10 Gorgeous Places in Europe To Add To Your Bucket List

I recently wrote about 14 Europe Experiences You Must Have In Your Lifetime, but there are also places in Europe that I believe you should see just for the sheer beauty. Even though a picture doesn't do justice to these gorgeous places, it's more than enough to make you want to see it for yourself!

Lake Como

The drive from Como to Bellagio in Northern Italy is absolutely stunning. The homes along the water on either side is enough to make these views worth the drive. But you'll just have to see it for yourself!

Interlaken, Switzerland

Gorgeous all year round, Interlaken is a perfect small Swiss town right up by the alps. Head up the mountains for adventure sports or hiking, or even walk along them for picturesque views.

Buda Castle

The hill is worth the climb to get up to this castle in Budapest, Hungary. At the top you'll find not only the castle with its patterned glazed tiles (a signature in Central Europe), but the views of the famous parliament building, the chain bridge, and the city are amazing.

Charles Bridge

This bridge in Prague is crowded all year round with tourists, but for good reason. Not only is there history surrounding the area, but you'll find gorgeous panoramas as you walk along the bridge over the Vltava River. There are also statues lined up on either side, as well as merchants selling things like jewelry or paintings. The views of the Prague Castle are amazing.

Southern Croatian Islands

There are many reasons to visit Croatia, and one of them is due to the gorgeous islands. Think palm trees, red-roofed homes built into the lush, green hills, and some of the clearest water you'll find in the Adriatic Sea. Go now before tourism makes this hidden gem into the next hot spot.

The Seine River

No list like this would be complete without France's famous capital and the river that winds through it. Every bridge leads to somewhere spectacular in the city, and views along the river are not to be missed.

Blarney Castle

The Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland is more than what you imagine when you think of Ireland. So much GREEN! It's a fun spot to visit (and to kiss the Blarney stone for good luck) but walking around the grounds and taking in the scene atop the castle will show endless emerald views.

Topkapi Palace

Istanbul's Topkapi Palace is definitely somewhere you must go if you find yourself in Turkey's major city. It's much different than your typical castle or church  in Western Europe with the architecture and colorful tiles.

Monaco

Its own tiny little country in the French Riviera, Monaco has spectacular views of the coast, not to mention the yachts of the rich and (sometimes) famous. It is truly one of the most beautiful places in Europe.

Amalfi Coast

A popular summer spot, you'll find the likes of Sorrento, Positano, and Capri here. The views are spectacular whether you're cliffside, on the beach, or walking through the windy walkways.

All photos by Ally Archer.

10 Signs You Have Major Wanderlust

"Wanderlust" is defined as a strong desire to travel. It's that aching feeling where you're dreaming about going somewhere. It can consume you as travel is all you think about, until you finally plan that trip you've been dreaming of in your head and actually do it. But it doesn't stop there - once you've been bit by the travel bug, you're "infected" for life, and that wanderlust will happily come creeping back.

Lemon Groves in Positano

10 Signs You Have Major Wanderlust

1. You're always planning your next trip.

2. You dream up different routes to take, including some to circumnavigate the world.

3. You're intrigued by other cultures and want to see how other people live their lives.

4. You're often looking through old travel photos, which makes you nostalgic.

5. You'll do whatever it takes to travel, like using your airline miles, vacation days off of work, or even taking time for extended travel/work overseas.

Galata Tower View

6. You often look up flights to faraway destinations.

7. You get excited as you anticipate your next trip, even if it's weeks or months away.

8. You spend a majority of your free time looking at travel Instagrams, reading books about faraway destinations, and perusing travel blogs.

9. You keep mementos like leftover change from other currencies in hopes you will be back again soon to use it.

10. You read lists like this and resonate with every point.

Andiamo - The Most Authentic Italian Restaurant in the Seattle Area

After spending about six months in Italy, I had my fair share of traditional Italian food. It was an amazing time over in Italy in terms of cuisine, because  in my opinion, Italians do it best when it comes to cooking. After returning to the States I had eaten at some Italian restaurants here and there, but the quality just wasn't at all up to par with Italy. (No offense, Olive Garden...) It was when I tried Andimao, though, that I was transported back to Florence with a single bite of my gnocchi. This small restaurant in downtown Bellevue (east of Seattle) is located on the corner of 110th Ave and 10th St. There are tables and chairs outside on the sidewalk (reminded me of Italy) and there is a relaxing atmosphere inside. Of the three times I've been there, the service has been excellent.

