Hey there, JFC-ers!

This time next week, I'll once again be setting off on Lupine Travel's race across Europe, this time in the direction of Tirana. And to say I'm excited would be an understatement! 

Six of us from the JFC team are taking part  this year, with a few different tactics already emerging. Kristi and Tristan are planning a speed race to reach Albania's turquoise shores ASAP, while Andreia has provisionally mapped out a route to hit as many Balkan countries as possible. And then there are Solomon and Mark, both intending to go with the flow and see where the checkpoints take them!

As for me, I'll be tackling the race with my mum this year. We've done a lot of travelling together over the years, but two weeks on trains, buses, and ferries to Albania and back is going to be a whole new challenge… 

Happy travels and safe landings,

I have been sitting at an airport in England for three hours. I’ve had to pay ₤1 to use the Wi-Fi, because their free service only works for a few hours and I used it up last night.

Why was I here last night?

Well, I was in Vienna, with a flight to England via Brussels. A storm in Belgium delayed my flight so late that I would miss my connection to England, so the lovely and very efficient folks at the support desk routed me through a last minute flight to Munich instead. 

“That flight leaves in fifteen minutes,” I said. “Will my checked bag be rerouted in time?”

“Yes, of course!” lied the customer support lady.

I ran to my gate. I got to Munich, had a beer and a sandwich, and got to England right on time. As soon as I landed, I received a text.

“We’re sorry!” said the text, also lying. “Your luggage has been delayed. Please report to the customer support desk.” 

It was midnight local time. I had been traveling at breakneck speed for two weeks, and slowly for six months. Nearly everything I own was in that bag. I obediently reported to the customer support desk, bracing for the worst. Maybe they just got the tags confused with my last minute flight change? Surely the lovely and efficient people at the support desk in Vienna didn’t lie to me when I specifically asked if this would be a problem.

“Those texts are usually an error,” said the woman at this counter, supporting my theory. She scanned my ticket. It beeped. “Oh, yours isn’t, though.”

Fantastic. 

“Your bag is still in Vienna,” she said. This did not quite compute.

“… No,” my fried brain responded, more succinct in its frustration than I have ever been about anything in my life. “No.”

“I don’t know what to tell you. We can ship it to your house. Should take just a few days.”

“But I need my bag now.” 

“Well, you can come back tomorrow to pick up directly. We’ll email you when your bag is here. It should be around lunchtime.”

I did not have a toothbrush in my possession. My charging cables were American and I did not have an outlet adapter in my backpack. My phone did not work on UK data for anything other than texts. I had never been to the UK before, I did not know anyone in this city, and I was alone.

I did not sleep well.

So the next morning, I skipped my scheduled train out of the city and instead returned to the airport to retrieve my bag. Since I didn’t have internet access, this mainly means I wandered around downtown until I found the train station. Now I’m charging my phone with a USB cord and attempting to get back on the airport Wi-Fi to make sure I receive that email about my luggage. 

“You’ve used up your free internet access! Pay ₤1 to get back on our high speed internet connection.”

I give my credit card information to an airport Wi-Fi. 

1pm passes. 2pm passes. No emails. I have the number for the flight upon which my baggage is (supposedly) coming to England, so I plug it into a tracker. The flight arrived at noon. 

Does it take two hours to move a suitcase? Are they moving each of my socks individually? Did they completely lose the bag? Is any of this actually happening?

At 3pm, I go to the closest support desk and ask if I can have an update. 

“Go around the corner and dial the number written on the wall, tell them I sent you.”

I ignore the fact that these sound like directions to buy illegal substances and do as instructed. The man on the phone asks for my baggage tag number, so I tell him.

“That’s odd, all the bags from that flight were delivered hours ago. I’ll see if there’s anything left… oh, it’s right here! We’ll bring it out to you, yeah?”

I experience every emotion simultaneously.

An hour later, I am in the airport train station. I have my luggage! But this story doesn’t end here — oh no, that would be too easy. It turns out the train I booked on the airport Wi-Fi (that I paid ₤1 to access, not sure I mentioned that) has been canceled. 

The man working at the station tells me I can take the next one. It also gets canceled.

The station has its own Wi-Fi, so while I wait, I track the arrival times for my original flight. The leg from Brussels to England was also delayed. Had I not gotten my flight changed, I would have arrived here at roughly the same time I did last night, but with my baggage. Cool. I’m so glad I bothered to look that up.

