Sunday, July 28, 2019

Six girls take on Europe for 2 weeks!

A trip around Europe!

I can remember my Sophomore year of high school one of my teachers gave me a notebook and told the class to write on the inside cover words to remember and live by I scribbled the words inside went home put the notebook in a drawer and didn’t think about it again. 

A few years later I was moving out to college and found that notebook. I opened it up and read “Words to remember and live by” I flipped through the pages and found a few things scribbled here and there. But what stuck out to me was a bucket list I wrote down at some point. 

Here is what I wrote 
-ride in a hot hair balloon 
-run a marathon 
-backpack Europe 
-skydive 

I re-read my list grabbed a pen scratched outran a marathon and put the notebook in a box to take to college. 

I have used the notebook several times and have written down so many things that I want to remember and inspiring messages I strive to live by. 

One thing I really wanted to do and live by that was scribbled in that notebook was backpack Europe. 

I always knew backpacking was something I wanted to do but I had no idea how I was going to get the funds or who I would go with. 

So when I got accepted as a volunteer for the International Language I knew I could finally backpack across Europe. 

On June 28th, 2019 I boarded a plane for the first stop on my two-week adventure. 

Before I go into all the fun details of traveling and fun stories and things I experienced let me inform you that planning for these 2 weeks was a TON of work. And that backpacking doesn't mean staying in 5-star hotels and getting a full 9 hours of sleep every night. It

We spent hours looking up places we wanted to visit, flights, hostels, public transportation, cheapest airlines, food, and many more things. 

With the help of a couple other girls, we pulled together a pretty intense itinerary. It consisted of 7 flights, 3 bus rides, a train, and 9 counties, all in 14 days!! 

We knew we were going to be exhausted but we also we knew were capable of doing it! 

We all had a couple of countries where we were assigned to figure out transportation, hostel, and activities, we had planned. 

So after hours of research, we were on our way! 

Our first stop was Switzerland ðŸ‡¨ðŸ‡­. But for us to get there the cheapest way, we had a 16-hour layover in Milan. We didn’t want to complain about it because we wanted to see Milan! Also, that is part of traveling. Long layovers, exploring cities, and packing a lot of things into a short amount of time. 

Turns out the glamorous 16 hours of eating pasta and pizza, shopping, and soaking up Italy turned into a disaster. 

Our flight to Italy got delayed 4+ hours. Because it was delayed our hostel wouldn’t let us check in because we would be arriving past midnight. This meant we were charged for a "no show" and had to pay for the hostel anyway and the 90€ fee for not showing up. Grrrr 

We arrived at the IEV (Ukraine) airport about 5 hours early because Vova my host dad convinced me that there would be major traffic. So we called our Uber and of course, we cruised right on over to the airport. We arrived 4 hours early.  we were sitting on the ground waiting for the check-in desk to open and I guess in Ukraine if you sit on the ground people think your ovaries will freeze. So everyone was super shocked and staring at us like we were morons. It was pretty fun and I can’t believe they actually think that. Anyway, we played phase 10 and just enjoyed each other’s company! 

Finally, at about 9:45 pm we boarded our flight and it was complete chaos. They had people enter from the back of the plane along with the front. But didn’t direct anyone according to their tickets so my group was assigned seats in the very back as we were trying to make our way to the back about 100 other people were getting on the back and coming to the front. It was insane. The ride was also a little wild. There was a guy that reeked of beer that sat behind me. He was wearing a woven basket hat a khaki shorts a button-up shirt. He had his music blasting through his eardrums and was singing to every tune. He was super loud and found some girl to keep him company in the back. It was wild. 

We arrived at the airport and waited for an hour trying to get through customs once we were cleared we found ourselves in an empty airport in Milan Italy at 2 am. Public transportation was closed so we made ourselves as comfortable as we could on the cold, dirty, tile floor, of the baggage claim at the airport. 

I don’t think any of us actually slept all night long because the baggage was being thrown around at the pickup location and people were walking around all night. 

So as soon as public transportation opened up we hopped on a train to head into the city center. 

On our train ride, we met a fun Italian friend. He was amazed that we were all smiling and happy after not sleeping that night and staying at the airport. He was really concerned for us and invited us to stay at his house. He said “I do have a girl, and I’m not sure if my mom would approve of you guys coming over but I will ask” uh..... it took everything in me to hold back my laugh. Here was this man probably in his 20s like me inviting me to stay at his house but needing permission from his mother. Hahaha too funny. Before we could really give an answer we arrived at his stop and he jumped out. See ya friend!

