1. Sapori Del Sud

Address: Spalenvorstadt 34, 4051 Basel

Beloved Italian-Sicilian takeaway near Spalentor, famous for pastrami sandwiches and arancini

Right next to the Spalentor lies a slice of Italian and Sicilian heaven – Sapori Del Sud is a takeaway run by the affable Antonio Russo and his mother, Grazia who specialise in preparing paninos and their signature pastrami sandwiches, which in a bite takes me back to New York. The prices are very reasonable – 11 CHF for a Jumbo Sandwich, which is enough to feed two people

2. Coop Restaurant Basel Pfaufen

Address: Freie Strasse 75, 4051 Basel

Self-service Coop buffet restaurant atop the Pfauen department store, pay-by-weight salad and hot buffet

Whether you are looking for takeaway sandwiches, snacks or a proper sit down meal, Coop is your life saviour in Switzerland. If you are looking for simple, affordable meal in Basel with lots of good options that include their signature salad buffet plus chicken and fish, prepared on demand in front of your eyes, then definitely pop into Coop Restaurant at the top of the Pfaufen department store on Freie Strasse, Basel’s popular shopping street. The buffet which you pay by weight and plate size, includes plenty of vegan/ veggie options that include fresh salads and self-serve dishes to sandwiches, soups, desserts and both sweet and savoury snacks. For a stacked plate from the buffet with a mix of items, expect to pay around 15 CHF. It can get crowded around lunch time so be prepared to wait a little. They also have daily value specials that range from pastas to Asian classic dishes. Currently they are offering Fried Halloumi on Mediterranean-style rice for just 9.95 CHF or Arabic casserole with aubergines, tofu, herby bulgur and cucumber salad with pomegranate for 13.95 CHF. If you are looking for a great breakfast buffet, they also offer a all-you-can-eat breakfast for CHF 19.95 per person- you can refill your plate and cup as often as you like, until 10.30. Plus they do a coffee and cake combo from 2pm everyday for 5.95 CHF too.

3. Buon Gusto Streetfood Basel

Address: Marktplatz, 4001 Basel

Food truck serving Sicilian-inspired burgers and steak paninis

Dominated by its vibrant rouge red 16th century town hall, the Marktplatz is a definitely worth wandering, especially during the week when there’s a busy weekly market on where locals come to buy fresh vegetables, fruit and flowers. If you are looking for good quality burgers and panini sandwiches at the market at a reasonable price, then Buon Gusto Streetfood truck is a popular choice with locals and visitors. Burgers ( veggie, cheeseburger ) and Paninis ( include famous steak panini ) start at 13.50 CHF and portion of fries is 5 CHF.

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4. Pilz Hüsli

Address: Marktplatz, 4001 Basel

Mushroom and truffle specialist stand also serving risotto and pasta dishes

If you are a mushroom and pasta lover, then the Pilz Hüsli food truck at the Marktplatz is also a great choice. Open from Monday to Saturdaym ( till 2.30pm ) besides offering fresh and dried mushrooms, they also serve an inexpensive delicious lunch, from an excellent mushroom risotto to a four cheese ravioli with mushroom sauce, all from 13 CHF.

5. Mum’s Kitchen

Address: Margarethenstrasse 45, 4053 Basel

Cosy Vietnamese restaurant near the SBB train station, known for pho and lunch menus

Close to the main train station, this Vietnamese restaurant offers a lunch menu offer of a choice of main dishes ( from thai red curry chicken to fried tofu with veggies ) and water for 18 CHF. Good price-quality ratio for Basel

6. Za Zaa

Address: Petersgraben 15, 4051 Basel

Stylish Syrian-Lebanese restaurant for mezze, salads, hummus and falafel

A stylish Syrian-Lebanese eatery in the heart of Basel, Za Zaa  offers a nice range of dishes, from homemade soups ( Yellow Lentil soup with Curkuma: 9.50 CHF) to traditional salads ( from 12.50 CHF) , excellent hummus, both cold and warm mezze and great falafel teller. ( from 23.50 CHF)

7. Lily Maxim

Address: Rebgasse 1, 4058 Basel

Modern Asian eatery blending Thai, Indian and Chinese dishes

Serving a mix of classic Thai, Indian and Chinese dishes, if you are looking for an  unpretentious dining experience with fast, good service, then you will like Lily Maxim. The food is adapted to local tastes but there is a good range of condiments to customise the dish to your style. Curries ( Thai Green or Red of Yellow Curry start from 23.50 and their Lentil Dahl Curry is 19.50 CHF)

8. Klara

Address: Clarastrasse 13, 4058 Basel

Kleinbasel food court with nine international kitchens around a central bar

Another excellent option for dining is Klara, a food court that serves culinary treats from Japan, Argentina, Thailand and Africa. Locals rave about the hummus and pita from Yoya Pitabar and the pasta and pinsa from Lamia Pastaria. Our pick of the bunch was the Vietnamese Diner, Nón Lá Vietnamese Corner. Sabrina loved the Bun Bo Nam Bo ( 24.30 CHF with 10% discount for takeaway ) and I tried the Banh Mi with their special lemongrass chicken ( 16 CHF) and it was fab.

9. Markthalle

Address: Steinentorberg 20, 4051 Basel

Historic market hall turned lively international food court near the train station

Located near the train station in a beautiful listed building that originally served as the local market lies the Markthalle. Since 2014 it has been repurposed into an international food Court featuring dishes from all around the world at very reasonable prices. There is a great variety of choice here,  from delicious empanadas to ceviche to kebabs and also delicious curries. When we visited, late on the weekend, we also found an excellent local preloved clothes market packed with locals.

10. Coffee at Café Unternehmen

Address: Gerbergasse 30, 4001 Basel

Grand former-bank coffee house is “Basel’s living room” with organic lunches, cakes and coworking space

This architectural gem dating back to 1912 was formerly the Swiss Volksbank and is Basels unofficial living room where you will find people hunched over their laptops working away, tired shoppers lounging on the stylish Eames chairs sipping on coffee or locals enjoying their excellent terrace, scoffing one of their delicious range of cakes and pastries.

11. Jakob’s Basler Leckerly

No trip to Basel is complete without sampling the famous Basler Leckerli biscuits, a ginger biscuit popular in the region that reminded us a lot of the popular German Xmas treat, Lebkuchen gingerbread cookies. The place to try the Basler Leckerli is Jakob’s Basler Leckerly, the oldest biscuit manufacturer in Switzerland, dating back to 1753.

Berlin has one of the most democratic drinking cultures in Europe

No matter wherever I travel in the world, I miss Berlin’s bar culture. Name a city in Western Europe where you can do drinking across multiple areas for less than €10? Berlin’s bar scene is incredibly diverse – on a typical evening you would start with a €1 sterni from the neighbourhood Späti, proceed to a classic bar, and then prop up the bar at a classic Kneipe where the same family has been pulling pints for over a century.

Spätis are the cornerstone of Berlin’s 24/7 nightlife scene, where strangers meet and become friends. This is where the Friday night starts with a wegbier, a €1 Sternburg beer to go, ( In fact there is a Spati to the left of Schonhause Apotheke on Danziger Strasse that has Sterni for €0.70 ) and where the party often ends. Späti culture is one of the reasons why Berlin still is one of the cheapest nights out in Europe.

Kneipes, meanwhile, are like a time travel capsule to a different era – the photos on the wall, the sense that this room has absorbed a hundred years of conversation and smoke. The word Kneipe comes from the German word “kneipen”, which means to pinch or squeeze, a nod to how these tightly packed places were filled with working class, hardworking people, poets, artists and lowlifes, all gathered together for one purpose: to drink cheap beer and talk till the cows come home. Checkout my guide to best bars in Berlin.

Is Berlin cheap or expensive?

Is Berlin cheap or expensive? From the cost of a night stay in a hostel to a cost of a beer in Berlin to the price of a public transport ticket, I summarise it in this guide on how much does it cost to visit Berlin

Berlin is still one of Europe’s most affordable capitals for food

Currywurst stands, Turkish kofteci sandwiches, the best Banh Mi, falafel rolls with peanut sauce – Berlin has an incredible streetfood culture. My favourite is Sahara Imbiss, a Sudanese takeaway that’s been one of my favourite Berlin cheap eats since 2010: fresh falafel, halloumi, kofta, chicken or fohl beans, all topped up with their signature peanut sauce, for €4 a steal. Given the city is home to the biggest Turkish community outside Turkey, don’t leave without trying a legendary Doner Kebab or köfteci sandwich either. Checkout my full guide to the best cheap eats in Berlin.

Best things in life in free and Berlin has a ton of free experiences

Just like my other favourite city in Germany, Hamburg, the thing I love about Berlin is how accessible and open it is to everyone – irrespective of your colour, race or economic means, this city has something for everyone. Some of the best Berlin attractions like the Brandenburg Gate, Mauerpark and the East Side Gallery are free.

