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After months of planning (and more than a few late-night Google searches), the day finally came — we packed our backpacks, boarded our flight from Raleigh, and set out on the adventure of a lifetime: two weeks through the UK and Europe with only backpacks and 1 “family” carry-on bag! From the gothic cathedrals of England and the cobbled streets of Scotland to the royal castles of Germany and the alpine air of Austria, every stop felt like its own storybook chapter.
York, England
After an overnight flight from Raleigh to London, we landed just after 6 a.m. local time — five hours ahead of home — and immediately got our first taste of international travel: two hours in customs, three Tube transfers on the Piccadilly Line, and another two-hour wait at King’s Cross before finally boarding our train to York. By the time we arrived just before 1 p.m., we’d been up for about 36 hours and running entirely on adrenaline.
We dropped our bags at the hotel, grabbed an Uber straight to York Minster, and it was absolutely worth it. Hearing the choir practicing as we walked through the cathedral was one of those pinch-me moments — you could literally feel the history and reverence in every corner of that place, from the Crypt to the Undercroft Museum below. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring The Shambles, grabbed a classic plate of fish and chips at The Punch Bowl, and then walked along York’s 900-year-old City Walls before heading back to the hotel. Exhausted doesn’t even begin to describe it, but as tired as we were, it already felt like the adventure had truly begun.
Edinburgh, Scotland
The next morning, we packed up and caught the train from York to Edinburgh, which turned out to be one of the most beautiful train rides of the entire trip. Rolling hills, tiny villages, and stretches of coastline made the two-and-a-half-hour trip fly by. After checking into our hotel, we dropped our bags and walked down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where the Royal Family stays when they’re conducting business in Scotland. Standing at the end of the Royal Mile, it was wild to think we were actually walking through a place that’s still used by the royals today.
From there, we made the long (and I mean uphill) walk toward Edinburgh Castle, passing narrow cobblestone streets and bagpipers playing along the way. We stopped for dinner at The Royal Mile Tavern, where Joe tried haggis for the first time — and, surprisingly, liked it — while Kayden was thrilled to find a Paddington Bear bench in the park nearby. Before heading back to the hotel, we climbed the stairs up Calton Hill for an incredible view over the city. Even though the sun didn’t set until after 9:30 p.m., the evening light over the skyline was beautiful and completely worth the climb.
The next day was all about exploring. We started with a rainy morning tour of Edinburgh Castle, where we saw St. Margaret’s Chapel, built around 1130, and learned about the Crown Jewels and the Key to Scotland. From there, we made our way to Makar’s Mash Bar for lunch — which was so good — and then over to the National Museum of Scotland, a free seven-story museum that has everything from history and fashion to natural science and technology (yes, we saw Dolly the Sheep!). We ended the day doing some shopping, drinking more coffee than we probably should have, and making one last stop at the LEGO store, where Kayden picked up a UK-exclusive set and added stamps to his LEGO passport.
London, England
We left Edinburgh this morning and made our way back to London. The 4.5 hour train ride was peaceful and scenic — the perfect mix of countryside views and downtime after a few busy days on our feet. Once we arrived at King’s Cross, we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed straight to Leicester Square to check out the (now second-largest) LEGO Store in the world. The displays were incredible — full-size landmarks and characters all built from LEGO bricks — and of course, Kayden left with another set for his collection.
From there, we wandered through the edge of Chinatown, then took the Piccadilly Line to Hyde Park, which quickly became one of Kayden’s favorite spots. He loved watching the ducks, swans, and horses, and we all enjoyed the calm after the chaos of travel. We exited through South Kensington for dinner at Wright Brothers Ltd., a restaurant Joe found online for its “pound-a-pop” oyster deal. Unfortunately, it ended up being one of those “looked better on Instagram” moments. My steak was fine, Joe said he’s had better oysters in Maine, and the only one completely thrilled was Kayden with his mussels.
