19 travel ideas for 2019 – traveling without a plane
2018 was my most travel-intensive year so far. For the first six months, I was on unpaid leave and traveled to a total of 11 countries. In the second half of the year, the focus was again increasingly on Switzerland and Europe – with a short detour to Australia. An incredibly exciting year, but also a year where my ecological footprint increased immeasurably due to all the flights associated with long-distance travel. And even though I don’t find Instagram quite as casual as it was in the “good old days”, I follow some committed people there who always make me question and adjust my actions (follow tip: @dariadaria).
In this context, I asked myself whether I should continue the tradition of the travel ideas series at the beginning of the year or whether I should not send the wrong signals with such lists. For me here on the blog it’s not about a higher, further,! Rather, I want to show – since the beginning – that there are also many great opportunities for day trips and weekend trips in our neighborhood. In this respect, I am pleased that my list of 99 great Swiss excursion destinations, published in the summer, was the second most read blog post of the last year.
So I was faced with the question: bury the list of travel ideas or redesign it in such a way that all travel suggestions and excursion ideas are easily feasible by public transport. A survey on my Instagram Story served as a decision-making aid, where 95% were in favor of keeping the list of travel ideas (without long-distance travel). After this pleasing feedback, I got to work and put together 19 fresh ideas. With this in mind – Happy New Year and get inspired!
#1 Cycling around Lake Constance
We have already pedalled one stage of the 255-kilometre-long Lake Constance Cycle Path, which connects the border triangle around Lake Constance with four cycling stages, and realized: what a wonderful area! An undertaking that can either be broken down into individual day trips, or implemented as part of a long weekend. The stage stops on the Swiss side (Romanshorn and Stein am Rhein) can be easily reached by train and if you don’t want to carry your bike with you, you can also rent one from the Rent a Bike shops at the train stations.
#2 Relax in the Allgäu
Directly behind Lindau on Lake Constance begins the hilly landscape of the Allgäu, which we tend to overlook despite its proximity and its high density of natural excursion destinations and great wellness hotels (by the way, the same applies to the adjoining Bregenzerwald on Austrian soil). As part of a cooperation with the Allgäu, I would like to introduce you to one or the other special offer of the region this year.
#3 On foot through the Napf area
The UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch with the Napf is a region that I unjustly neglect. Actually, there is an incredible amount to discover in this area. An exciting cross-section is offered by the Napfbergerland border trail, which leads in six stages along the Bern-Lucerne border from Langenthal to the Brünig Pass. The Entlebuch moorland trail also sounds promising – also a multi-day tour, which is designed as a circular hike and starts in Flühli. If hiking alone is too boring for you, you will also find beautifully designed Kneipp facilities here, you can find glittering bowl gold on guided gold panning tours or learn more about the old craft of the charcoal burners.
#4 Dolcefarniente in the Marche
The Marche region in the heart of Italy can (still) call itself an insider tip and is a worthwhile destination for all those who simply want to relax for a few days on a beautiful country house. The journey by train leads via Milano and takes about a day – but you are guaranteed not to find any overcrowded tourist strongholds on site.
#5 Genusspaket Parma & Modena
Short trips to Italy are one of my specialties and I am happy to see that the travel reports to Turin, Bergamo and Bologna are read regularly. Parma and Modena are just under thirty minutes apart by train and can both be reached from Zurich in less than six hours by train. While Modena is home to Osteria Francescana, currently the best restaurant in the world, Parma is the culinary epicentre of Emilia-Romagna. A duo of cities that promise a particularly enjoyable weekend!
#6 City trip to Zagreb
Boarding the train in Zurich in the evening and waking up the next morning in the middle of the Croatian capital without changing trains; It’s possible! The ÖBB Nightjet connects the two cities so easily that a city trip to Zagreb is easily feasible by train. The city is a worthwhile destination, especially during the Advent season – Zagreb’s Christmas market has been voted among the most beautiful in Europe several times.
#7 Island happiness on Monte Isola
Holidays with island feeling – this is also possible on the European mainland. Monte Isola in Lake Iseo is the largest island in a southern European lake and impresses with picturesque villages and hilly surroundings. The journey by train is also via Milan and can be combined with a stopover in Brescia, which is also worth seeing.
#9 Paddling along the Dordogne
The Dordogne in southwestern France is considered one of the most beautiful canoe rivers in the country and is also part of the UNESCO biosphere reserve of the same name. A well-known starting point for one-week canoe trips is the town of Creysse, which you can reach by TGV via Paris / Bordeaux. I imagine such a week of canoeing holidays to be wonderfully decelerating – in addition, pretty villages and imposing castles and palaces are waiting to be discovered on the shore.
