The Girl Who Goes

independent, intentional travel

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A Review of ÖBB Nightjet: Overnight Train from Munich to Rome

nightjet train

ÖBB Nightjet Train

Our holiday trip through Germany, Austria, and Italy included my third-ever overnight train experience. A couple of days after Christmas, Matt and I rolled up to the Munich Hauptbahnhof to catch our overnight train to Rome. Our ticket was hard to read, because it was all in German, but I was 90% sure I’d managed to book us seats that would convert into beds.

I was also at least 90% sure it was going to be my best overnight train experience so far. Operated by ÖBB, which is the Austrian Federal Railway service, I couldn’t imagine things would be anything short of perfect.  [Read more…]

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Top 5 Things to Do in Munich, Germany

Despite many prior trips to Germany, the ever-elusive Munich was one major city I’d never visited. But when you think of Germany, many people imagine Oktoberfest, beer steins bigger than your head, and lederhosen. All of these are images of traditional Bavaria, a region in Germany’s southeast, of which Munich is the capital.

So when it came time to plan a holiday trip for me and Matt, and I found out that we could fly from Madrid to Munich for $22 each, it was a no-brainer. Germany’s always going to have a special place in my heart, and Matt had always wanted to visit. It was perfect! [Read more…]

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Day Trip: Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

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Neuschwanstein from Marienbrücke

Back in 2011 — during my very first trip abroad — my boyfriend at the time and I took a road trip. We went from Stuttgart, Germany, where he lived, to Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps. I remember being amazed at the palace, teetering above the foot of the mountains. It seemed like we had to hike for quite a while to reach it, but it paid off.

More than eight years later, it was the first stop of my trip with Matt through Germany, Austria, and Italy. We were visiting Munich, which is only a couple of hours away from Neuschwanstein, so we decided to make a day trip out of it. We also opted not to join a tour group; instead, we did it on our own, renting a car in Munich for the day.

Here’s how to plan your own trip from Munich to Neuschwanstein.

[Read more…]

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Holiday Trip Review: Germany, Austria, and Italy

holiday trip review - germany austria and italy

Over Christmas break in 2019-2020, I undertook my most ambitious Eurotrip I’d planned in years! I think the only other one that had come close at that point was when I visited Dublin, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam with friends over 10 days while studying abroad. This time, while Matt was visiting me in Madrid for the holidays, we spent nearly two weeks traveling through Germany, Austria, and Italy. [Read more…]

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The 7 Best Summer Drinks to Try in Europe: Italy, Spain, & Beyond

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Keep reading to find out why these are some of the best summer drinks in Europe…

My first summer living in Madrid, it didn’t take me long to realize that I was in deep trouble when it came to the fact that my apartment didn’t have air conditioning. In June and July that year, Spain was part of a record-breaking heatwave — though I’m sure those records have continually been broken every year since.

With a high of 109°F (109°C), I was spending my dates bouncing from one air-conditioned cafe to another, chugging iced coffee by the gallon where I could find it and trying to avoid my stifling 4th-floor piso. Iced coffee isn’t a particularly Spanish drink, though. But it got me thinking about the summer drinks that are popular throughout different European countries. So if you’re visiting Europe this summer, here are some of the best summer drinks in Europe that will hopefully help keep you cool — air conditioning or not. [Read more…]

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Berlin Underground: Berliner Unterwelten Bunker Tours

berlin underground tour office

My last day in Berlin called for rain. Since I’d been to the city before, six years before, I’d already done a lot of the indoor tourist sights like museums and the Reichstag building. But as I browsed through the results of my Google search — “things to do in berlin indoors” — one particular thing caught my eye. “Berliner Unterwelten,” or Berlin underground bunker tours.

All of the reviews were positive, so I thought I’d give it a shot. [Read more…]

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A Review of FlixBus: My Trip from Wrocław to Berlin

The last time — and only other time — I tried to take an international bus trip, it didn’t turn out very well. That was when I wanted to go from Brussels to Amsterdam. After waiting for the bus to show up for two and a half hours, in the pouring rain and freezing cold very early in the morning, I gave up and took the train.

So I was a little nervous about my plan to take a bus from Wrocław, Poland, to Berlin. I decided to use a different bus company than the one that had failed me (I’m looking at you, OuiBus). My friends Carson and Natalie had used FlixBus for their trip from Paris to Madrid, and their bus clearly showed up, so my standards were pretty low. But I have to say I really enjoyed my FlixBus experience! [Read more…]