A half-hour drive from our Airbnb apartment in Gura Raului village is a nice walking track in the mountainous woods, starting out in Platinis village (Post about our Airbnb apartment).
We like trekking and so, while in the village, decided we’d like to go on a nice track in the area. We looked for interesting tracks and found out about the Cindrel mountains. I’ve learned that there is a 3-4 hour route, a 5-6 hour route, and a 10 hour route.
Since it was the middle of August, I was worried it’d be too hot for a long track and we decided to go with the 3-4 hour route.The information regarding the different walking tracks in the Cindrel mountains I found on this website. There isn’t a lot of information about these routes, but this much helps some.
You can reach this track from Sibiu itself, as well. It’s about an hour drive away. (Post about recommended things to do in Sibiu).
We arrived with a vehicle we rented from the Papam Papam website, through the Autonom company.
Hiking in the Cindrel mountains
On this track, you pass several notable checkpoints and it’s important to be aware of them, as there are forks in the road and taking the wrong path might lead you onto a longer route. The route is circular.
My recommendation is to visit the large map by the cable car. There you’ll see the possible walking routes. I recommend taking a picture of the map and your route, to make sure you are able to follow it properly.
The trail’s checkpoints
Păltiniş – Vf. Onceşti – Poiana Muncel – Stâna Găujoara – Izvorul Dorul Clujului – Păltiniş
Every time you come across an intersection with signs, pay attention to the next checkpoint and walk in the direction of the arrow pointing to it. Additionally, pay attention to markings along the road – A blue triangle at first, then two red lines, a blue circle and lastly a red cross.
Beginning of the hiking trail
The walking route, in its first part, is a long climb up the mountain for about an hour, on an organized trail. You start at a height of 1450m and climb to a height of 1700m.
The ascent isn’t steep or especially difficult, but if you’re not into climbs – you may skip this park and simply take the cable car up the mountain.
The trail starts out near the cable car parking in the village (Map). From the parking area you need to keep walking straight until you see a blue triangle marking on the trees, there you start the climb.
Information about the hiking trail itself
The route is considered an easy one. The only part that is somewhat difficult is the climb in the beginning, but if you’re in decent shape you shouldn’t have too much issue with it. We’ve seen a family with children take the route as well.
The route is marked all along the way with markings on trees, as well as bright pink markings on stones along the way.
For the most part, the track is a walk through the woods, so you don’t get to see too much any impressive views, but there are some very pretty views in the beginning, and it is a light and fun trek.
When is it recommended to do the track?
My recommendation is to do the track during the summer. The advantage to this route is that most of the walking is done in the forest, and so is mostly in the shade – which was great, since we did it in the middle of August. Additionally, since the route is mountainous, the weather is very pleasant.
During the route there are several streams you need to cross by walking over rocks. During the summer, the current is slow and it wasn’t a problem to cross them, but if you’re traveling during the fall or spring, It’s important not to go on the track while it’s raining/after a rainy day, or the current might be much stronger – and you won’t be able to get around it.
Restaurant with hypnotizing view after the trek
One of the fun things about this route is that after walking (About 5 hours with stops and filming), we sat down at Restaurant Bar Tiffany Paltinis (Map), right by the cable car. This is a very popular restaurant and the main reason is the balcony, which overlooks the green mountain view. At first we sat at a corner table, not great in terms of view, but of course I was looking over the tables in the better locations, and as soon as a couple left their table, I asked the waiter to move us there.
Restaurant’s menu
The menu at the restaurant is in Romanian only (They don’t have an English menu), which was a bit challenging and for a moment we considered just ordering a hamburger, since we couldn’t understand the menu.
But then we pulled out our phones and used Google Translate, which has the option of translating from pictures. So, I took a photo of a part of the menu every time and saw the translation, which helped a lot in making our order.
Roman ordered Ciorba soup for starters, and for mains – Puree with meat. I ordered sliced vegetables, and fish fillet with Risotto for my main course. We were worried of the food being of low quality, but it was actually really tasty (It might have been due to how hungry we were after 5 hours of walking).
We also ordered local beer, and for dessert a cheese cake with chocolate and a chocolate profiterole with coffee (We deserve it after that much walking, don’t we? :))
In summary, the restaurant is highly recommended for both a full meal and just coffee with cake. It was one of our wonderful moments on the trip to Romania.
We arrived at Sibiu on a cheap flight we found for August (2018). In Sibiu we stayed at an Airbnb apartment. After staying in Sibiu we spent three nights in another apartment at Gura Raului village. A village about half an hour drive away. You can reach it by train, but the area is hard to get around without a car, so I would recommend making the trip with a rental car. We found a vehicle though Papam Papam website, and the lease was from the Autonom company.
We made the trip to Romania after a luxurious cruise in the Adriatic Sea, so we decided to make our trip to Romania on a low budget. We wanted a rural trip with a lot of nature, and that’s what we ended up getting.
If you’re traveling to Sibiu for more than two-three days, I’d recommend renting a car and traveling the surrounding area – Since it’s really magical. Another recommendation is to sleep in the adjacent villages, to enjoy the authentic, local experience.
The apartment we stayed at in the village
We found this apartment through the Airbnb website, and honestly (Link to the apartment), we picked it due to its low cost (About 20 euros a night) and because it seemed to offer a beautiful view. It turned out to be one of the most magical apartments we ever had the pleasure of staying at, mostly because of its well-tended garden and the stunning, green views it offered. Additionally, the village itself is really charming and has a grocery store within walking distance of the apartment. There is also a great restaurant in the village, an 8-minute drive away and a supermarket right by the restaurant (Map to the supermarket).
Information regarding the apartment
The apartment itself is located in a compound with several apartments belonging to the family. It is a two-floor apartment, with two bedrooms on the second floor, one with two single beds and the other with a double bed and a small balcony with a beautiful view of the mountains.
There’s also a bathroom with a shower. On the first floor is the living room, food area and another bathroom. The adjacent house has a giant shared kitchen (We didn’t get to see anyone else there and were always alone in it), as well as a giant, well-tended garden with many flowers and a pagoda area with a table, chairs and swing. There’s also a cute little dog named Toto who will always come out to greet you.
The apartment doesn’t have an air conditioner, only heating. Before our arrival I was somewhat worried about that part, since it was the middle of august, but the owner told us the apartment itself is pleasant and cool and so it was. At night we slept with a blanket on and even wore a jacket in the evenings, since it got chilly.
Picnic in the garden
Before going to Gura Raului, we passed through a local produce market in Sibiu, which is open on Fridays between 10:00 and 13:00. We bought cheeses, fruit, vegetables and honey. We also bought bread and ham at the store next to our apartment. It turned out to be a great purchase, since the apartment’s garden is perfect for a fun picnic. We took the picnic photos on a sheet in the middle of the garden, but afterwards sat down to eat under the pagoda and it was great.
Restaurant for dinner in the adjacent village
We spent three nights at the apartment, on two of them we cooked dinner at home, and on the other we decided to go have dinner at a restaurant. There aren’t many options of dining in the area, so we chose the restaurant based on the best looking google photos.
The restaurant we ate at is called Conacul Maria Theresa, address: nr. 632, Strada Victoriei, Orlat 557170, Romania. (Map)
We came there for dinner and sat outside. It was a very pleasant and even a bit chilly, despite it being the middle of august. We ordered two glasses of white wine and for starters Roman had Ciorba soup, while I ordered a trio of salads – Grilled eggplant, roasted pepper salad and a potato salad (Russian styled).
We were also served fresh bread along with our food. For mains, Roman ordered ribs served with potatoes and I ordered fillet of beef, also with potatoes. All the dishes were really good, and the atmosphere was nice. The service was a bit slow, since all the tables were packed, but it didn’t hurt our experience and we had a great time.
Gura Raului village
The village is a half hour drive from Sibiu. All the houses are colourful, there are about three grocery stores and no restaurants. The experience in the village is very authentic and there is a feeling of traveling back in time. While there are cars, there are also many horse-pulled carts.