Tempelhofer Feld

My favourite place to take friends visiting Berlin is this former airfield turned public park. This is THE place to watch sunset in Berlin plus the airfield track is an amazing place to cycle, rollerblade or even windsurf, or you can have a barbecue or just picnic with friends. In the summer, every evening here feels like a mini festival. Do not miss this place.

The Brandenburg Gate

Berlin in the 18th century had 18 gates to the city and now the only gate that stands is the Brandenburg Gate. Once a symbol of a divided city, the Brandenburg Gate is now the iconic symbol of Berlin and of reunified Germany. It’s worth hanging around the elegant Pariser Platz in front of the Brandenburg Gate to just observing the flow of tourists and also colourful characters that seem to congregate here.

The East Side Gallery

The longest stretch of the Berlin Wall that still remains. In 1990 the city commissioned 105 different artists from around the world to create murals along the wall in celebration of freedom and the reunification of Germany, essentially turning the wall into an outdoor art gallery.

Tip: If you are keen to learn more about what life was like behind the wall, I highly recommend a visit to the very moving and haunting Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall Memorial) in Prenzlauer Berg. A memorial to the victims of the Berlin Wall, this stretches for 1.4km along Bernauer Strasse, along the actual course of the Wall. This is probably the best place to learn how all the elements of the hated barrier and the death strip fit together, how the border fortifications were enlarged and perfected over time, and what impact they had on the daily lives of people on both sides.

The Holocaust Memorial

After Brandenburg Gate if you continue to your left and you’ll find yourself in front of the Holocaust Memorial, another moving and symbolic architectural gem of Berlin. The memorial’s 2,711 concrete slabs or “stelae” of the memorial are arranged in a grid pattern and varying in height from 0.2 to 4.8 m help create a confusing, disorientating and claustrophobic ambience which was the creator, Peter Eisenman’s intention. The memorial is one of those places that you have to experience yourself to fully realize it’s meaning.

Mauerpark

One of the largest and most famous flea markets, every Sunday from 7am to 5pm, with associated outdoor karaoke in an amphitheatre where brave souls can belt out their favourite tunes in front of a large crowd from 3pm.

And the one thing not to do in Berlin: visit Checkpoint Charlie. It’s the most overrated tourist attraction in the city – the building has been moved to another site, the Berlin Wall has been torn down, and even the sign you see is not the original. Had it been left in place with 100 metres of wall on either side, it would have been a better look back at history. Checkout my full guide : 33 free things to do in Berlin.

Limited time in Berlin? Focus on one neighbourhood

Each of Berlin’s neighborhoods has its own history and character. Given how huge Berlin is, if your time is limited, I would recommend focussing on one hood. Mitte is a good start. You have the best of Berlin in one area, from the Reichstag, to Museum Island, the iconic TV Tower, the sprawling magnificent Tiergarten park and the ugly but pretty Potsdamer Platz.

Walking up Unter den Linden takes you past the Neue Wache, with its iconic Mother and Son sculpture, and into Lustgarten, a green oasis that’s been through many reincarnations – from a site for political demonstrations during the Weimar Republic to a venue for Hitler’s mass rallies, to its happy current form. For those keen to learn more about what life was like behind the Wall, the Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer, stretching 1.4km along Bernauer Strasse along the actual course of the Wall, is probably the best place to learn how all the elements of the hated barrier and the death strip fit together. Full guide: free walking tour of Berlin Mitte and also my self guided free walking tour of Berlin Wedding

Berlin is one of Europe’s greenest cities

Despite being a busy, dense metropolis, Berlin is one of Europe’s greenest cities. Treptower Park is a treasure trove of many unusual interesting places, each with their own history, dominated by the monumental Soviet War Memorial, the largest Soviet memorial outside Russia. Further out, the Gardens of the World in Marzahn really transport you to a different world, thanks to ten very different gardens drawing inspiration from countries and cultures across the world – my favourite is the Oriental Garden, constructed over two years according to the principles of the Qu’ran’s Surah, where for a few moments you could be in Granada, Seville or Marrakech. Full guide: Berlin outdoor activities.

The perfect day trip from Berlin

On the doorstep of Berlin you have the beautiful area of Brandenburg. Just a 40 minute ride from the chaotic and bustling Berlin, stepping into Potsdam feels like entering a different universe. Often visited as a popular day trip, I quickly discovered that spending a day does not do the place justice. Potsdam was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990, covering more than 2,064 hectares and containing 150 buildings built between 1730 and 1916, an astounding complex of palaces and parks that were the envy of royalty across the world. Frederick the Great built Sanssouci Palace here to escape the bustling German capital, and named it Sanssouci, meaning “without worry”. Full guide: best things to do in Potsdam.

Getting around is easy, once you know the system

Berlin’s public transport system is extensive, user-friendly and reasonably reliable. It’s also not that expensive given its size, especially compared with other large European cities like London or Paris. Once you know how to use it, there are several legal ways to spend less: picking the cheaper Kurzstrecke (€2.80) over a full-fare Langstrecke ticket (€4.00), sharing a Kleingruppe day pass across a group, saving with a 4-ticket bundle, or switching to the Deutschlandticket at €63 a month if you’re staying two weeks or more. Full guide: how to legally hack the Berlin public transport system.

So, is Berlin worth visiting?

Even after 14 years, there is never a dull moment here. It has so many rich and complex layers of history, one of the most accessible and affordable bar and food scenes in Europe, a huge amount to do for free, and it’s greener than most people expect. Come with more time than you think you need.

More Berlin guides on the blog

• Where to go for a drink in Berlin: 22 best bars / spätis
• Berlin Outdoors: 48 hours off the beaten path
• Perfect weekend getaway from Berlin: Potsdam
• A self guided free walking tour of Berlin Mitte
• 33 free and fun things to do in Berlin
• Berlin Public Transport System Guide: 10 legal travel hacks
• Berlin’s best cheap eats: 18 restaurants from just €4

PS Also checkout my earlier guide to Volcano Hopping in Iceland and a review of the Bus Hostel in Reykjavik.

Where to eat in Reykjavik on a budget

1. Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur

Tryggvagata 1, 101 Reykjavík 

The legendary harbourside hot dog stand that’s been feeding locals since 1937, and once got the nod from Bill Clinton.

Once selected by the Guardian as Europe’s best hot dog stand, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (English: The Town’s Best Sausages) for more than half a century have been feeding hungry locals and tourists alike across their chain of hot dog stands in Reykjavík. Billed as Iceland’s national dish, these hotdogs have got the thumbs up from various celebrities visiting the city which include Bill Clinton and Anthony Bourdain. Order the hot dogs with “the works” (in Icelandic “eina með öllu”), i.e., all condiments which include ketchup, sweet mustard, fried onion, raw onion and remolaði, a mayonnaise-based sauce with sweet relish. Hot dogs start from 920 Kr (€6.50).

2. Saegreifinn

Geirsgata 8, 101 Reykjavík 

A ramshackle green fisherman’s hut by the old harbour, famous for its lobster soup and grilled fish skewers.

Saegreifinn, or Sea Baron restaurant down by the old harbour, serves what is claimed to be the best lobster soup on the planet. In a green, old fisherman’s hut you can choose from the lobster soup (2890kr, €20.36) and a choice of fresh seafood (starts from 1990kr, €14) or grilled potato (650kr, €4.98) barbequed on skewers.

3. Noodle Station

Laugavegur 86, 101 Reykjavík 

A spartan noodle counter on the city’s main shopping street, known for its fragrant, star-anise-laced broths.

Noodle Station is a spartan, wee joint that serves up a choice of 3 noodle soups: noodle soup with beef (2610kr, €18.39), noodle soup with chicken (2690Kr, €18.95) and vegetarian noodle (1710kr, €12) soup. Spicy, flavourful with strong notes of star anise and lemongrass, this is a fast and cheap option for visitors to the city.

4. Ramen Momo

Tryggvagata 16, 101 Reykjavík 

Iceland’s first dedicated ramen and dumpling spot, run by a chef-and-partner team using mostly Icelandic-grown ingredients.

Established by ramen chef and founder Kunsang Tsering and his wife Erna Pétursdóttir, Ramen Momo is Iceland’s first restaurant dedicated to ramen and dumplings. The food, similar to Noodle Station, is flavourful and with some great options that include their housemade ramen noodles (1,490 ISK) and gyoza (1,290 ISK). Most of the ingredients used at the restaurant are made in Iceland and you can taste that freshness in the dishes. Special dishes on the menu include their delicious Vegan Tantanmen (3370 Kr), kimchi and seaweed salad (1490 kr each) and Red Beets Gyoza (2350 Kr, 5 pieces).

