Practical Cozy Travel

Tag: city guide

  • First Look at Zurich: A Relaxing Arrival Day by the Limmat

    First Look at Zurich: A Relaxing Arrival Day by the Limmat

    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through a link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure here.

    Zurich was our arrival into Switzerland, and we kept it deliberately low-key — a day to land, wander, and let the city set the tone. It turned out to be one of the easiest, prettiest arrival days of the whole trip.

    A slow wander along the Limmat

    After we were dropped off, we just started to explore on foot, and walking along the Limmat was beautiful. The whole riverfront invites a slow pace, which was exactly what we wanted after a travel day.

    Riverfront buildings along the Limmat in Zurich, Switzerland, on a summer afternoon

    The best surprise: watching people jump and flip off the bridges into the river. In summer, locals swim the Limmat like it’s the most normal thing in the world, and it looked like so much fun. My one regret of the day — we didn’t bring our swimsuits. Learn from me: if you’re visiting in warm weather, pack a suit so you can join in.

    The easy sights

    We wove past the classics — the shopping stretch of Bahnhofstrasse, the leafy Lindenhof lookout, the Grossmünster’s twin towers, and the lanes of the Niederdorf old town — with plenty of just-beautiful walking in between. The Lake Zurich promenade is a lovely place to slow down, and if you’re there on a Sunday, Sprüngli is a classic stop for something sweet.

    We paused for drinks along the way, and I had a delicious lemonade with mint and honey that I’m still thinking about. Mostly, this was a day to decompress and ease into Switzerland — exactly what we needed before the bigger adventure the next day.

    Where to actually buy your souvenirs

    Skip the dedicated souvenir shops. Some of the best gifts we brought home came from ordinary grocery stores — Coop and Migros are everywhere, and the chocolate, biscuits, and packaged specialties on those shelves are the same things people actually eat here, at prices that aren’t set for tourists. It’s the easiest way to bring home something Swiss without paying a premium for a paper bag with a cow on it.

    Two other spots worth knowing: Zurich Hauptbahnhof, the main train station, has a genuinely good spread of shops with plenty of variety, and the shops at Zurich Airport are better than the usual airport fare. Both are convenient if you’ve run out of time in the city, and the airport in particular is a fine last-minute rescue on your way out.

    One practical note if you’re carry-on only, as I was: think about what you’re buying before you buy it. Anything liquid or gel-like — jams, honey, liqueur-filled chocolates, spirits — has to go in a checked bag, and a Swiss Army knife won’t clear security no matter how nicely it’s boxed. Chocolate bars, biscuits, dried and packaged goods are all fine in a carry-on. If you know you’re checking a bag, you have far more freedom; if you’re not, buy after security or stick to the solid stuff.

    Comfort tip: in summer, tuck a swimsuit and a quick-dry towel in your day bag so you can jump in the Limmat with the locals — the regret of not having one is real. The Rainleaf microfiber travel towel is the one I pack: it’s compact, dries fast, and takes up almost no room in a carry-on.

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    ← French Pharmacy Haul

    Next up: Lucerne & Mount Rigi →

    Part of A Summer Grand Tour of Belgium, Luxembourg, Alsace & Switzerland.

  • Strasbourg: Alsatian Charm, a Grand Cathedral, and a French Pharmacy Haul

    Strasbourg: Alsatian Charm, a Grand Cathedral, and a French Pharmacy Haul

    Strasbourg struck a really nice balance for us — big enough to feel like a proper city, but with all the half-timbered, canal-laced charm of Alsace. It’s a lovely place to slow down, shop a little, and eat very well.

    Where we stayed

    Our Marriott was in a perfect location, which made a real difference — we could walk out the door and be in the thick of it. In a city this walkable, a central base is worth prioritizing.

    The sights

    The Strasbourg Cathedral is stunning and worth lingering at — the detail on the facade is something else. From there, La Petite France with its canals and the Ponts Couverts is the prettiest stretch to wander, and Place Kléber and the Palais Rohan round out the classics.

    Half-timbered houses along the canals of La Petite France in Strasbourg

    We also did the Batorama canal boat tour: I’ll be honest, I didn’t love it as much as some of the others we’d done — but the rest of my group said it was their favorite, so it’s clearly a your-mileage-may-vary thing and worth doing.

    View from the Batorama canal boat tour along the waterways of Strasbourg, France

    Eat, drink, and reserve ahead

    The food was a highlight — the frittatas were well worth trying, and the region’s wines are genuinely excellent. We had lunch at La Corde à Linge, and my tip is simple: you can reserve, so do it. It saves you standing around at the busiest time of day.

    One more must for skincare lovers

    If you love a good skincare find, save some time (and suitcase space) for a French pharmacy. I did a proper haul at the Pharmacie de l’Homme de Fer right in the center of Strasbourg — the sunscreen alone was worth it. It turned into enough of a thing that I gave it its own post: my full French pharmacy haul, and how to shop one carry-on-friendly.

