The Grand European Tour (2017)

So as I explained in my previous post, it all started with the thought that I would go see the Northern Lights. A simple dream, no? However the issue that arose was this: I live in Australia. We’re in one of the most isolated corners of the Earth! So for me to get to Iceland was at the very least 26 hours of flying (not including stopovers). If I was going to have to fly that distance – I was gonna make it a trip to remember.

And so, as the days progressed and the plan began to take shape, I found myself with an itinerary that would take me to varied corners of the great continent that is Europe: an itinerary that had ceased to become a mere holiday, and had transformed into a Grand Tour.

My journey would take me to the great international capital that is London, across the sea to the Arctic wonderland of Iceland, before heading southeast into the old Hapsburg empire with stops in Vienna, Prague and Budapest. From there, west, to Amsterdam and its many canals, and finally a sojourn through the Iberian Peninsula with a visit to Madrid and Lisbon.

8 countries! I had picked 8 countries! How on earth was I going to do it? How long was this trip going to be?

But first, one very important question had to be answered: how to get there?