The next morning, we started early near Big Ben and Parliament for our tour of Westminster Abbey, and it was incredible. Hearing prayer echo through the abbey while surrounded by centuries of history is something I’ll never forget. From there, we walked to Buckingham Palace, where we lucked into seeing the rehearsal for the King’s Birthday Parade — one of those random travel moments that turns into an unexpected favorite.
We continued past Wellington Arch and through Hyde Park for lunch before touring Kensington Palace. The front was under renovation, but seeing Princess Diana’s statue and dresses on display was easily the highlight of the day. On our way back, we stopped at The Churchill Arms, the flower-covered pub that looks more like a garden than a building — it’s actually a Thai restaurant inside, but we were there for the photos.
By the end of the day, we’d walked almost eight miles and wrapped it up with dinner at the cozy pub across from our hotel — easily one of our favorite meals of the trip. They had a two-course special for £18.95 (about $25), which made it even better. Joe and I both started with chicken wings — his hot, mine plain, no surprise there — while Kayden, in true “mini foodie” fashion, ordered tequila-marinated mackerel ceviche with a spring onion and cucumber salad. For our main course, Joe and I had hanger steak and fries (he added chimichurri), and Kayden went for classic bangers and mash with onion gravy. We couldn’t skip dessert — I had sticky toffee pudding with hot toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream (a solid 20/10), while Kayden chose honeycomb cheesecake with raspberry sauce. It was the perfect ending to a full, wonderful day in London.
Windsor, England
Our final day in the UK may have been my favorite — and yes, that means it might have officially pushed Edinburgh out of the top spot. Windsor was absolutely beautiful. The weather was perfect, the whole town felt calm and charming, and honestly, I can’t even pinpoint what made me love it so much… but I did. It just had that “I could live here” kind of feel.
We spent the morning touring Windsor Castle, and it ended up being the best royal tour we did the entire trip. Over 200 people live and work within the castle grounds every day, and members of the Royal Family still stay there regularly, which made the whole experience feel incredibly special. Photos weren’t allowed inside the State Apartments or St. George’s Chapel, but even without pictures, I can say confidently that it was the most beautiful palace we visited — and the Chapel might actually be prettier than Westminster Abbey.
Seeing Queen Elizabeth II’s burial site, along with Prince Philip and her parents, hit me a lot harder than I expected. It was quiet and emotional and honestly one of those moments I’ll always remember. As we were wrapping up the tour, the noon service was starting, so we stayed for a bit and listened. Hearing the choir in that space was incredible.
Afterward, we grabbed Chinese food for lunch — Kayden’s pick, of course — and then walked along the Thames River, which only made me love Windsor even more. Kayden would’ve happily moved there on the spot if it meant he could have ducks and birds following him around all day.
Before heading back to London, we made a detour to Paddington Station so Kayden could shop at the Paddington Store and finally bring home the Paddington Bear he’d been talking about since the moment we left Raleigh. We ended the day with dinner at the same pub across from our hotel because (a) it was close, and (b) it was genuinely delicious. Joe tried the Scotch Egg this time, Kayden stuck with his beloved honeycomb cheesecake, Joe ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding I’d had the night before, and I went with the Apple & Pear Crumble with custard and vanilla ice cream — 10/10 recommend.
What better way to end the day than the less-glamorous side of traveling with only backpacks: handwashing laundry in the hotel bathtub with detergent sheets and then drying everything with a hair dryer because nothing dried after hanging for 24 hours. When laundry service costs over £200 (about $270 USD), you make do — and honestly, that alone felt like an adventure.
Paris, France
After wrapping up our time in the UK, we caught the early Eurostar to Paris, and while we were excited to say we’d been, Paris definitely ended up being one of our least favorite stops of the trip — but still an experience we’re glad we had. What we didn’t know when we planned everything was that the Champions League Final was happening that day, which is basically their version of the Super Bowl. Suddenly every “why is it so booked?” question made sense. Locals even told us to be back at the hotel before 7 p.m. because things can get very rowdy if the home team wins… and based on the fireworks and cheering we heard from our window, they weren’t exaggerating.
