After travelling obsessively for over two years (no doubt as a shock response to the pandemic!), I went for a slightly different approach in 2024. This meant fewer ad hoc trips and a more intentional selection. I prioritised some of my favourite destinations over going somewhere just for the sake of being away every month, or ticking off a new country.

Even though not everything turned out the way I’d imagined, it was fun looking back on my trips of 2024. And I hope you’ll enjoy reading about them!

Spring

My travel year started in March with a weekend trip to Paris. I went to see Amanda Lear as the lead in L’Argent de la Vieille at Théâtre Libre. No, I don’t speak French, and yes, I still enjoyed the play! I’m a massive Amanda Lear fan and seeing her live for the first time was unbelievable!

I had the whole Sunday before my train back to London, so I went for a long solo walk around central Paris, reminiscing and reflecting, with first signs of spring in the air. There’s something about the French capital that draws me back.

Later in March, I headed to Berlin where I saw an immersive Salvador Dalí exhibition somewhere in Neukölln. It was worth visiting for the fantastic VR experience alone. The projection took you on a ship from which you were watching creatures from Dalí’s paintings roam around you as you sail across the sea. I so wish I could show you some footage, but that’s the nature of virtual reality – you have to experience it yourself. I’d do it again anytime.

Man holding a drawing covering half of his face, with a screen projecting more drawings behind him

People sitting on white square seats in the middle of a room watching a colourful projection on the walls around them

As usual in Berlin, I stayed at the Space Night Capsule Hostel – a quirky, affordable place right in the centre of the city. From Berlin, I took a train to Wrocław, Poland to spend Easter with my family.

In early April, I flew from Warsaw to Baku. Azerbaijan had been high on my travel bucket list and this short trip was a great introduction. I won’t be going into details here because I wrote several posts about Azerbaijan, but I’ll just say that I can’t wait to go back!

Modern skyscrapers against a cloudy sky, with trees below and a man standing in the foregroundHighland Park and the Flame Towers in Baku

For the early May bank holiday, I flew to Nuremberg, Germany. I also made a day trip to Munich to see Andi, an online friend of 2,5 years. Meetings like these can be tricky because of a potential clash between the online image and reality. I have the impression that I turned out too introverted for Andi’s liking, but then, I may well be overthinking. Anyway, I hope to see him again.

View from the Nuremberg Castle

Summer

June was the time of my longer, “main” trip. After an amazing journey around Scandinavia last year, my friend Yunior and I wanted to travel together again. This time, we went for the Balkans. I go there every year and offered to show him around.

We started in Kosovo where I arrived a few days before Yunior joined me. I caught the last day of Prishtina Pride and its main parade which was exciting as I’d never been to any other Pride apart from London’s. We visited one more city in Kosovo, Prizren, before crossing the border into Macedonia. There, we made stops in Skopje, where I met up with my friend Stefan, and at the gorgeous Lake Ohrid. The trip ended in Tirana, Albania. It was quite an experience and a learning curve! I’ll write a separate, detailed post about the whole trip at some point.

Two men standing in a square in front of a statue depicting a man on a horseMacedonia Square in Skopje

Man stooping in a tunnel painted in red hearts, with palm trees in the backgroundHeart Tunnel in Tirana

In August, I was visiting my family in Poland, and on the way there, I made a detour through Bratislava and Vienna. If you’re in the area, this “combo” is a must. Two very different capitals, representing Eastern and Western Europe, just 2 hours from each other.

I must say that Bratislava was much better than I expected! During my 2‑day visit, I covered nearly all tourist attractions and had a fun time café hopping. If I could change anything, it would only be the heatwave that was going through the city at the time.

Man sitting on a wall in front of a fountain, with presidential palace and blue sky in the backgroundHodžovo Square in Bratislava

Vienna, on the other hand, greeted me with torrential rain! I arrived towards Saturday evening which meant that supermarkets had already closed. And wouldn’t open again until Monday morning! (The one thing I don’t like about the German-speaking countries are the very restricted opening times on weekends.) The choice of restaurants in the area was limited, and I had to settle for something I didn’t even enjoy.

After this unfortunate start, Vienna failed to raise the impression. It just didn’t sweep me off my feet. The city screams grandeur and elegance, but lacks the edge and vibrancy which normally attract me to cities. Maybe I didn’t do enough research? Or maybe I was just tired after the busy time in Bratislava? Anyway, Vienna surely is my least favourite European capital.

Lerchenfelderstraße, Vienna

So, from Austria, I took a direct train to Poland via Czech Republic. Will you believe that this 5‑hour international ride costs less than what you pay just to get to Stansted Airport in London?? Just saying…

After spending a couple of weeks with my family, I took another quick and affordable train to Berlin, as a stopover on my way back to London. This time, my friend Krison joined me and we spent two days exploring the city. We ticked off most of the essential spots, which I would have seen before, this being my fourth time in the German capital. But it was all new to Krison and I much enjoyed being the “guide”.

