Travel Tips by Location
Costa Rica
All planes to Costa Rica fly into the capital, San Jose. San Jose is not an especially nice place, so try not to stay there too long. If you obviously look like a tourist, then you probably do not want to go partying after dark in the city because you might get mugged and beat up.
Try to go to the rain forest if you can because it is especially beautiful. Also, during the United State's summer season is Costa Rica's rain season, and it pours down rain every afternoon. Visiting Costa Rica during a different time of year may be a better choice.
I went to the Arenal Volcano tourist area, which was nice, but warning: you can almost never see the top of the volcano due to cloud coverage. It just looks like a big hill.
The fresh fruit in Costa Rica is out of this world, and the meat pastries are equally as good. The dairy is really delicious there too. Definitely eat the ice cream.
France
Paris
Pickpocket Prevention Tips
- If you are a girl: Get a purse with a zipper and a thick strap and wear it across your body.
- Keep your hand on the zipper of your purse when you are in crowded locations
- If you are eating at a restaurant, keep your purse in your lap. Do not hang it on the back of your chair or put it on the floor
- If you are a guy: Do not put your wallet in your back pocket. Instead put it in your front pocket or in a little fanny pack.
Paris has many impressive and beautiful tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Notre Dame. Here were some of my favorite parts of those attractions that you won't want to miss
Any time you visit a museum, try to get on a guided tour or a personal headphone tour. This will cost a little extra, but it will make the experience more enriching and you will learn a lot more.
Any time you can go to a garden or park, do it! The Louvre has a nice garden around it which is perfect for a picnic after viewing the art at the museum. My absolute favorite park was Marie Antoinette's garden at Versailles. It has large rock formations, rose gardens, a gazebo, and large trees.
Beware of pickpocketers! This little 14-year-old girl tried to pickpocket me on the subway one evening when it was very crowded. Luckily, I noticed before it was too late.
Common places that pick pocketing occurs: at museums, on crowded subways, and at tourist attractions
Nice
People are sunbathing on the gravel beaches in Nice.
If you are going to Nice any time near Summer, it will be extremely hot. Make sure you are staying at a place with air conditioning. Otherwise you will be miserable like I was.
I hate to say it, but the beaches in Nice are nowhere near as nice as the white, sandy beaches in Florida. Nice's beaches are made of rocks and pebbles, and you cannot run or play or do anything fun on them. Your only option is to literally just sit there and sunbathe. There are many restaurants on the beach that have nice, comfy, cushioned lounge chairs to lay on. Although it will cost some money, laying on that luxurious chair is well worth it. And order some drinks while you are at it.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is really just shopping and wine. So go shopping, and go to a wine-and-cheese tasting. That was the best cheese I have ever had in my life.
Munich, Germany
Munich is the location of Oktoberfest every year, so definitely drink beer while you are there. A beer and a pretzel, or a beer and a bratwurst.
Stay at Wombats Hostel. It is extremely social and well-run. It is very easy to make friends and you will be going out every night. Oh, did I mention that Wombats has its own bar with two happy hours every night? You can't beat that.
Two really neat small trips to take while in Germany are to Neuschwanstein Caste, which is surrounded by really cool woods with trails and waterfalls to explore. The other is Dachau Concentration Camp, the first concentration camp built by Hitler for World War II.
Interlaken, Switzerland
Interlaken is a small town that hosts tons of tourist excursions. They are all pretty expensive, so if you want to stay on the cheap end of things definitely go mountain biking. It just might be the coolest bike ride you ever take. Also, canyoning, which involves repelling, doing jumps into the water, and going on natural waterslides was pretty fun.