6. Krua Thai

Skólavörðustígur 21A, 101 Reykjavík 

A fast, friendly and reliably good Thai spot on the road up to Hallgrímskirkja.

If you are visiting Reykjavik and craving something different, then Krua Thai is a great choice for Thai food lovers. Their Chicken Penang Curry and Green curries (starts from 3650 Kr, €25) are fantastic and come highly recommended. Service is quick and friendly, portion sizes are generous and overall a safe option.

7. Reykjavik Chips

Vitastígur 10, 101 Reykjavík 

A cosy Belgian-style chip shop with a serious sauce selection, plus solid burgers and fish and chips.

For the best chips (normal or sweet potato, fluffy on the inside, crunchy on the outside) in Reykjavik plus for excellent fish and burgers at reasonable prices, Reykjavik Chips is the place locals and visitors go. Portion sizes are good and they also have an excellent range of sauces, from ketchup to their signature spicy mayo sauce. Staff are super friendly. Small cone of fries starts from 900kr (€6.35), burgers start from 2590kr (€18.25) and fish and chips from 2900kr (€20.40).

Where to drink in Reykjavik on a budget

8. Kaffi Vínyl

Hverfisgata 76, 101 Reykjavík

A relaxed vegan- and vegetarian-friendly café with a vinyl shop attached, strong on electronica and vintage grooves.

A nice relaxed place for a coffee.

9. Grótta Lighthouse

Grótta, 170 Seltjarnarnes

A tidal lighthouse at the northwesternmost point of the peninsula, with a geothermal footbath tucked among the rocks.

Bring your own drink when visiting the north-westernmost point in Reykjavik where the Grótta Lighthouse is located. From here you enjoy the views over Flaxaflói bay, Esjan and on a clear day see even Snæfellsjökull glacier. Dip your feet into the warm geothermal waters of the Grótta footbath which you can find amongst the rocks by the seashore.

10. Kex Hostel

Skúlagata 28, 101 Reykjavík T

The hostel bar in a converted biscuit factory, centrally located with a strong live music programme.

Or grab a beer here. Centrally located and with a big emphasis on live music, this place is a popular meeting point between locals and tourists.

11. Gaukurinn

Tryggvagata 22, 101 Reykjavík

A lively venue for live music, karaoke, standup comedy, cult movie screenings and a weekly drag cabaret.

From live music, karaoke and standup comedy nights to cult movie screenings and a weekly drag cabaret: Gaukurinn is definitely worth stopping by. Happy Hour starts from 2 till 9pm with beers starting at 600kr (€5).

1. Sa Pesta 

Via dei Giustiniani 16R, Genoa 

A no-frills institution since 1889, serving farinata straight from its wood-fired ovens.

Made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, sea salt, pecorino, parmesan and oil, Trofie al Pesto Genovese is Genoa on a plate. Every Genoese family will swear that their pesto recipe is the best, and no two dishes are the same. Trofie (fresh homemade pasta) is the classic pairing, although Trenette, a narrow, flat, dried pasta similar to linguine, is also excellent. A good place to try this is its namesake trattoria: Sa Pesta , a no-frills old trattoria located in Genoa’s old city district.

2. Focacceria Titti e Fede 

Via dei Macelli di Soziglia 4R, Genoa 

Small, unassuming foccaceria that serves the best focaccia in the old town.

Another typical Genovese delicacy and Genoa’s best cheap eat is focaccia, freshly baked bread typically rolled out or pressed by hand into a thick layer of dough and then baked in a stone-bottom or hearth oven. Focaccia is everything to the Genovese. They dip it in their cappuccino, snack on it at work, or enjoy it with a glass of wine during aperitivo. You can sample focaccia at a bakery, bar or sciamadda. My tip is Focacceria Titti e Fede. You can try focaccia with cheese or onions, and even polenta, here.

3. Antica Sciamadda 

Via San Giorgio 14R, Genoa 

A sciamadda dating back to 1850, known for its farinata and vegetable tarts

Stop at Antica Sciamadda for another Genovese speciality, farinata di ceci. Thin, perfect and cooked in their famous wood oven. This is also a good place to try some local classics like torta di bietole, a tart with chard, and polpettone, a classic potato and green bean, meatloaf-style pie.

4. Antica Friggitoria Carega 

Via di Sottoripa 113R, Genoa 

Fried seafood snacks served under the Sottoripa arcades since 1890.

This hole-in-the-wall pescheria friggitoria by the Porto Antico has been serving fried seafood snacks since 1890, where in a cuoppo, a rolled-up paper cone, you’re served all kinds of fried dishes, from fried calamari and octopus to shrimp and anchovies. A small paper cone starts from €8, and you can also try panella (chickpea fries) and polpo condito (octopus salad) here.

5. Trattoria delle Grazie 

Via delle Grazie 48R, Genoa 

Unpretentious neighbourhood trattoria in the caruggi, strong on the Genovese classics.

If you are looking for a traditional trattoria to sample local Genovese cuisine, then the inexpensive Trattoria delle Grazie, tucked into one of the caruggi near the Old Port, is a safe bet. The menu has all the classics, like Gnocchi al pesto (small potato dumplings with basil-based pesto), Pansoti alla salsa di noci (Ligurian ravioli with a creamy walnut sauce) and Cappon Magro, a wonderful layered cold seafood salad that Genovese people eat on Christmas Eve. Finish off with their excellent tiramisù.

6. Antica Osteria Ravecca 

Via di Ravecca 29R, Genoa 

A cosy osteria near Porta Soprana with a solid list of local pastas and wines.

Another great local restaurant for sampling classic pasta dishes from Liguria is Antica Osteria Ravecca. Their homemade pastas, like Raviolo antica Genova al tocco (ravioli with a traditional Genoese slow-cooked meat sauce), are fantastic, as well as the famous Mandilli al pesto, hand-made pasta shaped like “silk handkerchiefs,” similar to the flat sheets used to make lasagne. Their lunch menu is great value for money.

7. Bar Delle Vigne 

Vico dell’Amor Perfetto 5, Genoa 

A family-run aperitivo spot with a generous free buffet alongside your drink.

Best aperitivo in Genoa, and great for cocktails and Aperol Spritz, is the family-run Bar Delle Vigne. For those of you unaware of the tradition of aperitivo: basically, for the price of a glass of wine, beer or cocktail in the evening (between 5 and 7pm), you get a generous portion of free light bites, where you get a good mix of meats (prosciutto, salami), local cheeses and focaccia with your drink.

9. Paul Vineria Genova (Da Paul) 

Vico dei Caprettari 22R, Genoa 

Cheap glasses of wine served in an atmospheric bar in the heart of the Centro historico

Another classic local wine bar is Paul Vineria Genova. Glasses of wine start from a mere €1. Try their Chardonnay Frizz, a slightly fizzy white wine from the Veneto region, and they also have excellent Malvasia. You can bring your own focaccia sandwiches with you if you’re hungry. The owners are lovely, warm people.

10. Bar Degli Asinelli 

Via di Canneto il Lungo 78R, Genoa 

The classic spot for Corochinato with a slice of lemon and a basket of focaccia.

Last but not least, our favourite way to start an evening in Genoa would be with a glass of the local favourite, Asinello, better known as Corochinato, which is a fortified wine from Genoa, flavoured with an intriguing mix of 16 herbs and spices that include two types of wormwood, cinchona bark and rhubarb. The place to go is Bar Degli Asinelli, where it’s served chilled with a slice of lemon and a generous basket of focaccia. A glass costs a mere €1.50.

Tip: Before sunset, pop over to the pastel-coloured fishing village of Boccadasse on the outskirts of Genoa.

11. La Strambata 

Piazza Nettuno 5R, Boccadasse, Genoa 

Right on the pebble beach in Boccadasse, good for an early aperitivo as the sun goes down.

La Strambata does a great aperitivo, with outside tables facing onto a nice pebble beach with painted fishing boats.

12. Antica Gelateria Amedeo 

Via Boccadasse 7R, Genoa 

Genoa’s most famous gelateria, serving cones since 1927.

After, Antica Gelateria Amedeo is the place to go for their excellent gelato and frozen yoghurt.

The paperwork

Before you look at a single hostel, you need to take care of the paperwork and be prepared. Nearly every hostel that accepts 16 and 17-year-olds without an adult will ask for the same three things:

• Written parental consent, dated and naming the exact stay
• A copy of the parent or guardian’s ID
• Travel insurance in the teenager’s name

Without these, most reception desks will simply turn your daughter/son away at the door, whatever the website says. And she’ll almost always be booked into a private room, never a shared dorm. Dorms are off the table for unaccompanied under-18s at nearly every hostel I looked at.

Where it’s easier, and where it isn’t

Policy varies a lot by country, and this is worth knowing before you plan the trip.

