Travel Inspiration

The 10 Best Panoramic Views of European Ciities + Where to Find Them

The 10 BEST Panoramic Views of European Cities (+ Where to Find Them!)

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I’m a firm believer that cities are best viewed by all angles. Every time I visit a new city, I love to wander around and roam the streets and explore what the city has to offer (and, of course, people watching). But I also love viewing it from above. There’s something about seeing all of the buildings and colors from overhead that give you a whole new perspective of a place. European cities in particular are even more beautiful from a panoramic bird’s-eye view, with their winding webs of streets and beautiful old buildings. So that’s why I had to share the best panoramic views of European cities that I’ve seen to date!

Whether it’s climbing flights of stairs, hiking up a hill, or taking a cable car, I always try to find some way to see a city from above if at all possible. It clears my head and shows a city in a whole new way. Plus, aerial views are always so damn pretty (even though pictures never really seem to do them justice). 

Sure, climbing up stairs or a mountain is killer (I will NEVER forget my throbbing calves after climbing to the top of the Notre Dame in Paris), but the breathtaking views from above are ALWAYS worth the trek in the end. I have yet to regret making my way up steep stairs or a steep hill for a panoramic view of a city. And sometimes, you’ll even get lucky and realise a city has a cable car or funicular, meaning you don’t have to do any physical exertion to get some amazing views!

Here are some of my favorite panoramic and aerial views of cities around Europe, and how to see them for yourself!

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My 2023 travel plans (so far!)

My 2023 travel plans (so far!)

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Happy 2023, ya’ll!

The year started out a bit rough for me – I was SO sick the first week of the year, the weather in Dublin has been HORRENDOUS pretty much every day, and to top it all off – my dear bike got stolen…

BUT there is a silver lining to the bad luck that has marked the beginning of the year – and that is that I already have 3 trips planned for 2023, and they’re all happening in the first half of the year! It helps me so much mentally to have something to look forward to and work towards. Plus, it’s a lot easier dealing with all this dark and depressing winter weather when you know that spring is getting closer every day, and with it some amazing travels!

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Temples and Mosques to see in Asia and the Middle East

Temples and Mosques to see in Asia and the Middle East

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Y’all. I have got an ITCH.

I consider myself an avid traveller and adventurer. I’m lucky enough to have had the opportunity to visit lots of beautiful countries, tour some amazing cities, and see some unbelievable landscapes.

But, I feel like my international travels have been exclusively in Europe. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE European culture, food, people, and there are so many amazing cities and stunning landscapes in Europe. However, I’m ready to go explorin’ out East, y’all!

I’ve been dying to go to Asia and the Middle East for a long time, but recently this craving has been hitting me HARD. Between my friend who went to visit her sister in Dubai and said it was one of the coolest places she’s ever been, to another friend who travelled throughout Vietnam and told me about how she lived like a queen for very little money, to ANOTHER friend who went backpacking around the Philippines for a month solo and had the time of her life, and lastly to ANOTHER friend who will be spending a month this summer working at a special needs orphanage in India through a school program, my itch to explore past the borders of Eastern Europe is stronger than ever.

Not only have I been hearing amazing stories from my friends about their travels, but OF COURSE Pinterest is also giving me some serious travel porn to get me inspired. I’ve seen so many pictures and read so many articles, especially of some UNBELIEVABLE temples and mosques around Asia and the Middle East that look absolutely incredible. I’ve started making a “wishlist” of sites in Asia and the Middle East that I really want to see when I *FINALLY* get to visit.

Here are the top 5 temples and mosques in Asia and the Middle East that are on my wishlist. 

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The Best Holiday in the Best City // Christmas in London

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Christmas in London

I’ve probably mentioned this many times before, but London truly is my favorite place.

I know it’s expensive…super expensive. I know it’s crowded. That housing is ridiculous. That living there probably isn’t as glamorous as it’s made out to be.

But still, there’s just something about it that I love. The history, the beauty, the parks, the accent. It’s all just perfect. And that is my honest opinion, as a tourist wearing rose-colored glasses of course.

I’ve been to London 3 times previously, but always during the summer. So this was my first time visiting not only during the winter, but during the holidays. And it’s no surprise at all that it’s just as wonderful, and even more magical, during the holidays. There just isn’t anything quite like Christmas in London.

