Amsterdam, Prague, Berlin, Iceland - Oh my!
For this trip, Tom and I wanted to bounce around Europe and explore a bit. Amsterdam is usually inexpensive to fly in and out of, so we made that our point of European contact and then chose a few places we had never been to explore.
We also walked to the Rijk Museum which was just a 15 minute walk located on Museumplein. Featuring artists like Rembrandt and Vermeer. As well as the Van Gogh Museum which is right nearby, which was interesting not just because it had over 200 paintings, but it also told the story of his life and follows his timeline as an artist and what he struggles with.
We chose to do a day trip to Karlovy Vary, we took a Train, it was about 2 hours of travel time, this was an excellent way to see some countryside and experience the gorgeous, tucked away, sleepy town. It gave us a dusting of snow that day, but we enjoyed a hot drink which is common there, Pear Cider, some tasty treats from the street vendors. We also decided to try out the Sauna Thermal Resort which gave us a great view of the town and enjoy the outdoors and frosty air while being nice and warm.
Check Point Charlie gave lots of terrifying and fascinating facts about all that went on at the border crossing. It is always astonishing to me how different it is to stand where something went on and be so present in it, rather than just hearing about it or reading snippets here and there.
We went mid-January, so it was cold 🥶. We wanted to still travel light, so we made sure to fit everything into carry-on because the hopper flights from city to city are inexpensive but they charge extra for baggage.
Sky-scanner is my go-to site for cheap flights in Europe, however sometimes the 3rd party flights can be unreliable, so make sure you're checking on them regularly in case they cancel or reschedule them.
I'm gonna go over what I wore and packed to both be stylish enough for Europe, warm enough and be able to fit it all in my carry-on. Yes there are affiliate links all throughout this, but only for things I loved and used and am still using for travel now.
Packing List :
Boots
An extra long coat - this extra long coat was a lifesaver to keep warm while walking around the cities in Europe, it was cold. Also, I was able to be comfortable in just my leggings, I was warm enough outside in my coat, and able to take it off indoors for dinners and museums and be comfortable walking around.
Beanie
Scarf
Tank tops (for layering)
Sweaters
Leggings - I love these! I wear them constantly, they are extremely comfortable and come in lots of great colors for outfit matching. Also, great for layering tank tops and sweaters over for warmth.
Travel Backpack - this is a FABULOUS carry on backpack. Perfect for traveling. It is affordable, has the ability to open in the clam-shell style to easily look for things, but still fits under the seat of the plane and you can store it. Its also comfortable to carry for extended periods of time with both the front chest and hip clips and pad in the back. I also appreciate the anti-theft pocket on the backside of the backpack.
Roller Bag - cheap but very functional, used extensively.
Day Pack - a must have for a day trip back or just walking about, fits my water bottle, book, beanie, gloves and scarf and snacks.
First Stop - Amsterdam 🛫
Amsterdam was my favorite city, because of the relaxed atmosphere and the friendly people. Tom has been several times before, so he knew where he wanted to stay and what he wanted to eat 🥐.
We stayed in the De Pijp neighborhood, at the hotel Muse. This is a very cool small hotel with a swanky vibe. It was a great location, walking distance to bakeries, Museums, and restaurants.
We visited the Albert Cuyp Market, one of the largest and most famous street markets in the Netherlands. Lots of lovely things to look at, taste, try and buy.
We also walked to the Rijk Museum which was just a 15 minute walk located on Museumplein. Featuring artists like Rembrandt and Vermeer. As well as the Van Gogh Museum which is right nearby, which was interesting not just because it had over 200 paintings, but it also told the story of his life and follows his timeline as an artist and what he struggles with.
Overall, my favorite part of Amsterdam was how friendly everyone was, either just enjoying themselves or willing to chat. I also liked seeing someone moving a very large couch out the top floor of an apartment building on one of those large hook/pulley systems that most of the buildings have there. In addition, I had fun talking to my kids when I got home about how they handle trash there. They don't have dumpsters like we do here in the US, people put their trash in the street trash cans, it's crazy to see the trash man come and pull up the huge compartment under the trashcan and realize that's where the trash goes.
