3 Weeks Abroad (Europe Guide 2023)
Hello and welcome!
This post serves as the full itinerary + guide from a 3-week trip to Europe I took with my best friend this spring! It was truly the trip of a lifetime being able to experience different cultures and ways of life outside of our own. Enjoying little moments sailing the Amsterdam canals and grabbing a baguette in Paris. There are so many unforgettable memories from an epic trip all rolled into this post. All in all, this trip took us about 3-4 months to plan and we made sure to leave plenty of room for fun and exploration outside of the itinerary.
If you’re just here for the full itinerary, that’s linked down below! If you’re also here for the full meat + potatoes of it all, I made sure to add some tips on where to stay and things I would do differently if/when I return to these places. I hope this post adds value for you in case you're feeling inspired to plan a trip of your own now or in the future!
WHERE WE STAYED (paris, italy + THE netherlands)
newHotel Lafayette - paris (8/10)
Link to view/book:
Overview: Loved kicking the trip off in Paris! Paris is extremely walkable and easy to get around. NewHotel Lafayette is in a great location that felt pretty central to all of the things we wanted to see. I’d say this spot is great for 1-2 travelers. There were also 2 hotels right next door (Hotel Bienvenue and Hotel Bloum) that also looked like nice places to stay.
Getting Around: While I do usually pride myself in seeing cities on foot, we opted to Uber quite a bit on this trip, but would usually Uber to a location and walk back. There is also a pretty solid metro system in Paris. Getting around Paris proper without a car shouldn’t be an issue. In fact, it might be less stressful without a car.
Best Food: Carette eggs!! Doki Doki handroll bar, Croissant, runny eggs and hot chocolate at Cafe De Flore, Le Malakoff for dessert!
Must-See: Walk through the artist booths on the Seine, Get your photo taken at FotoAutomat booth in Montmarte, YSL Museum, Lourve, Climb to the top of the Arc De Triumph and eat tons of croissants at any bakery you come across.
airbnb in Bellano / lake como - italy (8/10)
Link to view/book
Overview: Lake Como was one of my favorite stops on this entire trip. I loved the slower pace of Italy married with the beauty of a quiet lake town. We stayed in Bellano which is probably the smallest town in Como proper and really enjoyed the ease of everything being a 10min walk away. With the exception of a few sets of stairs to enter, the Airbnb we found was also among our favorite of all of the places we stayed. It was a HUGE, lofted apartment with a kitchen and had plenty of space for 2-4 people.
Getting Around: There is a train that runs through Bellano and a ferry boat for ~10 euros that takes you to all of the neighboring towns around the lake. Absolutely recommend staying in Bellano for a cheaper experience and then using the boat and train to take day trips to the other towns. We also really enjoyed our day trip to Bellagio which had a number of beautiful hotel options.
Best Food: $6 Aperol spritzes at Truth in the Bellano square, Gelato anywhere you spot it, Creamy Pesto Rissoto at Bilacus on Bellagio.
Must-See: Reserve a private boat tour of the Lake with Bellano Water Taxi, Take day trips to Como (3hrs one way) or Bellagio (20-30min one way)
airbnb in CONCA DE MARINI / AMALFI - ITALY (3/10)
Link to view/book
Overview: I’m really trying to stay nice and polite about our experience on the Amalfi coast, but personally, I was not a fan. I think Amalfi is the perfect example of a town that is so visually stunning, but whose infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the growing number of tourists who have added it to their bucket lists. It’s not for lack of trying on the local’s part. Our experience was also ‘clouded’ a bit by the fact that Italy was experiencing a 3-week period of very unseasonable weather for that time of year. Outside of the rain, I’d be much happier with a day or two on the Amalfi coast rather than the 4 days we spent there in a chilly, mildewed Airbnb that involved about 100+ stairs coming and going. If you want my advice, book a trip to Lake Como for a similar experience with easier transportation.
Getting Around: If you stay at a luxury Hotel, transportation can be easily arranged for you and, likely with little or no fee. If you’re staying at a smaller inn or Airbnb—good luck. In our experience, taxis charge upward of $50-$60 for 15-minute rides. The bus system is also a bit tricky to navigate and once you do, the buses rarely stop for you and are often crowded. If you do rent a car, the public parking is pretty limited and the roads are windy and a bit scary. If you do feel courageous enough to try a scooter, this is probably your best option for getting around the area in an affordable, timely manner.
Best Food: We did have some of the best seafood pasta on this leg of the trip! I really enjoyed the shrimp linguine at Hotel Belvedere and had some incredible prosciutto di parma with buffalo mozzarella at Le Bonta Del Capo in Conca De Marini.
