Client Confidential: Six Weeks in Europe…What We Loved
My husband, Sean Smith, returns as a guest blogger to share his thoughts on our recent vacation.
Six countries.
Nine cities.
Five islands.
Ten cross-country train journeys.
Countless museums, castles and churches.
Six weeks with my wife.
The adventure of a lifetime.
Last month, I shared an overview of the once-in-a-lifetime, six-week European adventure that Trish and I took as part of my retirement celebration. That article focused on the excitement, planning and logistics behind such an ambitious trip. And believe me, there were plenty of moving parts.
Fortunately, I happened to marry one of the world's great travel planners, so I knew we were in good hands.
I'll probably spend the next 20 years reliving and processing the memories from this journey. Now that I've been home for a week and have nearly adjusted to East Coast time, here are a few reflections.
The Questions We Asked Before We Left
Having worked continuously since 1988, I'd never been away from home for more than two weeks. The prospect of six weeks abroad felt daunting.
Can we afford this?
How will we get from city to city and country to country?
How will we do laundry?
We don't speak Hungarian, Dutch, German, Greek or Flemish. Will we be able to communicate?
What if we get homesick or burn out?
Will my wife tolerate spending six uninterrupted weeks with me?
And perhaps most importantly...who will mow the lawn?
All legitimate concerns.
But the opportunity was simply too good to pass up.
We had already booked a family cruise in Greece for September. Around the same time, Trish was invited to attend a conference in Bordeaux, France, in early August. Rather than fly home in between, we decided to spend those four weeks exploring Europe.
Thanks to years of accumulated travel points, we significantly reduced our hotel costs. We also booked Airbnbs in Brussels and Austria, giving us access to kitchens for budget-friendly meals and, perhaps even more critically, laundry facilities. A summer Interrail pass tied everything together, allowing us to travel efficiently by train throughout Europe. (If you are taking notes - definitely write Interrail down. Huge tip.)
With that framework in place, we took the plunge.
Where We Went
France
Bordeaux Wine Country via Avalon Cruise Line
Paris
Belgium
Brussels
Bruges
The Netherlands
Amsterdam
Austria
Vienna
Salzburg
Hungary
Budapest
Greece
Athens
Several Greek islands via Celestyal Journey Cruise Line
What We Loved About Europe
The Schengen Zone
Traveling between European countries was remarkably easy. Moving from France to Belgium to the Netherlands felt much like crossing state lines in the United States.
Because every country we visited was part of the Schengen Zone, we were able to travel freely without repeatedly passing through customs or immigration checkpoints. Whether flying or by Interrail, it made multi-country travel seamless and stress-free.
Interrail Passes
One of the best decisions we made was purchasing a ten-trip Interrail pass, conveniently stored on our phones.
Booking routes from Bordeaux to Paris, Paris to Brussels, Brussels to Amsterdam and beyond was simple. Trish also discovered a valuable travel hack: upgrading to First Class often included reserved seating and access to private station lounges.
The trains traveled at speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour, and the views of the European countryside were unforgettable. And nearly every train ran on time…to the minute.
The Personality of Each Place
One of the joys of the trip was discovering how distinct each destination felt.
Paris and Bordeaux delivered elegance, culture and romance.
Living in an apartment in Brussels for two weeks gave us a glimpse into everyday Belgian life, from grocery shopping to morning coffee routines.
Amsterdam offered unforgettable experiences at the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House, along with the ever-present challenge of avoiding thousands of cyclists speeding through the streets.
Austria stole our hearts. Vienna's stunning architecture and incredibly efficient public transportation system set a high standard. Salzburg offered beautiful scenery and the delightfully cheesy fun of a Sound of Music tour.
Budapest may have had the friendliest people we encountered. In a moment of vacation-induced bravery, both Trish and I even got haircuts there. (Shout out to Mate at Gents of Budapest Barbershop.)
And Greece? If you've followed my social media posts, you've already seen how completely awestruck we were by the landscapes, coastlines and islands. (Special Greek Cruise opportunity here.)
Food, Wine, and Beer
As you might imagine, we ate exceptionally well.
Every country offered culinary specialties, and we enthusiastically sampled as many as possible.