• Germany and France: 16-year-olds can often check in alone, no adult needed
• UK: widely accepted from 16, though some hostels still want supervision for younger guests
• Spain: the default is 18, adult accompaniment required below that
• Nordic countries: some places hold a hard 18+ line, though it’s not universal

None of this is EU-wide law and the policy is down to each hostel, so the only real way to know is to ask.

Hostels worth checking that will host guests 16 or under

1. Amstel House, Berlin 

Set inside a century-old Art Nouveau building in Moabit, this is a big, lively hostel with a 24-hour bar, a guest kitchen, a games room and an outdoor garden. It leans into its history as a former lodging house for young workers, now reworked into bright, budget rooms just a short hop from Berlin Central Station. As in most European hostels, teenagers coming alone must bring a written authorisation from their parents containing dates of arrival and departure, as well as a copy of the ID of the parent authorising it. They are also only allowed to stay in private rooms, never in shared dorms.

2. Hostel Vondelpark, Amsterdam 

Run by Stayokay, this is one of the largest and most modern hostels in Europe, tucked into the edge of Vondelpark itself, a few minutes from the Van Gogh Museum and Leidseplein. It’s a sociable, well-run place that draws everyone from solo travellers to families, with a bar, a restaurant and it has the beautiful Vondelpark on its doorstep, not bad for a city centre hostel. Guests aged 16 or 17 may stay without an adult but must bring a completed consent form.

3. Meininger

Hybrid chain, part hotel, part hostel, with properties across Germany and beyond, each one built around a guest kitchen, a games zone and central locations, these are affordable, clean places to stay with not much atmosphere like a typical backpacker hostel but work equally well for backpackers, families and school groups under one roof. Teens aged 16 or 17 can stay in a private room with permission from a parent or legal guardian. You’ll need to submit the necessary documents to the hotel; without these, they can’t complete check-in. Meininger has an “Authorisation for Underage Person to Travel” form on their site, which should be accompanied by a copy of the legal guardian’s ID. Send it by email, through their contact form, or bring it to reception.

4. YHA Hostels, UK

Britain’s long-standing youth hostel network, with properties ranging from London to countryside properties like Ambleside and Castleton. It’s the classic budget option for UK legs of a trip, well used to hosting school groups, families and solo travellers alike. Without an adult, 16 and 17-year-olds can only stay in private rooms at select 24/7 staffed hostels, and it has to be booked directly on the YHA website, with a signed parental consent form and photo ID. With an adult, 12 to 18-year-olds can stay in shared dorms.

5. Clink Hostels

An independent group of backpacker hostels in Amsterdam, London and Dublin, each set in a distinctive old building, ClinkNOORD in a 1920s Art Deco block on the IJ river, Clink i Lár in the heart of Dublin. They’re known for strong social spaces, in-house bars and feel embedded in the community vs your run of mill chain hostel.At Clink NOORD Amsterdam and Clink i Lár Dublin, guests must be 15 or over between March and October, and 12 or over from November through February, so flag this at the time of booking. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult at all properties. Children under 16 must book a whole dorm or private room.

6. Generator 

If you are looking for a hostel with great locations and a very youthful social vibe, then the Generator is a solid pick thanks to their great locations in Paris’s hip Bellevue district where, from their cracking rooftop bar, the Khayma you can drink in the panoramic views of the Sacre-Coeur and Montmartre, or you can have a backstage pass to Amsterdam’s daily theatre in trendy Oosterpark with its bustling markets, elegant 19th century buildings and visit the nearby Wereldmuseum Amsterdam museum where guests can delve into the Netherlands’ complex colonial history

Private room bookings by unaccompanied minors are considered in Denmark, Ireland, and Germany for ages 16 to 18, and in the Netherlands for ages 17 to 18 only. A parental consent form, filled in and signed by parents or legal guardians, is required as well as a copy of the parents/legal guardian’s identification card is needed.

7. Ostello Bello 

Independent, Italian, and full of character, from Como and Milan down to Palermo, the hostel are social, very popular with locals, a great energy thanks to the volunteers and also cool events that range from paint and sip to their legendary karaoke night and the legendary evening aperitivo , a spread of Italian food and snacks for the price of a drink, plus big shared kitchens with garden herbs and free pasta and vegetables-perfect if your son or daughter is on a tight budget!

8. Circus Hostel, Berlin

A proper independent, with a basement microbrewery, its own walking tours on 1920s architecture and Cold War history, and, memorably, the world’s only museum dedicated to David Hasselhoff.

9. Czech Inn, Prague

 A private room or apartment in a 19th-century Art Deco building on Krymska Street. The basement bar runs live music and one of Prague’s best comedy nights, with breakfast for around €6. It sits in Vršovice, a proper local neighbourhood with independent galleries and even a working vineyard nearby.

What to look for, beyond the age policy

A few things I always check when I’m researching family friendly hostels apply just as much here:

• The availability of private or family rooms: Expect dorm-style bunk beds in many of them, which is no bad thing for a group of friends travelling together.

• Stay in a separate floor or wing away from the main dorms and bar area. It buys a bit of insulation from the late-night noise without losing the sociable bits of hostel life.

• A communal kitchen. Handy for keeping costs down over a backpacking trip stretch, and something worth checking for specifically since not every hostel with private rooms has one.

• Games rooms, common lounges, anything with a bit of life to it. The best hostels give teenagers somewhere to hang out together that isn’t just the bedroom.

There’s no single Europe wide age policy. Policies shift (YHA tightened theirs for 2026), and what a hostel’s website says isn’t always what the person at the desk enforces. Before you book anything, please email or call the hostel directly, get their current policy in writing, and only then hand over payment. It’s a five-minute email that saves a very awkward moment at check-in in a country you don’t know.

If your daughter or sons  trip includes a night or two with the whole family before the friends peel off on their own leg, my guide to family friendly hostels in Europe has some good options.

I’ll be honest with you. On my first visit to Prague, back in 2005, the food scene was quite limited with a big focus on hearty Czech and Hungarian cuisine, with a few exceptions. However, over the last 2 decades, as the city has blossomed, the food scene keeps on growing and diversifying. This guide is a love letter to all my favorite affordable spots in the city, with a few exceptions. PS Checkout also my guide to the best things to do in Prague.

1. Lokal Dlouhaaa

A modern twist on the classic Czech pub

Address: Dlouhá 33, Staré Město

Ever since I’ve been coming to Prague, I’ve had a soft spot for the Lokal chain of pubs. They offer a modern twist on classic Czech staple dishes at very affordable prices, with the added incentive of delicious cold Pilsner Urquell straight from the tank. I love the branch in Malá Strana and the slightly less raucous outpost in Karlín. Start with generous, delicious starters like sausages braised in dark beer (115 CZK) or liver pate with cranberries (95 CZK). Move on to mains like the pork neck steak (200g) with pepper sauce (225 CZK). Finish with their excellent apple strudel and whipped cream (55 CZK).

2. Soul Kitchen

A tiny slice of Greece in Vinohrady

Address: Korunní 24, Vinohrady

Not Czech at all, but worth the detour out to Vinohrady, Soul Kitchen is a tiny Greek taverna tucked away near Náměstí Míru, serving proper gyros pitas, souvlaki, meze plates, great Greek salads, keftedes (meatballs) with pitta, and tzatziki and salad. Finish with bougatsa and a strong Greek coffee. Small and popular, so go early or be ready to wait for a table.

3. Sisters Bistro v Dlouhé

A twist on the Czech classic, chlebíčky

Address: Dlouhá 39, Staré Město

When in Czechia, a must eat is chlebíčky, a local version of the open-faced sandwich, with toppings that might include ham, turkey, egg, potato salad, mayonnaise, salmon, or a spot of something green like a salad or tomatoes. My go-to place for chlebíčky is Sisters Bistro v Dlouhé, next door to Lokal in Staré Město. They do an eclectic variety, ranging from rye bread, avocado, tomatoes, prawns, coriander (45 CZK) to beetroot and goat’s cheese (57 CZK) to anchovies and herring (57 CZK).

4. Banh-Mi-Ba

Good quality, budget-friendly option for banh mi (best sandwich in the world!)

Address: Rybná 26, Staré Město ( Multiple outlets including the train station )

Another good budget-friendly, on-the-move choice, across the road from Sisters and also near the train station in Prague, is Banh-Mi-Ba. The banh mi sandwiches are fab, but the pho is average, so I’d give that a miss. They also do nice spring rolls and great Vietnamese coffee.