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Cliffs of Moher + The Burren Tour

The Cliffs of Moher + The Burren — An Irish MUST!

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Cliffs of Moher + The Burren Tour

So to celebrate the 4th of July in Ireland I got to cross something off of my bucket list! I finally got to see, with my own eyes, the Cliffs of Moher and they were unFREAKINGbelievable. I wasn’t sure if it was actually as good as I had heard, or if it was just a tourist trap. But trust me, the Cliffs of Moher are definitely worth it!!! Worth seeing, worth walking, worth sitting and taking in the views. They are incredible. ESPECIALLY with good weather, which we were lucky enough to have!

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My Favorite Travel Partner

My Favorite Travel Partner!

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My Favorite Travel Partner

So today I’m participating in a Travel Tuesday prompt that asks “Who is your favorite travel partner and what is your favorite trip with that person?”

Well, I immediately knew my answer. There are so many people that I’ve had amazing traveling experiences with, and who are great to travel with. But I think if I had to choose my #1 travel buddy it would be my friend Katie.

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train travel

5 Reasons Why I Love Train Travel

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5 Reasons why I love train travel

One unique experience that I’ve found about traveling through Europe is how popular and easy it is to travel by train. Anytime I visit anywhere in the US, I’m driving or I’m flying. Although there are trains, they’re not nearly as efficient or popular as they are in Europe. Travelling by train in Europe is absolutely worth it.

Although trains used to be the cheapest way to travel around Europe, in recent years there have been a lot more airlines that offer affordable flights. Airlines like RyanAir or Easyjet offer really cheap flights around Europe that have many people thinking traveling by train may not be worth it, since typically the journeys are longer.

But personally, I LOVE IT. It’s a unique part of the European travel experience to travel by train. Obviously planes are very efficient, but there’s just something about trains. Here are 5 reasons why I love train travel.

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My Signature Pose

My “Signature” Pose (Apparently)

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My Signature Pose

I don’t know about ya’ll, but I look through my old travel photos ALL. THE. TIME.

I could be watching TV or something, and I’ll be simultaneously browsing old pictures from my travels. I’ve looked at them dozens of times before, and yet every time they put me in such a good mood because they take me back to some of the best times of my life.

But recently as I was looking through them again, I noticed something….

I have a “signature” pose.

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Why travel?

Why travel?

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Why travel?

Travel to experience new cultures, try new foods, listen to and learn new languages.
Travel to walk on streets older than your country.
Travel to grow and learn from all the mishaps, challenges, and setbacks that will inevitably come your way.
Travel to get that exhilarating, amazing, yet terrifying adrenaline rush from being in a foreign land – somewhere totally new where you don’t know anyone.
Travel to open your eyes…to everything.
Travel to taste new beers.
Travel to create meaningful relationships with people you meet along the way. Whether that be on a train, in your hostel, or anywhere. Whether it be a 5 minute conversation or a night out, you will learn something from them.
Travel to gain a new perspective on life. Different ways to see and look at the world.
Travel to take suggestions from random locals, and discover hidden gems off the beaten path.
Travel to appreciate architecture, history, and art.
Travel to feel that amazing sense of accomplishment, whether that be from completing a challenging hike, or successfully ordering a meal in a foreign language.
Travel for those moments of pure bliss, as well as those moments of challenge. You learn from both.
Travel for the lifelong memories and cool stories (and, ok yes, cool pictures).
Travel to break routine and never, ever be stuck in a rut.
Travel to learn more than you ever did in school.
Travel to eventually pick up bits and pieces of a new language that at first sounded like gibberish.
Travel to become more adventurous and adaptable.
Travel to meet people and make new friends who think, dress, and see the world differently than you.
Travel to gain knowledge and empathy on the struggles around the world.
Travel to evolve.
Travel to realize you’re just one person in this giant, amazing, diverse world we live in.
Travel to eradicate all prejudice and narrow-mindedness you may have within you that you don’t even know.
Travel to embarrass yourself in public but not care (because you don’t know anyone!).
Travel to make your dreams a reality.
Travel for some “me time.”
Travel to step out of your comfort zone.
Travel to know you can survive out there in the “great big world.”
Travel to see famous places. Historical places. Beautiful places.
Travel to change the way you see the world.
Travel because life is meant to be lived and the world is meant to be seen and felt and appreciated.

At least….that’s why I travel.

Why do you?

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