Taking off around Europe with strangers may just be the best thing I have ever done and it might be something you need to add to your summer plans.
I have just completed a 34 day trip across the continent as part of the new ‘Roamies’ travel style from G Adventures and Hostelworld. Myself and ten other people ranging in age from 18-35, set out from Amsterdam on June 19 to see as much as the continent as possible while hostel hopping from city to city - I completed the tour on July 22 in Athens as part of the Ultimate Europe: Berlin, Tuscany and Greek Temples .
We all arrived from different parts of the world - from the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and the UK and have all formed close friendships. I have visited 9 countries and 20 cities in just over a month and my European bucket list is finally full of ticks instead of empty boxes.
I also have a new-found love of hostels, there and affordable and fun way to travel, meet people and see the world on a budget. The ‘Roamies’ trips aren’t exclusive to Europe but are also available in Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico and Southeast Asia - which I will be fortunate enough to tell you about in the months to come but, for now, let me break down what the first 10 days looked like...
Amsterdam - Berlin
It all kicked off in Amsterdam. We landed in Generator Amsterdam, Oosterpark, a converted university building complete with a lecture-hall style bar. I met my ten new traveling companions and our amazing Chief Experience Officer, CEO, Federica Ostoni.
On Day 2, we were on our way to Berlin but not before we stopped in the chocolate-box town of Quedlinburg for a wander through beautiful cobblestone streets. About ten minutes south west of Quedlinburg is the curious rock formation of Teufelsmauer or Devil’s Wall.
In the afternoon, we arrived in Berlin to check into St Christopher’s Inn Alexanderplatz, a really social hostel with a great atmosphere. We got to see some unexpected sights in Berlin, thanks to our local guide - Daniella Marinelli. While we got to see the of the remnants Berlin Wall and the amazing museums we also got to see ‘the empty library’ outside Humboldt university Berlin, a really stark public memorial for the nazi book burning of 1933.
Prague - Vienna
Before we head to Prague on Day 4, we stop for a very rewarding hike on the Czech border through the leafy trails in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park to see the biggest natural sandstone arch in Europe, Pravcicka Brana and we also visited the beautiful city of Dresden for some pictures and a bite to eat. By evening we’d landed in Prague. The aptly named Czech Inn hostel, is a great base with the trams and metro just a short walk away, bringing you into the heart of the city. They also have fun theme nights, like singles night for solo travellers, like many of us Roamies were.
Our fifth day is spent wandering the beautiful streets of Prague and on Day 6, we’re off again to Vienna. On the way we stop off at cesky krumlov, a UNESCO world heritage site with amazing views. We took a tour by raft through the Vltava River and this was such a fun way to learn about this town and get the best pictures of its incredible 13th century castle. Vienna is another bucket list city, filled with history and culture. We used our 24 hour public transport tickets supplied by G Adventures to head into the city for our tour with the knowledgeable Walter Jurasheck.
We started at the beautiful St Stephen’s Cathedral, built in 1100 and learned that at one point this was considered the biggest building in the world. The 700 year old Hofburg palace was astounding, and stands proudly in the centre of the city. We walked through to the Hero’s square located towards the back of the palace. It features tributes to national heroes like Prince Eugene from Savoy, who defeated the Ottoman’s in 1689 and Archduke Charles of Austria Teschen who was the first person to best the previously undefeated Napoleon in battle.
There is a beautiful palace stables in Hofburg with a huge Pegasus suspended over the yard. You can see the horses perform in the palace arena on Saturdays. We spent the day perusing beautifully adorned churches, and seeing key locations for the legendary composers, Beethoven and Mozart. A particular highlight was visiting Cafe Fraunhuber where Mozart gave his last public performance before his death the following year in 1791. We spent the afternoon in Schonbrunn Palace, just a short metro from the city centre in Hietzing, Vienna.
We took the imperial tour to see the opulent rooms where the Hapsburgs, Maria Theresa, Emperor Franz Joseph, Empress Elisabeth would have spent their time. The gardens were fantastic spots for us to grab a few insta worthy photos together as a group. We had to track down a slice of Sachertorte before we finished the day in Vienna, the queue at the original spot for the classic Viennese dessert, Hotel Sacher was a but much for us so we head to the beautiful Demel bakery, founded in 1888, where the queue to enter was a bit more reasonable. It did not disappoint.
Salzburg - Munich
We had a quick overnight stay in Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart with a night in the A&O hostel before we headed by train to Munich. We’re only a five-minute walk to our hostel located in a very young and vibrant district with plenty of bars and restaurants. Just outside the hostel is some amazing street art and a container park with some places to shop local crafts and get a bite to eat. This hostel had some really cool features with a really nice large chill out area covered in rugs and pillows for tired backpackers and each hostel room bed had an individual fan and universal plug sockets. There was also a great bar space on the lower ground floor.
I will be updating you on the trip across Europe on the Irish Mirror website and you can also follow along on instagram . For more information on the Roamies Ultimate Europe and other Roamies trips across the world click here
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