Citytrips and weekend breaks

Unfortunately, the days of 0,01€ flights are over, but still, getting out there for a couple of days doesn't have to be expensive, here's what i did in the last years:

Barcelona '10/'11-'12/'13:

One 0.01€ trip, I’ve booked over 50 flights back then and the cold weather in Holland really made me use one of these to go to Barcelona. Just one day, but a difference of 15 degrees, sun and tapas made it worth. The second one was a New Years eve trip. 4 days in one of my favorite cities, up to 20 degrees, going out for dinner/lunch/breakfast a lot, no New Years eve in Holland, and sitting on the beach on the first of January! Also my first New Years eve without fireworks i think. The third a reasonably cheap flight to go away for the weekend without taking a day off. Leaving saturday early, coming back sunday late. Sun, tapas, cerveza: Barcelona!

*****

Berlin '13
To Berlin by train, going back by plane. 3 days of drinking beer on the streets and in the sun and having nice food. We also did some little cultural stuff, but this was mainly about living the good life.

****½

Bucharest '09

Just a trip, cheap flight and exploring an unknown city. Not that it's very likely i go back to the city, but the Progesul match and the taxi driver crashing his own cab while trying to rip us off for 1€ made it worth.

**

Budapest '12

Found a 0,37€ returnflight, so a real no brainer to go. We had some nice food, spend some time in Szechenyi baths, and did some real solid ruinpub-hopping! When in Budapest, stay in the 6th/7th district and go ruinpubhopping! Do your sightseeing by public transport, but stay in the area with the best vibe at night!

****½

Dusseldorf  '12

Nice city with a really great vibe in the Altstadt, which seems like one big open air bar. Hanging out in the sun there, on the Kirmes or next to the Rhine. And also a big Japanese community, so if you see a large group of Japanese people standing in line for a restaurant: join the line, it's delicious! Easy access from Utrecht too, so I'll be back!

****

Lanzarote '11

A trip to get away from the touring schedule for a weekend. 25 degrees, sun, beach, cheap drinks sums it up perfectly i think. Something like your average 'oh oh Cherso' holiday, but for less than 80 euro, and without Dutch morons everywhere.

***

Lisbon '12-'13

New Years Eve trip to a warmer city part two! Good feeling to be able to sit outside and have dinner at 22:00 on some december evening. Went sightseeing in Belem, Sintra, downtown Lisbon and spend all our nights out in Barrio Alto, cheap drinks, narrow streets, basically an open air pub! One tip: if you decide to take tram 28. Don't go all the way to the end, it ends somewhere randomly!

***½

London '07/'08/'09/'10/'11

I don't even know how many times I’ve visited London the last years, it must be 8/9 times. Mostly shopping, some partying, a couple of concerts and some sightseeing, but not too much. Spend 150€ for all the return trips at most.

****½

Malta '11

More or less like Lanzarote, but 4 months before that, only 15 degrees and visited a local match in the Maltese Football League, luckily we bought the right scarf in order to get back with an supporters bus as the public transport stopped after the match started.

***

Paris '12

We found some cheap nightbusses to Paris, not a city I really wanted to go to, since I've been there a couple of times when in highschool, but for a couple of euros, why not? Positively surprised by the city, not the vibe i had in mind. 

Single best tip for the city? VELIB! Rent a bike for 1.70€ a day and every first 30 minutes of a trip are free! Bikes and returnpoints are everywhere, so get a bike, drive around to your next stop within those 30 mins, park your bike, look around, get a new bike etc etc. No public transport needed, and way better views than a smelly subway!

***½

Prague '07/'08/'09/'10/'11/'12

Annual trip with my friends, some city trips, shows with my band and football. Partying, cheap beers, cheap dinners, city beach, going on the party boat, bowling, peddle bikes on the river. I stopped doing touristic stuff in Prague a while ago, it's just a city with a nice vibe to chill in. Think i already spent over a month there the last years. I don't even know why i pack my travel guide every time, cause in fact, i don't need it over there.

*****

Stockholm '08

When i was there in summer it was light for almost the whole day, what a difference with the winter! Everything closes really early except for the 251231 H&M's. Still like the city, but i would recommend the summer! Travelled back to Skavsta airport with the train, it takes a bit longer than the special buses, but the trains are the best I’ve ever seen and Nykoping is a nice harbor town to walk around for a couple of hours.

****

Tokyo '12

Tokyo, fucking Tokyo! What can i say? Read the blog! Last part of the blog is missing though, will put that up sometime.

*****

Wroclaw '11

My first 'we really want to go away fast and cheaply' trip with Miranda led me to Poland for a couple of days. Just a provincial city with a big market square and cheap food and drinks. Really nice apartment in the city too but in the end nothing remarkable to bring me back to Wroclaw.

***