Please don't tell my PCP about my heroic consumption of sausages throughout Austria and Hungary.
Belgian beer cured me of my IPA bias, while France more than lived up to its reputation for world-class wines. What surprised us most, however, was the outstanding wine we discovered in Austria, Hungary and Greece.
Conquering the Language Barrier
Before the trip, language differences felt like one of our biggest concerns.
In reality, they rarely created problems.
My French is adequate on a good day and questionable on most others. Neither Trish nor I speak the native languages of the other countries we visited. Still, we made an effort to learn basic phrases in each destination:
Please
Thank you
Good morning
And, perhaps most importantly, "Where is the toilet?"
That small effort mattered.
We were welcomed everywhere we went. It was humbling to realize how many Europeans speak English while we struggled through their languages. At times, I felt almost selfish relying on English and hoping others would understand.
Our ability to communicate throughout the trip depended largely on the kindness and patience of the people we met. For that, we're deeply grateful.
The Euro
A brief, but important observation:
I absolutely love the 2-euro coin.
America, can we make this happen?
The Kindness of Strangers
One lesson stood out above all others.
Smiles translate into every language.
We shared countless interactions with people who helped us find directions, purchase tickets, order meals or simply navigate unfamiliar places. Certainly, tourism plays a significant role in many European economies, and hospitality professionals are excellent at what they do.
But beyond that, we encountered genuine kindness and warmth.
Were there grumpy people? Of course. Every country has them.
We just didn't seem to meet many.
There is something deeply satisfying about successfully navigating an awkward conversation with someone who speaks a different language. Whether making change, finding a train platform, or asking for directions, each small victory brought a sense of connection.
These can feel like angry times in America. One of the greatest gifts of this trip was being reminded that kindness, patience and accommodation remain the default setting for most people.
For that reminder, I'll always be grateful.
Was It All Perfect?
Not even close.
And that's part of the adventure.
We dealt with cramped apartments, tiny hotel rooms, toilets without seats, a shortage of electrical outlets, the mysterious absence of laundry dryers, having to pay for water at restaurants and the near disappearance of drip coffee (or free refills).
We also endured a brutal European heat wave, with temperatures soaring to 95°F (35°C).
Were there frustrations? Absolutely.
But those moments became part of the story, too. (Foreshadowing to next month’s blog.)
Coming Next Month
If you've made it this far, I hope you'll join me for the final installment of this series.
In my next post, I'll share the unexpected challenges of six weeks in Europe, the lessons we learned, what we'd do differently next time and the travel decisions we'd absolutely repeat.
Writing these articles has been a wonderful way to relive the journey.
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Reader Questions (Keep ‘em coming)
Is six weeks too long for a European trip?
Certainly your life scheduling makes this determination. We had the time, and six weeks was ideal. We migrated to new locations every six days or so, keeping things fresh, and also making this really a collection of several one-week trips. Having a plan for each destination gave us a daily anchor, without making us feel burned out. Six weeks was perfect – but I can tell you I welcomed my own bed and shower when we got home.
Is an Interrail pass worth it?
100% yes. To be able to travel hundreds of miles efficiently without the frustrations of airport travel was simply a delight. An Interail pass resides right on your phone, and trips can be purchased instantly. An Interail pass is highly recommended for any extended trip in Europe.
How expensive is train travel in Europe?
One of the great values in travel. Our ten-trip, first class ticket was priced somewhat similarly to the cost of one round-trip airfare ticket across the United States. Considering that the pass gave us 10 trips, several of which were 300 – 400 miles in destination, the cost- and time-efficiencies were tremendous.
Do Americans need to know local languages to travel Europe?
As noted above, a majority of the people we encountered met us halfway – or even more than halfway. Don’t let language be a barrier to your travel plans. If you don’t speak a given language, take the time to learn a few key phrases to demonstrate that you are making the effort. In most cases, Europeans seem happy to put their knowledge of the English language to good use.
What’s next?
Trish and I have a driving adventure through the deep South later next month, and we’re quite excited about taking a group to Costa Rica this winter to explore both the beaches and the rainforests. We’re not sitting still.