    ← Haut-Kœnigsbourg & Colmar

    Next up: French Pharmacy Haul →

    Part of A Summer Grand Tour of Belgium, Luxembourg, Alsace & Switzerland.

  • A Leisurely Day in Luxembourg City

    A Leisurely Day in Luxembourg City

    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through a link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure here.

    Luxembourg City surprised me. It’s compact, walkable, and packed with more beauty than its size suggests — dramatic cliffs, a storybook lower town, and enough cafes and shops to fill a relaxed, wandering kind of day.

    The sights worth your time

    Start up top around Place d’Armes and the Grand Ducal Palace, then make your way to Place de la Constitution for the Gëlle Fra monument and the views. The Chemin de la Corniche — often called the most beautiful balcony in Europe — is the walk to prioritize; it looks down over the valley and the lower town.

    View from the Chemin de la Corniche in Luxembourg City, looking down over the valley and the lower town
    Clifftop views over Luxembourg City on a summer walking day

    A tip for first-timers: a free walking tour goes a long way here. I’d been before, so I played guide for the rest of our group, but if it’s your first visit a good tour ties the history together nicely.

    Historic buildings and streets in the old town of upper Luxembourg City

    Head down to the Grund

    Don’t skip the Grund, the lower town along the river. It’s charming down there, and Scott’s Pub had an excellent view to go with some cold drinks — a perfect afternoon pause.

    The Grund, Luxembourg City's lower town, sitting along the river beneath the cliffs

    One very practical note: getting back up from the Grund is no joke. The roads themselves are seriously steep, so use the free public elevator or the designated walking path instead of grinding up the streets. Your legs will thank you.

    Our kind of day

    We kept this one leisurely — sights, yes, but also stops to shop, duck into a few cafes, and enjoy an adult beverage or two. Luxembourg rewards that unhurried pace, and it makes a great base for a day trip to Trier just across the German border.

    Comfort tip: between the steep streets and the cliff-top paths, this is a shoes-that-grip kind of city. Save the cute-but-slippery pair for dinner. I relied on the New Balance 1080 v15 here — the steep bits are much friendlier with real traction underfoot.

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    ← Germany — Trier

    Next up: Haut-Kœnigsbourg & Colmar →

    Part of A Summer Grand Tour of Belgium, Luxembourg, Alsace & Switzerland.

  • Brussels: An Honest First Look at Belgium’s Capital

    Brussels: An Honest First Look at Belgium’s Capital

    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through a link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure here.

    Brussels was our arrival city and the first of three Belgian stops — and I’ll be honest with you up front, it ended up being my least favorite of the three. That doesn’t mean skip it. It just means going in with the right expectations, which is exactly what I wish I’d had.

    Getting into the city

    Our arrival hit a snag at security. There were huge crowds, only a few lanes open, and none of the digital scanners were working — it took us about an hour and fifteen to get through. The silver lining: by the time we cleared it, our luggage was already waiting for us. Because we landed early with five people and a full set of bags, we skipped the train and took an Uber straight to the hotel. If you’re arriving as a group with luggage, that’s the call I’d make again — easier and far less stressful than wrangling everyone onto a train.

    Grand nineteenth-century buildings along a wide boulevard in central Brussels

    What we saw

    After dropping our bags, we wandered. The Grand-Place is genuinely show-stopping — the ornate guild houses and the Town Hall are worth the trip on their own. We also stopped by Manneken Pis, which is famous, tiny, and exactly as small as everyone warns you. It’s a fun tick-the-box moment more than a highlight.

    Narrow street of shops and cafes in central Brussels on a bright summer day

    My honest take

    Brussels leans more touristy than Bruges or Ghent, with more of those souvenir-lined streets. A couple of times it didn’t feel especially safe — we were completely fine, but I stayed more aware of my bag than I did elsewhere. We also stayed near the beer museum, and on the weekend the plaza was a party well into the night. The next morning it was covered in trash with a few disgruntled stragglers still about. The cleanup crews were fast, but it wasn’t quite our pace.

    If I did it again, I’d book a hotel a few streets back from the main nightlife squares — you’re still walkable to everything, minus the 2 a.m. soundtrack.

    Is it worth it?

    Yes — for the Grand-Place alone, and as an easy base for day trips to Bruges and Ghent (both a quick, simple train ride away). Just go in knowing it’s the busiest and most touristy of the three, and plan your hotel accordingly.

    Comfort tip: in busier, touristy areas I like a crossbody bag that zips closed and sits in front of me — hands free for photos, and one less thing to think about. The one I carry is the Baggallini Securtex Anti-Theft Daytripper Sling. Honestly, anything by Baggallini does the job — and it’s well worth checking TJ Maxx before you pay full price.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Affiliate Disclosure for details.

    ← The full 12-day itinerary

    Next up: Belgium — Bruges →

    Part of A Summer Grand Tour of Belgium, Luxembourg, Alsace & Switzerland.