A 7-night European Adventure

Hi everyone! 😊

I've put together all of our Europe trip posts into one blog, with links throughout that take you to more detailed story if you'd like to explore a particular post further.

This was our 7-night Europe trip in mid-January this year, covering four beautiful countries: Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Germany.  From stunning alpine scenery and charming villages to delicious food and unforgettable memories, this itinerary packs a lot into one week.

Personally, out of the four countries we visited, I'd love to go back to Austria and Germany.  Even though we only had a short time there, we had an amazing experience.  The scenery was breathtaking, the people were friendly and the food was delicious too.  There's still so much more to see and I'd definitely love to return to explore more cities and experience everything these beautiful countries have to offer.

I hope this blog helps anyone planning to visit any of these destinations.  Feel free to browse through the posts and if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help as much as I could.  Happy reading, and I hope it inspires your own European adventure! 

Muscat International Airport

Fly out from Bangkok to Zurich with Oman Air, with a short transit at Muscat Airport click here

Ibis Budget Zurich Airport

Stayed for one night at Ibis Budget Hotel, Zurich click here

Lucerne, Switzerland

Enjoyed delicious local Swiss cuisine at Wirtshaus Taube in Lucerne click here

Hotel Krebs, Interlaken

Charming and historic stay at Hotel Krebs in Interlaken click here

Interlaken, Switzerland

Interlaken in wintertime click here

Chocolate pie from Mcdonald's in Interlaken

The best chocolate pie from McDonald's in Interlaken click here

Coop Supermarket

Everything you could possibly need - from snacks and drinks to ready-made meals - you can find them in Coop Supermarket click here

Chocolate fondue

We had Thai food from Tom Yum Kung Restaurant and chocolate fondue for dessert from Chasstubli Click here

Grindelwald

Beautiful Alpine village of Grindelwald  Click here

Pretzel from local bakery in Zermatt

The hunt for the iconic Matterhorn Click here

A vignette for driving in Europe

Vignette or Motorway pass Click here

Liechtenstein Castle

One of Europe's smallest countries click here

Innsbruck

Innsbruck for a night click here

Karaage Restaurant, Innsbruck

The best karaage chicken I've ever had Click here

Chocolate and cherry strudel from Kroll Strudel cafe

A must-try Austrian strudel in town Click here

Donut from Austrian McDonald's

McDonald's Click here

Pension Bergfried, Hallstatt

One night in my dream town, Hallstatt Click here

Wiener schnitzel from Restaurant Zum Salzbaron, Hallstatt

A no-regrets dinner at Restaurant Zum Salzbaron inside Seehotel, Hallsatt Click here

Hallstatt

Peaceful morning walk in Hallstatt Click here

Maislinger Bakery in Hallstatt

Local bakery in Hallstatt click here

Pork ribs burger from Mcdonald's in Germany

German McDonald's Click here

Koos Hotel in Munich

Stayed at Koos Hotel for the night Click here

Frauenkirche Cathedral, Munich

Wandering through Munich on foot Click here

Hofbrauhaus Munchen

Prost to German beers! Click here

Goodbye and see you again

Some pictures from the Aspire Lounge in Zurich Airport Click here

Aspire Lounge, Zurich International Airport

Previously:

Hofbrauhaus Munchen, Germany

Heading back home is always bittersweet, but spending a few hours in the Zurich Airport lounge made leaving so much easier.  It was perfect, relaxed sanctuary to escape the busy terminal, catch up on some rest, and watch the planes on tarmac through the massive windows before the long-haul flight.  The food selection was fantastic, plenty of cheese and beers.

Thank you so much for reading and following along with my Europe trip from early January this year!  Your support means the world, and I cannot wait to share my next adventure with you all.

Stay tuned to the next blog of Europe summary:

A 7-night European Adventure

A Vignette for Driving in Europe

Previously:

Zermatt - Switzerland

The next place we stay for this Europe trip was Austria.  That day's drive was one of the most challenging parts of the trip.  The fog was incredibly thick - the kind where you can barely see what's in front of you.  Felt like we entering into a spooky mystical world. 

When you cross certain borders by car in Europe, like from Switzerland to Austria, you need to buy a motorway pass called a vignette.  We paid CHF 12.96.  Though, it depends on the duration and you can usually buy it at petrol stations near the border.

Super foggy day

Love this picture - It likes heaven peaking through from the clouds

We stopped at this Shell petrol station what seemed like the last petrol station along the Autobarn, hoping to buy the vignette there.  Unfortunately, they didn't sell it, but the stop turned out to be worth it anyway because I found something unexpectedly delicious.

At the resting area, there was a Marche restaurant and we ordered the kalbsbraten or roast veal.  It came with gravy and was incredibly tender - slightly fatty but in the best way possible.  Honestly, it was so good.  Their sausages were also really tasty.

Another little travel tip: toilets at many European service stations usually require a small payment.  But here, if you buy something from the food court, you get a toilet voucher that allows two people to use the restroom, which is a nice bonus.

In the end, we continued driving and managed to buy the vignette at the last petrol station before the border, just in time before crossing into Austria.  Before heading to our next hotel, we stopped for a few hours in a Medieval country that is often overlooked.  Curious what it is? See you all in my next post 🛫

Stay tuned for the next blog in Liechtenstein:

Liechtenstein

Zermatt - Switzerland

Previously:

Grindelwald and Lunch at Hirschen, Switzerland

We set off from Interlaken today on a little mission: find the famous Toblerone peak, better known as the Matterhorn, in Zermatt.  As usual, we did a bit of research before heading out, but once we plugged the route into the GPS, something felt a little off... After driving for more than half hour, we figured it out why (thanks to our bro who was ahead of us).  We returned to the correct way, such a detour.

We should have set the way via the Lotschberg car transport tunnel.  Instead of driving the long way around the mountains, cars can actually board a train that carries you through the mountain.  The car shuttle runs between Kandersteg and Goppenstein, takes about 15 minutes and costs CHF 31 for a standard car. 

You can only drive and park your car in Tasch.  Then catch the train into Zermatt since the village is completely car-free.  The train runs frequently and takes about 12 minutes. 

Ticket locket for car transport tunnel

Car transport tunnel

Matterhorn terminal - Tasch

Unfortunately, the weather had other plans for us.  The sky was overcast and light snowing too.  The Matterhorn was completely hidden behind the clouds.  No Toblerone peak in sight today!!!

Still the trip was far from a waste.  The alpine scenery around Zermatt was beautiful as expected, even under the moody sky.  We wandered around, took in the atmosphere and warmed up with a rich Lindt hot chocolate and freshly baked pretzel from a local Backerei.  Honestly, sometimes those simple moments - warm drinks, mountain air, good views and lovely companions - make the whole trip worthwhile.

Matterhorn or not, it was still a pretty lovely day in the Swiss Alps.

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Swiss:

A Vignette for Diving in Europe