Destinations · 130 destinations
Five countries, region by region
Pick a region or a destination. Every page shows honest costs, hotels in three price ranges, experiences and insider tips.
Country
Turkey
The Bosphorus, fairy chimneys and 8000 kilometres of coast
Marmara
Istanbul, Ottoman capitals and the Dardanelles
Istanbul
What a long weekend or a week in the city on two continents really costs, which neighbourhoods you actually need, and where the locals eat.
Bursa
What a few days in the first Ottoman capital really cost, where the İskender kebab was invented and how to experience Uludağ without the tourist markup.
Çanakkale
What a week on the Dardanelles really costs, how to see Troy without disappointment and why Bozcaada is the most beautiful island hardly anyone outside Turkey knows about.
Edirne
What two days in the second Ottoman capital really cost, why Sinan's masterpiece is worth any journey and how to eat the liver like a local.
İznik
What a few quiet days on Lake İznik cost, why the city of the councils and the tiles deserves more than a side trip, and where to buy the genuine ceramics.
Aegean
Ancient cities, vineyards and turquoise bays
Izmir
The most open-minded city in Turkey: a long waterfront promenade, a living bazaar quarter and the best-preserved ancient city, Ephesus, only 40 kilometres away.
Bodrum
Whitewashed lanes, a Crusader castle on the harbour, one of the Seven Wonders in ruins and the quietest bays on the Aegean coast: Bodrum is more than a summer party destination.
Kuşadası
Gateway to Ephesus, three more ancient cities and the wine village of Şirince: Kuşadası is the best base for the ancient west coast of Turkey.
Pamukkale
What the white travertine terraces really cost, why you should stay one night and how to see Hierapolis without the tour buses.
Çeşme
What a week at the tip of the Aegean really costs, where Alaçatı is more show than substance and which bays are worth it.
Mediterranean
Turkish Riviera, Lycia and 300 days of sun
Antalya
Direct flights from Zurich, turquoise water, a 2,000-year-old old town, and far more than the all-inclusive resort most people book.
Fethiye
Turquoise lagoons, ancient Lycian rock tombs and one of the wildest gorges in Turkey: Fethiye is more than the most famous paragliding spot in the country.
Kaş
What a week in the most relaxed town on the Turkish Mediterranean costs, why no package-tour buses stop here and which experiences are really worth it.
Alanya
What a week in Alanya really costs, why the castle and the Dim River are more than a resort add-on and how to combine all-inclusive and city cleverly.
Side
What a week in Side costs, how to combine antiquity and beach in a single day and which excursions from the resort are really worth it.
Central Anatolia
Cappadocia, the Hittites and the heart of the country
Cappadocia
What a week among the fairy chimneys really costs, how to avoid the tourist traps once you are there, and which experiences are worth your money.
Ankara
The underrated capital: a world-class museum, Atatürk's mausoleum, hardly any tourists and prices that make Istanbul look expensive.
Eskişehir
UNESCO World Heritage, meerschaum craftsmanship and canal boats beneath Ottoman timber houses: Eskişehir is the most interesting hidden gem in Turkey.
Konya
What Konya really costs, where you can see the whirling dervishes without the tourist-show feel, and why the city is more than a stop on the way to Cappadocia.
Hattuşa
How to reach the 3500-year-old Hittite capital, what the visit really costs and why you will walk through the Lion Gate and the rock sanctuary almost alone.
Black Sea
Tea plantations, monasteries and green highland pastures
Trabzon
What a week on the Black Sea really costs, why you should not visit Uzungöl in August and which experiences around Trabzon are worth your time.
Rize
What a week between tea plantations and high pastures costs, when Ayder is empty and how to experience the Fırtına valley without a tour bus.
Amasya
What two days in the most beautiful river town in Anatolia cost, which konak you should sleep in and why the royal tombs look best at night.
Safranbolu
What a night in an Ottoman konak costs, when the old town is empty and why Safranbolu deserves more than a day trip from Ankara.
