Over Christmas, Miro and I spent a week moving through Germany, Austria, and Italy — the kind of slow, meandering trip that reminds you why travel is less about ticking boxes and more about how a place makes you feel. There were moments of quiet magic, a few missteps, and several places I’d return to without hesitation. Consider this a considered edit: where to go, what to skip, and how to travel well if Europe is on your 2026 list.
Start Well
Fly via London City Airport if you can. It’s discreet, efficient, and refreshingly grown-up — a business airport in the best sense. Minimal chaos, maximum calm. Just eat beforehand; the food offering is bleak.
Non-negotiable. The freedom to move — across borders, into mountains, or simply off-route — is what makes this trip sing. Just ensure your rental allows cross-country driving. We ended up in Italy for burgers and coffee. Unplanned. Perfect.
GERMANY
Skip: Lindau
Undeniably pretty, but underwhelming. Expensive, limited food options, and lacking energy — though Christmas timing may have played a role.
Go Instead: Schliersee
This is where Germany shines. A postcard-perfect ski town framed by snowy mountains. Stay at Berggasthof Obere Firstalm, a remote alpine inn that feels like a secret. Warm, charming, and worth the effort. Dinner is essential (the duck is exceptional!), breakfast is included, and the views are unforgettable. Note: no car access — expect a steep hour-long walk. It’s extremely demanding on the body, but deeply rewarding.
Also Go: Stuttgart
Quietly one of my favourite cities. Industrial, yes — but calming, cultured, and unexpectedly restorative. Stay at Rioca Stuttgart Posto 4, a design-led hotel with Rio energy that made me nostalgic enough to start planning another Brazil trip. Skip hotel breakfast and eat out instead.
Head first to Misch Misch (jazz, locals, atmosphere) for coffee, and then Wildbakers for baked goods (order the buttered pretzel). For lunch and dinner: Triple B for excellent burgers or Carls Brewery — choose the duck and forget the schnitzel.
Tourist moment worth having: the Porsche Museum. Even if cars aren’t your thing, it’s beautifully curated and genuinely engaging. I left with a Porsche baseball cap. No regrets.
AUSTRIA
Salzburg surprised me — not in the way I expected. Beautiful, yes, but not somewhere I’d linger. That said, it’s an excellent base for exploring nearby regions.
Stay at The Passenger, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel — central, comfortable, and practical. Skip hotel breakfast and head straight to Idealist, which serves all-day brunch and one of the best matcha cheesecakes I’ve ever had.
Avoid: Hallstatt
Overcrowded, inaccessible, and stripped of its charm by tourism.
Go Instead: Rosewood Schloss Fuschl
For views alone, this is non-negotiable. Serene, cinematic, and deeply Austrian — the kind of place that recalibrates you.
Travel well. Choose less but choose better.
Love, Tofi Caroline