We went to the Milan Duomo Cathedral which was beautiful. The grounds were covered with birds that randomly swarmed us. My favorite part of Italy was watching the birds attacking Rachel as she tried to capture the cathedral. 
We went to survivor shops and walked around. It was a lovely morning. 

Our 16-hour lay overturned into 10 and 7 of it was spent sleeping on the airport tile. Milan was fun but I think we were all really grateful to get out of there. 

Our next stop was Lauterbrunnen Switzerland! We rode FlixBus to get over there and holy moly it was the most AMAZING beautiful bus ride I have ever taken. As soon as we hit Lake Como in Italy we were surrounded by lush green fields, clear blue water lakes, tall mountains, and fresh air that didn’t smell like cigarette smoke or body odor. I was in heaven! Our bus was also super comfortable with WiFi, charging stations, and AC! 

As we drove through the Swiss Alps I read, listened to music, and enjoyed everything I was looking at.  

Once we got to Interlaken we decided to get dinner. We knew Switzerland was going to be expensive but we didn’t know how expensive it was going to be. We were all craving a Subway sandwich but when we got to Subway we found out that it was 15$ for a 6-inch... not the kind of sandwich we were hoping for being on a budget. So some people walked over to McDonald's expecting lower prices which left them with an empty stomach. Haha. So we went to a grocery store and split things to make home sandwiches which were actually very tasty. 

We then hopped on another bus and another train which took us to Lauterbrunnen! Lauterbrunnen was more than I imagined. It’s a tiny village in the mountains surrounded by 72 waterfalls, a million hiking trails, and huge mountains. 
There is a tiny Main Street that looks a lot like Midway Utah. We had a super cute hostel and our own room and balcony that overlooked Lauterbrunnen. We were pretty exhausted from our all-nighter so we went to bed pretty early. 
The next day we had a wonderful breakfast that consisted of warm butter croissants and fresh fruit. After we packed for a picnic and started hiking up to Wagen another small town near the top of the mountains. The hike was absolutely stunning and so steep. I actually really enjoyed the hike. I love the way my body feels while hiking. I haven't gotten a good workout/sweat in since I moved to Ukraine so everything about this hike was perfect!

One thing, in particular, I loved about Switzerland was the natural water springs they had coming out of the ground. It makes it really easy to get water for FREE and feel refreshed while hiking. 






Some fun facts I learned about Switzerland are that it has the highest standing point in Europe and that it’s the country that eats the most chocolate. I could see myself thriving here. 

In the evening we homemade a meal in our hostel and met some very fun friends who were also staying there. There was a group of guys who bought a frozen pizza to bake at the hostel but didn't check to see if the hostel had an oven. During our dinner, we could hear them arguing about how to cook the pizza. They tried putting it in the microwave and holding it over a burner. They were quite the entertainment. 

The Night ended with the game of phase 10 and watching the stars. 

July 1, 2019 

Our last day in Switzerland was the most perfect day. I didn’t go to the dentist otherwise it would’ve been better. ;) I’m stressing my teeth will get a little yellow because of the water. Our day started off by eating a croissant which I love. After we packed our big packs shopped around Lauterbrunnen and hiked up to a waterfall and it was falling right in front of us it was so beautiful!


Next, we took the most amazing train ride ever that went through the Alps. We had a picnic and swam in the most beautiful lake ever! 

In the late evening were back on our bus on our way to Milan to catch a flight to Paris! 

Also, this is when I realized I left my Kindle on the bus.. forever rest in peace.

When we arrived back in Milan we had 5 minutes to run from the bus station to another bus that would take us to the airport. The last bus for the night was leaving at midnight and it was 11:55. So we sprinted so fast over there. We were running with our bags through Milan and were laughing so hard for some reason. Rachels's bag was unzipped and everything was flying out. I accidentally ran on the up ramp down and Olivia and Rachel followed me. We were wearing our backpacks and trying to run down the escalator that was really going up as fast as we could. 

We arrived just in the nick of time. I was so happy I about hugged the bus driver. I told him we almost didn't make it. And he said I can see that. Phew. 

