It would probably be easier to write a list of the places that I wouldn’t go back to, but where would be the fun in that? Writing this list was not difficult for me, although I am addicted to trawling Skyscanner, booking trips and visiting new cities that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of places that I would revisit, the places that I fell that little bit extra for. The places that intrigued me and wowed me and the ones that instantly felt familiar. Well here’s the list of the cities I would go back to in a heartbeat:

Florence

The first proper bit of travelling I did with Josh was a two week trip catching trains around Italy. It was during our first summer of uni and we had a fantastic time. We went to Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Pisa and wandered through the villages of the Cinque Terre. It was an unforgettable trip and one that I really cherish. Anyhow, Florence was our favourite place! We can never really put our finger on why but we both adored it, the architecture, the atmosphere, the people, the gelato, all of it was fabulous and I’d go back tomorrow. Heck this time we might even take a bit more money, so we don’t have to flip a coin between excursions and dinner. *One evening we chose to climb The Campanile which ate up our budget, so we ate half a watermelon and amaretti biscuits for tea washed down with a euro carton of red wine.

Prague

Josh surprised me with this trip for my 21^st birthday and I was over the moon as it was always on the top of my list. We stayed in a gorgeous little Air BnB and spent a wonderful four days wandering around the city, finding the best viewpoints, drinking all the beer and eating some incredible food. Prague was our first trip being vegetarian and the plant based/vegetarian restaurants were honestly some of the best we have visited to date. FYI Prague is also super cheap compared with other European capital cities.

Granada

We visited Granada whilst on my year abroad because our friend Jonny lived there. We booked our tickets through GoEuro and we took the bus from Valencia as it was the cheapest option. Honestly, the city is absolutely beautiful which more than makes up for the 8 hour bus journey! Quaint winding roads, gorgeous scenery and all the charm, this Andalucian city should not be missed. Oh and in the Andalucian region you get a plate of free tapas with any drink you order. FYI (we went three years ago, but Trip Advisor still informs me that I am right) Bar Poe serves superb tapas dishes! Don’t miss the enchanting palace of Alhambra and the Mirador de Saint Nicolas for breath-taking views over the city.

Lisbon

Portugal has always been on our list and last year we visited Lisbon for the first time. We stayed for five nights, to relax a bit more than our usual whistle stop tour city break. My attention to detail planning paid off and we stayed in a gorgeous little AirBnb and the weather was perfect. The city is full of history and culture and there is so much to do. The free walking tour with Sandemans is a must on your first day. You will learn so much and it’s a great way to get your bearings. We have done a fair few of their tours and they never disappoint. I have so much to say about this delightful Portugese capital, but I will keep it brief, EAT ALL the PASTEIS DE NATA (obviously pasteis de Belem but don’t miss Manteigaria), wander around the Alfama district, eye up the intricacies of the azulejos and finally the city has an abundance of fabulous viewpoints, but Miradouro da Senhora do Monte was my favourite!

Amsterdam

Again this was another trip we took in the company of our fabulous friends whilst on our year abroad. Amsterdam really is awesome, the city has so much more to it, than what may first spring to mind. Needless to say, it is a super vibrant city oozing with fab architecture, incredible nightlife, quaint canal ways and plenty of cultural and historical gems. I would really love to go back during the spring/summer months to dazz about in the sunshine, as we visited in November and it was a little on the chilly side.

Tokyo

I really didn’t know what to expect from our first visit to the busiest metropolis in the world. Tokyo is utterly mesmerising, from the constant hustle and bustle of the sprawling streets, to the birds eye view from the 45th floor of the Metropolitan government building I adored every second in the Japanese capital. I honestly think you could spend your whole life in Tokyo and never see all of it! Every millimetre of space is jampacked and we were astounded by how much goes on underground. For anyone who has heard of Marc Augé, the ‘non lieux’ are plentiful. We visited Tokyo during the blossom season (which if you have read this post, you’ll know this features in several of my 31 reasons) but I would certainly not turn up the chance of visiting at different times of the year to see Tokyo in all its glory through all the seasons.