Sinop
What a week in the quietest harbour town on the Black Sea costs, why the prison is the main reason to visit and where you can really swim.
Eastern Anatolia
Ararat, Lake Van and the end of the world
Van
What a week on Lake Van really costs, why breakfast here is a full-day programme and which corners beyond Akdamar Island are worth the trip.
Kars
What a trip to Kars and the ghost city of Ani really costs, when winter is worth it and how to book the famous train without losing your nerve.
Erzurum
What a ski holiday in Palandöken costs compared with the Alps, which Seljuk buildings you have to see and why the cağ kebab is different here.
Doğubayazıt
What a trip to the foot of Ararat really costs, how to see İshak Pasha Palace without the coaches and what the climb actually involves.
Malatya
What a trip to Malatya really costs, how to reach Nemrut from the quiet northern side and why the apricots here are more than a souvenir.
Southeastern Anatolia
Mesopotamia, Göbekli Tepe and the best food in Turkey
Mardin
What a week in the golden stone city really costs, how to combine Mardin, Midyat and the monasteries sensibly and which experiences are worth it.
Gaziantep
What a few days in Turkey's culinary capital really cost, where to find the best baklava and which experiences beyond the food make the trip worthwhile.
Şanlıurfa
What a trip to the oldest temples in the world really costs, how to plan Göbekli Tepe and Harran sensibly and where to eat like a local in Urfa.
Diyarbakır
What a trip to the city behind the black walls really costs, how safe it is today and which experiences make the journey to the Tigris worthwhile.
Mount Nemrut
What sunrise among the stone heads of Nemrut really costs, how to reach the mountain without a package tour and which Commagene sites you should take in.
Country
Japan
Temples, the Shinkansen, onsen and the best food on earth
Kanto
Tokyo, Kamakura, Nikko, Hakone and Mount Fuji on the horizon
Tokyo
What a week in the biggest city in the world really costs, which neighbourhood you should stay in and how to get around with Suica, metro and konbini like someone who lives here.
Kamakura
What a day or a night in the old shogun capital by the sea really costs, how to see the Great Buddha before the coaches arrive and why the Enoden railway is the real experience.
Nikko
What one or two days in the forest of the shoguns really cost, how to see Toshogu before the coach groups and why the mountains behind the shrine are the better Nikko.
Hakone
What a ryokan night with onsen and kaiseki really costs, how the Hakone Free Pass works and on which days you will actually see Fuji above Lake Ashi.
Yokohama
What Japan's second-largest city really costs, why it is a cheaper base than Tokyo and where to eat well in Chinatown and by the harbour without standing in the tourist queue.
Kansai
Kyoto, Osaka, Nara: temples, street food and old Japan
Kyoto
What a week in the old imperial city really costs, when you need to be at which temple to actually see it, and why a bike beats the bus here.
Osaka
What a few days in Japan's kitchen really cost, why Osaka is a better base for Kansai than Kyoto, and how to eat takoyaki, kushikatsu and okonomiyaki in the right order.
Nara
What Japan's first capital really costs, why you should stay longer than the four hours the tour groups give it, and how to feed the deer without getting bitten.
Kobe
What the port city between mountains and sea really costs, how to eat Kobe beef without paying CHF 200, and why Arima Onsen is the best bathing day in all of Kansai.
Himeji
What Japan's most beautiful castle really costs, why you should be at the gate at 9 am, and how to turn the day trip into a day that is more than just a castle.
Chubu
The Japanese Alps, Kanazawa, Takayama and the Fuji lakes
Nagoya
What a few days in Japan's industrial capital really cost, why the food here is more idiosyncratic than in Tokyo, and how to use Nagoya as a base for Takayama and Ise.
Kanazawa
What a few days in the samurai and gold leaf city on the Sea of Japan really cost, where to eat the best fish in the country and how to see Kenroku-en without the coach groups.
Takayama
What a few days in the timber town of the Japanese Alps really cost, when the old town is empty, where Hida beef stays affordable and how to continue from here to Shirakawa-go.