Paris has this glamorous reputation, and I can absolutely understand the appeal if you’re in the right arrondissement, know where to stay, and plan to eat, shop, and wander like the movies make it seem. That just wasn’t our experience. We chose to Uber instead of using the Metro, mostly because our route from the train station to the hotel didn’t feel super safe, and once we got to our hotel near the canal, we decided to keep things simple and stick to the big sights.
Our first stop was the Jardins du Trocadéro for views of the Eiffel Tower, which never disappoints. From there we walked along the Seine River toward the Tuileries Garden, where we grabbed a delicious Parisian lunch — Kayden got a Nutella crepe, and I had crème brûlée, which was every bit as good as you’d expect. We continued on to the Louvre, which is massive in a way that photos don’t prepare you for, and then walked another stretch to see Notre-Dame from the outside. We would’ve loved to tour it, but with the “first come, first served” line stretching forever, we decided a view from the front was good enough.
The Uber ride back to the hotel should’ve taken 30 minutes but took well over an hour thanks to game-day traffic, so we squeezed in a quick nap before dinner. That evening, we walked across the canal to a little Italian spot called Bistro Gusto, where we had the best meal we’d eaten since leaving London — complete with tiramisu and another round of crème brûlée.
Paris wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t a place we’re dying to return to. I think if we stayed in a different arrondissement, had more time, or visited during a calmer weekend, we might have had a completely different experience. The French countryside, though… that’s a different story, and definitely still on our future list.
Disneyland Paris
The next morning we were up early again, this time heading to Disneyland Paris, which turned out to be an amazing addition to this trip and a good break from the cities. Getting there, however, was its own kind of adventure. Instagram and TikTok make the journey look clean, simple, and magical… and let’s just say the reality was a little more “grungy commute” than “storybook fairytale.” The UK definitely has the better public transportation, but we made it work.
Thankfully, we’d worked with Wendy Ferguson from Simple Magic Travel Co., who helped us understand what to expect and how to navigate everything once we arrived. Even though all the signage was in French, most rides had English subtitles, and the Cast Members were bilingual, which made things much easier.
We started in Walt Disney Studios Park and “rope dropped” right at 9:30 a.m. Honestly, that park layout really surprised me — you walk through this huge indoor building before you’re actually in the park. It was such a cool way to start the day. We knocked out everything we wanted to do before 1 p.m., including Tower of Terror (which is completely different from the WDW version and I LOVED it), Avengers Assemble: Flight Force (kind of like a Guardians of the Galaxy + Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster mix), Crush’s Coaster (which gave major Space Mountain + GOTG vibes), and Spider-Man WEB Adventure (a fun “sling-your-own-webs” ride).
We grabbed lunch in the Avengers area (yes, those were anchovies on Joe’s pizza), then made our way to Disneyland Park, which instantly felt more nostalgic and magical.
Walking under the gorgeous pink Disneyland Hotel, which doubles as the park entrance, was such a “wow” moment. And as soon as we stepped onto Main Street, U.S.A., it hit me — it’s smaller than Walt Disney World and it felt less overwhelming and way more manageable, but was still so cool to see and experience.
We noticed there weren’t many PhotoPass photographers around. Surprisingly, I liked that. It made the park feel more relaxed and less touristy — though, to be fair, we’re not big PhotoPass people anyway. Wait times were manageable all day, even though the posted times were never accurate. A “30-minute wait” usually meant 45 minutes, but we never waited more than an hour for anything.
In Disneyland Park, we rode Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast (very similar to WDW), Indiana Jones & the Temple of Peril (a fun but slightly “this ride is old” coaster), Pirates of the Caribbean (not the same as WDW but familiar enough), Star Tours (which was completely different and entirely in French but enjoyable), and Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (which goes outside, has loops, and is much more intense than Space Mountain and was epic).