A 15-minute drive away from the village is an area with a river and a gorgeous, ginormous dam. The whole area is very pastoral, you’ll see many cows and horses along the way.
You can travel the area and drive along the road by the dam, to see its other side.
An hour away are the fun Ocna Sibiuliu salt lakes (Extended post about the salt lakes).
When we arrived in Sibiu, Romania the weather was very hot, around 32 degrees (Middle of August). We found a cheap flight to Sibiu and stayed at an Airbnb apartment (Search for other accommodations). Since we had a seven-day trip planned, we decided it would be a good idea to look for a water-related activity, and after a bit of research found Ocna Sibiului. It is a resort with salt and mud lakes. The water is 5 times saltier than usual (Less than the dead sea) and the place is known for its healing properties, regarding both the salt water and the mud.
This sounded like a good option to us and we decided to go there.
A bit of info about Ocna Sibiului
Also called “Transylvania’s beach”, this local’s resort is located 17 km away from Sibiu. The area is surrounded by hills covered in oak tree woods.
How to reach Ocna Sibiului’s salt lakes
We rented a car through Papam Papam website, from the Autonom company. The drive there is relatively short from the city, we arrived within 25 minutes. You may also get a taxi there for about 50 Leu in each direction, which is another good option. Map.
Who are the lakes suitable for?
Everyone. We’ve seen families with kids and infants, as well as elderly and young people.
What’s the cost of entrance?
We paid 25 Lei per adult.
Where do you park?
If you come by vehicle, there are many parking spots by the entrance. Parking is 5 Lei a day, which is really cheap, and finding a spot is not a problem there. Some parked at the side of the road.
What can you find at Ocna Sibiului?
There are several salt lakes, as well as mud lakes (All lakes have mud on the bottom, but two of them have shallow water and lots of mud, there you rub the mud on yourself). There are many food and dessert stalls, such as crepe and ice-cream and areas with prepared food. There are also lawns with many tanning beds. There are stalls selling towels, mattresses, oboe and more.
There are also vacation homes for rent, in case you want to spend a few days there.
Tip: It’s recommended to arrive early, before all the reclining chairs are in use. We arrived at around 11 and everything was already taken.
Another tip: if you rub yourself with mud, you’ll have to shower at the locker rooms before going into the regular lakes (Or you’ll be scolded). It’s recommended to come with a bathing suit already on.
Our experience at Ocna Sibiului
At first, when we got there, we were a bit shocked. The place was crowded (Despite it being the middle of the week), and most people were locals. We couldn’t find any available seats and didn’t have our bathing suits on either, so we decided to look for locker rooms to change. When we got over the initial shock, we decided to go to the farthest lake, which we noticed was less crowded. As soon as we entered the water, we enjoyed it so much we immediately forgot our recoil. You can easily float, and since the waters are calm and less salty than the dead sea, you can spend hours in them.
At some point we left the water and went to find some food. There were many options of food and many shaded sitting areas.
There is also a drinks bar where we got fresh grapefruit and orange juice. The prices are really reasonable and a lunch consisting of a main dish with a side of soup cost around 30 Lei. A crepe cost 5 Lei and a freshly squeezed juice cost 10 Lei.
Notes about Ocna Sibiului
Don’t be frightened by the fact that the place is crowded by locals, despite there being many people – it was still very quiet and relaxing, we spent a full day in the water and around it and had a great time. A recommended experience for everyone and only a short distance from Sibiu.
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The decision to travel to Sibiu, Romania, was due to cheap flight tickets we found for August (2018)(Extended post regarding how to save money). After doing some research about the town and surrounding area, we decided to spend 3 nights in an Airbnb apartment (Search for other accommodations), then continue to 3 additional nights in a nearby village, in an apartment as well.
Update: this apartment is no longer available on airbnb in the city was very nice, its owner was charming, but the location was less good in our opinion. We had to walk about 20 minutes to the city center, which wasn’t very pleasant in the August heat. At least the taxis there are really cheap and there were a few times we took a taxi for 7 lei to the apartment or the city center.
We hadn’t considered renting a car at first, since the prices were quite high, but we ended up renting one since the area has many things to do and beautiful places to visit. We rented the vehicle though Papam Papam website, from Autonom company.
About Sibiu
Sibiu is one of the most important cities in Transylvania, Romania. Sibiu was founded in the middle ages, and later surrounded by a strong wall. It’s known for the sausage it used to produce. Each year an international Jaxx festival is held in it.
Where to purchase a local sim card in Sibiu?
At the main plaza (Map) you’ll find offices for Orange and Vodfone, both offering sim cards for around 6 euros, with 5 gigabytes each, which is more than enough.
Arrival from the airport to the city center
The owner of the apartment we stayed at was really lovely and came to pick us up from the airport, but you could get a taxi for very cheap, assuming there isn’t too much traffic. Without traffic, the price should amount to around 17 lei with a meter. When we landed at around 14:00 there was a lot of traffic, but even so, a taxi won’t run you more than 40 lei, so it’s definitely worthwhile. There are also busses, but we didn’t get to travel by bus.
What to do in Sibiu?
Climbing 200 steps and looking over the city from above
One of the nice things to do in Sibiu is to climb to the head of the Sibiu tower. The tower is in the central cathedral, which is currently under renovation, so you can’t tour the cathedral itself – but you can climb the tower. Entrance is 5 lei a person.
There are 200 steps and the climb isn’t difficult. We’ve seen both children and adults go up.
When you reach the top, there are four turrets, each offering a view over a different part of town. There’s only one open window in each turret, so it’s better to visit during the week, as it gets quite crowded on the weekends, both on the steps and the turrets themselves.
The cathedral is named: Sibiu Lutheran Cathedral. (Map).
Address: Piața Albert Huet FN, Sibiu 550182, Romania
Enjoying a local produce market on Fridays
Since we stayed at Airbnb apartments throughout our trip and had a kitchen, one of our favourite things on the trip was buying local food and preparing meals at the apartment or going on picnics outside which was really fun.
One of my favourite places was the local produce market, open on Fridays between 10:00-13:00. It’s in the cathedral’s yard. There aren’t many stalls, but it has everything you need for a picnic or a nice meal. We bought vegetables, fruit, honey, cheeses, nuts – and there was a sausage stall which closed before we had the chance to buy anything and a freshly baked bread stall. Map.
Eating local food
Update: this apartment is no longer available on airbnb was at a less central location than could be desired, which was a disadvantage for us – but the upside to its location is that we were able to find two good local places, one was a Romanian restaurant called Prima. Roman claims it’s the best Romanian restaurant he ate at and their Ciorba soup was the best. The place is rather sought out by locals, so you may want to book a table in advance.
Address: Strada Petrila 20, Sibiu (Map).
Another nice place we discovered while walking from the apartment to the city center is a local bakery which produces a sort of bagel and stuffed pastries with sweet or savoury fillings. (Map)
Visiting the bridge of lies
One of Sibiu’s icons is the Bridge of lies. Today, the Bridge of lies is considered a romantic location where lovers meet to swear eternal love to each other by hanging a lock on the bridge. One of the legends claims the bridge has an unexplained power, and that whenever a lie is uttered on it, it collapses.
The bridge itself is pretty and has many well-tended flower pots. Since it’s in a central location, chances are you’ll cross it even unintentionally (map).
Shopping at souvenir and food stalls
By the bridge you’ll find nice stalls, operating from morning to night. You’ll find food stalls selling hotdogs, Kurtoskalacs and many souvenir stalls which are nice as well. We bought a set of handmade salt shakers, a handmade bell and a keyholder.
Visiting the central square
At Sibiu’s main plaza you’ll find restaurants and cafés, as well as street shows. While we were there, an orchestra was playing, and it was really beautiful. (Map)
Walking around the old town
Another nice thing to do in town is simply walk around it aimlessly. Walking the alleys, passing the gates, going down stairs and walking by the wall. Just wondering on foot and enjoying the city.