Shirakawa-go
What the village of steep thatched roofs really costs, why a night in a gassho house makes all the difference, how to book the buses from Takayama and Kanazawa properly and when the winter illumination takes place.
Matsumoto
What a few days in the city with the black castle really cost, how to manage Kamikochi as a day trip, where the soba is best and whether the Alpine Route is worth it.
Fuji Five Lakes
What two days at the foot of Mount Fuji really cost, why you need to stay a night to see the mountain, how the highway bus from Shinjuku works and what a summer climb involves.
Hokkaido
Powder snow, lavender fields and the best seafood
Sapporo
What a few days in Hokkaido's capital really cost, where to eat the best miso ramen and how to use Sapporo as a base for the whole island.
Hakodate
What two days in the port city at the southern tip of Hokkaido cost, why you need the morning market at seven and how to get there by Shinkansen from Tokyo.
Niseko
What a ski week in the world's most famous powder snow really costs, why the hotels are pricier than in Zermatt and where you can still sleep cheaply.
Furano & Biei
What the lavender fields in July and the hills of Biei really cost, why you miss half of it without a rental car and how Furano becomes a quiet ski resort in winter.
Otaru
What a day or a night in the old port city costs, where to eat the best sushi on Hokkaido and why you should stay past 5 pm, when the coaches have gone.
Tohoku
The quiet north: onsen villages, Nebuta and samurai towns
Sendai & Matsushima
What a few days in the big city of the north really cost, why you eat beef tongue here and how to see the 260 islands of Matsushima without a tour group.
Aomori
What the northernmost city on Honshu really costs, why the Nebuta festival in early August is worth the trip and how to combine Hirosaki, Oirase and Lake Towada in four days.
Ginzan Onsen & Yamagata
What a night in a wooden riverside ryokan really costs, why you have to book months ahead and how to combine Zao, Yamadera and cherries in June into one trip.
Nyuto Onsen & Kakunodate
What a night in Akita's milky-white forest baths really costs, how to get there on the Akita Shinkansen and why Kakunodate in late April is the better cherry blossom.
Chugoku & Shikoku
Hiroshima, Miyajima, art islands and the Seto Inland Sea
Hiroshima
What two to three days in Hiroshima really cost, why the Peace Memorial Museum needs half a day rather than an hour, and where the city comes alive in the evening.
Miyajima
What a night on the shrine island really costs, when the torii stands in the water and when you can walk out to it, and why the island is a different place after 5 pm.
Kurashiki & Okayama
What two to three days among canal houses, jeans workshops and one of Japan's three finest gardens cost, and why Okayama is the best hub for the Inland Sea.
Matsuyama & Dogo Onsen
What three days in Shikoku's largest city really cost, how to bathe at Dogo Onsen Honkan without queuing, and why Matsuyama is the best way into Shikoku.
Naoshima
What two days on the art island really cost, why you book Chichu weeks ahead, where to sleep when Benesse House is full, and which neighbouring island is worth it.
Kyushu & Okinawa
Volcanoes, ramen, Nagasaki and coral islands in the south
Fukuoka
What a few days in the city of street kitchens really cost, where the ramen you know from Ichiran comes from, and why Fukuoka is the best way into Japan if you fly via Seoul.
Nagasaki
What two days in Japan's gateway to the world really cost, how to visit the Peace Park with the calm it deserves, and why the night view from Mount Inasa is worth more than any boat trip.
Kumamoto & Aso
What a castle town and the world's largest inhabited caldera really cost, when you are allowed up to the crater, and why a night in Kurokawa Onsen is worth the money.
Kagoshima & Yakushima
What the volcano city in the south and the rain island with its thousand-year-old cedars really cost, how to get through the ten hours to Jomon Sugi, and why the sand bath in Ibusuki is no tourist gimmick.
Okinawa & Naha
What a week on Japan's southern islands really costs, why without a rental car you only see half the island, and how to fit the Kerama Islands and the war history into one trip.
