Our schedule for traveling Europe was dictated by hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France. Instead of hiking it, we had to cancel our plans and detour to Switzerland. We ended up exploring Chamonix a lot more than we expected! Here’s what we did in Chamonix instead, and why it’s still worth a summer visit even without hiking the Tour.

The Schäfler ridge looks like a fantasy landscape. It’s peaks are broad, coarse, and jagged. So of course, the daunting ascent of Schäfler sounded like a perfect day for us! How could we pass up that kind of hike or photographic opportunity?!

Zürich wasn’t our first choice after Italy. We ended up traveling to Zürich for three reasons: It was nearby, we planned to visit the city a bit later anyway, and Chandni has an old friend there, David. He’s really the MVP of our first time in Switzerland.

It doesn’t matter how long you’ll be in Switzerland because you only save money with a travel pass if you, well, travel. So what are the different Swiss travel passes and which one did we purchase? Here's a quick summary of the different Swiss Travel Passe

Many journalists and bloggers list generic travel saving tips like traveling in off-season, using hostels, or even avoiding public transport. We hope to help you save for that nightly cup of gelato or second glass of wine. After months of combined travel through Italy, here are our more specific tips on saving money when traveling Italy.

Milan was fun to visit, but the only reason we'll be returning is to see Da Vinci's The Last Supper. The actual Italian food wasn't our thing, and the city is overtaken by pigeons. It seemed a little fancier than the Italy we're used to, and honestly made us miss Rome.

Modena is food world famous because of three things: Balsamic vinegar, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and Massimo Bottura’s restaurant Osteria Francescana. Italian cuisine would be wildly different without any of those three so we gave each the attention they deserve!

Managing to reserve a table at the legendary Osteria Francescana is nearly impossible. The restaurant only has a dozen tables, has held three Michelin stars since 2011, and was declared the best restaurant in the world in 2016 and 2018. It is almost always fully booked six months in advance. However, I got two reservations, cancelled one, and six months later enjoyed the best meal Chandni and I have ever eaten! This is how I got reservations to Osteria Francescana and how you can plan to eat there as well.

Cinque Terre is a coastal fairytale. Five colorful towns on cliffs above the ocean make up a world class coastline. The area is filled with basil, sunlight swims across the beaches, and the towns are full of enotecas tempting you to enter. At least that’s what Instagram tells you. We have visited Cinque Terre in peak season and off season to very different experiences.

To us a visit to Rome is so much more than a checklist of famous structures like the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Spanish Steps, and other landmarks. Rome is about appreciating local food, art, and the cultural history once you get past the famous landmarks. It’s about finding your favorite pasta and appreciating the centuries or millennia old sculptures.