Sitting in nice cafés
A café I liked a lot is Arhiva de Cafea si Ceai.
It’s an intimate and charming café, offering good coffee, cakes (We ordered an almond cake which was really good), different juices (We took pear juice in a bottle), and also has a food and wine menu. (Map)
Another nice café is Wien Café, which is by the cathedral. What I liked about it is the nice balcony where you can sit and enjoy the pleasant breeze and the view. We ordered an Americano. Tip: this café has two balconies, one is central and usually full and the other can be reached through a side entrance (By the bathrooms), that balcony is less crowded and I personally think it’s nicer to sit there. (Map)
Another place I liked is a vegan café-restaurant, She’s Green. A café with a sweet design and a special, tasty vegan menu. We ordered an almond based soup there which was really good. We told them we’ll share it and they split the soup between two plates (Very nice of them), for mains I ordered a pasta salad with avocado and Roman had a carrot pasta salad. The soup and mains were delicious and had a very unique flavour combination. (Map)
Dining at a romantic restaurant
On our last night in Sibiu we went to Old Lisbon, an excellent Portuguese restaurant. If you like fish and sea food, you’ll enjoy this restaurant a lot. The service there was the best we’ve seen on our trip, and the food and drinks were delicious. Roman ordered a Margarita and I had a glass of Portuguese white wine. For starters we had salmon tartar and mango, which was perfect (I wanted to order a second serving) and a dish of Bass tartar, which we found to be less good, however the salmon tartar more than made up for it.
For mains, we had trouble deciding what to order since every dish sounded great, but ended up going for a sea food pasta with a white wine and garlic sauce and it was a winning dish. The sauce was subtle, and you could feel the flavour of the pasta and the seafood, we enjoyed this dish immensely. (Map)
Tel Aviv is a cool city with many high-class hotels, beautiful boutique hotels and fancy hostels. Since the stay in Tel Aviv can be quite pricey, I’ve decided to list our favourite options for you, which also have decent prices.
Abraham Hostel
If you’re looking for a light place, fancy but not too luxurious, the recommended option is Abraham hostel. It’s a really trendy hostel with people from all around the world and at all ages. There are shared rooms, rooms for couples and for families.
There’s a bar, many sitting areas, a fun balcony, a television room and beyond a place to stay, the hostel offers an excellent hosting experience including tours, shuttles, workshops and events. Even if you’re not staying at the hostel itself, you can visit it and meet people from all over the globe, order tours through them and attend events. If you’re guests at the hostel you’ll be entitled to discounts.
There are also communal Sabbath dinners on Friday nights, at a cheaper price for hostel guests. The hostel also offers several-day trips all across Israel, so if you’re short on time when it comes to exploring Israel – This can be a good option for you.
The hostel is in a great location, about a 10-minute walk from Levinsky market and the hipster Florentin neighbourhood, a 5-minute walk to Rothchild boulevard as well as 5 minutes away from the main street, Allenby, by which you can reach the Carmel market and the beach. It’s in a good location in regard to public transport.
Hostel price comparison and link to further reviews.
Boutique hotel by the flea market – The Market Hotel
The market hotel is a boutique hotel as well as a culinary experience in a super fun location. It’s right next to the flea market, which boasts a lively atmosphere all throughout the day, and especially in the evenings.
It’s walking distance from the beach and the charming Jaffa port.
The hotel itself is a boutique hotel in an urban design. One of the most fun things about it is the breakfast, made with fresh, high quality ingredients such as hard cheeses, salads, breads, pastries and more. Additionally, every lunch there is a happy hour with different snack food such as pizza, Bourekas and more, as well as wine.
The hotel belongs to the Atlas brand, which owns great boutique hotels across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. All of them offer the concept of a great breakfast and a fun happy hour.
You can look for a hotel according to your preferred location.
Hotel price comparison and link to further reviews.
Link to extended post about the market hotel.
Boutique hotel with a pool in Tel Aviv – Poli House Hotel
The Poli house is a boutique hotel with a roof pool and bar, and at a great location. It is immediately adjacent to the Carmel market and the artist’s market in Nachalat Binyamin. It’s a 15-minute walk away from the beach and you can actually exit it straight into the market and enjoy an Israeli market experience during the day, and the nightlife as well.
The hotel itself is done in a modern design, we felt like we were in a spaceship. The thing we liked best about it was the roof pool. While it’s relatively small, we enjoy pools a lot – our ultimate vacation is a cocktail in the pool, and the hotel fit that idea perfectly.
There are also high-quality, light bar snacks. The rooms are designed beautifully and have everything you might need.
Breakfast is in the adjacent Loveat café, which has a special entrance from the hotel, and thus feels like a part of it. It isn’t a buffet meal, but a menu breakfast, offering Israeli breakfast food such as Shakshuka, sandwiches and more.
Hotel price comparison and link to further reviews.
Link to extended post about Poli House.
Apartment on Allenby street
If you’re looking for a relatively cheap option for couples or several people and would rather not stay at a hostel – There’s the option of renting an apartment in a good location on Allenby street, Apartment Allenby 106. I stayed there with my two sisters and we had a very nice time. The apartment itself is in a residential building, and the lobby isn’t the most impressive, but the apartment itself is really well designed and taken care of. It has a twin bed and a fold out sofa bed.
Apartment price comparison and further reviews.
The cruise we went on during June 2018 started out in Venice, Italy. We’ve already been to Italy in 2018, and we were excited to return – especially since we didn’t get to visit Venice on our previous trip, which I really wanted to do. The cruise allowed us a chance to explore the city.
General information regarding Venice
The romantic city of Venice is located in the Veneto region of Italy.
One of the city’s most famous areas is the “Grand Canal” street, which was an important center of the renaissance. Another area is the central plaza, named “Piazza San Marco”. Here you may find a variety of byzantine mosaics and of course the beautiful San Marco Basilica.
How to reach Venice?
There are direct flights to Venice. Another way is to arrive by train through major Italian cities like Rome or Pisa. Alternatively, you may rent a car at another city and park it at the city’s entrance – Since one of the fun things about Venice is that there are no cars! Not even bike riders. Search for cheap flights to Venice.
Where did we stay in Venice?
Since the cruise is a lucrative business, we decided to try and cut down on costs while staying in Venice and sleep in the outskirts of town. We stayed at Hotel Mondial, in Marghera. The hotel is quite a basic one, with a simple breakfast, but it’s clean and quiet and is adjacent to a bus stop. Line 6 or L6 will take you directly into Venice. The ride is about 20-30 minutes. For those looking to save money, staying in the Marghera area is great in my opinion. Hotel price comparison and reviews for Mondial Hotel.
Arrival from the airport to the hotel
Right at the exit from Venice’s airport there are many bus stations. I recommend visiting the tourist information center before exiting the airport, telling them where you want to go and they will direct you to the correct bus, as well as sell you the ticket. Tickets cost us 8 euros each, and our bus was from station 4D. By the way, if you want to reach the center of Venice you can take a taxi boat (ferry) from the airport. If you’re arriving for a cruise you can order a ride through your cruise company.
Transportation in Venice
Venice has no cars or motorcycles, and not even bicycles. So, how do you get around? You either walk or take a taxi boat (Type of ferry), which allows you to experience Venice from the water as well as providing an alternative to walking once you grow tired. To find out where you can board such a ferry, simply check google maps to find the nearest station. There are also luxurious boat taxis (Limousines) if you’re looking for something a bit fancier.
Things to do in Venice – Daytrip in Venice
Walking aimlessly around town
Venice is so pretty, we ended up stopping every second to take pictures. The canals with the gondolas and the colorful, ancient houses are absolutely stunning. I never got to be in such a city and there’s clearly a reason it’s so famous and touristic. We loved walking aimlessly and just absorbing the city’s atmosphere and taking pictures at every opportunity.
The Grand Canal
Venice’s central area holds the famous canal. In this area you’ll find many restaurants, bars and cafés along the canal. One of the nice things to do is stand on the Rialto Bridge and observe the canal from it. (Venice is named the city of canals, but also the city of bridges and you can find many bridges in it, large and small. Rialto is one of the more famous bridges).