Everything from the pasta al dente and insalata mista to the silky, pure olive oil and the little basket of bread tasted exactly like it did when I dined out in Florence. I've had the tortellini in prosciutto sauce (pictured, left) and the gnocchi with bolognese. I always recommend this place to friends when they're in the Seattle area.

Andiamo Ristorante Italiano

Address: 938 110th Ave NE #1 / Bellevue, WA 98004

Phone: (425) 452-9602

This was not sponsored. I just loved it so much I had to write about it!

The Thermal Bath Experience in Budapest

Budapest thermal baths

One of Hungary's most exciting attractions are the thermal baths - large hot tub-like baths that are open to the public. Budapest became known as the City of Spas in the 1930s with its number of baths around the city that drew in visitors. Last winter I went to the popular Szechenyi baths in Budapest and my expectations were blown away by how cool thermal baths actually are. The Szechenyi baths have large baths outside as well as some smaller pools and saunas inside. I went on a regular night, but there are often spa parties with crazy lights and laser shows.

The Thermal Bath Experience in Budapest

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It cost 4300 ft (about $19 USD) for entry and a locker at the Szechenyi baths. I also rented a towel and a swimsuit. I forgot to bring my swimsuit, and I regretted it - while it's nice they offer ones for rental, you can tell how old and used they are. I'm sure they clean them, but in my opinion it's just more comfortable to be in your own swimwear.

Instead of a traditional key, you get a waterproof bracelet that you tap to lock/unlock your locker. It was so nice to not have to worry about having a key with the possibility of getting it lost or stolen while you were in the bath. I put my clothes, shoes, and handbag in the locker. Outside by the outdoor pools there are mini lockers that your tap bracelets work with as well. I used one of those to put my camera and some extra cash in.

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I used some cash to get a drink at the mini bar outside ;) but just know that you can't take your drink into the water!

There are three pools with people relaxing and mingling. One is a whirpool which is a lot of fun.

Since I went in the winter, it was very cold outside! Luckily the baths were warm. Also, when walking from one bath to the other there was a little "moat" of warm water lining the pools. I'm pretty sure that's to wash your feet before you get into the pool but it was nice to take a few steps in to warm up my feet when switching from one bath to the next.

After a couple hours we left and grabbed our stuff from the lockers before heading back to the hotel to shower and change and go out for the night. All in all it was a fun experience and I highly recommend going to the thermal baths in Budapest during your visit!

3 Things I Learned During My First Solo Trip

My long weekend in Paris this summer was the first time I ever traveled solo, and I learned a lot within that short span of time. I had a lot of questions before I left, which I can assume are the same nervous jitters most people get when they travel by themselves for the first time, especially to a foreign city. Starting in Paris was a good "intro" to solo travel, so if I ever travel by myself again, I have a good impression of it.

3 Things I Learned During My First Solo Trip

1. Do your research

I read travel blogs, looked up places I was going on TripAdvisor and Yelp, and skimmed a couple guide books. Since I didn't do any formal tours of the city, I looked up a quick history of the main attractions I'd be walking past to have a little background knowledge. Most importantly, I found quite a few tips and tricks over TripAdvisor and Yelp about where I was going - like cutting my time in line at The Louvre in half by going in the underground entrance! Research also helped me be aware of the tourist scams so I could avoid them.

2. Walking is the best way to see the city

I lucked out in Paris with beautiful sunny weather every day, which made walking everywhere enjoyable. One morning I got up early to make an hour-long trek from my hotel to Notre Dame. I loved seeing the city slowly wake up and the peacefulness of walking along the Seine. I took a couple wrong turns (but quickly found my way!) and stumbled across cool things I never would've found, had I taken a cab or public transportation.

