset at the Belem Tower.

In Sintra we went directly to the Pena Palace, which is more than just a palace because there’s an huge park before getting to the actual palace. The views are incredible and diverse.

Food tips

Since we had breakfast included in our hostel, we were only looking for lunch and dinner. In my personal experience I couldn’t visit as many restaurants as I wanted because we arrived on the 25th of december and almost everything was closed. So we ate kebab once and went to two restaurants. One in the city center near the Plaça do Comércio and the other right next to our hostel. The first one was big but the food was really basic and expensive. The second one, A Tasca do Poeta, was tiny, but the service and the food were awesome and had good prices. In both we tried typical food that is pretty much based on seafood. When we went to Sintra we brought snacks and didn’t eat there.

Packing

Depends a lot on the season but I highly recommend comfy sneakers due to the hills of the city and the castle in Sintra.

Recommended stay time:

3 days and 2 nights

Currency (Euro)

EUR	USD
1	1.12

Transport

Lyon is the third- largest city and second-largest urban area of France, but it’s incredible because you can do it all by the public transport, walking because the city is beautiful or you can rent skateboards by the app LIME and take a road around the rivers  Rhône and Saône  , I traveled to Lyon by bus from Clermont-Ferrand, I arrive to the Gare de Perrache,  it was so cheap, so you can book your trip with some months of anteriority and I am sure that you will not regret visiting this city.

Accomodation

I had the opportunity to stay in the flat of a friend, but you can search in booking or according to the number of persons that are going to do the trip in AIRBNB a really good option for big groups. The best places to stay in Lyon the old town and the Presqu’île, both situated in the most central part of the city.

Activities

I have been in Lyon two times, but the best date was on December ( 5,6,7 and 8) because I went to the festival of lights , that is traditional of Lyon because of the 8 of December when the residences of Lyon placed candles in coloured glasses on their window sills to celebrate the installation of a statue of the Virgin Mary on the Fourvière Hill. This festival is amazing and it’s crowded of persons, all the French people go to Lyon on those dates of December, you would see all the most important cathedrals, courthouse, etc, illuminated and with some incredible stories told through lights.

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Also, you can visit La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière, it is on the top of the Fourvière hill, the church is beautiful, but you have to go also because you would have a viewpoint of  180 degrees panorama of Lyon. You have two options you can visit this place walking or go by transport public.

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The ancients ruins of Fourvière they are near the Basilique, so you can go walking and visit them, there are from 2000 years ago, and is a perfect spot to take some pictures. You should go back to the city walking by your way, because there are wonderful streets and the view it’s incredible.

Finally, the Parc de la Tête d’Or, is a huge park you can go there and do a picnic, walk around the forest and feel the freedom there. Inside you will find some animals and a little zoo.

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Food tips

I was traveling in a low budget, but we went to a restaurant, I don’t remember the name of it but we ate a traditional dish of lyon that was a bread and you choose what you want to put on top ( potatoes, meat, cheese, etc). Was delicious and the prices where cheap.

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Packing

The most important advice to travel in Europe is to have a good and comfortable sport shoes and with them you will have an excellent experience here.

Recommended Stay Time

4 days: 1 night in Athens, 1 night in Santorini and 2 nights in Ios.

Currency

Euros

Transport

To move around Greece you must first arrive in Athens. Many low cost airlines will get you there for a low price, and once you land, there are many trains that will get you to the city center or wherever you need to go.

It is very easy to travel around Greece in ferries, and they are not very expensive. For example, I took one from Athens to Ios for 9 euros. However, it was (very long and not very entertaining) 9 hours. They make many stops, so do consider paying some more for a more direct trip.

Ios is very small, and there are many buses available, and Athens has an easy to use metro system. But the beautiful post card picture of Santorini is in a very small area of the island, and there is literally nothing for miles. I had to wait in the scolding sun for almost 1 hr for a 40 min bus, so in hindsight, I would have rented a car or a buggy, available throughout the island.

Hotel

Athens is quite a chaotic city, and because I wouldn’t stay for longer than a night, I recommend staying near the city center. I chose Zorba’s Hostel, and even though it was right next to a metro station, it was old and not well equipped for a hostel. In general, Greece has cheap accommodations (aside from Santorini or Mykonos), varying from 25 to as little as 10 euros a night.

In Ios you must stay in the Far Out Hostel. It has rooms for literally all budgets. My friends and I stayed in a small cabin (it looked more like a tent) that didn’t even have a power outlet (hey, it was only 6 euros), but there are cozy wood cabins and huge bungalows with private terraces as well. The party is right outside the restaurant, with a DJ and organized events. More importantly, the beach is right across the road. It was also the only island with sand instead of pebbles.

Like I said before, there is not much around Santorini, and my hotel was a 40 minute bus ride away. The cabins where really nice and clean, and came with a kitchen and a small terrace. It was also close to the beach, so I do recommend it. You should rent a car, buggy or motorcycle to move around the island.