We arrived to the airport and it looked like a homeless shelter. There were people all over the place sleeping and some of them even looked homeless. It was not an airport I was expecting to turn up to sleep at all night. It was nasty.  I found a nice place to rest outside on the bench by a construction site. I had the company of construction workers nailing and hammering all night long it was an experience. Sometimes traveling isn't so comfortable but it's all part of the experience. 

July 2 
Paris!!! Oh my goodness last night was insane. We got no sleep at all. It was terrible. But we flew to Paris and I was out in about 5 seconds! It was crazy! A solid 2 hours of sleep. But we got to Paris and wanted to get ready and look cute.  Because we swam in a lake and stayed up all night. We wanted to look amazing in Paris. So we plugged in our curlers and straighteners right by baggage claim. We got the weirdest looks for sure. Lol. Also, we all ended up wearing yellow. Once we finished getting all dolled up we took a bus that cost 20 dollars. It cost just as much as our flight and took just as long. I slept the whole bust ride because I was so tired. Thank goodness I did because I had so much energy for Paris!! We hoped right on our feet as soon as the bus stopped to see the whole city! Our first stop was the Louvre. Unfortunately, it is closed on Tuesdays... so we could only see the outside. But I pictured all the beautiful artwork from the outside. Haha after we saw Lock Heart Bridge and walked across it while there was live music being played. It was hot and sunny. We did have our heavy backpacks to carry. Our first place to eat was a Cafe! We had some really yummy chocolate croissants. They could have used more chocolate though. But they were still so good. 

After we just walked around the parks and people watched and saw buildings. We were taking today really slow because we had no sleep and we just wanted to enjoy being there. We didn’t want to rush anything. 

We also ate the most amazing chocolate crepes EVER!!! Holy cow I was in awe. They hit the spot and filled me up! We were happy gals. 

After crepes, we walked down the street and saw the Eiffel Tower! We turned the corner and there it was. It was beautiful!! 

Wow, seeing the Eiffel Tower in person was everything I have ever dreamed of. I thought Paris was so awesome because it was something I had been wanting to see since I was a little girl. I feel like it is a landmark for dreams. My first dream was to see the Eiffel Tower. And I’m so happy that I did. So worth every penny I spent there. 

We danced on the grass, took pictures, had a picnic, and got offered beer like 1 million times. So funny!!
 

Anyways that was basically the whole day. Everyone did get a little hangry which I don’t blame but I feel like it happens all too often. Lol. We still love each other. 
I honestly really lucked out with the ladies I got to travel with. I love them so much! We have so much fun and we all have similar personalities and the same sense of humor. We work really well together. 
Paris was a dream come true. Love that city!! 

We headed to the airport in the evening to head to COPENHAGEN!! 


July 3 
Wow okay, so we got to Copenhagen at 11:45pm and just our luck the metro stopped running. Classic. So we had to take a bus. First thing though. We were not prepared for the weather. It was freezing. We didn’t have any jackets and we were standing out in the cold waiting for a bus at 11:45 at night. But on the bust, I sat by the nicest girl ever!! Copenhagen is known as one of the happiest countries and I can see why. She just chatted with me all about the beautiful city! She was a doll. She loves swimming and biking. She told me that basically all of Copenhagen just bikes all day long.  It was dark but I was seriously already in love with the place. IN LOVE. we got to our hostel pretty late. We had our own room all to ourselves. It was incredible. We went to bed at like 2 am. 

I got up because my stomach was hurting. I was so hungry. So I looked up nearby places to eat. And found the most delicious falafel sandwich. So many veggies. I really loved it!! 
The city of Copenhagen has a very chill environment. It was very rainy and cold. But I loved it! There were so so so so so many people biking. I literally couldn’t believe how many people bike everywhere. I think if I could live anywhere it would be Copenhagen. It’s a very happy place. The girl on the bus also told me that this country is the one where the most amount of people have run a marathon. So that’s cool. And it’s true people were running everywhere!! 

We went on a boat tour through the canal and I was waving like a Disney princess and yelling Au revoir it was hilarious. The Asians touring around loved it. lol. Also, I almost got my head chopped off because I didn’t duck when we went under the tunnel. Thank goodness a fellow Copenhagener told me to duck. We were laughing pretty hard! 

After we were so tired and cold we found a hammock and slept on it for a while while we sang to the Greatest Showman. So good!! 


Then we were really hungry so we, of course, had to find food. We ended up getting pizza! So yummy! And very Delicious. We loved. We got chips and salsa and ice cream and went back to our hostel for the evening. 

