Due to my family background I have been travelling from a very early age.
My parents are both teachers and almost every holiday we would jump in the car, along with my Gran and head across the channel to Europe on our way to visit friends and family in Germany. On the way we would pass through France and Belgium, stopping off in plenty of towns and villages as we went, and a cottage stay in rural France was often incorporated into our return journey.
At the age of 10, my parents decided it was time to do something different. I was considered old enough to see where my Mum had grown up in Poland – this is where our Interrail adventures began and the travel bug truly set in.
So, back in June 2002, with our bags packed, we set off on a month’s adventure around Europe.
The route took us through Berlin up to Poland’s Baltic Coast to the pretty seaside town of Sopot, my Mum’s hometown. We spent a week on the coast, staying with some of my Mum’s childhood friends and made the most of the opportunity to explore the area taking trips to nearby Gdansk, Gdynia, Starogard and the collosal Teutonic castle of Malbork.
Leaving Sopot and the sandy beaches of the Baltic behind, we travelled southwards, stopping in Warsaw and Krakow, where I was blown away by the beautiful Rynek Główny (Main Square) and the stunning Wieliczka Salt Mine a short drive away – an absolute must see!
PS. Excuse my delightful fashion sense, the early naughties were the prime time for clashing prints teamed with baseball caps not to mention socks and sandles. I assure you a few things have changed..!
Our next stop was Budapest, which we explored for a few days before making our way further inland to the picturesque Lake Balaton. After a week spent relaxing on the lakeside, we travelled to the Austrian capital, Vienna, where I ate my first proper Wiener Schnitzel followed by a piece of the traditional Sachertorte (a rich chocolate cake). Oh my, it was delicious!
After much gorging on Viennese delicacies, it was time to move on to our next destination – Salzburg! The birthplace of Mozart and, more importantly for a 10 year traveller, the filming location for the Sound of Music!
And no, I couldn’t resist the tour..!
I can certainly tell you that this first Interrail trip opened my eyes to foreign cultures but it also gave me the opportunity to meet new people and triggered my love of learning languages.
From then on, I knew that travelling and I were going to be the best of friends.
After the success of our first Interrail trip, it became somewhat of a tradition to set off to the continent once the summer holidays were upon us. In the following years our travels also took us to the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, France and Spain.
During my time at school I also took part in school exchanges to France and Germany, went on my first outside-Europe adventure to Mauritius with a friend (such a luxury!) and during my Gap Year spent some months Au-pairing for a family in Germany not far from the Dutch border. I also attempted to improve my German at the same time and gain an insight into German life and culture.
Even once University had started I thankfully still managed to fit in some travelling, securing myself a scholarship to summer university in Munich, a trip to New York for my 21st birthday and of course, my Year Abroad in the wonderful city of Düsseldorf.
So, what next?
Much like any passionate traveller out there I have plans and itineraries for practically every continent and I’m hoping that in the coming years I’ll be able to fit some globetrotting into my plans. However in the meantime, whilst I am still celebrating freedom from University, I have a trip to Istanbul, a tour of Scandinavia and Northern Germany and a UK getaway to York to look forward to.
So whether you are looking for travel tips or inspiration, or perhaps you just fancy hearing more about my travel stories – you have come to the right place.
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Happy travels!
Love, Victoria xx