Also the bicycles littering the streets, the sleepy central canals, weird urinals that are placed along the canals, tiny smart cars that occasionally drive on the sidewalk and the red light district to wander through for walk by amusement. There was a lot to take in from this visit.
Next Stop - Prague
Prague was beautiful, mainly because the architecture and skyline was very interesting and fun to walk through. We visited the Old Town Square and Prague Castle, both were stunning and completely worth the trip.
We also experienced a Medieval Dinner which was fun, fire dancing, some contortion, a style of belly dancing and some barbaric acts.
We chose to do a day trip to Karlovy Vary, we took a Train, it was about 2 hours of travel time, this was an excellent way to see some countryside and experience the gorgeous, tucked away, sleepy town. It gave us a dusting of snow that day, but we enjoyed a hot drink which is common there, Pear Cider, some tasty treats from the street vendors. We also decided to try out the Sauna Thermal Resort which gave us a great view of the town and enjoy the outdoors and frosty air while being nice and warm.
I did enjoy Prague for all of the above reasons, however, the people were not as friendly, quite cold actually and we ran into a few issues with misunderstanding the public transportation rules and other things due to the lack of friendliness and not everyone readily speaks English.
Train Ride to - Berlin
Instead of taking a hopper flight, we decided it would be better to take a train ride to Berlin. The train station was walking distance from our Hotel we stayed at in Prague and that made easy access, also the ride was only 4 hours, so it made more sense than a flight and was much cheaper. It was $40/person to ride the train from Prague to Berlin.
The train ride was lovely, it was quiet and nice, the scenery was interesting and I enjoyed it very much. It was also excellent to just end up in Berlin and quickly Uber to our next hotel.
I felt like it was easy to get around Berlin on the Subways, the Berlin Wall was fascinating and the East Side Gallery, which is an extended piece of the wall left standing, was very interesting to look at. Walking along the river was also very pretty.
Check Point Charlie gave lots of terrifying and fascinating facts about all that went on at the border crossing. It is always astonishing to me how different it is to stand where something went on and be so present in it, rather than just hearing about it or reading snippets here and there.
We also went to the Pergamom Museum and Neues Museum... mainly to stay out of the cold. It was frigid and we were worn out from wandering around in the cold in Prague. But the museums were interesting and worth it.
However, my favorite activity we did while we were there was visit the Espionage Museum, it was fabulous! I am a kid at heart and wished I had my kids with me, because it was truly awesome. You got to learn things about how they hid messages and all sorts of interesting communication techniques and more. Well worth it, lots of fun, learning and playing at the same time.
Hopper Flight to - Iceland
Neither of us had been to Iceland and both wanted to get that experience, so while it wasn't exactly close to Berlin, we took a hopper flight to Iceland to see what we could see.
Landing in Reykjavík in winter feels like arriving in a frozen dream. We took a bus from the airport to the city where we stayed at the Midgardur Hotel. I love this hotel, it had a lovely hot tub and the breakfast included was amazing. It was a perfect choice as it was walking distance to a variety of pubs and restaurants, at one point while it was snowing l, we went for a walk and saw the perfect Icelandic scene; a child being pulled on a sled down the sidewalk surrounded by quaint buildings and glowing shop windows.
A visit to the ice caves was the perfect adventure day trip. It was a long busy ride to a parking lot where we then transfereed to these oversized vehicles that were similar to monster trucks with huge wheels, we then rode those out across the icy plains to arrive at the base of the hills where we hiked into the caves with ice cleats they provided to put over our shoes. The cave reveals glowing blue tunnels carved deep in the glaciers—silent, surreal, and unforgettable.
The next day a short Uber got us to the next adventure, soaking in the warm waters of Sky Lagoon as the cold sea air brushes your face is the perfect way to end the day—peaceful, wild, and purely Iceland. Tips to get the best experience, don't get your hair wet and wear a beanie if your ears get cold easily. It's gorgeous and you can hang out for hours, do the ritual it's fun, and order a drink from the comfort of the warm water at the bar.
After Iceland, we headed back to Amsterdam for our flight home the next day. Over all it was an amazing trip 😃. I think Iceland was our favorite stop, and we will return there for sure!
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