July 4, 2019

It’s the spirit of summer quote of the day. It’s the 4th of July! So heck yes my favorite holiday. We went to H&M and went shopping for the 4th of July shirts. So we were all matching! We woke up and started singing Wake Up America by Miley Cyrus. We jammed all morning while getting ready and sang every American song we could think of. 
After we rode the bus into the city which was pretty crazy for us because we didn’t bring a ticket on with us. We had no idea how to purchase them. Once we got off we found out that it was a 115$ fee for riding the bus without a ticket. Let’s count the stars and blessings that nobody got on to check. That would have been so bad. 
That afternoon we took forth of July pics ate donuts on the harbor and laughed till our abs hurt. So fun! 

We really just walked around all day and looked at the buildings. It was freezing and rainy so we couldn’t bike or go to the coast. But I wasn’t even sad about it at all. We just had fun being with each other and walking everywhere! 

And since it was the 4th we had to get burgers. We went to Banana Joe's. It was an okay restaurant. The guy was nice. But when it was time to pay he shut the blinds and turned his sign to off. For a minute I thought he was going to kidnap us it was so freaky. So freaky. But he didn’t. So that was good. We now love Banana Joe and his hamburgers. 

That evening we sprinted to the airport and bought some peach candy from good old Duty-free. Shout out to momma Tania for telling me about it! 

And that was today. Such a bomb one! 

July 5th 

Berlin Germany is a city filled with a whole lot of History. 

We stayed in a hostel that was right next to a Penny market which became our best friend pretty quick. We had chocolate croissants in the morning. We saw the Berlin Wall, the space needle that once was in Washington DC but then transported to Berlin. We saw the Brandenburg Arch and Memorial of the Jews Museum. The girls I was with wanted to see Spider-Man but I wanted to walk around Berlin so while they went to a movie I walked around the city. I met a girl who was also by herself because her friend was sick. So we went to museums and chatted. She works for 6 months and then travels for 6 months. Works for 6 travels for 6. She has been doing that for a couple years now and has gone to so many amazing places. 
One of the best things that happened in Berlin was a good belly laugh that Olivia and I had at night. I don’t know what came over us but we were laughing hard and long all night long. Our abs were killing and were hurled over on the ground. I can’t even remember what we were laughing at but whatever it was was a good one. 

We had to get up at 4 am to get to the airport so we could catch our plane to Vienna Austria 

July 6th 2019 

Austria! Wow, we thought we had the BEST hostel because it was called the “best location hostel” and holy cow it was crap. We were dead. The place was Disgusting. The floor was terrible and gross. The beds had yellow powder and stains on them. The floor was so squeaky you could hear everyone walking around. It was nasty. 
The lady who checked us in talked in a very Monotone voice. She was helpful and informed us any everything in Vienna closes early on Saturdays and on Sundays, everything would be closed. 

We stalked up on food at the grocery store and headed into the city. Vienna is known as the city of music. There were tons of people on the street playing their music and we mostly just walked around people watching, eating Gelato, and enjoying the atmosphere.  

We did, however, get so tired and it was so hot in Vienna like 95 degrees, and were so dehydrated and tired. We wanted to go swimming in a lake so we headed back to the hostel put on swimming suits and the next thing we knew we were asleep and woke up 2 hours later. 

We decided we were going to take the L and go find some ice cream so we found the best Gelato place in town. Holy moly it was delish. We ate next to the river and watched the sun set then made our way back to the hostel and watched the city come to life as buildings and lights lit up the city. 



July 7th! 

I ran to church this morning. We found an English branch only 2 miles from our apartment. I decided that a walk on Sunday would be so beautiful so I decided to walk there. The other girls Ubered and ended up arriving after me. 

After church, we had a picnic in front of Mozart's palace. We went to a couple of museums because they were free that day! We saw Motzart's apartment and a cathedral underground. 

We walked to an amusement park and watched people skydive. Walked down streets with old buildings and people watched. It was a very relaxing day. 

In the evening we headed to the airport to take a bus to Slovakia! It's crazy how fast and easy it is to get from country to country in Europe. Just a short 50-minute bus ride brought us to Slovakia. And wow Slovakia is like a fairyland. Very small with bright buildings, and little streets with cute antique shops and so many wonderful things. We ate pizza and shopped what a day!   

