Now that we’ve come to the conclusion of another (mostly) successful vacation and our officially impoverished and road-weary…it’s time to look back at what we’ve accomplished with some summarizing:
Behind the Numbers:
- Number of Countries Visited: 8 (England, Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Belgium, & The Netherlands)
- Number of Cities Visited/Stayed in: 12 (London, Budapest, Vienna, Brno, Prague, Berlin, Paris, Dinant, Namur, Brugge, Amsterdam, & Downham Market)
- Number of trains boarded: 14
- Number of miles covered via train: 2381 miles (approximately the driving distance from New York City to Phoenix)
- Number of currencies used: 4 (Hungarian Forint, Euros, Czech Koruna, and British Pounds)
- Approximate distance walked: 140.64 miles (7.4 miles per day)
- Number of languages we didn’t understand: 6 (Brit English, Hungarian, German, Czech, French, & Dutch)
- Forms of transportation used: 10 (Foot, Plane, Train, Car/Taxi, Metro/Subway, Funicular, Bicycle, Boat, Bus, and Tram)
Our travel map (as Illustrated by me on our Eurail Map):
London (flew to) –> Budapest –> Vienna –> Brno –> Prague –> Berlin –> Paris –> Dinant –> Namur –> Brugge –> Amsterdam –> London –> Downham Market –> London
Personal Highlights:
- Favorite City: Budapest
- The dramatic difference between the mountainous Buda with its castle and cliffsides compared to the flat and more modern and active Pest offered a nice variety.
- The Magyar culture is an isolated and unique culture much different than most of those in Central and Western Europe
- Budapest has yet to be completely overrun by tourists, so there is still plenty of authenticity in the hubs of the city…plus prices are lower.
- Favorite Hostel/B&B: The Loft (Budapest)
- The hostel also likely contributed to our fondness for Budapest. This was mostly driven by the unique character of the hostel, the involvement of our hosts in making sure we saw as much of the real Hungarian culture as possible, and the community atmosphere of the hostel. It was definitely not the most luxurious or comfortable stay, considering it had no A/C.
- Favorite area: Belgium
- The timing of our stay in Belgium is likely the cause of our love for it. We had already travelled to London, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, and Paris and were ready to not be in a big city. Dinant was exactly what we needed. Seeing le tour was another amazing highlight our of Belgium stay.
- Favorite meal: Malabar (London)
- Though we enjoyed the local cuisine of the various countries we visited, our best meal overall was our Indian food lunch at Malabar in London. This restaurant came highly recommended by our London hosts and lived up to our expectations. A close second to Malabar was a small bier garden just outside Vienna where we enjoyed wiener schnitzel, spinach dumplings, and a great atmosphere.
- Favorite money saver: Picnics
- To save a little money and time, we enjoyed grabbing some food from groceries to take with us for a picnic. We did this on a hill in Prague, at the citadel in Namur during Le Tour, and on the Seine in Paris. We were able to have low cost meals with fantastic views that would otherwise drive up prices at a restaurant. Bringing a book along too made for a relaxing (and nearly free) afternoon.
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