Euro Trip 2026

Where to Eat & Drink

• Brouwerij 't IJ — craft brewery inside a windmill. The quintessential Amsterdam experience.
• De Pijp / Albert Cuyp market area — full of local restaurants, no chains
• Indonesian rijsttafel — colonial legacy, now a Dutch staple. Try Blauw in De Pijp.
• Bitterballen at any bruine kroeg (brown café) — fried Dutch snacks, can't skip
• Stroopwafel fresh from a market stall, raw herring with onions from a street haringhandel
• Locals' picks — low-key & loved
• Café 't Smalle — 1786 bruine kroeg on the Egelantiersgracht canal. Tiny boat terrace in summer, dark wood inside, quintessentially local. Cash only.
• Café Chris — Opened 1624. Oldest bar in the Jordaan. A beer is €3. No fuss, no tourists, no reason to leave.

Where to Stay

• ✅ Hotel Estherea — Confirmed · Aug 18 (1 night) · Booking #5638673. 4-star boutique on the Singel canal. Family-run, beautifully decorated rooms, right in the canal ring.

Where to Eat

• Bocadillo de calamares — Madrid's iconic fried squid sandwich. Bar La Campana near Plaza Mayor.
• Vermut con sifón — order at any old-school bar around 1–2pm. The Madrileño aperitivo hour.
• Jamón ibérico tasting at Mercado de San Antón
• Casa Labra near Sol — bacalao croquetas since 1860. The real thing.
• Locals' picks — low-key & loved
• Melo's, Lavapiés — Cult hole-in-the-wall. The zapatilla (enormous grilled sandwich stuffed with Galician cheese and lacón) has a devoted following. No English menu, no décor, no apologies.
• La Ardosa, Malasaña — 1892 tiled tavern. Locals argue it has the best tortilla de patatas in Madrid. Ancient regulars, cheap beer, zero tourist pressure.

Train to Valencia

• Station: Madrid Atocha
• Book via: renfe.com — sells out weeks ahead in August
• Target departure: 17:00–18:00
• Journey: ~1 hour 40 minutes to Valencia Joaquín Sorolla
• Pick up bags from Atocha storage before boarding

Food & Drink

• Paella valenciana — this is where it was invented. Real paella = chicken + rabbit, not seafood. La Pepica on the beach or Casa Roberto.
• All i pebre — eel stew from Albufera lagoon. Deeply traditional.
• Agua de Valencia — OJ + cava + vodka + gin. Dangerously good.
• Mercat Central for breakfast — one of Europe's largest covered markets. Go early.
• Locals' picks — low-key & loved
• Bar Ricardo, El Carmen — Since 1947. Counter seating, patatas bravas that locals argue are the best in town, old-school ensaladilla rusa. Classic, no-frills, completely right.
• El Botijo — Traditional Valencian bar tucked into El Carmen. Order a beer, get tapas. That's the whole experience. No menu needed.

Where to Stay

• ✅ Myr Hotel Palacio Vallier — 18th-century palace in El Carmen · Aug 19–21 · Booking #P7576674 / Ref. M4780968
• Avoid: Beach / Malvarrosa hotels — stay in the old city for the real Valencia

Food & Restaurants

• Suquet de peix — Catalan fisherman's stew. The real coastal dish.
• Pa amb tomàquet — bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil; comes with everything
• Crema catalana — the original crème brûlée. Order it everywhere.
• Restaurant Pa i Raïm, Palafrugell — local, authentic Catalan cooking
• El Dorado, Calella — waterfront, fresh fish. Book ahead.
• Bar Nou, Begur — the local spot for drinks on the square at sunset
• La Sal, Llafranc — well-reviewed seafood with great views
• Locals' picks — low-key & loved
• Can Climent Platillos, Begur — Tiny, no-frills spot down a cobbled alley in town. A handful of tables, no view, no gimmicks — just excellent Catalan cooking and locals who've been coming for years.
• Restaurant Margarita, Calella — Inside an old fisherman's home right on the seafront. Unpretentious, affordable, Mediterranean dishes done properly. Exactly right for a relaxed lunch.

Where to Stay

• ✅ Finca Victoria · Begur — Confirmed · Aug 21–23 (3 nights). Boutique rural hotel in the hills above Begur.
• ✅ Elisabeth by the Sea · Mirador Tossa de Mar — Confirmed · Aug 24 (1 night). Clifftop hotel above Tossa de Mar with sea views — a scenic stop between Costa Brava and Barcelona.

Where to Eat

• Bar del Pla, El Born — excellent Catalan tapas. Reservations recommended.
• Cervecería Catalana, Carrer Mallorca — famous montaditos and tapas variety
• La Boqueria for breakfast — go at 8am before the crowds; incredible fresh fruit
• Any local bodega in El Born for wine by the glass and pintxos
• Locals' picks — low-key & loved
• El Xampanyet, El Born — Icon since 1929. Standing room only, house cava poured by the glass, anchovies and smoked cod. Cash only, tiled walls, no seats. The best €10 you'll spend in Barcelona.
• Bar Brutal, El Born — Natural wine bar. Pick a bottle off the wall, order something small from the menu, stay for three hours. No white tablecloths, no reservations needed.

Where to Stay (not booked yet)

• Hotel Neri — boutique, Gothic Quarter. Exceptional location.
• Chic & Basic Born — design hotel, younger vibe, great El Born location
• Locals' picks — low-key & loved
• Casa Gracia — Boutique hostel with private rooms in a Modernista building in the Gràcia neighborhood. Much calmer and more local than El Born, with easy metro access. The kind of place where you feel like you actually live in Barcelona for a night.
• Avoid: Las Ramblas hotels — overpriced, noisy, tourist-trap adjacent

Frankfurt Food

• Apfelwein (Äbbelwoi) — sour apple wine. Frankfurt's city drink. Drink at Wagner or Fichtekränzi in Sachsenhausen — both institutions.
• Grüne Soße — Frankfurt's cold herb sauce over potatoes and eggs. A genuine local classic.
• Handkäse mit Musik — sour milk cheese with onions and vinegar. Acquired taste, local staple.
• Frankfurter Würstchen — thinner than a hot dog, eaten with mustard and no bun
• Berger Strasse for dinner — walk the street and pick whatever looks good
• Locals' picks — low-key & loved
• Klaane Sachsehäuser — Five generations of the same family, since 1886. Not on every tourist list, which is exactly why native Sachsenhauseners still go. Jazz concerts on summer evenings, Apfelwein in a bembel year-round.
• Atschel — Wooden benches, no frills, massive portions of Grüne Soße and Schnitzel. Where Frankfurt trades people have eaten for decades. Order a bembel and settle in.

Where to Stay

• ✅ Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof — Confirmed · Aug 26–27 (2 nights). Frankfurt's grande dame, a 5-star landmark on Am Kaiserplatz. Walking distance to Sachsenhausen and the river.