July 8

We were only in Slovakia for a short time because it's so small. We had to check out of our hostel pretty early so we took turns watching people's bags while they explored the city. We played phase 10 and ate more croissants! I can't believe how cheap and yummy the croissants are here in Europe. They are the best thing ever! 

After we took a train from Slovakia to Prague! When we first got on the train we were like wow it's nice this is going to be so fun. We were all seated and having a blast when someone told us were sitting in their seat... Uh, we then realized that we were in first class... haha. So we walked 7 cars all the way to the back. And yep not so nice... It was a fine train ride but we were so bored. We were really sitting by each other and our phones were dead so I couldn't read my book or listen to music so I literally just sat there. Oliva and I were going crazy, She was behind me and I kept laughing because I knew exactly what she was doing. haha 
But Prague was something else! Our train took us right into the city center. Our hostel was a short away. When we arrived and checked in we found out that we would be sharing a room with 10 other people. Wow. Okay. Oh and because we have a party of 6 or more they charged us 40 Euros each. But we had to have it in Krawns. Uhhhhh. So we were left walking around the city trying to find an atm so we could get out 1000 crowns. We were not happy even though we were going to get most of our crowns back it wasn't going to be until we were leaving the country. And Czech Crowns only work in Prague and we were leaving.. But ya know expenses just come as you travel and you just have to be okay with that. After we paid we totally crashed in our room. I actually slept the whole night and didn't even notice the 9 other people that walked in. When I woke up there were 6 guys in the other beds and 2 girls. One of the guys was tapping my shoulder. He gave me my phone. I have no idea how he had it but I sure am thankful he didn't take it.  
We had a wonderful day in Prague! We found a grocery store that our new best friend. The pastries were incredible and so tasty. Also, a very good deal. 

We went on our first walking tour! It was called "Free Banana Tours" The tour guide had a banana in her hand. She was known as "Banana Kate" to us. She would hold the banana high up in the air and as we walked she would stop and explain a lot of facts to us. One thing she talked about a lot was how much beer people in Prague drink. They drink 162 liters of beer a year. That's a ton. Also, beer is ALWAYS cheaper than water. She also explained that Prague is the most atheist country which is wild because I feel like it would be Ukraine or Russia haha. Anyway, our tour was fun and Banana Kate was a hoot. 

We saw the Prague castle and tons of old buildings. One of my favorite treats I got in Prague was the Chimney Cake. It's a cinnamon bread cone filled with chocolate, ice,-cream and berries. It was amazing but a little sugary to me. 



We played phase 10 at our hostel because were so dead tired from walking around for the past 2 weeks!

We went to bed and had 8 men in our room... holy Hannah.

We love Prague! We always joked because there is a saying in Prague that if you have legs you just walk everywhere. And that is indeed true. We really did walk everywhere.

July 11th 2019 

Budapest! We saved the Budabest for last ;) 

Budapest was nothing like I pictured. To be honest I was picturing elaborate houses lined with bits of gold and all sorts of fancy buildings. Turns out it was the complete opposite. The reason I thought that was from George Ezra's sound called Budapest. What a letdown. haha. The city was so dumpy, and old, and smelled so bad. I was so overlooking at cathedrals at this point. Europe is so fun it just has so many buildings... I am more of a mountain girl. But I am happy I got to see everything I did. We mostly ate at grocery stores and saw the parliament building and fisherman's bays. We biggest reason we came to Budapest was for the baths. They were fun but so crowded and I saw so many naked people while I was in the dressing room and walking around. Casual nudity is definitely a thing out here. 
Also, our hostel was the most ghetto place I have ever seen. We slept in what looked like an unbanded hospital in a hospital bed. The hallways lights flickered on and off and the bathroom was coed with no stalls. I guess you can't complain when you pay 7$ for a place to stay. Budapest was not the budabest.. 

Anyway, we survived our crazy itinerary. I have no idea how we did that but we did. so many blessings happened. I can't believe all the amazing things I was able to see and do. Europe I will never forget you. I am so glad I get to cross backpacking Europe off my list.  

Cheers to the best week ever with the best people ever!! 

Here is our crazy itinerary so that I can remember it forever! 