The Mercato Di Rialto market
By the Rialto bridge there is a nice souvenir market as well as many stalls selling fresh, sliced fruit and natural juices. If you’re traveling to Venice in the summer, a refreshing fruit juice with ice can definitely be a good choice. The market is named Mercato di Rialto (Map).
Having Coffee
Venice is amazing, but one of the things I didn’t enjoy about it is that I couldn’t find a good place to have coffee. All the cafés are touristic and very expensive. There’s no doubt Venice’s charm is hindered by the amount of tourists and the touristic establishments, but we did find one nice place serving decent coffee and tasty sandwiches (If you’re looking to lower costs a bit here’s a small tip, if you’re sitting in the café-restaurant, prices are half what they are for those sitting outside). The place is called Ristorante Al Theatro (Map), the strudel was nice as well.
San Marco plaza
This plaza is simply enormous, and since we enjoy looking at really expensive objects and jewellery and imagining one day we’ll be rich and able to buy them, we spent an hour just walking from shop to shop around the plaza. Additionally, there are many restaurants around the plaza where you can sit down for a meal, but in my opinion it’s nice to just sit and have a glass of wine there.
San Marco Basilica and Doge’s Palace
When you arrive at the plaza, you won’t be able to miss San Marco’s Basilica. It is a cathedral from the 9th century and one of the most important examples of byzantine architecture. There’s an option to enter the basilica for about 10 minutes (It’s recommended to get there early, since there is a long line). You aren’t allowed to take photos inside and have to be dressed appropriately. There’s also the option of booking a tour of the basilica.
Adjacent to it is the Doge’s palace, considered one of the prettiest in Venice – where you can also take a tour of the inside (Due to a lack of time we had to skip both tours, but it seemed worthwhile to view both buildings from inside). You can order a guided tour, which includes skipping the line, in both places.
Link to two hour tour + skipping the line.
Italian meal
Being in Italy, you obviously should try some good Italian food at a local restaurant. We decided to try a restaurant in Venice’s less touristed area, Rio Novo restaurant. Roman ordered a pasta carbonara and I ordered a cheese and spinach ravioli with tomato sauce and white wine. The dishes were really good. Roman claimed the carbonara was one of the best he’d ever had (On par with the restaurant we ate at in Rome). My dish was also excellent, as well as light. It was filling and in just the right amount. Additionally, you’re seated by a water canal which adds to the magical Venetian atmosphere.
Having ice-cream
Of course, apart from Italian food, you should try the Gellato (Gellato is ice-cream made in an Italian style, with a base of milk and sugar). You can find a gelato stand almost everywhere, so it’s worth a try.
Sailing on a ferry
One of Venice’s most popular attractions is sailing on a Gondola. Since the price is quite high, we decided to skip the experience – but if you want to have the full Venetian experience, I found a nice tour including both a two hour tour of the city and a 30 minute Gondola ride for a fair price. Link for booking the walking + Gondola tour. If you decide to skip riding in a Gondola, the experience sailing on a ferry is wonderful as well, and allows you a great view of Venice and a photo opportunity.
For the first time in our lives, we found out why they call sailing on a cruise ship a “pleasure cruise”, it really was one of the most indulgent experiences we’ve had in our lives!
Two years ago, my parents came back from a week-long cruise out of Barcelona and were very pleased. Roman was very excited to go on a cruise as well, although honestly, I was less enthusiastic. I was worried about sea sickness, being bored and in general that the experience wouldn’t fit our style, but given the blog I thought it might be a good idea to explore the world of cruises. Many people like it, and I enjoy trying new things – so despite it being a luxurious vacation exceeding our travel budget, we decided to go for it and let’s just say, we fell in love with the cruise and want to go again!
Where did we book the cruise?
We decided to book the cruise though NCL, Norwegian cruise line, since that’s the company my parents cruised with. We ordered the cruise directly from their website, which offered many amazing looking cruises, but we chose the one which seemed most fitting a summer vacation. The cruise starts in Venice, continues to Kotor in Montenegro and then the luxurious Greek islands – Santorini, Mykonos and Corfu. The cruise is seven days. The stops at each destination are 6-8 hours, so there’s a little time to explore each destination and check what they have to offer.
How much did the cruise cost?
We booked the cruise seven months in advance (In November, booking it for June 2018), and chose the regular room (Room without a window which costs around 1060 dollars per person), a few months later we received a mail inviting us to take part in an auction for an upgraded room with a double bed and a balcony over the sea, definitely a substantial upgrade – we decided to try our luck and offered 660 dollars and after about a month received a confirmation that we had won.
The cruise cost us 2780 dollars including the upgrade. It’s important to note that the price does not include port taxes of around 200 dollars for a couple, payment for services which is another 200 dollars for a couple, over the seven-day period. Meaning an additional 400 dollars to the price I mentioned. The price does include unlimited food and activities on the ship.
The price does not include alcohol (There is free water and juices at the restaurants but not in the pool or rooms). You can also pre-order a spa package (Unlimited entrance to the spa) or chef meals at an additional price. Both of these improved our experience and are, in our opinion, highly recommended. Additionally, at the various stops you can go on tours offered by the cruise line. The tours are relatively expensive and we personally preferred to explore the destinations on our own (We also need plenty of time for photographing and so preferred not to be limited by the tour’s schedule). You also have the option of ordered an unlimited drinking package, but we don’t drink enough to make it worth while and felt it wasn’t worth the extra cost.
Cruise on NCL’s Star ship
Check in
We flew to Venice on Saturday, and the cruise started on Sunday. We arrived excitedly at the port and were even more excited seeing the ship from afar. It as immense, we’ve never seen anything like it before. We followed the NCL signs and left our luggage at the entrance, to be transported directly to our room. We arrived at a large hall where we had to fill out a health form, then went over to the check-in station. There, you receive a number (Which determines when it’s your turn to go on deck). We arrived at the hall around 10 and a half, and the boarding started around 11AM. At 11 and a half our number was called and we entered the ship. You may board the ship as late as 17:00, but we wanted to get in as soon as possible.
The Star ship
As soon as we boarded the ship, we were stunned by its size and beauty. At the check-in station we were given a map to the ship, and there’s a reason for it. If the ship seemed big from the outside, from inside it felt even bigger. We went for a walk around the ship to get a sense for all it had to offer. We discovered bars, restaurants, a casino, a pool, an adult only area with two jacuzzies, a gym, a kids playing area, a video game area, a spa, a duty-free, a basketball court and more. Afterwards, we went to eat at the buffet. At one point, it was announced over the speakers and the rooms were ready (Around 15:00), so we went to our room.
The upgraded room
While you obviously spend most of your time outside the rooms, since there is plenty to do on the ship, as well as a sop at a new destination almost every day – the room was still one of the best parts of our vacation. It’s on a level with a high-class hotel room, but even better, as it has a balcony with a small table and two chairs, constantly offering a new view. You wake up, open the curtains and discover a new destination. If you don’t have the means of affording the upgraded room, you’ll still enjoy the cruise, but if you can upgrade – I think you should. We fell in love with the room and didn’t want to leave it. The room also has a bathroom with a shower cabin and a toilet, a closet, dresser and television.
Food on the ship
The buffet has an enormous variety of food, salad stations, cooked food, sandwiches, pizzas, meats, fish, vegan and vegetarian options, a pasta station where they make it per your request, lots of fruits and desserts, a crepe station and ice-creams.
The buffet is open from morning to night, with changing food throughout the day. There is also a daily special every evening, such as a barbeque dinner, Italian dinner and more.
In addition to the buffet, there is an Irish restaurant open all the time which offers great Irish food. One of my favourite dishes there was a causer salad with salmon. It was great, as was the apple pie.
There is also a great Asian restaurant, however it was usually at maximum occupancy and you had to wait in line for a table (You’re given a buzzer to let you know a table is ready for you). There were also a few slightly fancier restaurants offering a first course, mains and desserts which were good.
