Top Travel Destinations of 2019
Hello hello!
How is it the last day of 2019?! This year has flown. I swear every year is getting faster.
I had a pretty good year regarding travel. As I was doing an internship in Madrid from January to August, I was able to take advantage of cheap public transport within Spain and cheap flights within Europe. I travelled to 5 new countries - Switzerland, France, Belgium, Czech Republic and Hungary - and to countries I had been before. So I thought that in order to celebrate the end of 2019, I'd share my top 3 favourite travel destinations from this year.
I travelled to Budapest at the end of July with my cousin and absolutely fell in love with it. It's a stunningly beautiful city with the Danube running through it, but what got me was its 'vibe'. We arrived in the evening, not sure where we were going to eat or what we should do, and we happened to stumble upon a square (which we found out the next day is the main square of the Pest side of the city - Elizabeth Square) with a band playing live music and young people sitting around drinking relaxedly, soaking up the last of the evening sun - that was me sold to be honest. Add to that the ruin bars which are, as the name suggests, quite literally old ruined buildings left empty after the fall of the USSR which have been turned into bars using barely any resources. We went to Szimpla in the Jewish quarter and it was honestly like nothing I've experienced before. I can't even explain how cool - it's something that needs to be experienced.
I also loved the fact that despite becoming increasingly popular with tourists in recent years, Budapest has managed to keep so much of its culture and I heard so much Hungarian being spoken in the very city centre. Maybe it's the linguaphile within me but this is something that I always notice when I go to a capital city - how much of the language do I hear being spoken in the centre? And I love when the answer is 'lots'. Hungary has such an interesting history with lessons that we can all take, and I'm so glad that it is getting the opportunity to share this in its own way with the tourists that come.
We did so much during our 4 days in Budapest and yet I still feel like there is so much more to discover and explore, so I definitely will be going back at some point!
3 things not to miss:
- Ruin bars for a very alternative drinking experience
- Free walking tours for an informative and cheap way to get to know the city (we used this company and did the Original Tour, the Communism Tour and the Jewish District Tour, all of which I would highly recommend!)
- Thermal baths to be the ultimate tourist in Budapest!
Geneva was a place I had wanted to go to for so long and so when I saw cheap flights from Madrid for March, I took it as a sign and I booked. I was a bit apprehensive because nobody was available to come with me that weekend and a whole weekend alone in a totally new country seemed a bit daunting but I wanted to go so badly so I went ahead and booked. As I said in my last post, Madrid was just not my place, and a weekend away on my own turned out to be exactly what I needed to recharge at that point.
Since I had wanted to go to Geneva for so long, I did wonder if I had built it up in my head to be way better than it actually was, but it did not disappoint at all. Firstly, I found the people so friendly and very patient of me wanting to practice my (very rusty) French. Secondly, it's so CLEAN - it's the kind of clean where if you dropped food on the ground outside, you might consider eating it before coming to your senses - THAT level of clean. And finally, it's just so stunning! I went in March so there was snow on the Alps that you could see from the city and Lake Geneva is so pretty, especially at night when the little lights all around it came on.
The only downside for me is that it is so expensive! The city left such a good impression on me that I remember looking up the average rent prices and salaries to see about the viability of living there for a bit after uni, but sadly I would probably have to sell an arm to be able to afford it...
3 things not to miss:
- Plainpalais fleamarket for such good food - I highly recommend the falafel wraps from 'La Galette de La Paix'
- Mont-Saleve cable car for amazing panoramic views of Geneva
- Palais des Nations (UN Headquarters) is so cool to see and the adjoining botanical gardens are so nice to walk around
I went to Seville twice during 2019, both times for work but in the evenings I had time to wander about the city and have dinner, so I did have the chance to get a good feel for the city and I absolutely loved it. It feels so authentically Spanish and I love that despite being the 4th biggest city in Spain, it doesn't feel huge. Also the food was to die for! I was so disappointed with the food scene in Madrid but every meal I had out in Seville was amazing!
I really want to go back and explore more of Seville very soon!
3 things not to miss:
- Plaza de España for stunning architecture and pretty scenery
- Real Alcazar (I didn't get a chance to go but it's on my list for when I go back!)
- Restaurante Al Aljibe for the best food I think I've ever eaten - the first time I went for 4 days with the girls from work and we ate there 2 of the 4 days!
Of course there were so many places that I visited in 2019 and, loved but those are the top 3! If anyone wants to know any more about any of these places, please feel free to leave a comment or message me.
And finally - Happy New Year! I hope everyone has a lovely time ringing in the New Year with friends and family tonight. I can't wait to see what 2020 has in store!