Sampling the iconic German streetfood – currywurst (vegan!)

Four bronze statues sitting on a wall by the river; a bridge and trees in the backgroundThree Girls and a Boy by Wilfried Fitzenreiter

A new thing I got to do was a visit to the DDR Museum which tells about everyday life in East Germany in an interactive way. Berlin’s history fascinates me, so I took my time looking at the displays and taking everything in. The best is saved for last – a reconstruction of a typical apartment on an East German housing estate. It made you feel like you went back in time!

A typical East German living room

We also explored the area around Nollendorfplatz which is known as the LGBT+ quarter. Another first for me, and I enjoyed it very much. There’s a nice corner bar Romeo und Romeo where we stopped by for coffee.

Motzstraße, Berlin

Although Berlin didn’t grab me at first, it’s growing on me with every visit. This was the best one yet.

Autumn

This year, I got to visit two new UK cities. While Margate left no impression on me (to the point that I forgot about it until I started writing this post!), my weekend trip to Belfast in September was another story. I’m attracted to up-and-coming places with a turbulent history, and Belfast fits right into this description. One to remember and one to visit again, for sure!

Margate

Clock tower against a blue sky, with trees in the foreground on both sidesBelfast

In October, I went to Luxembourg for the Alice Cooper concert. Seeing one of my favourite artists in one of my favourite destinations was a double treat! The concert was in Esch-sur-Alzette – a small, average town without much to see, but I stayed there for the night out of convenience. I spent most of the following day strolling around the Luxembourg City, revisiting my favourite places. I was enjoying the exceptionally good weather and appreciating the moment.

Adolphe Bridge in Luxembourg

Winter

In mid-December, I was visiting Yunior in Mataró, Spain. We spent some time in Barcelona, where I had last been in 2018, and went up the Montserrat mountain. The view was stunning!

Looking at the Pyrenees from the Montserrat mountain

Two men standing next to a bronze sculpture of a giant cat in front of a colourful bulding with balconiesEl Gato by Fernando Botero in La Rambla, Barcelona

Although I’m more Team Mountains than Team Beaches, I still get hypnotized looking at the waves. Mataró’s coast was pleasant to walk along, free of crowds at this time of year. Instead, the town was all sparkly and so ready for Christmas! It was also the warmest and sunniest place I’ve ever been to in December. At points, I was fine to sit outside wearing just a T‑shirt!

Man in green jacket standing in front of a street decorated with Christmas lightsChristmas market in Mataró

From Barcelona, I flew to Wrocław (apparently called Breslavia in Spanish) and stayed in Poland for 10 days. The Holiday season is usually my family time and it was no different this year.

I spent the last few days of 2024 in the South of France. First, I stayed in Marseille for a day. I did like it, even though I was just passing through and barely did any sightseeing.

Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille

I then took a train to Nice where I joined Krison. Our itinerary had to be heavily reduced due to drama with delayed flights and missing luggages, but I still look on that time fondly. The highlight was a day trip to Monaco on New Year’s Eve, which was the 29th country I’ve been to. Such a picturesque place!

The only let-down was that the Town Hall was closed that day and we didn’t get to ask for souvenir passport stamps. It was hard to get over this huge oversight on my part… (If you’re a fellow stamp collector, you’ll understand the pain.) But this becomes a reason to come to Monaco again, which I’d like to do, although not in the nearest future.

Summary

Even though I wanted to scale down slightly this year, it still came close to matching the intense 2023! I took 9 trips, from short city breaks to longer treks across multiple borders.

I went to 11 countries, out of which “only” 4 were new. (Not counting the UK and Poland.) I visited 15 new cities, and 22 cities in total. This translates into 18 flights, 10 train journeys and 4 bus rides.

On most of these trips I either got to see people I already knew or made new friends. And I’m super grateful to have had Yunior and Krison as travel companions!

Avenue Jean Médecin, Nice

Plans for 2025

Strangely, I don’t have any set travel plans for the new year. But I know I want to return to Italy, for two reasons: to immerse myself in the language and visit San Marino, a country on its own! I’d also like to explore the east of Eastern Europe – the last part of the continent I haven’t covered yet.

It’s also about time I ventured outside Europe more! I barely did in Azerbaijan, and some would even argue that it’s still in Europe. Perhaps the Jordan trip, which I started booking and then had to cancel in late 2023? I’d also love to go back to India, so maybe the ill-fated itinerary from spring 2020 will work this time? Peru and Bolivia are also high on my list.

Whatever it is, I can’t wait for new adventures!