The pool area has fast food such as hot dogs, hamburgers and French fries. I really liked the option of building your own meal, with special toppings like fried onion, pineapple and more.
There are also bars offering good cocktails (For around 12 dollars), as well as a daily cocktail for a lowered cost (Around 9 dollars).
For breakfast, you can visit the buffet, the Irish restaurant or the fancier restaurant, and they all have great breakfast menus. We liked the fancy restaurant the best when it comes to breakfast. They have special dishes like Benedict pear with salmon and a cream cheese and salmon bagel. You can also ordered fruit, pancakes, oatmeal and more.
You may also get room service whenever you want!
Chef restaurants
You can purchase a package of 3-7 chef specially prepared meals. The price of a 3 restaurant package is a total of 89 dollars per person, and it’s easily worth the price. We had the 3-meal package and the food was exceptional. We went to a French restaurant, a Japanese one and the steakhouse.
The Japanese restaurant was a lot of fun, it’s like a cooking show on a steel counter. The French restaurant and steakhouse were on a level with luxurious chef restaurants with 5-star service and perfect food.
We ordered wine with our meals, as well, and enjoyed ourselves a lot (If you’re foodies like us, you’ve got to upgrade yourself to the chef package. You won’t be sorry. I recommend pre-ordering the package online, as well as booking seats at the restaurants you want as fast as possible, since when we tried booking a table on the first night – some of the restaurants were already hard to find a free table at).
The spa
Initially, I thought paying an extra cost for a spa (Not including any treatments, only the facilities themselves) was going to be a waste. But we found it was one of our favorite places on the ship and visited nearly twice a day. It’s a very relaxed place with barely any people.
There are huge windows overlooking the sea and the amazing view. There are two types of Jacuzzi and a mineral pool, a relaxation area with couches and a tea station. The crown jewel for us were the heated stone beds in front of the windows. I read a book there every day, and sometimes even fell asleep on them and it was the most relaxing activity possible.
Activities on the ship
The pool area is really fun. There are a lot of comfortable beds, four jacuzzies, a pool and a food and bar area. We really liked sitting in the jacuzzi or on the beds and drinking a cocktail. Sometimes there were pool games or a DJ who played good music. It got crowded at times, so I think it would have bee nice if there was another pool. Each day you’re given the schedule for tomorrow. Those who choose not to get off the ship at stops has a ton of activities such as games, movies and more.
There are also activities throughout the day such as tournaments (Basketball and ping pong tournaments) and sportive activities (Some at an extra cost), at night there are shows, Karaoke and dance parties. I have to admit, we had such a good time at the spa, the pool, restaurants and our room that we hardly took part in any of the offered activities, but we have heard a lot of praise about them.
The were at the casino twice, winning 40 euros the first time, and then losing them on our second visit 🙂
The gym was modern and well equipped, overall a pleasure to train at. We went three times (We had to burn off some of the calories from all the food on the ship). We also liked walking around the deck in the evenings.
Another nice things the cruise offers are mixers of all kinds, for example an LGBT mixer, as well as mixers for singles and 18-25 year olds. We were bummed to find no mixers for 30-year-old couples.
The ship’s lobby often sports musicians and singers, who also appear in other areas of the ship, such as in front of the French restaurant. We enjoyed spending the afternoon listening to the saxophone player.
The stops at various destinations
At most of the destinations we hadn’t anchored at the port itself but rather near it and took little shuttles across. If you hadn’t ordered a tour through the cruise line, you’ll have to get a ticket in the morning which determines the shuttle boarding order.
I recommend going as early as possible to collect your ticket, since there can be quite a substantial line. The stops at each destination are between 6-8 hours, so we got the chance to enjoy each one. If you choose not to take the cruise’s tour, I recommend researching each destination ahead of time, in order to efficiently see as much as possible and not waste time during the stop itself.
As for the destinations themselves, each place was gorgeous – we want to go back to all of them now for a vacation. Kotor was really special, with an ancient fortified city. We also visited the town of Perast, using busses as our main transport. In Santorini we rented a scooter, which was great, as it allowed us to get a lot done – We visited the red beach, a restaurant with an amazing view, and drank wine at an excellent wineyard.
On Mykonos we toured little Venezia and went to the beach (On foot). On Corfu we visited the old town and took a bus to the beach. We were supposed to stop at Dubrovnik, Croatia, as well but the stop was aborted due to high winds. It was a little disappointing, since we were really looking forwards to it, but on the other hand we had more time to spend on the ship which was great as well.
More information about the cruise
Who is the cruise best suited for?
The cruise is well suited for just about anyone. The ship we were on had a very diverse crowd, families, adults, couples and youngsters. The cruise is for anyone looking for a luxurious vacation. Anyone can find his own personal style on the ship. We are less into crowds and activities, so we preferred time at the pool, spa, restaurants and stops at the unique destinations. Families have a lot to do, as there are activities around the clock. In short, the cruise can fit those looking for peace and quiet, as well as those looking for constant action and activity. It is also handicap accessible. We ran into several people in wheelchairs, as well as a guy with crutches.
Important things to know about the cruise
* It’s an expensive vacation, but definitely a worthwhile experience
* Don’t forget that the cruise’s price does not include port taxes and services.
* If you have a limited budget, you can still enjoy the cruise a lot without upgrading your room or getting the restaurant and spa packages. There is enough to do without the extra cost.
* NCL has a huge variety of cruises all over the world and you can find cheaper/more expensive ones, as well as shorter/longer cruises.
* If you’re flight lands on the day of the cruise, you have the option of ordering a ride from NCL’s website to pick you up at the airport and take you straight to the port.
* Our flight back home was in the afternoon after returning to Venice, the company offers luggage storing at 5 euros per bag or an even better service of transporting your luggage straight to the airport in accordance to your arrival there. That service costs 12.5 euros per bag and was great for us, since it allowed us to travel light in Venice and take the bus straight to the airport without having to go back to the port and get our things.
* To save costs, it’s recommend to pre-order the upgraded packages, such as the spa package, through the company’s website.
* Water bottles are quite expensive on the ship, but you can buy 6/12/24 water large water bottles at half price on the ship. 6 water bottles cost as 14.5 dollars instead of 29 (They are sent directly to your room).
* If you tend to suffer from sea sickness and nausea, it’s recommended to got on the cruise during the summer months when the water is calm. The ship is massive and we hadn’t felt the sailing at all.
* Coffee is one of the cruise’s weak points, so I recommend looking for good coffee on your stops. On Mykonos, for example, we found a great café with excellent coffee.
* If you’re single or traveling alone, the cruise offers single’s mixers where you might meet someone new on the ship
* We really liked the destinations, as they were well suited for a summer vacation. If you’re not into beaches and tanning, I’d recommend picking a cruise which offers destinations with more options and activities.
* Some of the cocktails, such as the mango cocktail, can be ordered alcohol-free for half the price.
* There are on straws on the ship, so if you like to drink through a straw – bring one with you from home 🙂 (Roman told me to write this).
* Those ordering rooms from a suite-level and above are entitled to preferential treatment during the stops, when boarding and disembarking the ship.
During the cruise we went on (June 2018), we had a day-stop in Santorini (Greece). One of the reasons we chose this specific cruise was stops at magical destinations, such as Santorini.
We had the option of booking tours through the cruise company, but we preferred exploring the destinations on our own – and a good thing we did, since Santorini is just like a postcard and we ended up stopping to take pictures and admire it’s beauty at every step.
General details about Santorini Island
It’s a luxurious island with a breath-taking views and hotels of the highest quality possible. Those looking for an Island to go to for their honeymoon, a romantic vacation or even a bachelorette party – This is the place to visit.
Getting around the island
You can get around by scooter, car or bus (Link to the Santorini bus website) and taxis. I recommend hiring a small car (Because of the narrow alleys) or a scooter. Link to my post about car renting.