5. Antonínovo Pekařství

Budget-friendly bakery, perfect for breakfast

Address: Laubova 1689/4, Žižkov

If you still haven’t had breakfast, or need a snack between meals or a good cup of coffee, this local bakery in Žižkov is a great stop (they also have outlets in Holešovice, Karlín and Vršovice). The first thing that hits you walking in is the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread. You can choose from 5 to 6 different types, all baked on the premises. Pair it with the soup of the day, or one of their open-faced sandwiches. Sabrina loved her egg spread sandwich, while I went for beetroot and cream cheese. Filling, good and cheap: two sandwiches came to 75 CZK, which is less than €3. They also do local sweet baked goods and good ice cream.

Not cheap but worth the splurge…

6. Kuchyň

Castle-side dining with the best view in Prague

Address: Hradčanské náměstí 1, Hradčany

Come here for one of the best views of Prague. It is incredible, and even better with a cold Pilsner Urquell in hand. The food is a cut above your average hearty Czech fare too, based on recipes from the kitchens of 16th century aristocracy. We started with chicken liver pate with plum puree (125 CZK) and Vienna frankfurters with mustard and horseradish (95 CZK), both delicious. I’m not usually a pate fan, but this one won me over. For mains, the beef hanger in red wine with potato dumplings (245 CZK) was sensational. The signature dill sauce with eggs and potatoes (168 CZK) was nice too, though neither of us are big dill fans. After all the beer and food, the strawberries with cream and nuts (95 CZK) was the perfect way to finish.

7. Kantýna

A butcher’s counter and canteen rolled into one

Address: Politických vězňů 1511/5, Nové Město

Just off Wenceslas Square, if you love meat, no-frills Czech home cooking with generous portions at good prices, then this is your place. In this cavernous canteen-style dining hall, you can choose from the in-house butcher grilled cuts of ribeye, steak, chicken or sausages which are then cooked for you. (There is also a cooked meat counter.) You can choose your sides, like mashed potatoes or veggies, with a variety of sauces that include chimichurri sauce. There is a separate counter for ordering drinks. It’s loud, casual beer hall style dining that is great with friends or loved ones.

8. Masala Keramička

Great value Indian food in Prague

Address: Keramická 3, Prague 7 (Letná)

Tucked into a quiet corner of Letná near the Technical Museum. Part of a small local chain, it does contemporary Indian classics like butter chicken and chicken tikka masala, alongside veg thalis if you are looking to try a mix of dishes in one meal. There’s a garden for warmer days and a lunch menu from 159 CZK (€6.58).

9. Mundo Picante

Great value Mexican in Prague

Address: Krymská 8, Vršovice

A hole-in-the-wall Mexican takeaway-style spot on Vršovice’s Krymská strip, not far from the Czech Inn hostel, serving easy tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos. Tacos range from beer barbacoa to BBQ chicken to Indian veg. They have a Taco Tuesday where tacos are 50 CZK (€2) a piece. Frozen margaritas are on point too.

10. Beas Dhaba

Pay-by-weight vegetarian dhaba

Address: Týnská 19, Staré Město

A good, affordable option in Staré Město that I have been visiting for more than 20 years. It’s a self-service, pay-by-weight vegetarian dhaba. The food is simple, with a decent range of veg curries, dahl, plus raita, pakoras and also a good salad selection. Grab a tray, load it up, and pay for the weight at the till. There’s a quiet courtyard out back for warmer days, and a jug of free water on every table. Go an hour before closing for a 50% discount on your meal.

11. Garuda Restaurant

A decent, affordable taste of Indonesia

Address: Milady Horákové 686/12, Prague 7 (Holešovice)

As a newcomer to Indonesian cuisine, I can’t claim any authority on authenticity, but on taste and cost, this was a decent lunch option in Prague 7. The daily lunch menu changes, but we enjoyed traditional dishes like nasi goreng and sapi rendang. A small bowl of soup comes free with any lunch dish, so for 145 CZK (about €6.50), it’s pretty good value.

12. Manifesto Market Smíchov

Prague’s best-known street food market

Address: Náměstí 14. října 82/16, Smíchov

A proper cultural and gastro hub. Come any day of the week and you’ll find a bubbly, fun-filled atmosphere with a wide variety of food from upcoming, budding chefs: tacos, hummus, craft burgers, fresh seafood, plus cocktails and fresh, frothy Pilsner Urquell straight from the tank. Prices are above average, so prepare to splurge a little. It’s set in a former parking lot wedged between the 20th century National House of Smíchov and an old market hall, and the design is genuinely eye-catching: food stations housed in corrugated metal-covered units surrounding a shallow pool.

13. Garage Karlín

A taste of Canada in the heart of Prague

Address: Křížíkova 58, Karlín

There’s a strange novelty in finding Canada’s beloved fast food, poutine, in Prague, but it’s really good, especially after a few cold Pilsner Urquells at Lokal. Fries, delicious cheese curds and gravy — this is a place I keep coming back to whenever I’m in Prague. Top it up with pulled pork, shredded beef or bacon.

Drink stops worth the detour

14. Vinicní Altán

A hidden vineyard terrace with the best views in the city

Address: Havlíčkovy sady 1369, Vinohrady

A vineyard hidden away in the heart of the city. Come here for beautiful views and very affordable, good wine. I love this place.

15. Veltlín

My favourite wine bar in Prague

Address: Křižíkova 115, Karlín

The guys here know their wines, and if you want to discover Czech natural wines, this is the place to come to.

Tip: The Pilsner Urquell Experience

A 90-minute, deep dive into their proud brewing history

Address: 28. října 377/13, Nové Město (bottom of Wenceslas Square)

Not strictly a cheap eat, but if you’re heading to Prague this summer, it’s worth the spend. Spread across 3 floors just off Wenceslas Square in a beautiful Art Nouveau building (the former Prague Central Bank), the new visitor centre is a fast-paced, hands-on, interactive museum telling the story of the country’s most popular beer.

With wireless headsets, light shows and projections, you learn how the first pilsner was created, covering everything from the ancient gods dedicated to beer, to its history in Bohemia going back to St Wenceslas, patron saint of the beverage, to exactly how the distinctive light-coloured Pilsner-style beer was developed by accident, all told in a light-hearted way. Midway through the tour, you get your first taste of the beer (this made me very happy) and meet one of their brewmasters, before learning about the brewing process. I picked up some fun facts I didn’t know before, like the importance of foam in the perfect Czech pour: it keeps the beer from going flat and adds to the taste.Before you leave the storytelling floor, there’s a 360° game hall where you can play a round of ice hockey. The tour finishes in the beautiful Beer Hall upstairs, where you’re offered two more beers by friendly tapsters. Unlike most brewery tours, this 90-minute experience involves a lot more beer drinking, and is a lot more fun for it.

At 441 CZK (€19), it isn’t cheap, but between the experience, the friendly staff and tapsters, and three drinks included in the tour, I think it’s good value.

Bonus tip: Visitors can also attend the Tapster Academy and learn to pour beer three different ways: the hladinka, šnyt and mlíko. Great fun, and a proper splurge at 825 CZK (€35), so it depends on your budget and how much beer you want to drink (all the beers you pour are yours to keep, and we poured probably 6 or 7 and barely drank them). In hindsight, I wish we’d had lunch first, so go on an empty stomach. Don’t skip the brand shop either: you can take home a personalised, hand-engraved beer mug or a bottled Pilsner Urquell with your name on it.

I like to think of Ile de Ré as the island of “no tomorrow”. This is the perfect place to lose all track of time. You happily live in the moment here and escape the worries and stresses of everyday life. There is not even the chance of finding a pub to watch my beloved Liverpool FC. No distractions. Absolutely none. Bliss. Given its popularity, the “white island” is best visited in autumn or spring, when you can sidestep the summer invasion of well-heeled Parisians and Brits. It is also wonderfully accessible to budget travellers, just half an hour from the charming port town of La Rochelle, which is well served by budget airlines. ( Checkout my recently updated guide to the best things to do in La Rochelle )

I went in September, when the island was full of wrinkly pensioners and families soaking up the last of the late summer sun. At just 30 kilometres long and 5 wide, Ile de Ré is made for exploring by bicycle, with over 100km of cycle tracks linking all ten villages, never more than 10km apart. Which is a bit of a bummer, since I am not much of a cyclist. I prefer to walk.

And Ile de Ré’s streets were made for walking.

Close your eyes a moment. Don’t look at the pictures. Just picture it. Long winding lanes lined with whitewashed cottages. Picture-postcard blue shutters and green doors. Baskets of flowers hanging from every house. Pretty wrought iron balconies. And maybe, just maybe, the odd black cat dozing on a windowsill.

Getting around the island

If you don’t fancy cycling, you can hire a car, but you may not need to. From April to September a free electric shuttle called RespiRé loops between the main villages of Saint-Martin, La Flotte, Sainte-Marie and Le Bois-Plage, which is ideal if you are travelling on a budget and happy to walk the rest. Otherwise the regional Line 150 coach runs the length of the island all year.