Overall, we had an amazing day — busy, exciting, and full of those little moments that make Disney… well, Disney. And we absolutely couldn’t have navigated the whole thing without Wendy. By the time we headed back to the hotel that night, we were exhausted but happy — and already talking about what Disney park we want to visit next (looking at you Tokyo!).
Strasbourg, France
The morning after Disneyland, we packed up again and hopped on the high-speed train to Strasbourg, and from the second we arrived, I knew this was going to be one of my favorite stops. The ride itself was about two and a half hours at nearly 180 mph — smooth, quiet, and honestly a welcome change after the chaos of Paris. Strasbourg sits right on the border of France and Germany and is the capital of the Alsace region, and it truly feels like a blend of both cultures in the prettiest way.
I’ve been looking forward to this part of the trip for months — partly because of the architecture and partly because Belle’s village in Beauty and the Beast was modeled after towns in this region. And even though it rained most of the day, it didn’t dampen the experience at all. If anything, the rain made the streets feel even cozier and the city quieter than usual.
Our first stop was the Strasbourg Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Strasbourg), and it ended up being the most breathtaking cathedral we experienced on the entire trip — and that’s saying something considering we’d already visited York Minster, Westminster Abbey, and Notre Dame in Paris. The stained glass was incredible, and the astronomical clock was one of the coolest things we saw in any church. The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a ton of World War history tied to it, including a memorial to U.S. soldiers, which was such a meaningful surprise.
Fun fact: the Strasbourg Cathedral is taller than Notre Dame Paris, Westminster Abbey, and York Minster. It’s also the second oldest of the four we visited and the only one built from pink sandstone, which gives it that beautiful warm color.
For lunch, we stopped at Muensterstuewel, a restaurant inside a half-timbered building from 1562 that has stayed in the same family since the 1600s. We ordered an authentic Alsatian meal — Spaetzle, Tarte Flambée, sausages, sauerkraut — and it was exactly what you want on a cold, rainy day.
After lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon wandering through the streets, popping into shops, and just soaking in the charm of the city. Even with most businesses closed for Monday, it ended up being one of the calmest and most peaceful days of the trip. There’s something about Strasbourg that just feels like a fairytale — the architecture, the canals, the atmosphere — and I could’ve easily spent another full day there.
Germany and Austria
The next morning, we took an early train from Strasbourg across the Rhine into Germany, and the contrast between the two countries was instant. The train was quiet and smooth, and when we arrived in Munich, the station was buzzing with people. We had a few delays because of train line issues that morning, so our day started a little later than planned, but once we picked up our rental car — the only time we drove ourselves this entire trip — things started to fall into place.
Our first stop was the historic Hofbräuhaus Munich, which dates back to 1589. The food was amazing (the heat inside the building, not so much), so we moved out to the garden afterward for dessert. It was the perfect introduction to Bavaria — loud, fun, traditional, and full of history.
After walking through Marienplatz, seeing the Glockenspiel, stopping by the Munich Cathedral, and taking a quick stroll down the “we clearly don’t belong here” luxury shopping street (pretty sure we could smell Chanel No. 5 in the air), we headed to the car and got on the Autobahn toward Augsburg, where we’d be staying for two nights. Watching Joe drive 170 km/h (about 105 mph) while cars still flew past us at what had to be 120–130 mph was wild — and somehow still less stressful than driving on I-85.
The next morning was my day — the one I’d been waiting for since we booked the trip. We drove to the village of Hohenschwangau, home of Neuschwanstein Castle, the very castle Disney used as inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s. Seeing it in person was everything I hoped it would be. We toured the inside, then did some light hiking for different viewpoints. Afterward, we grabbed lunch from a Bavarian hot dog stand and enjoyed it with the mountains in the background. It felt like stepping into a fairytale.
