Europe Travel Articles and Photos

Berlin Christmas Markets: The Ultimate Guide [Updated 2022]

by Audrey Scott

While many cities in Germany have one main Christmas Market, Berlin has dozens of Christmas Markets from which you can choose based on your interests and style. So, which are the best Christmas markets in Berlin?

Whether you're looking for a traditional German Christmas market or something a bit more offbeat, I offer here my handy Berlin Christmas Market guide. The recommendations are based on our experience living in Berlin for ten years and being avid Christmas market fans. It has all the information you need to know, including dates and schedules of Berlin Christmas markets and notes on how to visit my local favorites — these are Christmas markets that will make your visit to Berlin during the Christmas and holiday season even more special.

Exploring Lazio: Off-the-Beaten Path Italy Outside Rome

by Daniel Noll

The tires of our e-bikes rested on the cobbles of what we imagined was an old imperial road. Our early morning cycle had wound up through the meadows and canopies of a nature reserve carved out along the banks of the Tiber River in central Italy. A long stretch of road opened revealing veils of mist rising above the bends of water below.

Hiking in Cyprus: Best Hiking Trails and Travel Itinerary

by Audrey Scott

Hiking in Cyprus, the Aphrodite Loop Hiking Trail

Hiking in Cyprus may not be top of mind when travelers consider this Mediterranean island for vacation. Most associate it with its beaches and resorts. However, our recent visit to Cyprus illustrates that the country not only offers sea, sun and deep history, but a variety of natural landscapes and geological diversity that makes hiking on the island a delight.

We share here our favorite hiking trails in Cyprus, from coastal to mountain hikes. Whether you're interested in a hiking vacation or just to include a hike into your visit to Cyprus, here is all the information you need to plan your trip.

Berlin Cheap Eats: Top 10 Meals Under 5 Euros

by Daniel Noll

Delicious cheap Middle Eastern food in Berlin

Our list of favorite Berlin cheap eats under €5 is easy on your budget and includes high-quality, flavorful and hearty meals. These include Middle Eastern, Turkish, German, Italian and Asian dishes from a variety of different neighborhoods. So as you … Continue Reading

How To Pack for the Camino de Santiago: Camino Essentials and Packing Lists

by Audrey Scott

How to pack for the Camino de Santiago so that you are prepared with all the essentials for the Camino, but you still pack light and don't carry a heavy backpack? That is one of the big challenges when preparing and planning for the Camino de Santiago, one where you can waste lots of time and money if you're not careful. Fortunately, our Ultimate Camino Essentials Packing List for women and men helps you figure this all out with a list of essential clothing and gear to bring with you.

Our Camino Essentials Packing List is all based on our own experience of walking almost 1,000 km / 600 miles along the Camino de Santiago. We share specific recommendations on Camino essentials like backpacks, clothing, shoes, foot care, and more. The goal: carry what you need to be comfortable and protect against changing weather, but don't feel like you need to take everything with you on the Camino de Santiago.

Insider’s Prague: Tourist Traps to Avoid, Things to Do, Where to Eat

by Audrey Scott

While we lived in Prague for over five years, we were simultaneously awed by its beauty and frustrated by the rapacious tourism development that had swamped its old town. More recently, I've heard from travelers disappointed by their visits to Prague because of the city's crowds and tourist schlock.

Yes, there's a fair heap of that. But, there are also ways to avoid it and there is much to see and experience in Prague without crowds. That's what this insider's guide is all about with tourist traps to avoid, best things to do, favorite Czech beers and pubs, neighborhoods to stay in, and where to eat in Prague.

Experiential Guide to Lisbon: 22 Ideas to Get You Started

by Audrey Scott

Ah, Lisbon. A city which evinces a simplicity on the surface just as its historical and emotional roots run deep. Experience-rich, engaging and fun — yet a lot to unpack. That's where this Experiential Guide from our recent visit to Lisbon comes in with some usual — and unusual — things to do, eat, and experience.

Cooking Across Borders in Berlin

by Audrey Scott

Cooking Across Borders, a Deep Travel Project with Context Travel

“Add a little sugar to the saffron,” Farzane said as she worked the combination in her mortar and pestle. “It makes it easier to grind.”

Farzane, a 20-year old refugee from Afghanistan who’d come to Berlin with her family in the last year, was deep in the process of teaching us how to prepare several Afghan dishes she’d grown up cooking in her home town of Herat. In the heart of Berlin’s Schöneberg neighborhood, she guided us through the creation of dishes like zereshk polo (burberry rice pilaf) and khorecht lawang (lamb in a fermented yogurt sauce), among others.

Deep Travel in Berlin: A New Project with Context Travel

by Audrey Scott

A few thoughts on the current state of global discourse, the power of individual interactions in the world of travel, and an update on a new project we’ve undertaken in Berlin with Context Travel.

Puglia, Italy Road Trip: 25 Things to See and Do in Puglia

by Daniel Noll

If you're thinking of visiting Puglia, Italy, but don't know where to start in planning a road trip or what to see and do in Puglia, then you're in the right place. Read on for our top recommendations on things to do, where to eat, where to stay, and places to interest in Puglia from our own road trip.

The goal: help you create your own road trip route and Puglia itinerary of 7-10 days. This little-known province in southern Italy really has so much to offer in terms of history, beautiful old towns, beaches, landscapes, colorful markets and just incredible food.