The next train also gets canceled.

It is at this point that I seriously consider whether I died and went to some sort of travel-themed purgatory. 

I go talk to the same station employee again.

“Is this one going to be canceled?” I ask, pointing to the next scheduled train. At this point, nothing could surprise me. This man could tell me every train in England has been canceled forever and I would accept it. But he doesn’t.

“Definitely not,” he says emphatically. “That’s one of ours. We actually run, and we run on time.” I notice he has a tattoo on his arm depicting the logo of the train company in question.

The train runs on time.

I arrive at the apartment that I will be calling home for the next six weeks. Relief washes over me. I made it. I am free from the Kafkaesque hellscape in which I have been trapped for the last 24 hours. 

I put down my things and immediately go to take a shower. I’m free! I want to wash off the stress of traveling. It’s over. It’s done.

I go to switch on the shower.

Have you ever thought you’d woken up from a nightmare, only to realize your feet are still glued to the floor? If you have, you might understand how I felt in this moment. 

The shower was broken.

Friendly reminder here that anyone who has travelled to Cuba since January 2021 is ineligible for an ESTA when visiting the US, and you will have to apply for a full visa. 

Hey, reader, I absolutely feel you — organising your first trip to Italy is definitely overwhelming… there’s just so much to see!

For a 7-day trip, I’d suggest two types of itinerary:

The Classic — Rome & Tuscany

Why? Start with a bang with a deep-immersion into Rome’s magic, and then get lost in Tuscany’s hills for the rest of the trip.

How? Book a round trip ticket to Rome (unless you find some budget-friendly multi-city trips landing/taking off from Florence) and plan your first three days in the capital. This allows you plenty of time to walk through the main parts of the city, and to overindulge in carbonara and Roman artichokes.

On your fourth day (or, the third evening) hop on a high-speed train up to Florence and spend a day ticking off the main sights in the birthplace of the Renaissance — Uffizi, David and Duomo Cathedral non-negotiable! Also, don’t forget to stop for a lampredotto for lunch.

Spend a night in Florence and kick off your last two days by renting a car and driving around the Tuscan countryside. The picturesque hills and borghi around Siena, San Gimignano, Montepulciano, and Orvieto will make you forget about the crowded spots you’ve just been through. Plus, it’s the kingdom of agriturismi and vineyards, so good (natural!) wine and food is guaranteed!

Hot Tip: You don’t need to return the car in Florence, drive all the way down to Rome and leave the car at the airport before your flight :-)

The Hardcore — Venice, Florence & Rome

Why? Personally, I believe these are the essentials for a first (short) trip to Italy. They’re rich in history and culture, and all very different from each other.

Plus, they’re conveniently connected by non-stop, high-speed trains (Trenitalia’s Frecce), which will make the transport process easy and comfortable. Just remember to book your train in advance — the earlier, the better!

How? It’s a more upbeat itinerary, which would be ideally planned with a multi-city trip like this one (assuming you’ll be flying from New York City). 

You can start by landing in Venice (or Milan and then hop on a train to Venice, if that’s more budget-friendly) and spend two days in Venice. This will give you enough time to check out the touristy attractions on the first day (like San Marco square, Rialto bridge, the Biennale, etc) and stroll around more local neighbourhoods (like Cannaregio & Giudecca), or hop over to Murano, Burano, and Torcello during your second day.

Then, onto an evening (or early morning train ride) to Florence. The same 2-day plan applies here, to visit both the upper and lower Arno neighbourhoods, and fill your belly with Chianti classico and fiorentina. I shared some restaurant recommendations in this past Detour edition.

Finally, onto the capital. Rome is immense, and two days are definitely not enough to discover all the city’s wonders, but you’ll be able to tick off the Coliseum, the Pantheon, and the prettiest piazzas in the city.

It is worth looking for a (free) walking tour in each of the three cities on the first day. That way, you’ll be sure to visit all the essential sights ASAP!

Whichever itinerary you end up choosing, I strongly recommend booking your trains, accommodation, and museum tickets in advance — these cities tend to get a significant amount of (especially local) tourists over the Christmas holidays.

I hope you and your family have an amazing trip! Don't forget to send us some pics :-)