After three years, I finally made it back to Europe! This trip was two weeks and started in Croatia, led to Paris, and ended in the Champagne region of France! It was absolutely incredible to get back to Europe and experience new cultures.
We also left the day Roe was overturned, so it was honestly a really emotional time and I was happy (and privileged) to leave the country. The state of America also came up quite a bit while we were abroad and I tried my best to answer questions thoughtfully as well as listen to the concerns of others about the United States. What does this have to do with travel tips? EVERYTHING. Travel is a privilege. Experiencing other cultures, meeting people who live life so differently than I do is WHY I do this. The more you can travel and experience other cultures, the more empathy and compassion you have for others. I am beyond lucky to get to do this. It matters to me to come back better for it (and to be a good human while I’m there). You are a GUEST, act like it.
Let’s talk some brief general travel tips!
Planning
I’m a planner for work and by nature. If I’m spending the money and time to fly across the world, I’m doing it right. We usually start planning about 6 months in advance. This allows us a better chance at finding reasonable flights, places to stay and get reservations at the restaurants we want to go to. Especially in a post Covid world (LOL, post covid…right!) where gas is expensive, everyone is traveling and others are planning up to a year in advance, having your shit together matters. Sure, you can wing it, but I know the things I want to see and do and I’m not willing to miss them, so I don’t take that chance.
Flights
Fly the airlines you have status with if you can. It might be a tad more expensive, but it’s worth it in the long run
Skyscanner is a great resource if you’re flexible and able to do some research
The Points Guy gives awesome tips/tricks/reviews for flying abroad
If you only have enough money to upgrade one way, upgrade your flight home. That’s when you’re more likely to be exhausted and ready to get home in comfort.
If you can’t afford to upgrade from economy at all, find the rows that don’t have anyone in front of you and snag the aisle seat (this is why you book in advance, get the best seats!)
Fly in the morning if you can, morning flights are less likely to be canceled and usually on time. Before 10AM is morning
Accommodations
I don’t stay in Air Bnb’s in the US, they’re usually where all the issues you’re seeing in the news occur
Air BnB’s abroad are fine but I look for folks with 4.8 stars or more and are super hosts or I don’t consider it. Read the reviews!
I'‘m a Marriott rewards member who saves their points. We were able to stay 3 nights free at a stunning resort in Dubrovnik (ocean view balcony room!) because of that. Use. Your. Points.
Stay places that provide you walk able access to the city you’re staying in.
Restaurants
Now that restaurants are open again, they book fast! Make reservations for every dinner. We even made some breakfast reservations and I’m glad we did
Do your research. Ask friends, check TripAdvisor, browse the blogger sites. The best restaurants book fast. And I’m not just talking the high end ones.
Be specific in your reservation. Ask for a table outdoors, with a view and then tip well when you get it
Activities
I love tours. I love boat tours, tours to National Parks, wine tours, all the things! Book them early and be strategic. Leave time between tour days for wandering the city or lounging on the beach
TripAdvisor has awesome tours with reviews and you know you’re booking with a reliable company
Read the reviews! Make sure they talk about locals running these tours so you’re getting really awesome info and the best experience possible
Bring cash to tip. I cannot emphasize this enough. Do not be the jerk who doesn’t tip!
Summer 2022 Trip Details
Croatia
Some basics:
Croatia is SO inexpensive. It will be on the Euro soon though so that won’t last long!
Dubrovnik was by far my favorite city. It felt more idyllic, clean and historic! Split felt really dirty, crowded, and touristy
Dubrovnik
Where we Stayed: Sheraton Dubrovnik (used points, we had a Twin sea view)
This property was 15 minutes by car from town, so it wasn’t walk able but it was less touristy, stunning and we were able to walk around some smaller villages that were clearly local. It was absolutely perfect to be able to easily access other areas of the city quickly and then retreat back to our quiet resort after
Splurge for the sea view, it’s stunning
The spa is WAY less expensive than in the US. I paid $90 for an hour and a half massage and it was easily the best massage of my life
Where we ate: Restaurant Marinero, Panorama Restaurant, Orsan at the Yacht Club, Konoba Bocana
Everywhere we ate was incredible. Not a bad meal.
Panorama has the best views ever, take the cable car and go for brunch EARLY. Get the first reservation you can and go enjoy coffee and a meal for hours
What we did: Pool day, spa day, Old Town exploring day! We tried to rent a small boat for the day by the hotel but didn’t reserve in advance so we lost out!
Split
Where we Stayed: This Air BnB. Highly recommend! It was walking distance to everything but wasn’t IN old town where it’s loud. HUGE size and the host was wonderful.
Don’t stay in the city center, it’s more expensive and super loud/chaotic
Everything is walk-able from where we stayed
If you’re there in later summer, ensure your place has AC or it’s unbearable!