Activities

In Athens, the Parthenon cannot be missed. The entrance fee is around 20 euros for students, and includes other monuments near by. There is also a very interesting (and new) museum on Greek history, with an enormous display of statues and other artifacts.

Santorini is filled with cute restaurants, shops that stay open until 1am and endless picture perfect spots. You should also find a beach nearby, and even though they are made out of pebbles, the water is perfectly clear.

Ios however, was my favourite island of all. The party hostel had delicious breakfasts and lunch, homemade pizzas and cheap drinks. The beach, made out of yellow sand has comfy chairs and umbrellas that you can rent for the day.

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Food Tips

Greek food is famous worldwide, and depending where you have it, not very expensive. There are endless options that I cannot pronounce, but always ask locals for recommendations. Gyros are a personal favourite.

Packing

Greece is very hot in the summer. Pack comfortable shoes, light clothes, a hat, sunglasses and lots of sunscreen.

Friendly warning: My wallet got stolen while waiting for a bus in Santorini. They took it from my bag while I was wearing it. Greece can be unsafe sometimes, so always (ALWAYS) have an eye on your stuff. Pick pocketing is very common, so use a lock on all your luggage.

Written by Sofia Bedoya-Lira

Recommended Stay Time

One week: 1 night in Zadar, 1 night in Split, 3 nights in Hvar and 2 nights in Dubrovnik.

Currency

Kunas

EUR	HRK	USD	HRK
1	7.43	1	6.61

Transport

There are many low cost flights from any main European city. I took an Aegean Airlines flight from Athens to Zadar. I strongly recommend renting a car. You will be able to visit many small, lovely towns hidden between the main cities, and there are many places where to park. Also, road trips make traveling with friends more fun. We rented a minivan right outside the airport without any previous reservation, but you can play it safe and book one in advance just in case, especially during high seasons. The minivan was not very expensive, around 40 euros total for 2 nights, including a 50 euro permit to take the car out of the country.

The country offers many ferry routes in multiple schedules. I took a short one from Split to Hvar, and later one to Dubrovnik, and they are actually quite comfortable and take the stress out of driving. There are really cheap, around 12 euros each.

Hotel

We chose to stay in Airbnbs in most places, as it was not only cheaper and more comfortable than hostels, but we could easily cook in our own kitchen. We did stay in a few hostels, in Hvar and Zadar. They were clean and not expensive.

Dubrovnik was more complicated, as it is very pricey to stay in the city center. We decided to rent an apartment in Mlini, a short 10 minute drive away. However, being a group of 9, getting Ubers every time was very expensive, so don’t make the same mistakes we did and get two local cabs.

Activities

Croatia surprised me so much. So different from the rest of Europe, every city offers endless activities for every guest. Zadar is not very big, but I recommend walking around the city center and having lunch in one of the many restaurant overlooking the water. You must visit the Sea Organ, a simple but incredible installation by the water that sounds like a piano when the waves hit. People often gather around to dip their feet in the ocean and have a picnic when the sunsets.

Split’s city center walls and the cosy houses, restaurants and shops inside, are perfect for an evening walk. We only stayed there for one night, and we believed it was enough. I visited the old castle but honestly, there is not much other than collapsed walls and empty rooms. We drove some extra kilometers to Krka, the famous waterfalls. You can hike around them and then go for a swim in the warm water.

We then took a ferry to Hvar, and honestly, those 3 nights were the best of my life. The town is beautiful, small and next to the water. There are many small bakeries that you should go to for breakfast. The first day we took is slow in the local beach, a short 20 min hike away. The water is incredible, breathtaking, fantastic. There are just not enough adjectives. You can always find family owned restaurants by the beach, perfect for a beer and light lunch.

Just before the sun set, and for every night we were there, we walked down to a Hoola Hoop, a sunset bar, with great views of the ocean and very cheap drinks. They have really good music and great parties.

For the other two days, I strongly advise to rent a boat. You can get them for around 600 kunas, or 80 euros and they come with a sailor. They will take you to gorgeous spots around the islands, where the ocean is even MORE INCREDIBLE. Make sure to take lots of cool drinks and beers, and some snacks, for the day.

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Our last stop was Dubrovnik. Also known as King’s Landing, the city has many tours for Game of Thrones fans, including (spoilers ahead) the stairs Cersei walked down as people shouted “Shame!”. Do not miss a chance for an incredible sunset on the city walls, but make sure to get there early, they get crowded. You can also take a cable car to the top of the mountain for spectacular views of the old city. For the second day, you can take the ferry to the small island for awesome beaches and a very interesting botanical garden.

Food tips

Croatia is not particularly known for its cuisine. They do have great pastries and good pizza. Food was a bit pricey in Dubrovnik, so buying groceries to cook at home is always a good idea.

Right by the ocean, every city has great fresh fish, so do not miss one of their specialities.

Packing

Croatia is really hot during the summer, so do not forget swimsuits, sunscreen and sunglasses. Also pack comfortable shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. Because most beaches are made out of pebbles (that get very hot during the day), walking barefoot can be painful, so always have sandals with you to walk to the ocean.

Written by Sofia Bedoya-Lira