22nd October 2014: Strasbourg, France

I've been wanting to head to Strasbourg for the longest time. Alright, not too long. But ever since I heard about it from a friend a year ago. But the price of the train ticket from Frankfurt had been a major put off. Then in October last year, I had an opportunity to visit Frankfurt again and I casually mentioned Strasbourg to the group I was with. Spontaneity at its best, we decided to rent a car and drive there the next day!

It's not very far to travel to Strasbourg from Frankfurt, but for reasons I do not know, the train tickets are very costly. It takes only 2hours, but it cost about 100euros for a return ticket. I'm not too sure if booking the tickets one month in advance will make any difference though. And chances are, you will have to switch between German ICE trains and French TGV trains. So as long as you're not travelling alone, renting a car would be cheaper, and more convenient.

The weather didn't started out great, but I'm glad that at some point, it cleared up a little. We caught some sunshine before it went back to being all gloomy.

In the district of Grand Île and Cathedral Notre Dame.

Grabbed a small bite at a local cafe. Very rustic deco.

Petite France.

Can't express how very thankful I am for such spontaneous company that made this trip possible!

23rd December 2014: Pompeii, Italy

The ancient city of Pompeii was engulfed by Mount Vesuvius in AD79. The entire city was buried in ash, and only rediscovered in 1599.

Pompeii can be easily accessed via train. It's on the Napoli-Sorrento line, and it takes approximately 30minutes. If I'm not wrong, there are buses from Naples to Pompeii as well. But I'm not too sure where to take them. The easiest and most straight forward way is probably to take the train from Napoli Centrale.

It'll probably take you a few hours to explore the whole area, and from certain sites, you can see Mount Vesuvius in the background! In Summer, there's a bus from Pompeii that takes you to the crater of the volcano.

 

4th April 2015: Hallstatt, Austria

I hesitated making a trip to Hallstatt for quite a bit. Firstly, it was the cold and gloomy weather. Secondly, it wasn't the most accessible town from where I was coming from. Thirdly, I wasn't sure if I should stay a night in this quaint little town. And lastly, it's not the season to visit Hallstatt yet. But heck, I made it!

I got to know about Hallstatt from a post by one of the many travel accounts on Instagram. And when there was an opportunity to visit, I couldn't say no. I want to see this picturesque town so much! Yes, despite the gloomy weather. 

The village is really small and is car-free. If you're coming from Salzburg, Vienna or any other parts of Austria, you probably have to take a train to Attnung-Puchheim, followed by a regional train to Hallstatt. The journey here from Attnung-Puchheim is really scenic and there were so many occasions I wished I could get off to snap a picture. Arriving at Hallstatt station, you will see a small little boat dock. A ferry meets each arriving/departing train. 

The view from the ferry would have been amazing, IF, it's not too foggy.. cloudy or raining heavily. It was drizzling slightly when I was on the ferry.

After arriving in Hallstatt, do remember to check the ferry timing so you don't miss your returning train! The thing about visiting off-season is that the tourist information center is close. So do come prepared, know what you want to see.

There's a funicular that takes you up to a viewing platform and the panoramic view is pretty stunning (again, if it's not too foggy). Hiking up is possible, but it's going to be a looooong hike. When we got up there, it was actually snowing quite heavily!

There's also salt mine tour up there. Unfortunately, the tour only begins in May. I've visited an underground salt mine in Krakow and it was really fun and interesting to visit.

Back in town. 

Throughout my time there, I was praying very hard for the fog to clear up, the rain to stop. And praying for that ray of sunlight. But I guess my luck with weather ran out this time round. The best time to visit is probably either when it's snowing very heavily until the whole town is covered in snow, or in spring or summer.  If it's any consolation, at least it's snowing when I was up at the viewing platform?

If you plan your time well, a full day trip from Salzburg is sufficient to cover the Salt Mine tour, a short boat ride around the lake and still have ample time to walk around the town. If you're only able to arrive in the afternoon then do stay for a night. Unless all you want to do here is take a stroll, and snap some photos. 

14th April 2015: Mont Saint Michel, France

So I had 2 nights in Paris.. and I decided on an impromptu trip to Mont Saint Michel! Located on an island in Normandy, it is approximately a 4hours drive from Paris. 

Other than driving, you can also catch the TGV train from Paris to Rennes, then change to a bus. Or if you're lazy like me, I took a bus from Paris City Vision. This agency does guided day trip to Mont Saint Michel too. But if you're just looking for a "direct" transport like I did, take the unguided tour. You board the bus at their agency (somewhere around the vicinity of Louve) and it takes you all the way to Mont Saint Michel. When you've reach, you have the freedom to do whatever you want there. And at the end of the day, the bus takes you all the way back to Paris. Fuss-free! Price wise, it cost almost the same as buying a return ticket on the TGV. But perhaps if you book the TGV tickets early, you can probably get them cheaper? 

Enroute! 

A causeway now connects the island and the main land. You can either walk, or take a shuttle bus that comes at every 10-15minutes interval. Walking takes about 20 minutes, if you don't stop to take photo. 

Entering the walled city from the main gate, straight to Grande Rue.

The coastal area surrounding Mont Saint Michel.

It is highly recommended to walk around the coastal area with a guide as deep mud and quicksand surrounds the island. But if you're just walking along the edge of the island, it's pretty okay. Do check the tide tables though! 

Perhaps, if you have a night to spare, consider staying in Mont Saint Michel. I'm pretty sure the night view will be magnificent. 

And here's one last photo of Mont Saint Michel!