Switzerland’s capital city of Bern is known for its historic downtown and arcades of shops. While it’s not the most bustling town (think more strolling), I could spend an entire day wandering around looking for all 11 medieval fountains, scoping out the clock tower on the hour, and walking along the Aare River.
Author: suitcaseenvy
Switzerland on the Cheap
Switzerland is known for being a particularly expensive travel destination. I met many people making a stop in Switzerland for a few days as they traveled throughout Europe, who would complain about the high costs of food and attractions. This is understandable, as you can easily drop CHF 35 on a casual dinner or CHF 15-20 on a mojito (yes, I actually saw this happening). However, with a combination of the Swiss Travel Pass, shopping for groceries rather than going out to eat, and staying at hostels, suddenly this beautiful and jaw-dropping destination actually feels do-able.
Visiting Oban & the Scottish Islands
Oban (pronounced “oh-bin”) is a sleepy little resort town on the western coast of Scotland. My travel companion and I were drawn here primarily for the tours of a few nearby Scottish Islands but found a few gems that made me glad we stayed a couple nights. To make it nearly impossible to get lost, pretty much everything is on Breadalbane Street.
Edinburgh & the Highlands
A top priority for us was making sure to see Edinburgh Castle, one of the most popular sites in the city (and for good reason). Particularly if you’re traveling peak season, I recommend going early to beat the crowd and make sure you have plenty of time to explore. The castle opens at 9:30am; we went around 9:15 and there was already a large crowd, though the line went quickly. Tickets cost about 16 pounds apiece, which includes an optional guided tour, viewing of the royal Scottish jewels (lower your expectations if you’ve seen the jewels in London), and seeing a cannon dating back to 1861 fire at 1:00 to inform ships of the local time.
Side trips from London: Stonehenge, Dover Castle, & the Roman Baths
One thing I’ve quickly learned about international travel is that the side-trips outside of the city are often my favorite. While staying in London, my friend Alicia and I went on a few day trips: Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and the Roman Baths, and Dover Castle. Since we didn’t find Windsor Castle particularly impressive compared to the others we’d been to in the area, this post focuses on the latter destinations.
The London Pass: Is it Worth it?
Before my two-week trip to London, I bought a 6 day London Pass (https://www.londonpass.com) for £129. This price does not include the Oyster Card, which you can add to your purchase for easy and relatively affordable access to the tube. With over 60 attractions covered by the London Pass, there was no shortage of options. Here’s what I ended up using it on…
Suitcase Envy 