Ana Maria's Travel Blueprints

Basel is one of those cities you can truly comfortably see in a single day. It’s not essential on a Switzerland itinerary, but the airport usually has some of the cheapest fares (at least from Madrid). Plus, it’s where France, Germany and Switzerland meet, and if you’re doing an Interrail trip, there’s a good chance you’ll be changing trains here anyway. Might as well make the stop count.

This Basel guide is part of my 15-day Interrail trip through Amsterdam, Switzerland, Slovenia & Vienna, so make sure to check it out if you’re interested!

Planning an Interrail trip can be overwhelming, so I’m here to show you it’s actually doable! This guide gives you the actual route I followed in July 2025, including train times, accommodation, real prices, and what I did in each place. You can copy it as-is or adapt it to your pace and preferences.

You can also check out my post for planning an Interrail across Europe! It's a step by step guide that's got everything you should take into account.

San Francisco is one of the most iconic cities in the US, but if you’re short on time, here’s exactly how to hit the highlights in just one day. Perfect if you’re on roadtrip mode and only have a few hours to spare.

This San Francisco guide is part of my 6-day California road trip! (Link coming soon.)

Want to explore Vienna on a long weekend or add it to your Interrail itinerary? This guide covers everything I did during my 2 days in the city, landing on Day 1 at 18:00 and leaving on Day 3 at 19:00. If you’ve got 2 full days, just move the Day 1 stops to Day 3!

This Vienna itinerary is part of my 15-day Interrail trip. Stay tuned for the full post coming soon!

Trying to pick the right Schönbrunn Palace ticket is a nightmare come true. The website lists a dozen options, each promising “exclusive” access to something mysterious. After doing my research and still showing up confused, I finally found a printed quick-guide that actually made sense. So, here’s everything you need to know before you get there.

If you’re wondering why you should trust me: hi, I’m Ana María 👋 and this summer I organized a 15-day Interrail trip for 7 people across 8 cities. It all went smoothly — we stayed within budget, didn’t miss a single train (that we didn’t have an alternative for), and everyone survived being together 24/7.

If I were to do it all over again (which I absolutely will at some point), this is exactly how I’d plan it. Everything that worked, a few lessons learned along the way, and every little trick that made the trip run smoothly.

(P.S. I’ll be posting my full Interrail route in a few weeks — stay tuned!)

Going to Switzerland and feeling a bit confused because it’s not part of the European Union? Well, been there, done that.

This past summer I traveled around Switzerland and learned everything I wish someone had told me before I went, so let me be the one to tell you now.

Whether you’re planning a quick stop in Zurich or a full Alpine adventure, here’s your go-to Switzerland starter pack: eSIMs, currency tips, what to eat without going broke, and which power adapter actually works.