Country
Switzerland
The Matterhorn, Lake Lucerne and the most punctual railway in the world
Zurich, Basel & Lucerne
Cities on the water, the Rhine Falls and Appenzell country
Zurich
What a weekend in Zurich really costs, why in summer you need a badi rather than a museum, and how the Half Fare Card and a day pass get you the city and the Uetliberg at half price.
Basel
What a museum weekend in Basel costs, why in summer you float through the city on the Rhine instead of walking, and how the BaselCard saves you half of the admission fees.
Lucerne
What three days in Lucerne with a mountain and a boat really cost, why you do not need Pilatus, Rigi and Titlis all together, and how the Half Fare Card and Saver Day Pass halve the mountain railways.
Schaffhausen and the Rhine Falls
What a day or a weekend at the largest waterfall in Europe really costs, why the north bank beats Schloss Laufen, and why you should not see Schaffhausen only as a station to change trains.
Appenzell
What a hiking weekend in the Alpstein really costs, when you need to be at the Äscher so you do not only see it on other people's phones, and why two nights beat the day trip.
Bern & Bernese Oberland
The federal city, the Eiger north face and 72 waterfalls
Bern
What a weekend in the federal city really costs, why you pack swimming trunks in summer, and how to see Bern thoroughly in two days without spreading yourself thin.
Interlaken and Jungfraujoch
What the trip up to the Jungfraujoch really costs, when it is worth it and when it is not, and why Interlaken itself is only the base, not the destination.
Grindelwald
What a week under the Eiger north face really costs in summer and winter, which mountain railway gives you which view, and why you take the First before 9 am.
Lauterbrunnen
What the valley of 72 waterfalls really costs, why you should sleep up in Mürren or Wengen rather than down in the village, and how to have Lauterbrunnen to yourself despite the Instagram rush.
Gstaad
What a week in the Saanenland really costs in summer and winter, why Gstaad can be cheaper than its reputation, and where you get the mountains without a fur coat.
Lake Geneva & Valais
Vineyard terraces, the Matterhorn and the largest glacier in the Alps
Geneva
What a weekend in the international city on the lake really costs, why you need your hotel's free transport card, and where Geneva looks like a neighbourhood rather than a bank.
Lausanne and Montreux
What a few days on the Lake Geneva Riviera really cost, why train and boat beat the car between Lausanne and Montreux, and how to experience the Lavaux wine terraces without a coach party.
Zermatt
What a few days beneath the Matterhorn really cost, why you should ride the Gornergrat before 8 am, and how the Half Fare Card, the Peak Pass and the right month save you a third.
Aletsch Arena
What a few days above the largest glacier in the Alps really cost, why the three car-free villages are the better Valais for families, and how the guest card and railway pass keep you below Zermatt prices.
Verbier
What a ski week or a hiking summer in the freeride mecca of Valais really costs, why you sleep in Le Châble and ski in Verbier, and where the bisses lead you across the hillside in July.
Graubünden & Ticino
The Engadin, the Bernina railway and palm trees on Lake Lugano
St. Moritz and the Engadin
What a week in the Upper Engadin really costs, why you do not have to sleep in St. Moritz itself, and how to pay for Diavolezza, the lake walk and the mountain railways without getting annoyed.
Davos
What a week in the highest town in Europe really costs, which mountain suits you, why Klosters is often the better base and when you should on no account book Davos.
Bernina Express and Val Poschiavo
What the most famous railway journey in the Alps really costs, why the regional train with an open window is often better than the panorama coach and why you should spend a night in Val Poschiavo instead of just passing through.
Chur
What two or three days in the oldest town in Switzerland cost, why Chur is the smartest base for the Rhine Gorge, Arosa and the Bernina Railway, and where you eat Capuns that do not come out of the freezer.
Lugano
What a long weekend on Lake Lugano really costs, which of the two home mountains suits you, how to reach Gandria and Morcote by boat and PostBus, and where a grotto is still a grotto.