Explore Saint-Martin and meet the donkeys in trousers

One of my first stops was the charming port town of Saint-Martin. You know you have arrived when, just outside the ancient fortifications, you meet the woolly and very cuddly “donkeys in trousers” who are the island’s lucky charm and symbol.

Since the 19th century the donkey has been a hard-working citizen of Ile de Ré, used to collect seaweed along the coast, to work the salt marshes and to help in the fields. The tradition of dressing them in gingham trousers dates back to protecting their succulent legs from the mosquitoes that plagued the marshes. Genuinely.

Saint-Martin itself is a bustling harbour ringed with lovely open-air terrace cafés, perfect for sitting in the sun with a cold bière and watching the boats, with a clutch of charming boutiques nearby if you fancy a browse.

And if the idea of creamy, salty flavours in your ice cream appeals, test your tastebuds at the stylish La Martinière parlour, which serves dozens of flavours of ice cream and sorbet ranging from the pedestrian to the gloriously bizarre.

Climb the church of Saint-Martin

If the lack of exercise is starting to nag at you, climb the bell tower of the 12th century church of Saint-Martin. Fought over by Catholics and Protestants alike, the church wears the scars of a colourful and brutal past. From the top you get mesmerising panoramic views over the Breton Strait and the rooftops of the town below.

The lighthouse of all lighthouses: Phare des Baleines

There are lighthouses, and then there is the Phare des Baleines. Standing 57 metres tall and facing down the stormy Atlantic from its rocky perch on the island’s north-western tip, this is a working lighthouse whose beam can be seen 50km out to sea. There is a museum at its foot where you can dig into the history of lighthouses and how they work.

Climbing the 257 steps up a memorable, vertigo-inducing spiral staircase brings you out at the top, where you are rewarded with sweeping views of the island’s coastline and the broad, fiery expanse of the ocean. Tickets start from around €4.35 for the lighthouse alone, with combined lighthouse, old tower and museum tickets from roughly €7.65, depending on the season. It is the most visited spot on the island, so come before noon or after 5pm to dodge the crowds.

Cycle to Le Bois Plage

Le Bois Plage is a small coastal town to the south of the island. Hire a bike from St Martin and pedal down to this charming sea side town along with any required beach paraphernalia. Apart from the charm of the beach, the cycle paths skirting marshes, oyster beds and vast stretches of unbridled Atlantic coastline are
a sight to behold. There is a very nice indoor market in town where you can pick up any required picnic supplies.

Visit the Cistercian Abbaye des Chateliers

About two miles away from St Martin, you will find the harbour town of La Flotte. Interestingly, La Flotte is slated as one of the most beautiful villages in France (Plus Beaux Villages de France). Enjoy either a morning coffee or evening drink, sitting at the harbourside or indulge in an ice cream whilst wandering the
shopping streets or the market. The grounds of the ancient Abbaye, built in 1156, are free to enter
and make for lovely photo opportunities. The ancient walls set against the cliff edge will transport you back to another era. The absence of a roof structure will have you looking up into the skies and trying to reconstruct the ambience of this sacred place in your mind’s eye.

Visit an Oyster Shack

One of the greatest pleasures on Ile de Ré costs almost nothing and takes about five minutes to find. Pull up a chair at one of the island’s oyster huts, order a dozen fresh from the water in front of you, pour a glass of local white wine and just sit there. There is nowhere better to be.

The island has been producing oysters for centuries and the huts, little coloured cabins dotted along the cycle paths and salt marsh edges, are where the farmers sell direct from their own beds. You are eating something that was in the sea a very short time ago, and you can taste it. A dozen oysters will set you back around €8 to €12 depending on size, and a glass of Pineau or a local white another €4 or so. One of the best value lunches you will have anywhere in France.

La Cabane Océane at La Flotte is the place to visit. Sitting on the site of an old oursinerie, an urchin farm, on the oyster beds of Petit Praud, it has a wonderful shaded terrace overlooking the sea. Everything you will eat here is harvested by them: Fines, Spéciales and Cocktail oysters, plus shellfish depending on what has come in that day. There is also a small boutique where you can buy oysters to take away. No reservations needed.

Address: 9 Route du Praud, 17630 La Flotte en Ré. Tel: 05 46 66 54 08.

Sample the mussels at L’Aile de Ré

For seafood lovers, and mussel lovers especially, a meal at Le Morinand in Le Bois-Plage is a must. Honesty flag for longtime readers: I originally raved about La Bouvette and its magnificent open-coal-grilled mussels here, run by Laurent Mertz. La Bouvette closed back in 2012 and the spot is now home to L’Aile de Ré, run by Ludivine and Julien, who kept the seafood focus the place was always loved for. It is a small, family-run dining room facing the vines and fields, and the mussels, smoked over a fire of pine needles, is still the main draw. Worth booking ahead, as they seat only a few dozen.

L’Aile de Ré, Raise Flottaise, Le Morinand, 17580 Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré. Tel: 05 46 09 29 87.

Where to stay: Hotel Le Vieux Gréement

In the heart of the village of La Couarde-sur-Mer sits the charming and still very lovely Hotel Le Vieux Gréement. You are right in the hub of things here, with a bar and tapas terrace on site, a beautiful church across the square, a cracking boulangerie a few steps away, and some of the island’s finest beaches a five minute walk down the road.

It has grown up a little since I first stayed. It is now a 3-star with 19 individually decorated rooms in the local rétais style. Standard doubles start from €115 in low season up to €145 in high season, with breakfast at €14 a head and a small tourist tax on top. Still a warm, characterful and well-run place, and good value for the setting.

Hotel Le Vieux Gréement

13 Place Carnot, 17670 La Couarde-sur-Mer. Tel: 05 46 29 82 18. Book direct at levieuxgreement.com.

Getting to Ile de Ré

La Rochelle airport is served by budget airlines, with Ryanair running seasonal routes from London Stansted, Dublin, Brussels Charleroi, Porto and more (worth checking current schedules before you book, as these change each season).

From La Rochelle’s SNCF train station, the regional Line 150 coach runs across the bridge to the island’s ten villages all year round. It costs just €2.50 one way or €4.50 return, and you buy your ticket on board or via the Ticket Modalis app. No need to reserve. A quick and very cheap way onto the island.

Plus, if you missed, here are my earlier guides to Bordeaux, Angoulême and Cognac which all share excellent connections with Ile De Re and can be combined, for a short break or longer visit.

Having lived as a digital nomad for 14 years, whenever I step into a hostel or meet other nomads, this simple question always floors me.

I have a complicated relationship with the idea of what home means. I guess having been born in England, moving to India at the age of 9, heading to Scotland for university at the age of 19 and then deciding to go fully nomadic in 2012, home is no longer a fixed place for me. It’s a feeling of connection.

I like to think I have not just one but several homes around the world where I feel happy and at ease. Lisbon. Athens. Vienna. Bangkok. Chiang Mai. Koh Lanta. Kolkata. Edinburgh. Madeira. Berlin.

Over the years I have developed a happy habit of returning to certain places. While the itch to explore new places is strong, with the constant travelling and intense lifestyle that nomads have, I have found great comfort in going back to the same spots.

It is like slipping into a pair of well worn shoes. You already know your way around the city, you have favourite haunts you are looking forward to revisiting, you know the language and the customs, you have a coworking space you like to work from, and you have a network of friends and contacts from previous trips that makes everything much easier than starting from scratch. Running a business from the road can be exhausting, and the fewer unknowns, the better you can focus your energy on the things that matter to you.

I’ve created a few rituals and ideas to give me a sense of home and connection wherever I travel. Here are my top 3 tips for you.

1. Stay at hostels

Rooted in the local community, hostels plug me into the DNA of a place. Great for meeting fellow solo travellers, and they usually have brilliant spaces to work from too.

Hostels I’d recommend for nomads: The Yard Hostel Bangkok and The Yard Hostel Chiang Mai, Circus Hostel Berlin, Next House Copenhagen, Sandeman Hostel and Suites Porto, Bogentrakt in Chur, Ostello Bello, YellowSquare, Zeus is Loose Thessaloniki, Hyve Basel, and Superbude Hamburg and Vienna. (Check out my guide to the best hostels for nomads.)

2. Invest in working from a good coworking space

The best coworking spaces feel like hostels: community, great places to work from and brilliant for connecting with creatives.

My favourites: Cowork Funchal, juggleHUB, St Oberholz, betahaus, Impact Hub Athens, Beet Community Palermo, KoHub Koh Lanta and Alt Coliving Chiang Mai.

3. Get into a routine

A few rituals and a routine give you structure on the road. Always start with a good cup of coffee. Aeropress is magic. The gym has become really important for us, and if there isn’t one nearby, a run or a walk along the beach works just as well. Cooking also brings a sense of home, so I carry a bag of Indian spices wherever I go.