-C x
How is it the last day of 2019?! This year has flown. I swear every year is getting faster.
I had a pretty good year regarding travel. As I was doing an internship in Madrid from January to August, I was able to take advantage of cheap public transport within Spain and cheap flights within Europe. I travelled to 5 new countries - Switzerland, France, Belgium, Czech Republic and Hungary - and to countries I had been before. So I thought that in order to celebrate the end of 2019, I'd share my top 3 favourite travel destinations from this year.
1. Budapest, Hungary
![]() |
View from Buda castle |
I travelled to Budapest at the end of July with my cousin and absolutely fell in love with it. It's a stunningly beautiful city with the Danube running through it, but what got me was its 'vibe'. We arrived in the evening, not sure where we were going to eat or what we should do, and we happened to stumble upon a square (which we found out the next day is the main square of the Pest side of the city - Elizabeth Square) with a band playing live music and young people sitting around drinking relaxedly, soaking up the last of the evening sun - that was me sold to be honest. Add to that the ruin bars which are, as the name suggests, quite literally old ruined buildings left empty after the fall of the USSR which have been turned into bars using barely any resources. We went to Szimpla in the Jewish quarter and it was honestly like nothing I've experienced before. I can't even explain how cool - it's something that needs to be experienced.
I also loved the fact that despite becoming increasingly popular with tourists in recent years, Budapest has managed to keep so much of its culture and I heard so much Hungarian being spoken in the very city centre. Maybe it's the linguaphile within me but this is something that I always notice when I go to a capital city - how much of the language do I hear being spoken in the centre? And I love when the answer is 'lots'. Hungary has such an interesting history with lessons that we can all take, and I'm so glad that it is getting the opportunity to share this in its own way with the tourists that come.
We did so much during our 4 days in Budapest and yet I still feel like there is so much more to discover and explore, so I definitely will be going back at some point!
3 things not to miss:
- Ruin bars for a very alternative drinking experience
- Free walking tours for an informative and cheap way to get to know the city (we used this company and did the Original Tour, the Communism Tour and the Jewish District Tour, all of which I would highly recommend!)
- Thermal baths to be the ultimate tourist in Budapest!
![]() |
Just one part of the Szimpla Kert ruin bar |
2. Geneva, Switzerland
![]() |
View of Geneva from Mont Saleve |
Geneva was a place I had wanted to go to for so long and so when I saw cheap flights from Madrid for March, I took it as a sign and I booked. I was a bit apprehensive because nobody was available to come with me that weekend and a whole weekend alone in a totally new country seemed a bit daunting but I wanted to go so badly so I went ahead and booked. As I said in my last post, Madrid was just not my place, and a weekend away on my own turned out to be exactly what I needed to recharge at that point.
Since I had wanted to go to Geneva for so long, I did wonder if I had built it up in my head to be way better than it actually was, but it did not disappoint at all. Firstly, I found the people so friendly and very patient of me wanting to practice my (very rusty) French. Secondly, it's so CLEAN - it's the kind of clean where if you dropped food on the ground outside, you might consider eating it before coming to your senses - THAT level of clean. And finally, it's just so stunning! I went in March so there was snow on the Alps that you could see from the city and Lake Geneva is so pretty, especially at night when the little lights all around it came on.
The only downside for me is that it is so expensive! The city left such a good impression on me that I remember looking up the average rent prices and salaries to see about the viability of living there for a bit after uni, but sadly I would probably have to sell an arm to be able to afford it...
3 things not to miss:
- Plainpalais fleamarket for such good food - I highly recommend the falafel wraps from 'La Galette de La Paix'
- Mont-Saleve cable car for amazing panoramic views of Geneva
- Palais des Nations (UN Headquarters) is so cool to see and the adjoining botanical gardens are so nice to walk around
![]() |
Palais des Nations |
3. Seville, Spain
I really want to go back and explore more of Seville very soon!
3 things not to miss:
- Plaza de España for stunning architecture and pretty scenery
- Real Alcazar (I didn't get a chance to go but it's on my list for when I go back!)
- Restaurante Al Aljibe for the best food I think I've ever eaten - the first time I went for 4 days with the girls from work and we ate there 2 of the 4 days!
![]() |
Amazing sunset in Seville |
Of course there were so many places that I visited in 2019 and, loved but those are the top 3! If anyone wants to know any more about any of these places, please feel free to leave a comment or message me.
And finally - Happy New Year! I hope everyone has a lovely time ringing in the New Year with friends and family tonight. I can't wait to see what 2020 has in store!
-C x
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