Lake Konstanz

We spent a long weekend in Lake Konstanz.  We actually stayed right in Konstanz and took the car out to explore the surrounding areas.  It's beautiful!  You can also head over to Mineau Island, the flower island.  We went in October and although it was beautiful, not many flowers/trees were in bloom.  I'd suggest heading there in the Spring/Summer when you have a better chance of enjoying the flowers and their smell.

Lake Konstanz


Mineau Island in October

If you're in the area, I would recommend a stop at Stein Am Rhein in neighboring Switzerland.  See my post for more info.

Naples and the Amalfi Coast

We flew into Naples and rented a car.  A few nights in Naples is worth it for the food and shopping alone.  Naples is not a pretty city, but my goodness, the food is amazing!  You have to get a Caprese Salad while you are in this area.  You can catch a city bus if you are near the airport really cheap.  I would be scared to drive downtown Naples, but you'll want a car to do the drive south.


The Amalfi Coast is beautiful.  Crazy driving and highly stressful as the cliff is on one side and oncoming buses are on the other.  Chill out and concentrate and have someone there to take pics of all the things you're missing cause you're driving!  Shots like this..


We stayed along the way in Sorrento.  Visit the lemon groves and taste Lemoncello everywhere!  We went to the beach and stayed right downtown.  There is a bus that goes from Naples to Sorrento too, but you miss all the sights along the way.
We stopped here in Positano for a walk, some shopping, and some picture taking.  There's no parking here, you have to find a spot on the top of the cliff and walk down stairs to the town of Positano.

Zurich

Zurich is a big city and requires not only a full day, but also a full tank of energy.  It's a lovely city, although having been to Lake Konstanz in Germany, Brian and I both like that better.


But, if you're in Zurich, there's one thing you need to do.  Stop at the Confiserie Sprüngli for some  Luxembourgers, a delish confection that melts in your mouth.  We go there every time we're in Zurich.

Prague

Prague was a great long weekend trip.  We enjoyed walking around the city, which is all cobblestone and visiting the Charles Bridge.  It's not as inexpensive as I had hoped, but still worth a trip.  Go to the Jewish Cemetery and the Lesser Quarter.  In the Lesser Quarter, you'll find the Absinth Shop with flavored icecream.  Hike all the way up the hill, past all the Embassies and you'll get to Prague Castle.  We did not pay the entrance fee, but chose to walk around outside and through the gardens taking tons of photos.

Prague Castle in the Background

Nürnberg

The best thing about this city is the wurst!  They are special to this region and are much sweeter than a brotwurst.  It's served with weinkraut and is just delish. It's a beautiful, old, walled in city and very much doable on foot.  Just stay by a metro stop and you'll be fine without a car.

Barcelona

We stayed with our friends when we went to Barcelona.  We were there for a week.  The Hop On/Off bus wasn't anything to write home about, but it was good to use as a way of transportation.  We did a lot of shopping.  And we went downtown for tapas and sangria.  You must visit Las Ramblas and stop in the market area for a fresh juice..so yummy!!  We took a side trip to Sitges, which I would really recommend if you have a rental car.  It's a beautiful town right on the sea.  We had the best paella ever here!

Dublin

Dublin is a great city for a long weekend trip.  Otherwise, rent a car and explore more of the country.  If you stay in Dublin though, I would recommend the combo pass you can get at the airport.  It's part Hop On/Off Bus as well as working with the public buses.  The Hop On bus is a good one to do here.  Some cities, it's not worth the price, but here in Dublin, I thought it was.  Visit the Jameson Whiskey and Guinness Factories.  We stayed outside the downtown area, but right near a bus stop.  It worked out perfectly and saved us some cash.