How to reach the island
The cheapest way is to fly to Athens, then take a shuttle to Santorini. There’s also the possibility of flying directly to Santorini , or a flight with a stop in Athens.
Searching for cheap flights to Santorini
Hotels in Santorini
Since we only got to stay at Santorini for a day (A stop of the cruise), we didn’t get the chance to sleep at the island (Unfortunately). After a short bit of research, I’ve come up with two very highly recommended hotels (There are of course many more excellent lodging possibilities at Santorini). I’ve read these recommendations in an article about blogger’s favourite hotels in Santorini.
Vacationing at Santorini is expensive, but if you want to try and reduce the costs a little bit when it comes to lodging, here’s a post I’ve written with a few money saving tips.
The Esperas Hotel (A 4-star hotel in Oia) with an amazing view and great reviews. Hotel price comparison, reviews of the hotel.
ZuziM Villa in Fira, a super high-class Villa. You can rent it through Airbnb.
Search for other accommodations.
Our day trip in Santorini- Things to do in Santorini
We docked at the port below Fira city. In order to get up to the city, you can take a cable car or walk up many stairs. There was a relatively long line to the cable car and I thought taking the stairs wouldn’t take very long (Which turned out wrong). We climbed the stairs (You can also ride a donkey up, but I’m not a fan of the idea), anyhow we decided to walk up the stairs at 14:00, at peak temperature.
The climb itself isn’t too hard, but it does take 45-60 minutes and there’s no shade along the way. Long story short, there’s no problem getting up to the city by foot, just make sure you don’t do it in the afternoon heat, and if you do, bring a hat and water (Two things we didn’t have with us). We finished the climb exhausted and needed a few minutes to pull ourselves together afterwards.
We walked around Fira itself, which is beautiful, and the view was breath-taking (At least it was worth the effort).
Renting a scooter
At some point, we sat down at a place serving natural juices and I bought a banana, orange and pineapple juice, while Roman had orange juice. We decided to explore Santorini on a scooter, so we asked the employee at the restaurant if she knows where we might rent one – and it turns out her boyfriend works at a scooter rental store. She called him, and 10 minutes later he arrived at the restaurant with the bike.
We rented it for 5 hours for the price of 20 euros (Including insurance), then gassed it up for 6 euros, which lasted us the whole time we were on the scooter. If you’re planning to rent a scooter or car, make sure to have your license on you. Roman has a license for a motorcycle, and honestly you can probably rent one without a license, but I wouldn’t recommend it – If something happens to you, the travel insurance won’t cover it if you don’t own a motorcycle license.
The red beach
After renting the scooter we decided to drive to the red beach, and although it’s not a very fun beach to be at since it’s very rocky, it’s one of the most unique beaches I’ve ever seen and is totally worth the visit. The drive to it was about half an hour (We used google maps to navigate).
We parked the scooter in the parking area, then walked about 10 minutes to the beach itself.
At some point, the red beach appeared in front of us and it was really pretty. We sat on the beach and as usual took many photos, as well as a video. Then, we returned to the scooter. (Small tip: The parking area has a stall for hot/cold beverages and sandwiches).
Restaurant with Greek food and dreamy view
On our way to the red beach we saw a restaurant offering an amazing view and decided we have to stop at it on our way back. While we initially stopped there for the view, we enjoyed the food a lot as well. We ordered classic Greek dishes, Tzatziki with pita bread and a Greek salad. The dishes were very good and went well with the hypnotic view. I don’t know if the main courses are as good, but if you’re on your way to the red beach you should definitely visit for the Tzatziki and Greek salad, and to catch the view.
Atlantida restaurant. (Map)
Winery with high-quality wine and hypnotic view
We went on to Santo wines vineyard. Santorini is known for great wines and has many vineyards. We decided to visit the one with the best view, which turned out to be the most popular vineyard on Santorini.
The place itself is breath-taking and the food and wine are of a really high quality. I highly recommend making a reservation, since while the place may be big, it gets very full, and the best spots are always reserved (Many wine tours go through it). Long story short, reserve a spot and dress elegantly, as the place is quite high-class.
There’s the option of tasting 5 or 10 wines, as well as ordering a bottle, glass or single wine tasting. They have a food menu and cheese plates.
Since we had already been to a restaurant not long beforehand, we decided to try a glass of wine each and snack on some cheese with olives and crackers. Our table wasn’t in a great location, but it wasn’t too bad – The view was still excellent, and the wine was very good.
A tour we hadn’t done, but sounds cool – Santorini wine tour
Santorini has wine tours, in which you visit 3 vineyards, with a private chauffer, at sunset. These tours are about 4-5 hours each, and on account of our lack of time, we didn’t have the option of going on one. However, it sounds like a special experience, especially for wine lovers, link to booking of Santorini vineyards tour. Another option is to visit the vineyards on your own (On our way to the red beach we came across at least four vineyards, the problem is drinking so much wine and driving). Link to book a wine tour.
End of the day
We returned the scooter after exactly five hours. We parked it by the restaurant and gave the helmets and keys to the employee there. The scooter was definitely a good choice, we managed to explore Santorini – but unfortunately didn’t have the time to visit Oia, a city considered one of the most beautiful on Santorini. It is of course also recommended to visit. This time we took the cable car down. It cost 6 euros.
The first stop on our cruise (June 2018) was Kotor, Montenegro. Truth be told, I’ve never heard of Kotor before the cruise, and we hadn’t had the chance to visit Montenegro yet – But upon researching the destination to come up with a plan for our free hours there, I found out how gorgeous Kotor and its surrounding area is.
General information about Kotor
Kotor is a fortified city on the Montenegro’s Adriatic shores. The old town, dating back to the middle ages, is characterized by winding streets and plazas, holds several Romanesque churches including Kotor Cathedral. By Kotor are several beautiful cities worth visiting. According to my research, Perast is the most recommended town among them and we definitely weren’t disappointed.
How to reach Kotor?
You can fly to Tivat, in Montenegro – the airport is about a 10-minute drive from Kotor. Alternatively, you may fly to Dubrovnik, Croatia, and take a bus from there (About a 4-hour drive, costing around 18 euros).
Cheap flights comparison
How to travel in the area?
Outside the walls is a bus station where local busses pass (A ride costs about a euro). We took a bus to Perast. The ride was approximately half an hour (And a lovely local experience). You can also rent a car (Link to post about renting a car on the cheap). Kotor’s central area is within the walls, and it’s a rather small area, so you can easily travel it by foot.
Where to stay at Kotor?
Seeing as we only spent a few hours there, we didn’t get to spend the night in town (Unfortunately). From the research I’ve done, a few places seemed nice and had good reviews. Hotel Villa Duomo, a 4-star hotel in the heart of Kotor. Hotel price comparison and reviews. Monte Cristo hotel, another 4-star hotel in the heart of town. Hotel price comparison and reviews.
Small tip: After booking the hotel, I recommend sending the booking to Pruvo, at box@pruvo.net, to be notified if the hotel’s price goes down. That way, you may cancel and book again at a lower price (The service is free!).
Day trip in Kotor and its surroundings
Exploring the fortified city
You can easily spend a few hours simply roaming the city and its alleys. We’ve spend an hour strolling in it without purpose, just because it’s such a beautiful city to walk around.
Walking on the ramparts
In certain areas you may scale the wall and walk its length. The fun part of walking on the wall is seeing the beautiful mountainous landscape and surrounding region.
Vantage point at the fortress
You may climb to the mountain top for a vantage from the fortress. Seeing as we were short on time, we unfortunately didn’t have enough to visit the vantage point. It’s a climb of about 1300 stairs. The stairs themselves are a bit slippery, so it’s recommended to wear good walking shoes or sandals. At the foot of the stairs is a 8 euro admittance cost. There are two entrances to the staircase (Both priced the same). From what I’ve read, the price used to be 3 euros, but it must have gone up. I also read that you only have to pay during the summer months, and that entrance is free the rest of the year. Since we didn’t make it to the top, we used drone footage to see the city from above ?