Must-See: Amalfi Harbor / Square. Super easy to spend an afternoon here seeing the coastline and getting a meal. There are also ample shops in this area for souvenirs, treats and gifts.
hotel hygge in Brussels, Belgium (9/10)
Link to view/book
Overview: Brussels was probably the most pleasant surprise on this trip! I wasn’t expecting such an easy, clean and cheerful city. As soon as we arrived the energy shifted for the better! The sun came out, the room was quiet and bright and very spacious! Brussels is a truly underrated bop!
Getting Around: Walking was our mode of choice throughout Brussels and we ended up seeing so much! For the most part, the city is very flat and walkable but there are a good amount of busses and street cars available to hop onto. I’d say within 3-4 days you could see the full city on foot.
Best Food: There was so much that we wanted to try! In the two days we had, I loved the matcha from Buddy Buddy coffee, the macarons at Pierre Marcolini and the chocolate treats from Elisabeth Chocolatier! Of course, don’t forget to grab a Belgian waffle in the main square!
Must-See: Shopping in the square, the passerelle tondo bridge, ride the ferris wheel, swing by the Hoxton for a rooftop bar vibe!
Hoxton Hotel in Brussels, Belgium (10/10)
Link to view/book
Overview: I’ve been a Hox-Friend since the Portland Hoxton opened up in late 2018. I absolutely love the vibes at their hotels and have stayed at over 5 properties thus far. I have to say, the newest Brussels location blew me away! The rooms were HUGE, spacious and lovely. I loved their nod to 70’s modern decor and really enjoyed their restaurant and bar programs.
Best Food: Be sure to try their main Peruvian-inspired Cantina restaurant downstairs as well as their rooftop bar, Tope for fabulous drinks!
Sonder Park House in Amsterdam, NL (6/10)
Link to view/book
Overview: Trying to sum up our week in Amsterdam within a few sentences seems impossible so I’ll just say this: I’m going back asap. The energy felt right, it combined all of the best parts of my other two favorite cities, New York and Portland. I absolutely loved getting the chance to spend a week experiencing as much as we could and interacting with the kindest people. It truly was the cherry on top of the whole trip.
Getting Around: During our time here, we stayed at Sonder Park House. I’m usually a huge fan of Sonder stays as they’re sort of a perfect cross between an Airbnb and a hotel. They typically are great for longer-term stays where you still need fresh towels and linens but you’re paying less than you would for a week or more in a proper hotel room. Many of them also are fitted with kitchens. We didn’t quite get that experience at this Sonder, we felt the room was a bit small for 2 people to spend a week in, however, it was perfectly located so we made due. Being steps away from the Vondelpark and all of the museums was a major perk and I felt really encouraged us to see much of the city on foot.
Best Food: We really loved everything we tried here but there is a heavy presence of Indonesian cuisine which was immaculate. We really enjoyed lunch at Cafe Marcella, the pastries at Fort Negen, Tea and Breakfast at Un.Common, Dining and drinks with a view at Mala Bar in Hotel Jakarta, One Dim Sum for dinner and Muiz Gelato for dessert. You also can’t miss the iconic fries at Fabel Friet!
Must-See: Visit the Rijks and Stedelijk museums, Stroll through Albert Cuyp Market and try some Bao buns, Take a canal cruise tour with Captain Jack/Flagship tours, Do some shopping along Huidenstraat, or enjoy a spa day at Hotel Jakarta!
Safety while Abroad
This was probably the number one question we got while on this trip, and for good reason! I recognize as a Black woman that traveling as a POC can often be a polarizing or unsafe experience and will admit that it was at the forefront of both of our minds as we were planning and moving through this journey. As I’m reflecting on the trip now that we’re back home, I feel fortunate to say that we really didn’t encounter any safety issues abroad. Speaking transparently, I do feel like traveling with a guy probably helped that, as well as the fact that we almost never left each other when out and about. We didn’t encounter racism while away or anything that made us feel like we were in outright danger, but that’s not to say it doesn’t happen. I’m listing a few tips below that could be helpful for others on their trips abroad.
Once you’ve arrived at your destination, keep your important belongings like your passport and larger sums of cash back at your hotel and/or locked in a safe. You don’t want to risk losing your passport if you’re pickpocketed walking through a main square.
Use a crossbody bag or fanny pack worn across your chest to ensure your belongings are always in your line of sight and avoid leaving items in your pockets.
Keep your phone out of your pockets and in your hand at all times or in your crossbody bag to avoid losing it. Avoid leaving it on cafe tables for too long.