SIX GIRLS

FIFTEEN DAYS

TEN COUNTRIES

Emma, Mallerie, Olivia, Rachael, Roxie, & Sophia are about to

embark on the greatest adventure of their lives

_________________________________________________________________________________


June 28: Kyiv, Milan

Flight: Link

Travel from Kyiv to Milan

IEV - MXP 9:20pm-11:10pm

Ernest Airlines

Flight # EG498

Reservation number (PNR): 1025861; 1026461

Check in at the airport using e-ticket

Booking # 51774327

Who booked the flight/bus: Roxie

Where to find the ticket: Emma or Sophia have it printed


How to get from the airport to HOSTEL:


MXP Terminal 1: XP1 900352 towards Milano Cadorna - Get off at Stazione Cadorna 

Walk to Cadorna FN - take the redline metro (Sesto 1 Maggio Fs) to Villa San Giovanni - get off and walk 3 minutes along hotel road, it will be on the left (18 minutes) -- about 1.25 hours


Metro runs 6-12:30am


Tickets:

XPI: Available from ticket offices and automatic ticket machines (valid within 3 hours from the validation); or online and APP Trenord (valid within 3 hours of the time of the selected train); Available at airport, 13 euros p.p. - (can buy online)

http://www.trenord.it/it/orari/consulta-orario-ferroviario.aspx?SearchByMxp=ODMwMTEzOXw4MzAxMDY2fDI4LzA2LzIwMTl8MjN8NTM1


Metro: can buy in station, 1,50 euros p.p., can pay with card or cash. MAYBE buy a one day pass (4,50) and we can all use it for the entire time we’re in Milan


Hotel: Link

Milan Hotel

Via Privata Galeno 11, Distretto Viale, Monza, Milan, 20126, Italy

+39 02 9924 6459

Check in 3pm-11pm

Check out 1am-10am

Who booked the hotel: Mallerie 



June 29: Milan, Interlaken

How to get from the hotel to the bus station: Take Red metro 1 (Villa San Giovanni) towards Rho Fieramilano, get off at Lampugnano (33 minutes) -- 1,50 euros p.p.


Bus: Link

Travel from Milan to Interlaken

Milan Lampugnano Station - Interlaken West 11:45am-4:34pm

Flixbus

Booking # 51774327

Who booked the flight/bus: Roxie

Where to find the ticket: Emma or Sophia have it printed


How to get from the bus station to the hostel: Walk to Bahnhof, take bus 105 - gsteigwiler, dorf (platform D) towards Wilderswil Bahnhof (9 minutes, 6 stops). Cross to Wilderswil, Platform 2AB take train R towards Lauterbrunnen (2 stops, 15 minutes). Walk to hostel (4 minute walk). 


Tickets: are flexible and never sell out. There are ticket counters, vending machines. 6 CHF ($6.50 for train). BUS: $2-3, runs ever half hour, 4:57p or 5:27p, can buy on Rome2Rio beforehand or https://www.sbb.ch/ticketshop/b2c/fahrplan.do?sprache=en&von=Interlaken%20West,%20Bahnhof&nach=Lauterbrunnen&reiseDatum=29.06.19&reiseZeit=19:50&via=&verkehrsmittel=&xmlHandle=http%3A%2F%2Ffahrplan.sbb.ch%2Fbin%2Fquery.exe%2Fen%3FshowExtXml%3D1%26xmlId%3Dmv.023644244.1561380895%3A1%3AC0-0&returnUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffahrplan.sbb.ch%2Fbin%2Fquery.exe%2Fen%3Fld%3Dstd1.a%26seqnr%3D1%26ident%3Dmv.023644244.1561380895%26changeQueryInputData%3Dyes%26view0%3Dyes&wait_for_it=wait_for_it


Hostel: Link

Confirmation number: 3380492332

Valley Hostel 

Fuhren, Lauterbrunnen, 322 Switzerland

+41338552008

Check in time 7pm-9pm

Check out: 1am-10am        

Who booked the hostel: Mallerie 


June 30: Lauterbrunnen


July 1: Interlaken, Milan

How to get from the hostel to the bus station: Same way, just reverse. Train to bus to station

K

Bus: Link

Travel from Interlaken to Milan

Interlaken West - Milan Lampugnano Station 6:45pm- 12:15am

Flixbus

Booking # 51779035

Who booked the flight/bus: Roxie

Where to find the ticket: Emma or Sophia have it printed


How to get from the bus station to the airport: Walk 27 minutes to Piazza Stuparich, take bus 90 Lodi Mm for 28 minutes, 16 stops to Piazza Luigi Di Savoia, walk to Milan Centrale and take Autostradale (airport shuttle) to airport (1hr)


Bus: purchase on ATM MILANO APP (emma downloaded)

Shuttle: Tickets at station. 