3. People are friendly

The hotel staff was very friendly, because, well, they're a hotel staff. They were so nice and gave me tips and showed me scenic routes to walk on a map. But even out in the city, people were friendly too. If I had to ask a Parisian something, of course I would try to attempt my best to say it in French first, or at least ask them in French if they spoke English. I never experienced any of the stereotypical "Parisian snottiness," everyone was friendly. I met a number of other people traveling as well who were from all over the world. Smiling is the universal language.

Paris in the summer was a great intro to solo travel for a number of reasons: it's already a pretty safe city, and since it's high season, there are plenty of people/tourists out and about; it happened to be warm and sunny, which was great for walking (and saving money on not using public transport); and there is so much to do in the city that you're bound to avoid boredom and loneliness. I would definitely suggest Paris as an intro to solo travel.

Why It's Worth It To Get Up Early When You Travel

This article was originally published at College Tourist. Click here to read the full article!

When you travel somewhere new, it’s easy to just want to sleep in a few extra hours and lounge in your bed before taking on a new city. Though there are a number of advantages to waking up early when you travel – here are five of them:

1. Banish jet lag faster

If you have a nasty change in time zones, it’s tempting to keep hitting snooze on your alarm, but if you force yourself to get up and outside, your body will start to adjust from being out in the sunlight. The faster you beat jet lag, the more time you spend enjoying your destination overall.

2. Enjoy a longer and more leisurely breakfast

Getting up earlier gives you more time to sit down and enjoy a meal without the stress of being in a rush to get somewhere on time. Why eat the leftover pretzels from the airplane as you head out the door when you can eat what the locals do instead – and have time to enjoy it?

Click here to read the rest of the list!

"If We Were Meant To Stay In Place, We Would Have Roots Instead Of Feet."

During my senior year of college, I started the post-college job search early. I took my resume and cover letter to the career center on campus to make them perfect. I got in touch with mentors in big cities all over the country to network and get tips on my job search. I applied to a ton of jobs and did interviews. I even made business cards...

Though when I went to a practice speed interview session during the spring of my senior year, one of the interviewers asked me what I wanted to do with my public relations/marketing degree. I said some horrible rambling answer like, "I'm interested in traditional PR, but I really like the creative side of marketing, and also social media, I could do events too, or advertising, or magazines. I'm also looking for jobs in Southern California, Arizona, Texas, or North Carolina. Maybe New York, but I don't know since it gets cold there. Ha!" The interviewer's feedback was to focus in on one thing and to know exactly what I wanted. Because, according to my answer, I had no idea what I wanted exactly. But what did I want?As graduation got closer, I started getting stressed about finding a job and the perfect place to live after graduation. I was open to moving to pretty much any big city in the US, but that would require money to move, and a job to get the money to move. I was afraid of the unknowns and being tied down to a single city.

One day I was going through my study abroad photos and the travel bug within me started acting up. That was it. I wanted to travel. I wanted to go back to Europe. What time is better than right after graduation? I didn't want to be tied down to anything - not right away, at least. This Rachel Wolchin quote really resonates with that moment:

"If we were meant to stay in place, we would have roots instead of feet"

There's nothing wrong with finding a place to start your life after college, but I knew that there was so much more to see and to learn from the world and I wanted to take advantage of the timing to travel before settling down.

My parents were definitely not on board, since I didn't have much money saved up to take a big trip, nor would they fund something like that. They told me that, well, if I found a job in Europe where I could travel and make money, then that would be a better plan.

And that is exactly what I did.

I ended up getting a job in Europe where I lived in Italy and traveled to different countries almost every weekend. I was doing marketing and tour guiding, learned a ton from the experience, and was able to improve my skills in an international setting. I found a job that I loved, and while it took a lot of time and dedication to make it happen, I didn't settle for less. I finally knew what I wanted - to travel and inspire others to travel too. (And I still got to put my degree "to use.")There are so many ways to travel after graduation, and if it's something you truly want, then figure out a way to make it happen. Whether you're just traveling for fun, working, or volunteering abroad, there are a number of ways to do it. If you can find something that aligns with your career path - awesome. If traveling makes you reconsider your original chosen career path - even more awesome. Your 20s are the time to figure out who you are and what you want, and for those of you with travel dreams, that can't happen when you settle for something you're truly not interested in.

This was originally written as a guest post by Ally Archer on Alter Apathy.

Photos: We Heart It