And last but not least, a good travel adapter keeps you connected wherever you land. Our TESSAN Universal Travel Adapter, who kindly supported this video and our work, has been indispensable. If you are looking to reduce the number of adapters and lighten your backpack, then you should enter below our fantastic giveaway of 5 of the TESSAN Ultra Thin Universal Travel Adapter PD 20W. Equipped with 2 USB-C ports and 1 USB-A port, this adapter you can charge your smartphone, tablets, and accessories efficiently at airports, hotels, or cafes.

Note: Giveaway is only open to residents from UK, USA and Germany.

In the video below, I have tried to explain what home means to me and how the concept of “home” has evolved over the years.

What does home mean to you? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below and good luck with entering our TESSAN giveaway!

PS: Please also checkout my guide to the best free things to do in Berlin ,list of my favourite cheap eats in Berlin and also how to legally hack Berlin’s Public Transport System

1. Circus Hostel

With a museum dedicated to the Hoff, its own microbrewery in the basement, the mother of all breakfast buffets, and some of Berlin’s coolest walking tours, Circus is a hostel like no other in the world. It is so much more than a bed for the night, and it remains one of my favourites in Berlin and anywhere. The location is superb: right on Rosenthaler Platz, within easy reach of everything, with Alexanderplatz a 15 minute walk away and Prenzlauer Berg just up the hill.

The rooms hit the perfect balance of value, funky vibe and comfort. Dorms run from 4 bed up to 6 bed female only rooms, all spacious and ensuite, with a reading light, USB charging, a locker and a picture of the Hoff wishing you sweet dreams. For something more luxurious, the Panorama Studio Apartment has a full kitchen and stunning views of Mitte and the TV Tower, while The Big Top sleeps up to 7 for families and groups. The crowd is a nice mix of backpackers, students, couples and mature travellers, and the staff are friendly, knowledgeable and genuinely helpful.

The heart of the place is Rosie’s, the on-site bar and cafe, where they brew their own beer and serve an excellent all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast for €10.90 from 8 to 11am. There are regular pop quizzes, happy hours, karaoke and DJ nights, free walking tours that start and end at the hostel, bikes to rent, the hostel’s own Berlin guidebook in reception, and gym discounts through their partnership with EVO Fitness across the street. They have thought of every possible need of their guests. The world definitely needs more hostels like Circus.

How to book: the code BUDGETTRAVELLER26 gives you 15% off direct bookings via the Circus Hostel website on the non-refundable rate, and the hostel plants a tree for every direct booking.

Perfect for: Solo travellers, couples and families.

2. Generator Berlin Mitte

The Generator Berlin Mitte is the flagship property of the Generator group and is situated in the heart of Mitte, the perfect base for exploring Berlin. Oranienburger Strasse S-Bahn station and Oranienburger Tor U-Bahn are within 500 metres. Berlin’s Alexanderplatz, the historic Hackesche Höfe courtyards and the Brandenburg Gate are all within 2km of the hostel, while Museum Island is only 500 metres away.

The devil lies in the design here. You can find cool, quirky design features all across the building, like Bella Leonard’s wire embroidered stainless steel “G” sculpture in the historic courtyard, the exposed wooden panels in the lobby punctured by a horizontal line of wooden pegs, or the sculptural string installation in the cafe bar area by French artist Sebastian Preschoux. You can relax in their atmospheric bar, lined with sleek black walls and raw copper panels, playfully lit with recycled fire extinguisher tubes. In the spacious corridors, famed Berlin street artist Thierry Noir has created three metre high “heads with big lips” faces, reminiscent of his poetic murals on the Berlin East Side Gallery. The hostel even has its own private nightclub that doubles up as a gallery space displaying works from local street artists.

As is standard with all Generator hostels, the Berlin Mitte branch offers brightly decorated private rooms with ensuite bathrooms alongside the ensuite dorms. On-site laundry facilities can be used for a fee, and there is luggage storage and safety deposit boxes too. Highly recommend.

Essentials: a bed in a dorm starts at just €30-40, premium rooms from €80

Perfect for: Solo travellers and couples.

3. Meininger Hostel Berlin Mitte Humboldthaus

Situated in the former home of natural scientist and astronomer Alexander von Humboldt, Meininger Hostel Berlin Mitte Humboldthaus is perfect for those looking for a quiet and relaxed base to soak in the sights of the city. Just like the Generator Berlin Mitte, I love the location. It is right beside Oranienburger Straße S-Bahn station and all the major sights are within walking distance. The hostel offers a choice of dorms and ensuite rooms, which feature a flat-screen TV and private bathroom.

For an additional €12.90 they offer an excellent buffet breakfast, plus there is a nice self catering kitchen space if you wish to cook your own meals. I love the story and heritage of this building. I have to admit I had no clue about Humboldt, but I managed to discover a lot about him through the comic strips printed on the wallpaper of the public areas of the hotel. The comic strips, drawn by Cuban artists, carry references to his numerous expeditions.

I would recommend the Meininger to anyone looking for a nice and comfortable base. If you value a comfortable bed, helpful staff with plenty of good tips and a good location, then this hostel is ideal for you.

Essentials: Dorms start from €30, double rooms from the €80 mark.

Perfect for: Couples and families.

4. Grand Hostel Berlin

Situated in the trendy Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district in a former Bishop’s Palace dating back to 1874, the Grand Hostel Berlin combines old-world Berlin charm with great hospitality and a stunning library bar. The hostel is conveniently located just a 3 minute walk from Möckernbrücke station, giving you easy access to Berlin’s U1 and U7 lines and its vibrant nightlife.

The hostel features secure, well-maintained dorms with flat beds, high ceilings and beautiful bay windows, as well as charming double rooms. Guests are welcomed with a free cup of coffee, tea or water on check-in, and the staff are known for their exceptional service. The library bar, filled with dusty books and comfortable leather armchairs, becomes a lively meeting point in the evenings. The hostel also offers a variety of amenities, including clean common bathrooms, in-house bicycle rental and activities like walking tours and pub crawls. Breakfast is not included, but the Grandwich Bar next door does delicious meals at reasonable prices. With its blend of historical charm, excellent facilities and friendly atmosphere, the Grand Hostel Berlin feels more like a hotel than a hostel, making it an ideal base for exploring Berlin.

Essentials: Via Booking.com, beds start from €40 a night.

Perfect for: Party people, solo travellers, couples and groups.

5. East Seven Hostel

If you are looking for a warm, social, family run hostel spectrum rather than the run of mill party hostel like say St Christophers, then East Seven is the hostel for you. I love the location in Prenzlauer Berg just off Senefelderplatz. You have the wonderful markethalle Pfefferberg around the corner with the best Mexican resto in town plus you have 8mm , one of my favourite dive bars also closeby. Plus you are also not far from Rosenthaler Platz ( Main Haus Am See- great bar) and also Rosa Luxembourg Platz ( home to Monsieur Vuong ) plus the U-Bahn at Senefelderplatz a five minute walk away.

The big plus for East Seven is the garden. It is a proper leafy backyard with hammocks, the perfect spot for a cold beer at the end of a long day of exploring Berlin. Other big pluses include their fully equipped guest kitchen open all day and a daily programme of events, from pub quizzes to family-style shared dinners.

Shared rooms come with fully equipped bunk beds with reading lights and USB ports, under-bed storage and a shared bathroom, from around €25. There are twin and double rooms for couples from around €73, and a triple family room that is ideal for families on the go or three friends travelling together. All bathrooms are shared, with women’s, men’s and gender-neutral options, and the hostel is proudly LGBTQIA+ friendly.

The weekly community evenings set East Seven apart from other hostels in Berlin. There is something on every night, from beer garden trips and a Tuesday trivia night to terrace drinks and a complimentary Sunday family dinner. From shared dinners to relaxing evenings in the garden, everything here revolves around community, and it is genuinely easy to start a conversation and meet other solo travellers here. The free muesli breakfast, fully equipped self-catering kitchen, garden terrace with a lounge area, free WiFi and laundry facilities make this easily one of the top hostels in Berlin.

A couple of things to know before you book. Check in is only until 10pm. They do not accept under 18’s and they do not take groups, so this stays a calm and friendly base rather than a rowdy one.

Essentials: Schwedter Straße 7. Expect to pay around €67 a night on average, with dorm beds cheaper.

Perfect for: Solo travellers, couples and families.

6. Die Fabrik

In the hostel’s own words, Die Fabrik is right at the heart of multicultural Berlin, home to whole communities of unconventional, artistic and politically-active people. Whether you fancy partying around the neighbourhood or just want to relax in a corner bar, in Kreuzberg you can enjoy everything that Berlin life has to offer. You might even run across spontaneous jam sessions on the doorstep. This is one of those almost surreal places in Berlin where you never know exactly what to expect next, so enjoy those famously long Kreuzberg nights.

