A Recap of Our Time in Europe

In October, Peter and I went to Europe for the first time, so of course, I want to tell you guys all about our trip!

Since it was our first time over the pond, we wanted to hit two of our bucket list cities. We chose to visit London and Rome for 8 days. Believe me when I say this, we had the BEST time. We both want to go back so bad! Hopefully, we can sometime soon.

In the meantime, let’s dive into the wonderful experience we had!

What we loved the most

This trip was planned almost a year in advance. We purchased our tickets on Christmas Eve of 2022, so it was a long time coming!

Because we had so long to plan, we had plenty of time to customize our itinerary in both cities AND schedule days for rest. I firmly believe that you should schedule rest days when traveling, so I’m glad we were there long enough to do that.

While we loved many things about this trip, one activity stands above the rest. We learned how to make pasta in Italy! I mean, isn’t that SO COOL? It was the best experience.

Here’s Peter showing the noodles he made. I was so proud of him!

We booked our class via Viator, which I highly recommend if you want a quick and easy way to book activities. Our class was instructed in a group setting, and in addition to the pasta, we also learned how to make tiramisu.

The class itself was a 10/10. Will I make pasta from scratch again? Well, that’s to be determined. But I feel like I can do it. I’ll probably need some pointers still, but it’s worth a shot!

I could eat cheese in Europe

Now for a fun fact: I am lactose intolerant. However, I could consume cheese and other dairy products in London and Rome just fine. This just adds to my theory that the food in America is slowly killing us.

In all seriousness, the food in Europe was much better than what we have here, especially in Italy. The ingredients tasted fresh, the food wasn’t over-seasoned, and the portion sizes were perfect.

My husband and I also noticed that they take food allergies seriously. For example, my husband is allergic to seafood, and each time we ate somewhere, he’d be given a separate menu, and most places in London had the manager serve his food. It was such a nice gesture!

I love America, but Americans would never! (LOL)

We had one regret

Our one regret for this trip was not staying closer to the London city center. We stayed at an Airbnb in Hammersmith, about 30 minutes outside the city. While it was nice to get a “local” feel, it made getting around a bit expensive.

We used the tube when we could, but many attractions required an Uber ride. Which was also interesting since they drove on the opposite side of the road. I was quite startled a few times! (In my British accent).

Thankfully, in Rome, we were right in the city’s center. It was so convenient! If you’ve ever been to Rome, you know walking is a way of life there. So, being close to all the attractions we wanted to see was nice.

Planning your trip to Europe

I hope that reading about our time in Europe has inspired you to take a trip of your own! If that’s you, I have a few pointers to share as you embark on your planning journey.

  • Stay close to a city center – this makes getting around much easier. Most cities in Europe have solid public transportation systems. For example, London was easy to navigate with the tube and rather inexpensive.
  • Get currency from your bank beforehand – while carrying cash in the currency of the country you’re visiting isn’t a requirement, it came in handy for us. For example, we did a Big Bus Tour in London and having GBP on hand was convenient. They also look much cooler compared to the USD, so they make a great keepsake!
  • Learn a bit of the language – again, this isn’t a requirement, but it can work in your favor. Leading up to our trip I learned Italian on Dulingo, so when we got to Italy I was able to speak to the locals with ease. It’s similar to Spanish, which I also speak, so picking it up wasn’t too hard. I think it’s a good idea to at least know basic phrases such as “Hi”, “Bye”, “Thank You”, and “Please”. I also don’t expect every person I interact with to know english, so that’s another reason I try to learn a language before visiting a place.
  • Book tours in advance – this is something I always do and it’s so helpful! I love a plan and booking tours/attractions beforehand helps me to build an itinerary to go off of. It’s also cheaper to book beforehand, rather than the day of. To book tours and attractions I typically use Viator and Expedia.
  • Register with the US Embassy – this is a big one, especially in the times we are living in now. Be sure to register with the nearest US Embassy in the country you are travelling to. This will alert the embassy of your presence in case there is a direct threat to US citizens. Saving the US Embassy phone number and address is also a good idea in case you need to get in contact with them in a hurry.
  • Practice smart packing – you’re going to do a lot of walking and moving around in Europe, so it’s best to pack light. I recommend packing comfortable neutral colored shoes and clothes that are layer-able. This way you can switch up your outfits with ease and skip the hassle of lugging around a huge suitcase. Trust me, I learned from experience!

Thanks for the memories

Our trip was the best and we certainly made memories that will last a lifetime. You know us though, we’re already actively planning where to go next! Any suggestions? Let me know below! Before you go though, enjoy some of my favorite photos from our trip!