Country
Germany
Berlin, the Baltic, the Black Forest and the Alps on your doorstep
Berlin & the North
Capital, port city, chalk cliffs and a North Sea island
Berlin
What a long weekend in the German capital really costs, why you can take the night train to Berlin instead of flying, and which neighbourhood to stay in so you are not spending half an hour on the U-Bahn every evening.
Hamburg
What a long weekend on the Elbe really costs, why harbour ferry 62 is the best harbour tour in the city, and how to get into the Elbphilharmonie without booking a year ahead.
Rügen
What a week on Germany's largest island really costs, why you should see the chalk cliffs from below instead of from the Königsstuhl, and when the Sellin pier is yours alone.
Sylt
What a week on the most expensive island in Germany really costs, how to get there by car train or rail, and why October beats July if you want Sylt for the wind, the mudflats and the dunes rather than the champagne.
Saxony & Harz
Dresden, Leipzig, Elbe sandstone and the Brocken
Dresden
What a long weekend in "Florence on the Elbe" really costs, why you should stay in the Neustadt rather than the Altstadt, and when you have the Frauenkirche almost to yourself.
Leipzig
What a few days in Germany's cheapest big city really cost, why Plagwitz is more exciting than the centre, and how you hear Bach without buying a concert ticket.
Saxon Switzerland
What a week of hiking in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains really costs, why you visit the Bastei at 7 am and not at 11 am, and how you get through the whole national park without a car.
Harz
What a week in Germany's northernmost mountain range really costs, whether the Brockenbahn is worth its CHF 50, and why Quedlinburg is the most beautiful town you have never heard of.
Rhineland & Moselle
Cologne Cathedral, the Frankfurt skyline, castles and Riesling
Cologne
What a weekend in the cathedral city really costs, why you should visit the cathedral at 6 in the morning, how not to stand out as a tourist in a brewhouse, and what Carnival is really about.
Frankfurt
What two days in the banking city really cost, why Frankfurt is better than its reputation, where to drink apple wine and what the station district is all about.
Moselle
What a week between Trier and Koblenz really costs, where to drink Riesling straight from the winegrower, why the Moselle cycle path beats the car and when the villages are yours alone.
Upper Middle Rhine Valley
What five days in the valley of castles between Rüdesheim and Koblenz really cost, which of the 40 castles you should visit, when the boat is worth it and how to survive Rüdesheim.
The Southwest
Heidelberg, the Black Forest and Lake Constance, just across the border
Heidelberg
What two or three days in the city on the Neckar really cost, how you get there from Basel in an hour and a half, and why the castle at 8 am is a different place from the castle at noon.
Freiburg and the Black Forest
What a weekend or a week in the sunniest city in Germany and the low mountains behind it really cost, where the Black Forest is kitsch and where it is magnificent, and why you get from Basel to Freiburg faster than to Zurich.
Lake Constance
What a weekend or a week of cycling on the German shore of Lake Constance really costs, which ferry runs when, what shopping in Konstanz still saves you, and why you are in a different price bracket an hour from Zurich.
Bavaria & the Alps
Munich, Nuremberg, the Romantic Road, the Zugspitze and Königssee
Munich
What a long weekend in the Bavarian capital really costs, why you come by train and leave the car at home, and where you eat Weisswurst without sitting in a tourist trap.
Nuremberg
What a weekend in the city of emperors, gingerbread and the Nuremberg trials really costs, why the old town is smaller than you think, and where the Rostbratwürste are still grilled over beechwood.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
What a night in Germany's best-known half-timbered town really costs, why you should definitely stay overnight instead of just passing through, and how you simply sit out the coach crowds from 10 am to 4 pm.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Zugspitze
What Germany's highest mountain really costs, why the Partnachklamm and the Wank save the day when the summit is in cloud, and whether the trip to Neuschwanstein is worth the stress.
Berchtesgaden and Königssee
What a few days in the south-easternmost corner of Germany really cost, why you have to take the first boat across the Königssee, and how to place the Eagle's Nest and the Obersalzberg without it turning into a Hitler tour.
