independent, intentional travel
A few years ago, my best friend Hanna took a trip to Northern Ireland with her mom. All the pictures were so beautiful, and one of the places she specifically mentioned was the Giant’s Causeway. Fast forward to when I lived in Madrid. I’d been planning a trip to Dublin to visit my friend Nicole, who was living there at the time. A week before the trip, Nicole texted me: “What would you think about taking a trip up north from Dublin to Giant’s Causeway?” [Read more…]
View from Vila Nova de Gaia in Porto, Portugal
Back when I lived in Madrid, I had a ritual I would do about once a month. I would go to my favorite flight-booking website, Skyscanner, and do a search: Madrid, Spain to Anywhere. That gave me a breakdown of how much it would cost to go to a variety of different destinations on my determined dates. Inevitably, Portugal always showed up as one of the least-expensive options. I knew I would get there eventually, but I was waiting for the right time. [Read more…]
A view of New Cathedral in Salamanca
When my friends invite me to do something, I try to say “yes” as much as I can. You Only Spain Once. (Maybe.) Anyway, my friends Sarah and Ellie decided to plan a trip from Madrid to Salamanca. With the high-speed train, it was easy enough to do as a day trip — no need to book a place to stay for the night — so when they invited me, I said yes.
Here’s everything you need to know to plan your own trip to Salamanca, whether you go for the day or the weekend. [Read more…]
Learn how to navigate the Madrid Metro!
The idea of public transportation can be daunting, especially if you aren’t accustomed to it. Even if you’re a frequent traveler, every city has its own system, which makes it even more confusing. Madrid is no exception; though I lived in London for a semester, the Madrid Metro is different from the London Underground in a lot of ways.
When I’m with a group of friends, I usually become the official trip navigator. My favorite app, Citymapper, helps with this important job. But I like to think I’ve got a good handle on public transportation in general. (Now, the Barcelona Metro? That’s another story. Despite my mastery of most metro systems, I managed to end up on the wrong train not once, but TWICE in three days.)
For anyone planning a visit to Madrid, I’ve put together a comprehensive guide to the metro. [Read more…]
Plan your own trip from Madrid to Zaragoza and you’ll be rewarded with this view.
Since I didn’t go home to the U.S. for the holidays this year, I was lucky enough to spend Christmas in Sardinia and have visitors in Spain for New Years! One of my best friends from college, Carson, and his wife Natalie came to spend a few days with me in Madrid on their European holiday vacation. After starting their trip in Paris, they took a bus to Madrid, before continuing on to Barcelona by train. Along the way, they decided to go from Madrid to Zaragoza, which is about halfway to Barcelona.
Since I’d never been to Zaragoza before, I went along with them for a day trip. I’m so glad I did! Here’s everything you’ll need to know if you want to plan your own trip from Madrid to Zaragoza. [Read more…]
Part of the Cabalgata de Reyes parade
My first Christmas after moving to Spain, back in winter 2018/2019. I noticed something odd. Through the first days of January, Christmas music was still blasting in all the shops and restaurants I visited — whether it was English classics like Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Last Christmas, and The Little Drummer Boy or Spanish favorites like El Burrito Sabanero. (Which I had only just managed to get out of my head after listening to my third-grade class practice it for weeks before school let out for Christmas break).
And it turned out it wasn’t a case of the shops being too lazy to change their playlists. I was pretty confused at first — for Americans, Christmas ended at 12:00 a.m. on December 26. But in Spain, and some other countries in Europe, Christmas lasts almost two weeks longer. [Read more…]
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
I’m not sure if you know this – because I didn’t – but St. Petersburg is a huge city. As my plane made its decent into SBP around sunset, I was struck by the sheer size of the city and surrounding areas. This also made it difficult to decide on a place to stay, since there were well-priced hostels all around the city. In the end, my cousin suggested staying near Nevsky Prospekt, which turned out to be a great decision.
Though someone with much more time than me would undoubtedly find many more of the city’s gems, here are the top 3 things to do if you are on a short trip and spending most of your time near Nevsky Prospekt! All of these things are less than a 20-minute walk away. [Read more…]
Singer Building (left) overlooking Nevsky Prospekt
When I stepped off the plane in St. Petersburg, Russia, I really didn’t know what I was getting into. Other than booking transportation and a place to stay, I normally don’t plan or research much in advance when I travel. I prefer to make decisions once I arrive and let things unfold naturally.
That being said, Russia was a place unlike anywhere I’ve been before. Though I know St. Petersburg isn’t fully European, there were so many things that surprised me and were different than what I’ve experienced in any other country. Here are a few of those things! [Read more…]
In front of the Hermitage/Winter Palace
In my ultimate quest of traveling as much as possible in my life, I always assumed I’d visit Russia *someday*. I certainly never thought it would be this year – until I found out that my cousin, Gillian, would be spending this semester studying abroad in St. Petersburg. Since I would already be in Madrid, which is quite a bit closer to SPB than the U.S., I figured now was the time. [Read more…]
Madrid to Toledo: One of the easiest day trips from the Spanish capital
While Madrid has plenty to keep you busy, sometimes it’s nice to get out of the city. By taking a short train or bus ride, you can be transported to a different town that will allow you to experience Spanish life in another way. And the best part: You can leave Madrid in the morning or early afternoon and still make it back to your hostel/hotel/home in Madrid by the end of the day.
Toledo is one of the most popular day trips from Madrid, due to its proximity and ease of access. Learn everything you need to know to plan your own trip!
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