From there, we crossed into Austria and drove 45 minutes to Lake Plansee, which might be one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The water was turquoise, the mountains were towering, and the whole area felt peaceful in a way that’s hard to describe. The Alps have this way of settling your soul, and standing there was one of those moments where everything just feels right.
We continued on through Reutte for a quick coffee stop before heading to Ehrwald, where we planned to go up Zugspitze, Germany’s tallest mountain. The very top was closed for a private event, so instead we took the Ehrwalder Almbahn, which carries you halfway up the mountain. On the way up, we saw cows and horses dotting the hills, and the views from the top were unreal — bright sunshine, crisp air, and panoramic views of the Alps.
After that, we drove back into Germany for dinner in Füssen at a random tavern we picked on a whim — and it ended up being one of our favorite meals of the entire European leg. Then it was back to Augsburg to rest up for another early start.
Dachua and Nuremburg, Germany
Our next morning started early as we checked out of our hotel in Augsburg and drove straight to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. There’s really no way to put into words what it’s like to walk through a place with that much history and heartbreak. We spent almost four hours there, and it still didn’t feel like enough time to fully take in everything we were seeing and learning. It was heavy, emotional, and incredibly important — one of those experiences that stays with you long after you leave.
After leaving Dachau, we fought some of the worst traffic we’d hit in Munich and then continued our drive north to Nuremberg, where we’d spend our last full day of sightseeing. Our hotel was right along the old city walls, so after dropping off our bags, we walked around a bit to get a feel for the area. It’s such a charming city — colorful buildings, medieval architecture, and winding streets that lead you right into the heart of Old Town.
We opted for late checkout so we could leave our bags at the hotel and walked over to the Nuremberg Trials Memorial and Courtroom 600, where the trials took place. This ended up being one of my favorite tours of the entire trip. It was incredibly immersive — with audio clips from the trials, original documents on display, and a documentary that pieced everything together historically and emotionally. Sitting inside the actual courtroom was surreal.
After the museum, we spent the afternoon exploring Old Town. We walked up to Nuremberg Castle, wandered through Weißgerbergasse (the prettiest, most colorful street), and browsed the stalls at Hauptmarkt, where you could actually smell how fresh the fruits and vegetables were. And because no trip is complete without at least one weather mishap, we got caught in the worst rainstorm of the entire trip — completely drenched from head to toe. We made a mad dash back to the hotel to shower and change before catching our train to Frankfurt.
That evening, we took our final train ride: Nuremberg → Frankfurt Airport, where we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn that connects directly to both the station and the airport. It was the easiest, most convenient setup and exactly what we needed before a long travel day home. We repacked our backpacks, set our alarms for an early wake-up, and tried to get a little bit of sleep.
Would I do it again?
As sad as I was for the adventure to be over, a big part of me was ready for my own bed… and a laundry setup that didn’t involve a bathtub and a hairdryer. The 10-hour flight from Frankfurt was way easier than we expected, but the jet lag hit us hard once we got home. Trying to stay awake past 6 p.m. felt like running a marathon — we didn’t make it very far.
Once we unpacked and tallied everything up, we realized we had traveled over 11,000 miles, taken multiple trains, walked 93+ miles, and visited five countries — all with one backpack each, one shared carry-on, and my purse (which, let’s be honest, was really just a tote bag pretending to be a purse). Despite traveling light, we still managed to bring home some really meaningful souvenirs: a magnet or two from each place, Kayden’s growing collection of LEGO sets and passport stamps, and guidebooks or storybooks from the cathedrals, museums, and castles we visited. We quickly discovered that the majority of the best, most unique souvenirs came from these historic sites — most of them are self-supporting, and 9 times out of 10 their gift shops had far better items than anywhere else.
There were places we absolutely loved, places we probably won’t return to, and places we never expected to fall for — but every stop added something special to the trip. And above all, having this time together, just the three of us, made every early morning, late night, long walk, and stressful train transfer completely worth it.