Food and wine at restaurant
We visited Konoba Scala Santa for a light afternoon meal. I ordered a Greek salad and Roman ordered clams. The dishes themselves were delicious, but the thing I liked the most was the place’s atmosphere. It was really nice to sit down there, drink some wine and have a meal.
Kotor has a certain charm and so it’s worth sitting outside at restaurants.
Going to Perast
Outside Kotor’s Walls is a tourist information station where you can ask where the bus station for Perast is. There’s no sign at the bus stop, so just look for people waiting by a little park with trees and benches. By the station is also a fruit stand, where we bought a bag of cherries to gave with us at Perast.
Details about the bus to Perast
The bus is on an hourly schedule, at a quarter past the hour – meaning, 10:15, 11:15 and so on. The ticket is purchased directly from the bus driver and costs a euro. The ride is about half an hour. Tell the driver you want to get off at Perast. He stops frequently along the way for local riders (We followed the route on google maps to make sure we didn’t miss our stop). The bus dropped us off at quite a deserted looking location, but after approximately a 10-minute walk along the shoreline we arrived at Perast. Perast is a famous town on Kotor bay.
What to do at Perast
Like at Kotor, we decided to walk around town as much as possible, without a definite objective. We walked along the coast and at some point, sat down on a bench and ate our cherries (Which were a great idea). Afterwards, we continued roaming and came across some stairs. We decided to scale them, without seeing where they lead.
It was quite a long climb, but we could see Perast’s beautiful views. In the sea nearby are two small islands, Our lady of the rocks and Sveti Dorde, which we could see from above – We also flew a drone so as to see them better and they were absolutely gorgeous. On the way back we saw a bus inside Perast itself and waved it to stop for us, which was really convenient.
Kotor and its surrounding area is really lovely, there’s a calm atmosphere, coupled with stunning views and nice people. We are definitely planning on going back there and staying for a few days this time. This was a small taste which left us yearning for more.
At the end of May I got to travel to Madrid for the first time, with my brother and two sisters.
It was just us, without our partners or kids, and it was a fun, funny, unifying and extremely delicious trip. Madrid is a great destination for a cool, light and not too expensive trip. Apart from the fact that there aren’t any low cost flights to Madrid, so the flights are a bit pricey (From Israel), living there is actually quite cheap.
Tips before traveling to Madrid
Sim card
We bought an Orange sim card in the city itself, 10 euros for 5 GB of data. We bought it at a local store. At the first store we visited the price was 15 euros, but the next had the same card for 10 euros – So be aware that you needn’t pay more than 10 euros.
If you have a phone that supports an eSIM, I personally recommend this option because it’s the most convenient. I really like the company Airalo. I was very satisfied with their user experience (their setup tutorials are simple and easy to follow), and everything worked smoothly without any major issues. I wrote more about them in a detailed post on SIM cards for international travel, as well as other options like buying a local SIM card.
- The biggest downside right now is that some devices don’t support eSIM. How can you tell if your device supports it? It’s very simple—just click on this link to find out. Link to check which devices support eSIM.
- Blog followers get a 15% discount code for Airalo when purchasing an eSIM. To redeem the discount, click on this link—the discount code is already included in the link, and you’ll see it at checkout.
Arrival from the airport to the apartment
Upon arriving at the airport, we ordered an uber for the four of us. The price turned out to be 36 euros to the city center, at 11AM.
Where to sleep in Madrid?
Since we were four adults, we decided it would be best for us to rent a luxurious apartment close to the city center. My brother found a large, well accessorized apartment at a great location (Link to the apartment).
It was a 3 bedroom apartment (One room had a king sized bed, and two had double beds), two bathrooms, a kitchen, living room and a dinning area. The apartment was on the second floor, without an elevator.
The owners hired a manager for the apartment, who greeted us. She was very nice and explained everything we needed to know about the apartment and the surrounding area. She also prepared a local guide book with all of her recommendations for restaurants, cafés, places to visit and more. The apartment itself was well taken care of, with attention to all the little details. The location is central and touristic.
Electric scooter for handicapped
Before the trip, my sister began having problems with her leg and could barely walk. We were a bit nervous it could ruin the trip, since we won’t be able to walk around town a lot, and since she would be in pain from walking all day. After looking for solutions online, I found accessible Madrid, a company renting little scooters for people with disabilities.
It seemed a perfect solution to our situation. I called the company and they advised pre-ordering the scooter online, since May is the beginning of the touristic season and demand might be high. We ordered the smallest scooter at the price of 66 euros, from Wednesday through Sunday, and picked it up ourselves from the store near Retiro park.
The scooter is electric and needs to be recharged at night. A full battery is enough for 15Km. It’s important to note the scooter is very heavy, so when renting it – make sure your apartment has an elevator or a way to charge it downstairs (As we did, luckily, since we had no idea how heavy it would be). If you’re staying at a hotel, check with them what could be done about the scooter and where you may be able to charge it.
I have to say renting the scooter was great and saved our trip. My sister could even join us on tours. We walked a lot during the trip, and she drove by our side the whole time, that way neither of us was limited in our chance to explore Madrid.
Park Retiro
We went for a walk in Retiro park (Map). The park is gorgeous and huge. During the weekend it’s quite crowded, so I’d recommend visiting it on weekdays. It was a book fair, a nice lake with pedal boats for rent, amusement parks and the stunning Crystal palace. I’ve never seen such a palace before, and even the area surrounding it is very impressive. It’s definitely worth visiting.
Free tour
One of my favourite things to do while traveling new cities is join a free tour, where I get to learn of the city’s history and see it’s famous locations.
We chose the tour by Sandemans, a company on who’s tours we had previously gone in Dublin, Berlin, Jerusalem and more, and they were always a success. The tour started out at Mayor plaza. Our guide was Sebastian, who was super charming and interesting.
He conveyed information about Madrid’s history in a light and funny manner, and was very patient when it came to my sister, who was confined to the scooter, and tried his best to accommodate her. It’s important for me to note that a person in a wheelchair may not be able to go on this tour, as there are places only accessible by stairs – When we got to those, my sister simply got off the scooter and took the stairs, while the guys on our tour had to pitch in and lift the scooter (Luckily there were a lot of guys on the tour with us).
The tour is approximately three hours, with a coffee, food and bathroom break in the middle for those who wanted. There was also the option to sign up for other tours the company had to offer, or ask Sebastian for recommendations.
Evening Tapas tour
My brother found the Tapas tour on the Airbnb website, apparently, they had begun offering local experiences in different destinations around the world, as well as lodging. It’s essentially a platform for locals to offer tours, workshops and such to tourists. My brother found a three-and-a-half-hour Tapas tour on it, which included many Tapas dishes and alcohol along the entire tour (Tour’s Link).
The tour cost 60 euros a person and was at a local, non-touristic neighbourhood. Our guide was Maria, who was very lovely. We were a group, along with a gal from New York (Who now lives in Scotland), a couple from Tennessee and a Chinese guy (Who now lives in New York). They were really funny guys and we had a great time with them on the tour. The tour itself was well-planned and had a ton of food and drinks. We tried different local dishes at each restaurant and in fact got the full culinary Madrid experience.
The return on investment was highly worth it. The tour offers high quality food and great wine (One place also had beer from the tap). Maria usually gives the tour with another guy named Raul, but that time Raul was on a different tour at the same time and couldn’t join us. If you’re looking for a full local experience with tasty food, wine and laughter – This tour comes highly recommended.
Interesting landmarks
Visiting Plaza de Espana (Map), at the center of the plaza is a monument to Spanish writer and playwright Miguel de Cervantes and a statue of Don Kichot.
Then, we went to the beautiful Sabatini gardens (Map), Debod Temple, a copy of an ancient Egyptian temple built in Madrid (Map) – Behind the temple was a wonderful vantage point over the city. From there, we went to the Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste rose garden, a beautiful garden with 600 different varieties of roses (Very impressive) (Map)
Corral de la Moreria flamenco show
Maria, the Tapas tour guide, recommended the Coral De la Moreria show. She said it’s considered one of the best in the world. While it’s a bit expensive, we decided it was worth a try after such high praise. We booked the tickets a day in advance, and it turned out the seating arrangement is based on the date of booking.