The hostels is located in a converted former telephone factory from the turn of the last century, restored back in 1995, and has all the raw, industrial Berlin charm that you expect from the city. Think high ceilings, exposed brick, light and spacious rooms, and a quiet courtyard garden hidden away from the street. Some rooms still carry original East German worker posters found in the building during the renovation.

The location a big plus. You are on Schlesische Straße, a few minutes from Schlesisches Tor U-Bahn, with the East Side Gallery and the infamous Görlitzer Park both around the corner and some of Berlin’s most famous clubs within stumbling distance. This was the first neighborhood I stayed in back in 2012 and I am pleased to say, even with gentrification, the neighbourhood is still loud, full of odd weird wonderful characters, great bars ( I love Madame Claude , an  upside down bar located in a former brothel ) and affordable places to eat. The hostel keeps things deliberately calm inside, with no TVs or telephones in the rooms, so you get the rare combination of a buzzing area and a quiet night’s sleep.

Two things to note before you book. There is no guest kitchen, and you pay a little extra for bed linen when staying in the dorms , which always feels slightly odd in a hostel, so factor that in. Rooms run from singles and doubles up to larger dorms, with shared bathrooms on each floor.

Essentials: Schlesische Straße 18, Kreuzberg. Beds from around €18 in a dorm, with privates from roughly €65.

Perfect for: Party people, solo travellers and anyone who wants Kreuzberg on their doorstep.

7. Generator Berlin Alexanderplatz

This is a fun hostel. Great bar with dance floor. Nice inner courtyard with half pipe for skateboarding plus there is a basement games room where you can challenge your mates to a shuffleboard tournament. 

As with every Generator, the design is the draw. Expect a stylish lobby, a lively on-site bar serving German beers, a cafe, and a games room with shuffleboard and pool that does a brilliant job of breaking the ice. Most dorms come with their own chic ensuite bathroom, and you can save a little by choosing a shared bathroom instead. There are 4, 6 and 8 bed dorms, female-only dorms, and bright private rooms for those who want their own space. The breakfast buffet is a cut above the usual fare.

Location is great too- just 300 metres from Alexanderplatz, this is about as central as Berlin gets. The TV Tower is a short walk, Hackescher Markt and Museum Island are close, and the S-Bahn and U-Bahn hub at Alexanderplatz connects you to the whole city and the airport in minutes.

One note of caution- Because it is big, central and well set up for groups, Generator Alexanderplatz can fill with teenage school groups in the summer months, which gives it a bit of a summer camp energy at times. If you want a quieter, more grown-up vibe, East Seven or Generator Mitte or Circus Hostel will suit you better. But for location, design and a guaranteed social buzz, this is hard to beat.

Essentials: Otto-Braun-Straße 65, Mitte. Dorm beds from around €17.50, with privates higher depending on dates.

Perfect for: Solo travellers, couples and groups.

Further reading

Checkout my guide to the best hostels in Oslo and best hostels for under 16’s in Europe.

Alongside its other baltic cousins, Riga and Tallinn, Vilnius has one of the most underrated food scenes in Europe. The Lithuanian capital serves up a wonderful mix of old and new: from hearty traditional classics like Cepelinai (large potato dumplings), the famous bright pink Šaltibarščiai soup, and half-moon Kibinai pastries, to creative vegetarian cuisine and Asian fusion dining, plus some seriously good cocktail bars. Best of all, you can eat and drink extremely well here without spending much. Here are my favorite places to eat and drink in Vilnius.

1. Vieta- Conscious Vegetarian and Vegan Food

The best vegetarian kitchen in Vilnius, with cocktails worth the detour alone.

Address: Vilniaus g. 23, Vilnius 01402

For the best vegetarian food in Vilnius with a friendly, lively vibe look no further than Vieta. The menu has a bit of everything, ranging from their delicious blue cheese and caramelised onion Panini ( €5.60) or their soy chilli with vegetables (€5) or tofu steak/ soy patty burgers with fries (€6.60). They do some fantastic cocktails here and the ladies who run the place are wonderful.

2. Snekutis

Old school Lithuanian comfort food and cheap beer in the most no-frills setting imaginable.

Address: Šv. Stepono g. 8, Vilnius 01139

If you’re looking for traditional Lithuanian food in a relaxed, unfussy atmosphere accompanied by cheap local beer, Snekutis is the place to go to. Choose from a range of hearty local classics like the favourite Cepelinai -large dumplings prepared with a mixture of raw and cooked potato dough filled with pork and then soaked in a sour cream and bacon sauce ( €4.90 for a big portion), bright pink chilled borscht soup aka Saltibarsciai whichis a beetroot soup served in summer with boiled potatoes or boiled eggs ( €1.50 for a small portion)or try their cured cheese or potato pancakes served with sour cream ( €5 for a big portion) – so many delicious food options at amazing prices.

3. Busi Trecias

A family-run basement brewery where dark beer and local food go hand in hand.

Address: Užupio g. 9, Vilnius 01200

Another great option for cheap tasty Lithuanian food in a simple unfussy bar packed with locals, is Busi Trecias. If you’re interested in more dark and also sweet flavoured beers, this family run bar with a brewery in the basement has a good selection of affordable tasty beers.

4. Pinavija Cafe & Bakery

Chic, pastel-perfect bakery serving the best Kibinai pastries in the city.

Address: Vokiečių g. 4, Vilnius 01130

The pastel perfect Pinavija is a chic family run bakery with an excellent range of sugary and savoury treats to satisfy you. One of their signature products is the ‘Kibinai’ pastry which originates from the Karaite ethnic minority in Lithuania. The half moon pastry which reminded me a lot of a Cornish pasty or a Pastizzi is traditionally filled with mutton or beef but in Pinavija they have a number of savoury (vegetarian too) and sweet options.

5. Panama Food Garden

A stunning greenhouse restaurant in the hip Žvėrynas district, where Asian fusion meets Vilnius garden vibes.

Address: Vykinto g. 17a, Vilnius, 08117 Vilniaus m. sav., Lithuania

Suituated in the hip district of Žvėrynas, Panama Food Garden with its seasonal menu and beautiful greenhouse where guests can dine ( Very popular for weddings ) feels like a bit of an oasis in Vilnius. Star of their menu are their delicious Asian fusion seafood dishes and their tuna steaks are fantastic too. They are very popular for brunches too. Book a table in advance: it can get busy here, especially around lunch and weekends.

6. Etno Dvaras

Four centuries of Lithuanian culinary tradition

Address: Pilies g. 16, Vilnius 01123

Etno Dvaras serves classic hearty Lithuanian cuisine ranging from fried potato dumplings ( €9.55 for 5 pieces ) to kastinys (sour cream butter) served with hot potatoes ( €7.55) or Pork neck roast with roasted potato wedges, cabbage salad, tomatoes and garlic sauce ( €13.95) to hearty soups ( Cold beetroot soup. €5.95 ) and their signature potato pancakes with bacon and mushroom sauce.

Opening: Daily 11am-midnight

7. Halės Turgus

Vilnius’s oldest market by day, one of its best cocktail destinations by night.

Address: Pylimo g. 58, Vilnius, 01136 Vilniaus m. sav., Lithuania

The oldest market in Vilnius, Halės Turgus started life as a hub of fresh local produce but after a 2006 makeover, different vendors moved in and modernised the place. Now it is a lively indoor hub with food counters, cafes, gourmet and local delicacies shops where you can find everything from smoked meats to wheels of fresh farmer’s cheese Varškės Sūris or jars of golden honey and dark, dense rye bread. The market takes on a different vibe at night and is home to some of the city’s best cocktail bars like Halės Mėsainis, Aštriai Aštru, Chaosai and WINGIS with a DJ playing every night on weekends. 

The market is also a perfect place to buy some edible souvenirs to take home or gift loved ones. Pick up some local honey, herbal tea, or a beautifully smoked sausage like skilandis.

8. Alchemikas Cocktail Bar

Sherlock Holmes meets master mixologist: quirky, atmospheric, and seriously good cocktails.

With low-lighting and a quirky decor that could belong to Sherlock Holmes’ living room plus friendly mixologists, Alchemikas Cocktail Bar is all about the experience and enjoying classy cocktails in a very classy ambience.

9. Vasaros Terasa

Fourteen years of live music, flea markets, and al fresco drinks make this a Vilnius institution.

Vasaros Terasa  (which translates as the Summer Terrace ) has been a prominent fixture of the Vilniuscity life for fourteen years. From live concerts and live DJ sets, to flea markets and outdoor al fresco drinks in the summer – this is definitely a place you shouldn’t miss out when visiting the city.