The Curious World Traveller

 If this is the first blog you read from me, you won' know it but in spring this year I wanted to explore the Baltic countries and within 10 days days my partner and I visited Budapest (Romania), Belgrade (Serbia), Pristina (Kosovo) and then went to Skopje before finishing off our trip in Sofia (Bulgaria). As always let's start off with a bit of history Skopje is the capital of North Macedonia which you might only remember as Macedonia prior but since there is a Greek city with the same name, the country had to adjust and came up with North Macedonia (geographically clever because yes, North Macedonia is further north in Europe than Greece). The country has been independent since 1991 after the breakup of Yugoslavia which used to be a region composed of several countries [insert here] While it is located in Europe and is therefore a European country, it's not part of the Schengen Area which means that you will need to have a passport to get there and your SIM card will not ...

This year I’m exploring the Balkan countries a bit more and decided to start in Bucharest and then heading over to Belgrade and from there head over to the Kosovo afterwards. For me, the main stereotype I heard is how poor this part of Europe is and I barely know anybody who was there yet either therefore I was eager to see how it is for myself. But let's start of with the basics as per usual: How to get to Pristina  Pristina is the capital of the Kosovo. The Kosovo is a quite controversial country in Eastern Europe because it's not considered a country in all countries of the world. This goes back when the whole area was better known as Yugoslavia which are now all individual countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia). Kosovo was technically part of Serbia but declared its own independence back in 2008. Several hundred countries recognize it but Serbia for example doesn't. Because of that it's actually not as easy t...

  Can you see Tallinn in a day? Technically yes, but consider that Tallinn is right by the Baltic Sea and only a heart beat away from Helsinki. Weather tends to be less predictable than in the other Baltic States and it’s more likely that there is fog which will cause a few viewing points showing the city from above to be useless. Be prepared for the weather and eager to explore and you should be fine though. How to get to Tallinn? Though small Tallinn has an airport which is well connected to the other Baltic states and Helsinki which is only a 30min flight away.  If you fly internationally you will most likely have a layover as the main operating airlines are AirBaltic, Finnair and Norwegian Airlines. From the airport you can take several buses (see next section) to get into the city within 30min. You can also get there by train (the main train station is in the city center), regional bus providers or ferry. If you get there by ferry (or decide to travel from Tallinn to Hels...

  Can you see Riga in a day? Short answer yes! While Riga has a lot to offer and you can take great day trips to the Hill of crosses or other places, Riga itself is not super big and for tourists who mostly want to walk around Old Town and the areas around it, it’s fairly easy to see Riga in a day. You might want to add extra time when visiting museums or heading to one of Rigas beaches though. How to get to Riga? Riga has a small airport but you can also get there by train or bus if travelling from the surrounding countries. Getting to & from Riga from the airport: Bus 22 costs 1,81€ one-way (can be purchased by the bus driver [ link ]) and takes you to Old Town within 30min. The main train station and bus stops are both in the city center. How does public transport work in Riga? If you’re just there for a day I personally think that everything is easily accessible by foot and you would just need to get the single ticket to go to or from the airport (if this is the transport m...

 If you are wondering if Vilnius, Lithuania is worth a visit especially just as a quick city getaway you've come to the right place! I was there in April 2025 - let me break down the most important infos and share some tips for your (next) visit 💫 Can you see Vilnius in a day? Absolutely! My goal for Easter this year was seeing the three capitals of the Baltic countries (Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn) within 6 days (half a day for travels included). How to get to Vilnius?  I flew in from Dublin but you can also get there by train or bus. If you're flying in I recommend checking out Kiwi.com as they have really good deals and it's easy to compare the best flights for you.   From there you can take several buses (e.g. #1, 2 or 88) to the city center (Old Town). It takes about 20 min and the buses go regularly (even on bank holidays like Good Friday!) Airport to Old Town Vilnius - Picture credit: Maps.Google.com       How does public transport work in Vilnius? If yo...