We were almost scammed out of some money when a cab driver claimed the boat he was taking us to had been canceled due to weather. He wanted us to take a longer journey with him so he could get more money for the fare. Instead of just believing him, we decided we’d continue onward to the docks to check for ourselves, then would simply hire another cab if the boat wasn’t running. Turns out, upon arrival, we saw that the boats were running as normal! Be smart and go with your gut, if something feels off, take a beat to think and don’t let yourself be pressured.
top travel tips
Visas are not currently required when traveling through the EU and Netherlands, but your passport is so double-check your passport expiry date! Almost every country requires at least 6 months left on your passport to allow entry.
If you are thinking of going abroad, and your passport expires soon, get going on renewing it. New passports are taking ~3-4 months to get back and passports being renewed are taking about 2 months.
Most airports allow you to check in for your flight ~3-4 hours before takeoff. There’s no need to arrive earlier than this but you definitely don’t want to arrive much later than 3 hours.
Getting TSA Pre-Check will save you from long security lines leaving the US to go abroad!
We encountered almost all English speakers on our trip which, in my opinion, speaks volumes of the accommodation other countries give to US travelers. I feel like speaking the language can only give you a leg up when you might be in a bind or just want to truly connect with locals.
GET. AN. AIRTAG. For your checked bags, purses, wallets, everything. I’ve been using Apple Airtags for over a year to keep track of my things while traveling and having them has saved me more than once.
Packing Tips
When originally planning how I was going to pack for this trip, I was determined to do it with only a carry-on. I had a reality check pretty soon after when I realized the weight requirements and sizes for carry-ons vary greatly on European airlines. If you’re still determined, good on you, but it didn’t work out for me! So, I decided to do the trip with one checked bag + my expandable backpack as a carry-on. I figured if I bought anything before coming home, I could use a small tote bag to bring those items on the plane home as my “personal item” which I did and it ended up working out just fine!
I’m a total type-A planner so I was working on a packing list of what I was bringing from my own closet and what I still needed to buy about a month before we left. I gave myself about a week to sort through everything and narrow that list down to what actually made it into my suitcase and when I left for Europe my checked luggage was about 35 lbs. I packed about 10 shirts, 4 pairs of shoes, 2 purses and a beach bag, 7 pairs of pants, 3 skirts, 2 swimsuits, 1 pair of pj’s with a nighty and an extra shirt, enough underwear for 2 weeks along with toiletries and a first aid kit. Of course, I wore a lot of things over and over like button-up shirts, my favorite pair of black jeans, my light jacket, each pair of shoes, and my crossbody bag probably got the most use out of everything combined—but after coming back from this trip, I’m now convinced I overpacked and really think I could do with less the next time I go abroad!
I’ve added some best practices above for traveling, but If you get nothing else for your trip abroad, you HAVE to travel with some form of packing cubes (linked below) Guaranteed you can fit DOUBLE the number of clothes as you would without the cubes and you’ll stay organized through your journey. I used them to separate tops, bottoms, pj’s, dressed, and underwear. It was so helpful for keeping everything organized so I didn’t have to tear through my suitcase just to find one shirt. I also recommend getting cubes with a mesh/transparent top so you can see clearly what’s in each cube before opening it up.
What to pack in your purse:
Wallet / Cash + Cards
Passport
Phone
Small battery pack + charger cord for your phone
Headphones / Airpods
Hand Sanitizer
Advil
Lotion
Chapstick
Apple Air-Tag
Band-Aids
Currency Tip: A vast majority of EU countries are farther ahead than us when it comes to payment technology and we used the ‘tap to pay’ feature just about everywhere except Italy. We found we used the most cash in Italy so if you can, plan ahead for that by calling your bank 3-4 weeks before departure to get your EU currency. You’re almost guaranteed a better exchange rate if you do it ahead of time through your bank. You’ll also want to check in with your bank to let them know you’ll be leaving the country (so they don’t freeze your cards) and find out if they charge a percentage for international transactions. My credit union charged 10% fee on every transaction so I opted to use my AMEX as much as I could throughout the trip instead. In places like Amsterdam and Brussels, AMEX was no problem, but for Paris and Italy, AMEX isn’t widely accepted.
My TRAVEL Must-Haves
helpful Apps we used:
OMIO: This app single-handedly saved our sanity on this trip! You can book, pay for and keep track of every train, plane, bus, and ferry ride scheduled for your trip. We scheduled everything in the app for transportation between cities. It was so nice to have one app for everything instead of scouring through our emails trying to find a specific ticket or departure time for a train. I 100% recommend OMIO!
Google Translate: Google Translate has so many handy features apart from direct translation, you can also take photos of things like menus or signs that can be translated for you in the app. You’ll want to download languages ahead of time so you can always access them on the go.
