tmchow

Only enough to see to warrant one night’s stay. It is a UNESCO heritage site, so expect a ton of tourists whenever you go.

Pisa is a dirty little town that I wouldn’t even bother staying a night in. The leaning tower and surround buildings are breathtaking and definitely worth seeing though. If you are staying in Florence, I would recommend making a day trip to Lucca (1 hour train from Florence) then going to Pisa (30 mins train ride south from Lucca). After that, you can take a train directly back to Florence (1hr 15mins by train).

Make sure you climb the 500+ step tower. It is hands down the best view you can get anywhere in Tuscany.

If you’re going during Oktoberfest, make your hostel reservations way in advance otherwise you’ll be hosed. The Hostel Meininger is one of the closest hostels to the actual Oktoberfest fair ground.

For the Uffizi and the Gallery Academia, make reservations ahead of time to avoid standing in line like a chump. Every guide book on the planet will have the telephone number for you to call.

For hostels, I highly recommend the Emerald Fields. Small and quaint and the owner rocks!

Be careful when you go to Rome. I went in mid-september and despite it not being “summer” it was still hot as heck. We’re talking 2 shower a day hot.

Since all the towns are so close together, where you stay doesn’t really impact accessibility to the other towns. I would recommend staying in Vernazza because it’s much smaller than the other towns, more charming and more quiet. Other towns are a quick 1 Euro train ride away.

Prague is an absolutely gorgeous place to visit. Not only is it cheap as heck ($1.00 beer anyone?) but also lots to see. I spent 4 days here with a day trip out to Cesky Krumlov and would go back again. Once you accept the fact you’ll never understand the language, you’ll have a great time :)

I recently came back from a trip that toured Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo. Cabo was definitely head and shoulders above the other 2 in terms of wealth. Mazatlan was definitely my favorite. Puerto Vallarta is still worth seeing though, especially if you are seeing other cities in mexico so you can make your own comparison. Plus, you can’t beat cheap beer! :)

I recently came back from a trip that toured Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo. Cabo was definitely head and shoulders above the other 2 in terms of wealth. Mazatlan was definitely my favorite. Mazatlan has a great mixture of great sight seeing, interesting building, and still some wealth to provide basic infrastructure for tourism.