Europe

Europe – this is where I well and truly discovered the pull of travel. At age eight, I was lucky enough to head to the mediterranean with my grandparents. What I remember from that trip was sipping bitter white wine over lunch in Athens (this was quite memorable for an eight year old!), the thrill of feeding pigeons in Venice’s St Mark’s Square (this was before the pigeon feeding ban), and painting watercolors with my Grandma along the Italian coastline. In short – it was the first time in my short life that I saw a world and culture truly outside my own, and could comprehend the magic of those differences.

This is the continent where I learned to be a traveler – from living abroad (twice) in England, to a college “eurotrip” with best friends (with only a few hundred euros and a shoddily planned Pinterest board to guide us). It’s where I learned the joy and courage of solo travel – from £12 flights to Norway or 36 hour overnight buses to Germany during grad school. I knew I wouldn’t be in Europe forever, so oh did I take advantage of my time there.

I return to the UK and travel Europe multiple times a year, and sharing those experiences on Endless Distances is one of my favorite things.

there’s nothing quite like the Italian coastline

Sunrise hikes in Slovenia

“I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself.”

-James Baldwin

So You’re Considering Traveling in Europe?

My forever-favorite thing about Europe is the ability to travel to completely new countries within a few hours – whether you choose the cheap cheap Ryanair, or settle into some Eurostar-style luxury.

There are so many cultures, countries, and cuisines jammed into the European continent. Do you twirl your pasta and gaze at lavender-washed sunsets in Italy’s Cinque Terre? Or do you laze in Budapest’s thermal baths, hop on a juddering interrail journey, or trek the Slovenian Alps?

It can be hard to know where to start. To help guide your decisions, I’ve chronicled my adventures and travel tips from a handful of European destinations. I’m a fan of stepping away from the trodden tourist trail, so might I suggest exploring London’s Little Venice, perhaps a polaroid tour of Vienna, or sleeping in a prison-turned-art museum in Ljubljana?

All Europe Blog Posts