A Trip to Europe with Besties
It was a dream we had for years, a trip to Europe with the college besties. Even though it had been in the pipeline, the plan was quick and immediate. It took us just 3 months to plan, and have a Google sheet that was updated by the six of us. Two of us took the lead while the others supported.
Three of us were in Kerala, one in Dubai, one in Dallas, and one in Nigeria. We were not sure how we would pull it off, especially when we opted to do it on our own and not go with any agent. The one in Nigeria got her Schengen visa rejected the first time and she had to re-apply. That got the rest of us nervous but we got through, with the person (in Dubai) getting her visa last, just one week before the fixed date.
We booked hotels and air tickets online. Hotels and apartments were alternated for our accommodation to save money and do our laundry. Apartments had washing machines. It helped us pack lighter for the 18 days. The apartments enabled us to cook some ready-to-make Indian food and when that was over, we bought rice from the local supermarket. Eating out was quite expensive, especially in Switzerland. As we read about it, we were able to get salads, fruits, and hot meals from the supermarkets. We did dine out a few times.
Sightseeing was planned roughly before we started the trip. We had researched about the places and had zeroed in on a few places all of us were interested in. We had 4 days each in 4 countries. All our travel inside the cities was by train, metro, bus, or Uber. It took us only a day to figure all that out. Travel between countries was by long-distance train which we did not book in advance. We would highly recommend booking them in advance to get better rates.
Amsterdam, Netherlands – All of us landed in Amsterdam in the morning, within a gap of a few hours. We loved the buzz, the people, the landscapes, and all that cycling people were doing. We found them happy, fit, and very friendly. They were helpful and spoke English. We spent 4 days there. Visited Giethoorn, Hague, Utrecht, Delft and Zaanse schan. All those places were beautiful and picturesque. Explored the main areas like Dam Square and the red streets. We rented a car for 2 days, at the airport and went driving to the long distances. It saved us time and was more economical as we were 6 sharing the expenses. The Dubai and U.S. buddies were used to left-hand driving, so it worked out well for us. One navigated using Google Maps while one drove. The hotel was good. They had a fabulous breakfast spread. We opted for a hotel at the beginning of the trip so that we could be relaxed and rest well. Connectivity to all places was marvelous. Only one person took a local SIM, for navigation, communication, and emergency and the rest of us contacted friends and family when we got wifi at the hotel.  The weather was cold and it drizzled at times.
 Antwerp, Belgium – We chose Antwerp as our base in Belgium, as accommodation was cheaper than in Brussels. And the travel time to the places we wanted to visit was similar to both Antwerp and Brussels. It was an apartment we rented this time. We visited Bruges, Ghent and Brussels. My friend, Manuja, lives in Brussels and I told her about our visit. She, in turn, told her friend, Sajin, in Antwerp, to look us up. He was very kind to take us around one day and join us at Manu’s place when we visited Brussels. Manu and Fareed treated us to a sumptuous Mallu meal, with 2 Pakistani items added by Fareed, in their beautiful home. They took us around the city later. The old-world charm is everywhere.
Belgium was super cold and windy for me. The connectivity was very good. We got the advantage of duo tickets that they had going on till August end where 2 people can travel for one ticket.
Paris, France – We loved the city. It is as beautiful as how people describe it to be and it needs at least a month to do all the exploring. We stayed for 4 days, in a hotel. Breakfast was bad for our palette, so we had from outside. People were friendly and helpful, especially the older ones. Loved their style and everyone looked fit. Not many spoke English but we communicated, they in French and we in English and understood what we wanted. The vibe of the city is buzzing with energy. It is a cauldron of all sorts of people, a truly global place. It has its downside too. We did see the cops on their super bikes with sirens whizzing past a few times. By the time we took our phones to capture the men in uniforms every time, they were gone. We just ogled instead! Notredam was closed for renovation. So, we saw it from the outside. Connectivity was superb and affordable and it takes only a day to figure it all out – metro, buses. The weather was pleasant, not too cold.
 Zurich – Switzerland – This was a last-minute addition to our plans because some of us thought that we were going this far and spending money, so why not add one more place? Not all agreed initially but we finally said ‘Why not?’ It’s an expensive place to be in and we saw the most number of Indian tourists in the touristy places of Switzerland. We even bumped into Mallus from the U.S. who were originally from our cities here. Here too we took an apartment and were able to do laundry and cook some Indian food. We also rented a car for 3 days to travel long distances. Travel is expensive, so renting a car and sharing worked out better for us. We went to Rhein Falls and drove through the Black Forest regions, which are in Germany, Lucerne, and Interlaken. It is as breathtaking as we see in the movies. Everywhere we looked, it was picturesque. Saying ‘wow’ was the norm. We got to experience small villages, all neat, tidy, and beautiful, on our way, as we took the roads that did not have tolls. Yup, google gave us that option. It was longer, took an hour extra and it was worth it. We did 4 days in Switzerland and all of us flew back home after that. On our way back, at the Mumbai transit, we met up with a few of our other college buddies too. Connectivity was great. The weather was hot. A fulfilling trip.
We did have glitches – we missed a train by a minute, and got the next one, paying some more. One car we rented gave some indication, so we gave it back after a day and got another one. We missed 2 to 3 exits altogether, but Google redirected, so that wasn’t a problem. We might get a speeding ticket in one place. (In Switzerland, the speed limit of 30-50-70-80 varies within seconds. One needs to get used to it)
We met some of the most helpful people. The happiest lot was in the Netherlands. Things to learn from them are their manners, politeness, keeping fit, punctuality, and the time they spend with themselves, family, and friends. All stores close at 6. They have a life beyond work. On weekends, they are all out with friends or families. Google helped us out most of the time (with travel, directions, timings of train, tram, buses, translation, etc.), and when in doubt, we simply asked people around us.
And we are back, stronger as friends, brimming with memories of some happy times…
P.S.: This was written in August 2023. Last week (November 2023), we did get a notification of a speeding ticket in Switzerland.
-Sajitha Rasheed is a relationship workshop facilitator and the Founder and Chief Mentor of Mind Mojo.
