City Guide

20 Things Nobody Tells You About Visiting New York by a native New Yorker

November 4, 2019 by Karen Turner 119 Comments

I’m a proud New Yorker who was born and raised in New York City. When someone asks me what they should know when visiting New York for the first time, I don’t always know where to start as there’s so many things to do in New York. I’ve decided to take a different approach here with some NYC local secrets to help you navigate your trip better.

Expect some humorous tips for first time visitors to New York (although those on their fifth trip to NYC might find this travel advice helpful). I sincerely hope that these New York travel tips come in handy and help you avoid some of the mistakes that people make on their first trip to New York. 20 Insider tips for New York under the cut.

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First Time Guide to Amsterdam: Three Days in Amsterdam itinerary by a resident

June 7, 2023 by Karen Turner 37 Comments

I’ve been living in the Netherlands for nearly three years with most of my time spent living in Amsterdam. I usually recommend that if you’re visiting Amsterdam, three days in Amsterdam is perfect.

I’ve created a three day itinerary for Amsterdam with advice on what to do in Amsterdam based on my time as a resident. As someone who’s spent quite a bit of time in Amsterdam, I cover the famous sights, but I try to focus on showing you some of neighborhoods that make Amsterdam unique rather than the touristy hubs. I include a free map (at the bottom) with the best places to visit in Amsterdam during 3 days.

This is a suggested itinerary for Amsterdam, so I try to give options and I completely understand if you choose to skip something. That said, I’ve carefully crafted this Amsterdam itinerary to minimize walking, public transit, and biking.

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What to do in the Hague: A resident’s guide of unique 30+ things to do in the Hague

July 23, 2023 by Karen Turner 25 Comments

I live in the Hague. Although I’m always telling people about how fantastic the Hague is, I’m hoping that this guide to the Hague will inspire people to take the day trip from Amsterdam to the Hague to experience a bit of what makes it so unique. It’s a beautiful and a bit of a strange city. Keep reading for tips on what to do in the Hague with 30+ unique things to do in the Hague to inspire you to explore the Hague.

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Your neighborhood guide to the 14th arrondissement of Paris

March 20, 2018 by Karen Turner 3 Comments

I often write about travel, but travel is often about enjoying your surroundings. For most of my time in Paris, I lived in the 14th arrondissement. Although this arrondissement isn’t famous in the same way that other arrondissements for its attractions, there are many things to do in 14th arrondissement as well as some fantastic food. I hope that this neighborhood guide to the 14e arrondissement inspires you to stick around to explore a bit of this local neighborhood in Paris.

Shortly after moving to Paris, we found a charming apartment in a historic Haussmannian building in the 14th. It was small and I wasn’t sure what it would be like in the 14th arrondissement. Given how crazy the apartment market in Paris is, we took it although the apartment wasn’t exactly what we thought it would be (“CLEAN ME” written into the blinds). That said, I instantly fell in love with the neighborhood. Most people only visit the 14th for the Montparnasse Tower or the Paris Catacombs, however hopefully this little guide inspires you to find some good food after visiting the catacombs.

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Free Walking Tour of the Cologne Christmas Markets with Map

October 12, 2019 by Karen Turner 14 Comments

In 2019, Cologne will have its annual Christmas market from
November 25th to December 23rd. If you’re lucky enough to visit Cologne in winter (just in time), be sure to spend at least a day (if not three days) browsing the famous Christmas markets in Cologne. Keep reading for tips for experiencing the German Christmas markets and things to do in Cologne in December!

Planning to visit Cologne Germany in winter to see the famous Cologne Christmas markets? Tips for visiting the Cologne Christmas markets, what to do in Cologne, and where the Cologne Christmas markets are!

I’ve set up this as a walking tour of five Christmas markets in Cologne with a downloadable map of the Christmas markets in Cologne. (Be prepared that this FREE walking tour of Cologne includes a lot of walking although it covers many major landmarks.) The map of the Cologne Christmas markets is at the bottom.

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Things to do in Maastricht, the most beautiful city in the Netherlands

January 6, 2020 by Karen Turner 16 Comments

Maastricht is one of the most charming cities in the Netherlands and it can be easily explored in a weekend. The city is perfect for a slow, romantic weekend away from Amsterdam spent exploring a beautiful cathedral bookstore, strolling the tangled streets, touring historic caves, and eating/drinking delicious regional cuisine at affordable prices. For architecture and food lovers, Maastricht is a city that you will not want to leave off any trip to the Netherlands. Read the best things to do in Maastricht!

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Independent shopping and Harry Potter inspired places to visit in Exeter

August 28, 2018 by Karen Turner 2 Comments

On the day that I had my bus back to Bristol Airport, my friend Sophie recommended that we have a shopping day in Exeter. Exeter is one of Devon’s most populated cities and it’s full of fantastic of independent shops, perfect for a day of shopping. I’ll be discussing my favorite shops that I visited in Exeter as well as what to do in Exeter, including Harry Potter inspired places to visit in Exeter to help you have a lovely day out in Exeter.

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Catspotting: A crazy cat lover’s guide to cats in Amsterdam

October 17, 2018 by Karen Turner 21 Comments

I love cats. This is a detailed guide to my beloved Amsterdam with the best places to meet cats in Amsterdam, officially and unofficially, with my favorite cats. If you’re a fan of Catspotting, you’re going to love this guide to Amsterdam. I’m a crazy cat lady and meeting cats when traveling is one of my favorite hobbies.

While living in Amsterdam, my husband and I hunted down the locations of cats in Amsterdam because we are that cat crazy. We found cats living at one of the cat cafes in Amsterdam, roaming the halls of a historic canal house/cat museum filled with cat art, cozying up to potential owners on de Poezenboot (the Catboat), sleeping in various shops, or even breaking into museum gardens.

This also includes coffeeshops with cats…. That said, I was not successful in petting them all. Keep reading for our favorite cat locations in Amsterdam with a map.

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Ein Tag in Haarlem: ein perfekter Reiseplan mit Aktivitäten in Haarlem

December 1, 2018 by Karen Turner 7 Comments

Wenn du die Niederlande besuchst, musst du von Amsterdam nach Haarlem fahren, einer typisch “niederländischen” Stadt. Haarlem ist ein sehr einfacher Tagesausflug von Amsterdam aus, nur fünfzehn Minuten mit dem Zug. Diese ikonische niederländische Stadt mit hübschen Kanälen, weniger Touristen, entspannter Atmosphäre und beeindruckender Architektur ist ein Muss für Menschen, die nur wenig Zeit in den Niederlanden haben. Lies weiter, um herauszufinden, was du in Haarlem unternehmen kannst, inklusive einem kompletten Tagesprogramm in Haarlem (mit Karte). Am Ende findest du eine ausführlichere Liste von Aktivitäten in Haarlem.

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Durbuy Belgium: The most beautiful day trip from Brussels

November 9, 2017 by Karen Turner 9 Comments

Durbuy, Belgium is a beautiful Belgian city in the province of Luxembourg in Wallonia (the southern part of Belgium). Before seeing a photo of Durbuy online, I had never heard of this picture perfect Belgian city, however, when I took a road trip through Belgium, we hightailed it to Durbuy to ensure that we had time to explore this beautiful Belgian town. Keep reading for the best things to do in Durbuy, Belgium, one of the most beautiful places in Belgium!

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