July 2: Milan, Paris, Copenhagen

Flight: Link

Travel from Milan to Paris

BGY - BVA 6:30am-8:10am

Ryanair

Flight # FR4231

Reservation number (PNR): RY9MTH; Q3RRRZ

Boarding pass will be available June 30

Booking # 51779035

Who booked the flight/bus: Roxie

Where to find the ticket: Emma or Sophia have it printed


How to get from the airport to downtown Paris: Take Shuttle Paris-Beauvais, buy tickets once we arrive at the ticket desk, should cost about 15-17 Euros, bus takes you to Porte Maillot Metro station, metro costs about 2 Euros (decide where we want to go from there?) 


To get to Louvre- walk 5 minutes to Neuilly Porte Maillot and ride line 1 Chateau de vincennes (yellow?)  for 8 stops and walk for one minute 


To get to the Eiffel tower- walk to Andre Maurois and ride 82 Luxembourg for 11 stops, get off at champ de mars and walk for 2 minutes

-option b is walk to Neuilly Porte Maillot and ride RER C for 5 stops, get off at champ de metro and walk for 5 minutes 


How to get from downtown Paris to the airport: Paris-Trocadero, take Orlybus/Ouibus to Orly, 3 stops, 43 minutes


Flight: Link

Travel from Paris to Copenhagen

ORY - CPH 9:45pm-11:40pm

Norwegian

Flight # D83639

Reservation number (PNR): KJV5PQ

Check in will be available July 1

Booking # 51780828

Who booked the flight: Roxie

Where to find the ticket: Roxie’s phone, Norwegian app


How to get from the airport to the hostel: Lufthavnen, take M2 Vanlose St., 14 minutes 9 stops to Norreport, walk 2 minutes to Norreport St. (Norre Voldgade), take bus 6A Buddinge St. for 9 mins, 9 stops, get off at Rovsingsgade (Tagensvej) and walk 2 mins to hostel -Cost 5$


Hostel: Link

A&O Copenhagen Norrebro

Tagensvej 135-137, Nørrebro, Copenhagen, 2200, Denmark

Phone: +49 30 809475110

Check in time: 3pm

Check out time: 10am

Who booked the hostel: Mallerie


How to get from the hostel to downtown Copenhagen: Walk through park and to canals (look up on that day)


July 3: Copenhagen

How to get from Copenhagen to Malmo: Copenhagen Central Station, take train 029 Helsingborg C for 38 minutes, 6 stops, get off at central station  


July 4: Copenhagen, Berlin


How to get from the hostel to airport: walk, 6A, M2 (same as arrival)


Flight: Link

Travel from Copenhagen to Berlin

CPH - TXL 8:30pm-9:40pm

EasyJet

Flight # U25688

Reservation number PNR: EX5MXHF

Check in June 4

Booking # 51783666

Who booked the flight: Roxie

Where to find the tickets: Roxie’s phone, EasyJet app or Wallet


How to get from airport to hostel: Ride TXL Express bus, tickets can be purchased within the airport, outside the airport or from the driver, should cost about 3 Euros, ride 13 stops to Kaiser Friedrich Str. and walk 2 minutes 


Hostel: Link

Happy Go Lucky Hotel + Hostel 

Schoneberg 33 Grunewaldstrabe, 10823

Booking number: 2720917650  Pin: 2525

Check in: 23:00-24:00

Who booked the hostel: Mallerie


How to get from hostel to downtown Berlin: Walk to Bhf Pankstraße, take bus N8, get off at Bernaur Stabe, and go to Berlin Wall memorial


July 5: Berlin


July 6: Berlin, Vienna

How to get from hostel to airport:Walk to Bhf Pankstraße, take M27 S+U Jungfernheide for 10 mins, get off at U. Turmstr., get on TXL bus, 10 mins, 4 stops (both buses)


Flight: Link

Travel from Berlin to Vienna

TXL - VIE 6:20am-7:40am

EasyJet

Flight # U25841

Reservation number (PNR): EX5MVKN

Check in on June 6

Booking # 51785767

Who booked the flight: Roxie

Where to find the tickets: Roxie’s phone, EasyJet app or Wallet


How to get from the airport to hostel: 