Country
Austria
Vienna, Salzburg, lakes and the mountains that would cost too much at home
Vienna, Danube & Burgenland
Coffee houses, Wachau wine, Linz and the steppe lake
Vienna
What four days in the imperial city really cost, why the night train is the best way to get there and how to stand in the State Opera for CHF 15 instead of sitting for CHF 200.
Wachau
What two or three days between Melk and Krems really cost, why you take the cycle path and not the car, and how to see Dürnstein before the boats tie up.
Linz
What one or two days in the underrated city on the Danube really cost, why you should get off here on the way to Vienna and where the Linzer Torte tastes best.
Lake Neusiedl
What three or four days on the steppe lake really cost, why the cycle path round the lake beats any beach and how to see the storks in Rust before the coaches arrive.
Salzburg & Salzkammergut
Mozart's city, Hallstatt, the Grossglockner and the Gastein spas
Salzburg
What three days in Mozart's city really cost, why the Railjet beats the car here and which Festival tickets you can afford without blowing the holiday budget.
Hallstatt and Salzkammergut
Between 10 am and 4 pm Hallstatt is a selfie corridor, and before and after that one of the most beautiful villages in the Alps. Here is how to do it right, what the surrounding lakes cost and why you do not have to sleep in Hallstatt itself.
Zell am See and Kaprun
Lake, glacier and the highest road in Austria in one place: what a week in Zell am See costs in summer and in winter, which card gives you the cable cars for free and when the glacier is really worth skiing.
Bad Gastein
A waterfall in the middle of town, grand hotels from the imperial era that are half ruin, half design hotel, and a ski area with 760 kilometres of piste: what Bad Gastein costs, how to get there by night train and when the town is at its best.
Tyrol
Innsbruck, Kitzbühel and the Zillertal
Innsbruck
What a weekend in the city with a cable car from the centre really costs, when the Innsbruck Card pays off and why you can have skiing and city life on the same day here.
Kitzbühel
What a ski week in the most expensive town in Tyrol really costs, where you still save, why summer here is underrated and when you are better off just looking at the Streif.
Zillertal
What a week in the best-known ski valley in Tyrol really costs, which of the four valley sections suits you, when the glacier is the best choice and how the guest card lets you travel almost free in summer.
Mayrhofen
What a week in the loudest ski resort in the Zillertal really costs, where you can sleep despite the après-ski, when the Harakiri is a good idea and why summer here is another world.
Arlberg, Ötztal & Vorarlberg
The big ski areas of the west and the lake stage on Lake Constance
Ötztal
What a week in Sölden or Obergurgl really costs, why the valley is cheaper and quieter in summer, and how to get there from Zurich without a car.
St. Anton am Arlberg
What a ski week in Austria's largest ski area really costs, why the train beats the car here, and where on the Arlberg you can be happy without après-ski.
Ischgl and Paznaun
What a week in the Silvretta Arena really costs, why you can ski from Ischgl into Switzerland and shop duty-free there, and where in the Paznaun the quiet lives.
Lech Zürs
What the most expensive ski resort in Austria really costs, why it is often worth its money all the same, and how Warth, Schröcken and summer on the Lech get you away far cheaper.
Bregenz and Lake Constance
What a festival evening on the lake stage really costs, why Bregenz is worth a trip even without the opera, and how you can be sitting over cheese in the Bregenzerwald 1.5 hours after leaving Zurich.
Styria & Carinthia
Graz, Lake Wörthersee and the Planai
Graz
What a long weekend in Austria's second-largest city really costs, why you should arrive on the Nightjet and where the people of Graz buy their own pumpkin seed oil.
Klagenfurt and Wörthersee
What a week of swimming at Austria's warmest Alpine lake really costs, why you should stay on the eastern shore instead of Velden in July and August, and which village has the best jetty.
Schladming
What a ski week on the Planai or a hiking week below the Dachstein really costs, why Schladming is cheaper than any comparable Swiss resort and when the night slalom turns the valley upside down.