Where we ate: Dvor (Michelin Star), Portofino, Bajamonti, Ma Toni, Kat’s Kitchen, Ciri Biri Bella (also a hostel if that’s your vibe!)
The best and cutest breakfast place was Ciri Biri Bella (we ate there twice!)
Dvor was amazing, great views, amazing staff but they were out of quite a few menu items when we went, so the experience wasn’t as good as it could have been
Portofino is the cutest little spot in between two buildings and was SUCH a romantic little setting
What we did: Plitvice Lake Tour, Speedboat Tour, Gooster Beach Club
Full transparency, if we didn’t have such fun excursions planned, we would have left Split early. It was not an interesting city for us at all
Plitvices has been on my bucket lit forever so I was beyond happy we did this. it is a LONG day so if it’s not on your bucket list and you don’t like walking or nature, it’s not for you!
The boat tour was hands down the most fun we had the entire trip. The guides we had were incredibly fun and knowledgeable and the islands were stunning. Bring water shoes, the beaches are all SO painfully rocky
Gooster is outside of town at Le Meridian and is not a party spot at all. It’s more for relaxing, lounging and getting sun. It was exactly what we wanted and super inexpensive to reserve beds with towels ($40 for the day)
France
Some Basics:
France is notoriously expensive
Paris is busy and restaurants require reservations because they’re so small!
Paris
This wasn’t my first time in Paris and we were there for such a short time, we did a TON of walking! We also met up with friends for drinks. Paris in July is beyond crowded. It didn’t interfere with the experience for us, but if you’re crowd adverse, it’s not a good time for you to go!
Where we stayed: This Air Bnb. I cannot recommend it enough. The location is PRIME in the middle of restaurants and shops and easy access to the rest of the city. It is also hidden so it’s quiet inside. The actual apartment is HUGE by Paris standards and extremely comfortable. No AC but the place stayed beyond comfortable and cool and the shower was enormous (which we know is rare in Paris!).
Note: It’s located on a street with sex shops so if you’re conservative, IDK, that might bother you. Please keep in mind, sex in Paris is not taboo or like how we treat it in the US. It was an awesome location and the hosts were AMAZING.
Where we ate: Pink Mamma, Seine Dinner Cruise, HollyBelly
Pink Mamma is a big “Instagram” spot. It’s the spot to go for cute photos and the line was out the door the entire time we were there. The food was DIVINE (drinks too!) but the service was atrocious. Truly nothing special and I don’t recommend it. There’s plenty of other places to have a better experience in Paris
HollyBelly is so cute and has the most delicious food! I would definitely go again
What we did: Seine Dinner Cruise, Walked 18 miles around the city!
The Seine dinner cruise might sound touristy, but locals actually recommend it too. It’s a great way to hit the hot spots from a different viewpoint. There was also a live singer, great food, and decent wine! Highly recommend it!
When I say we walked the whole city, I mean it! We got in 18 miles because it was our only real day in the city. It was fun to explore shops and see the sights, but definitely prefer to have time to explore more leisurely.
I recommend going to Luxembourg Gardens with some bread and wine and a book and people watching if you have half a day to do so
The Champagne Region
This was my second time doing a French wine region and did not disappoint. We stayed in Reim (pronounced Ranse), which is the largest city in the region. It has all of the gorgeous French architecture but is small, clean and very idyllic. It’s super easy to navigate and easy to access if you chose to just take the high speed train from Paris for the day.
Where we stayed: This perfect Air BnB. This location was perfection. Literally across from the train station and just a short walk to downtown. Between the train station and this building is also a gorgeous park we hung out in during the day. The host was the sweetest and most accommodating woman and the actual apartment was so cute!
Where we ate: Le Jardin (Michelin Star)
We stayed here only two nights and tbh, the other two places we ate were just ok so I haven’t listed them
Le Jardin was pure magic. Easily one of my favorite places we are on the trip. Divine food, gorgeous garden setting. Walk around the French Estate that’s also a hotel before dinner!
What we did: This wine tour
This was SO much fun! Our guide was a born and bred local who knew his stuff and made the day FUN.
You definitely get large tastings but also you learn a lot about how to select good champagne and a lot about the history of the region. Truly a really cool experience.
Choose a tour that shows you local smaller champagne houses as well as a big one. I loved the smaller houses a lot more!
Final Thoughts
We really crushed this trip from a planning perspective. Having reservations, planning out activities as well as down time was truly the best way to go. I really enjoyed that we were able to see and do everything we wanted without feeling rushed or exhausted. There’s nothing that I wish I had seen that we missed. And although I said I didn’t like Split, I’m really glad we went because the excursions we went on were a must do!
Next up? Wait and see…I’ve got some things in the works!