Flughafen Wien Bahnhof, take CAT train to Wien Mitte-Landstraße (CAT) Bahnhof (16 min, nonstop), walk to Landstraße and take U3 (Wien Ottakring) to Neubaugasse, walk 4 minutes


Hostel:

Best Location Hostel

Lindengasse 4, 1070 Wien, Austria

Phone: +43 690 8012813

Who booked the hostel: Mallerie


How to get from the hostel to downtown Vienna: Walk, 20 mins into main/old town


July 7: Vienna, Bratislava

How to get from the hostel to the bus station: Walk to Neubaugasse station and get on U3 Wien Simmering, get off at Erdberg (12 minutes) -- U3 is their metro I think


Bus: Link

Travel from Vienna to Bratislava 4:50-6:00

Line 901 Vienna International Airport ------ Bratislava AS Central bus station 

Flixbus

Booking # 1037827192

Who booked the bus: Mallerie

Where to find the tickets: Mallerie’s phone, Flixbus app


How to get from the bus station to the hostel: 


Hostel: Link

Manderla Bratislava 

3 Laurinska, 81101 Bratislava 

Who booked the hostel: Mallerie 


How to get from the hostel to downtown Bratislava: Walk, it’s an 18 minute walk to town/near river


July 8: Bratislava, Prague

How to get from downtown Bratislava to the train station: 25 minute walk


Train: Link

Travel from Bratislava to Prague

Bratislava hl.st - Praha hlavni nadrazi 3:26pm-7:42pm

Regiojet Train

Train # REGIOJETT1050

Reservation number (PNR): 7968704759

No need to check in

Booking # 51790090

Who booked the train: Roxie

Where to find the tickets: Roxie’s phone, Regiojet app


How to get from the train station to the hostel: When we arrive, put in directions and walk (13 min walk)


Hostel: Link

Hostel Ananas

áclavské nám. 846/1, 110 00 Můstek, Czechia

Phone: +420 775 112 405


How to get from the hostel to downtown Prague: We are staying right near Old Town, walk


July 9: Prague


We could buy a day pass for public transportation if we wanted to see more of Prague


July 10: Prague, Budapest

How to get from the hostel to the airport: Walk to Hlavni nadrazi station (main station, right by our hostel and where we arrived), take train AE to airport (nonstop) $2.68, 30 minutes


We can buy bus tickets at orange ticket booths at public information centers or at major bus or tram stops. We have to buy the 30 minute trip one. And we have to validate it when we get on the bus by punching it with the ticket reader in the bus.


If all else fails, the hostel has a shuttle service we could take. It would be more expensive. 


Flight: Link

Travel from Prague to Budapest

PRG - BUD 9:05pm-10:15pm

Ryanair

Flight # FR4092 

Reservation number (PNR): W1RQGC; W4U8MW

Check in: Available July 8

Booking # 51918867

Who booked the flight: Olivia

Where to find the tickets: Emma or Sophia have it printed


How to get from the airport to the hostel: take bus 100E Liszt Ferenc Airport 2 (33 minutes, non stop), get off at Kalvin ter M station (9 min walk to hostel)


Buy tickets at the airport for public transportation. We can use the vending machines to buy single tickets or a day pass. But most places are within walking distance, so it's probably worth it to just buy single passes. Also public transportation stops after 11 pm so we have to make sure to hurry and get on a bus before 10:30


These are the directions from the hostel's website


Hostel: Link

Phone: +36204432883


How to get from the hostel to downtown Budapest: Walk- across river, 26 mins


July 11: Budapest


July 12: Budapest, Kyiv

How to get from the hostel to the airport: Kalvin ter M station (9 min walk from hostel), take bus 100E Liszt Ferenc Airport 2 (33 minutes, non stop)


Flight: Link

Travel from Budapest to Kyiv

BUD - IEV 11:40am-2:20pm

Wizzair

Flight # W62473 

Reservation number (PNR): OGWHFK

Check in: Available July 10

Booking # 51920814

Who booked the flight: Olivia

Where to find the tickets: Roxie’s phone, Wizzair app


Cities that USE Euro

Milan

Paris

Berlin

Vienna

Bratislava



Cities that DON’T use Euro:

Switzerland CHF

Copenhagen CKK

Malmo SEK

Prague CZK

Budapest HUF






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