Meaning, the earlier you book your seats, the better they will be. As you can understand, our seats weren’t the greatest, but the show being as incredible as it is – we still had a wonderful time. You can book a ticket with dinner included, or with only a drink. We chose the drink, so I couldn’t comment on the food.
The show itself is very recommended, and I’d recommend booking tickets as early as possible. The thing I didn’t like as much was that there were columns blocking the proper view of the stage, as well as people and waiters passing among the tables during the meal.
Book Online Tickets to Coral De la Moreria show
Toledo one-day trip
Train station
We arrived at Atocha train station (Map) and wanted to buy tickets for the 11:20 train, but it turned out to have been sold out. So, we bought tickets for the 12:20 train and return tickets for 19:20. I recommend pre-ordering tickets a day early, to avoid the same situation. The train station itself is beautiful from both inside and out. The ride to Toledo was really quick and lasted about 25 minutes.
Tour of Toledo
We planned on taking a free tour of Toledo, and I saw online that it’s available at 11:00, 13:00 and 17:00 – But it turned out only the 11:00 tour is in English, and the others are in Spanish. So unfortunately, we didn’t get to do the tour (Take that into account when planning a tour in Toledo).
Cathedral and two Synagogues
Toledo is really small, but full of ups and downs. You could spend hours just walking around it. The main landmarks are the cathedral (Map) and two synagogues, The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca (Map) and the Synagogue of El Transito (Map).
Picnic lunch
Since Toledo is really pretty and has a beautiful view, we decided to go for a fancy picnic for lunch. In Madrid we bought fresh bread from a bakery and in Toledo we found a local family run store selling cheeses, sausages, olive oil, beers and more. Ohh, and the place’s speciality is marzipan. While I’m not a fan of marzipan, I still thought it was very tasty. In short, it’s highly recommended to visit Productos típicos La Alacena Manchega and buy some great local products (Map).
After our great picnic, we went to the San Martin’s Bridge, which is simply incredible. There’s also the possibility of going on a zip-line at the bridge, which we were planning to do, but a sudden storm had picked up and it was raining heavily. We had not choice but to quickly get off the bridge, and to be honest, my sister’s scooter barely survived the climbs in the rain.
Warming up with tea
We decided to sit at Teteria Dar Al Chai, which offers a huge selection of teas and food, and considering the weather, tea seemed like a great idea. It was very nice. (Map)
From there, we took a large cab, due to the rain (Plus the scooter’s battery was running out) and rode it to the train station. We took the train back to Madrid.
Recommended Cafes in Madrid
Throughout the entire trip, we only went to very high-end cafés (my brother and I researched the best cafés), so I recommend following my café suggestions because everything was amazing
Hanso Café
I’ll start by saying that this café was the winner in terms of food. If you’re looking for the perfect spot for breakfast, this is it: Hanso Café. Keep in mind that it’s always busy—even when we arrived 10 minutes before opening, people were already waiting outside. You’ll find dishes like Eggs Benedict, bagel and croissant sandwiches, toast with a variety of toppings, and Belgian waffles. In short, there are plenty of options, and everything is truly delicious. We had toasted bread with avocado and salmon, avocado with a fried egg, a Belgian waffle with fruit, and an amazing dessert of toasted bread with ricotta cheese and strawberries.
Zero point cafe
At one point, we decided we could all use some coffee and went to Zero Point café. A small, homey café with a good coffee maker. We ordered coffee, which was excellent. In fact, all through out the trip we only visited high quality cafés (Me and my brother did our research when it comes to the best cafés), so I definitely recommend the ones we visited – as they were all amazing.
Ruda café
About a 5 minute walk from the apartment we found Ruda café, which quickly became our home base – we visited it 4 times over the duration of the trip. It’s an modern, intimate café with really pleasant employees, a good coffee maker, delicious cakes and great bread.
For breakfast we ordered toast with tomato sauce on the side and olive oil (A common local dish in Madrid – It’s a good, toasted bread served with tomato sauce on the side and high quality olive oil). We also ordered banana bread for the four of us and coffee. Everything was really good and we crowned Ruda as our favourite café.
Hola café
This time, we started the morning off at a café by the train station (Since we wanted to take a train to Toledo). Hola café is a chic café with high-quality coffee and good food. We ordered toast with tomatoes and cheese and a sweet dish of toast with butter and cinnamon (The amount of butter and cinnamon was huge, so we scraped most of it off with a knife and spread it on other, clean pieces of bread).
Recommended restaurants in Madrid
Tapas restaurant
One of my favourite Tapas places this trip was Origen Taberna Madrid, I highly recommend it. We had tomato stuffed with incredible cheese, Croquet (A fried potato dish) stuffed with mushrooms, which was excellent (although I’m not personally a fan of fried food), and a mini cuttlefish hamburger which was fantastic. We were also served a tasty starter and a shot of Caramel vodka on the house.
From there we continued to Masters Speciality coffee, a café with really nice lemonade, and sat in the yard. (Map).
Local restaurant
From the park, we headed for lunch at a local restaurant called Vinoteca garcia de la navarra. It’s an authentic, not touristy, Spanish restaurant. We started with a cherry tomato salad with tuna, a dish of Chinese peas and ratatouille with egg. The starters were amazing, each dish was seasoned well and the ingredients were fresh and delicious. For mains, we ordered ox tail stew and fish.
The meat was tender and delicious (A bit too fatty for my taste, but I knew that going in). The fish was slightly less good, since it came with the bones and was difficult to eat. Overall, the experience was very positive, and if you visit the restaurant I’d recommend just ordering many starters, as they are a real success story.
Indian restaurant
We decided to take a break from Spanish cuisine and go for an Indian restaurant (We all like Indian food a lot). We went to the Taj Mahal restaurant (Map), which we’ve read good reviews about – and we were not disappointed. We ordered Palak Paneer, Malai Kofta, Chicken Tika Masala and Kuruma shrimps. On the side we ordered two dishes of Basmati rice and one of garlic Naan. The food was so good, we ended up cleaning off our plates. If you like Indian food, I’m sure you’ll love this restaurant.
Local Tapas dinner
We looked for a good Tapas place for dinner. We found Rosi la loca restaurant, which had received great reviews. However, when we arrived at the restaurant we realized it was full of tourists, and while the place offers good food, it’s touristic and not authentic local cuisine.
We ordered two dishes just in case we were wrong, but quickly realized the food was nice but nothing more and moved on to another restaurant. We went to the La Latina neighbourhood, a charming neighbourhood with many local Tapas restaurants and bars. We visited Taberna Sanlucar, where we ordered a dish of potatoes with egg, a cheese sandwich and wine. Our experience there felt very local, with barely any tourists. The food was good but nothing special, however, we had a very pleasant time. Either way, the neighbourhood offers such a variety of good local restaurants, it’s worth visiting.
another option for a tapas dinner is to go to Light Tapas dinner San Miguel market
Additional Things to Do in Madrid That We Didn’t Get to Do:
- Royal Palace – Buy tickets for the palace and skip the line.
- Private Tuk-Tuk Tour – Purchase tickets for the tour.
- 24 or 48 Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour – Buy tickets for the bus.
- Paella and Sangria Workshop – Purchase tickets for the workshop.
- Evening Walking Tour in Madrid – Purchase tickets for the tour.
In conclusion, Madrid is a super fun city. It’s great for a trip with friends, family, or couples. There are plenty of things to do, and the culinary scene is excellent. We really enjoyed exploring the city through different tours and had a fantastic time on a day trip to Toledo.
I hope my post helped you. If it did, I’d love for you to leave a comment below. And if you have any other questions, feel free to ask them in the comments or contact me through the blog’s social media: on Facebook and Instagram.
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