#10 4 springs – 5 days hiking
The 5-day Four Springs Trail leads from Andermatt to the sources of the four rivers Rhine, Reuss, Rhone and Ticino and also crosses four cantons (Uri, Graubünden, Ticino and Valais). With a total of 82 kilometres and 4,600 metres of altitude difference uphill in 5 stages, this multi-day hut tour requires a basic level of fitness – but the efforts are rewarded with magnificent mountain panoramas.
#11 Pleasure hiking in the Ötztal
The Ötztal not only impresses in winter with the great infrastructure of the Sölden ski area, but also inspires in summer with numerous beautifully situated alpine pastures and huts. And best of all, it’s not just the view that’s excellent, but also what’s served. From the gourmet restaurant at over 3,000 m above sea level to the Zvieriplättli with products, all of which were produced on the alpine pastures, there is something for every taste.
In cooperation with Tirol Werbung, I will introduce you to some of the culinary hut highlights here on the blog at the beginning of the summer season 2019. With a train station directly connected to the Zurich-Innsbruck Railjet route, which is just under a three-hour drive from Zurich, it is worth reserving a summer weekend for a trip to the Ötztal.
#12 Discover Germany’s Hanseatic cities
Hamburg is just as easy to reach as Zagreb – from Zurich without changing trains with the Nightjet. If you already know Hamburg, I recommend visiting the star-shaped Hanseatic cities of Bremen, Lüneburg and Lübeck. They are all less than an hour’s train ride from Hamburg and are – alternatively – also connected to beautifully landscaped cycle paths (such as the cycle path along the old salt road between Lüneburg and Lübeck).
#13 Art & Culture in Luxembourg
Luxembourg is a city break destination that is less than a five-hour train ride from Zurich and is often forgotten. The city offers an exciting mix of historic old town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), modern buildings, numerous museums and plenty of shopping opportunities. You might even want to take a day trip to the imposing Viandem Castle north of Luxembourg.
#14 Cycling through Provence
Who wouldn’t want to see the splendidly blooming lavender fields of Provence?! Starting from Valensole, there is a well-developed network of cycle paths that criss-cross the plateau. Alternatively, there are also beautifully landscaped cycle paths between the towns of Orange, Avignon, Arles and Nîmes – here the focus is less on the lavender fields and more on the diverse landscapes around the Camargue.
#15 Adventure Berlin-Warsaw-Minsk
You should take at least a week for this trip. Thanks to night train connections between Zurich and Berlin and between Berlin, Warsaw and Minsk, there’s nothing wrong with an adventurous train journey from Zurich to Belarus (and back). Both Warsaw and Minsk have been on my bucket list for a long time with my soft spot for Eastern Europe and so these two city break destinations can be ideally combined.
#16 Time out in the Val d’Hérens
One destination you should save for the golden autumn is the Val d’Hérens in the Lower Valais. Here you will find rustic accommodation in old chalets or alpine huts surrounded by a dreamlike mountain landscape. There is also no shortage of exciting hiking trails (not an insider tip, but the tour to Lac Bleu is still beautiful).
#17 Architectural tour of Munich
Every two years, the Baumesse takes place in Munich as one of the world’s most important trade fairs for architecture, materials and systems. In connection with Bau 2019, the Long Night of Architecture on 18 January 2019 invites visitors to visit 50 buildings (including the Olympic Park). An opportunity not to be missed by those interested in architecture.
I have summarized more great tips for a weekend trip to Munich here: Munich in a different way
#18 Holidays on Elba
Elba is the perfect summer holiday destination for those who like to be active and away from mass tourism. The 72-kilometre-long “Grande Traversata Elbana” runs across the island – those who master it have definitely earned the “bädälä” at one of the shimmering turquoise bays. To get to Elba, in addition to a train journey, a short ferry crossing from Piombino has to be made – the journey by train and boat takes about ten to twelve hours.
#19 Weekend trip to Bratislava
Finally, there is another city break destination, namely the Slovakian capital Bratislava. It is only an hour’s train ride from Vienna and Vienna is also connected to Zurich by a night train. Why Bratislava and not Vienna? Because I have a heart for underrated travel destinations. If you think Bratislava doesn’t have enough to offer, you can always add a stopover in Vienna.
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