Day by day, with a mini-map for each stop so you can see where it sits. The three anchors are flagged: 🎂 birthday Dec 22 in Salzburg, 🎄 Christmas in Grindelwald, 🎆 NYE in Paris.
Every activity is auto-tagged with a category. The left-edge colour + the small icon in the top-right of each card help you scan the day's shape at a glance. Tap (or hover) any icon to see what it means.
Activate Airalo Eurolink eSIM in Singapore airspace (not before — saves data). Confirm ETIAS approval emails in your phone gallery. Print backup paper copies of: passport bio pages, first hotel booking, return flight, travel insurance.
7h 30m. Sleep on the SIN leg, eat lightly. Don't drink alcohol on the plane (they don't anyway 😉 — but also, dehydration is the real jet-lag enemy. Water + electrolytes.).
The best airport in the world. Walk the Jewel waterfall (free), butterfly garden, free movie theatre at T3. Shower in Ambassador Transit Lounge (~SG$40 with the connecting boarding pass). Eat at the food court — A$10 hawker beats A$30 plane meal.
Set your watch to Munich time when you board. Sleep what you can. Window seat = views over Mongolia / Russia / Central Europe. Eat the breakfast served before landing — sets the new clock.
Your gateway to Europe. Christmas markets in peak season, Bavarian beer halls (you can sip Spezi, no judgement), and a slow-paced first 36h to recover from the long-haul.
Immigration: have ETIAS confirmation + return-flight printout ready. Bag claim → Reisebank ATM for €100 starter cash → S-Bahn S1 or S8 to Marienplatz (~45 min). Buy an Airport-City Day-Group ticket (€15 for both, covers all transit all day).
€15 ≈ A$25Check-in is 15:00 but they'll always store bags. Resist the bed. Sleeping now wrecks jet-lag recovery. Wash face, fresh layer, walk out.
5 min from Marienplatz. They make 4 things — order 2 Schmalznudel + 2 Apfelkücherl + hot chocolate. Stand at the bar with locals. €15 for both.
11:00 Glockenspiel chimes for 12 minutes. Try Lebkuchen, roasted chestnuts, alcohol-free Kinderpunsch (€4 + €3 mug deposit — refund or keep as souvenir).
Open-air food hall, heated under canopies. Goulash soup, giant Brez'n with Obatzda. ~€30 for both.
Cap at 60 min. Drink a glass of water before sleeping.
Watch surfers ride the standing wave at -2°C. Climb the Chinesischer Turm for sunset over snowy parkland. Free.
Cosier than Hofbräuhaus. Schweinshaxe (crackling pork knuckle) + Käsespätzle + Spezi (cola + Fanta mix). €55 for two.
You'll be wrecked. Blackout curtains, eye masks, alarms set.
Hotel buffet €38pp is amazing once. Otherwise a bakery: pretzel + cheese spread + coffee for €8.
306 steps. €5pp. Iconic panorama of Rathaus + Frauenkirche + snowy rooftops.
€16 for both. Audioguide. Antiquarium is stunning. ~2h.
Wurstplatte for two + sauerkraut + dumpling. €45.
Marienplatz (traditional) → Residenz Christkindl (artisan, palace courtyard) → Sendlinger Tor (medieval theme). All within 20 min walk.
Most romantic in town. Upper floor white tablecloths. Tafelspitz + Kaiserschmarrn. €110 for two.
Home of the Christkindlesmarkt — the world's most famous Christmas market (since 1628). Gingerbread (Lebkuchen) was invented here.
Christmas market capitalTrains every 30 min from München Hbf. €40pp advance, or Eurail. Arrive Nuremberg ~11:00.
€80 ≈ A$132Munich → Rothenburg ob der Tauber (3h via Steinach with luggage), 3h in the fairytale walled town for lunch + walk the medieval walls + see the Christmas market + buy a Käthe Wohlfahrt ornament, then onward → Nuremberg (1h30). Arrive Nuremberg by ~18:00. Eurail pass makes this free; otherwise ~€60pp.
€120 ≈ A$198 (or free with Eurail)The Nuremberg sausage specialist. "3 im Weckla" — 3 mini-sausages in a bun with mustard. €15 for both.
€9pp combined ticket. Imperial Holy-Roman residence. Climb Sinwell Tower. The Deep Well is hauntingly cool.
180+ stalls around Frauenkirche. Original Nürnberger Rostbratwürste in a bun. Lebkuchen-Schmidt for the gingerbread (origin shop in the square). Brass quartet plays hourly.
Covered medieval bridge with lanterns. Walk past Albrecht-Dürer-Haus.
14th-c. former hospital — the restaurant literally spans the Pegnitz river. Schäuferla (slow-roast pork) + Sauerbraten. €90 for two.
"The City of a Hundred Spires" — Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau in layers. Snow on the Astronomical Clock, mist on the Vltava, and the cheapest food + drink of your trip.
Uses CZK · ~17 = €1Don't change cash at the yellow "Exchange" booths near Charles Bridge — 30% hidden margins. Use Wise card or bank ATMs only. (See Safety page for the full Prague scam list.)
EuroCity, no changes. €40pp advance or Eurail. Stunning Vltava valley views from Děčín onwards.
€80 ≈ A$132Metro Line C to Můstek, 5 min walk. CZK 80 for both. Drop bags at Airbnb/Hotel U Prince.
Svíčková (sirloin in cream sauce + bread dumplings + cranberry + whipped cream — sounds wild, tastes great). CZK 800 for two ≈ A$70.
Astronomical Clock chimes hourly with apostle parade. Hot trdelník (chimney cake) fresh off the spit — NOT from the freezer-thawed ones (look for stalls actively grilling). Punč alc-free at every stall.
CZK 300pp. Best photo of snowy Prague rooftops + Týn Church spires.
30 statues, 600m, dating from 1357. Best at dusk when day-tour crowds thin.
Malá Strana, hand-painted walls, 5 small rooms — romantic. Roast duck + red cabbage + dumplings. CZK 1,900 for two ≈ A$167.
1893 Neo-Renaissance ceiling. Eggs Benedict + fresh OJ. CZK 600.
CZK 450pp — St. Vitus Cathedral + Old Royal Palace + St. George's Basilica + Golden Lane. World's largest ancient castle complex. 2.5h.
600-yr-old tavern next to castle. Pork knee with horseradish + mustard + pickles. CZK 800.
Combined ticket CZK 500pp: 6 synagogues + Old Jewish Cemetery + Pinkas Synagogue (78,000 Holocaust victim names painted on walls). Sobering, essential.
Cukrkáva = literal melted chocolate. Imperial = Art Nouveau ceramic tile temple. Pick one.
Pick splurge or homely. Both excellent.
Imperial palaces, the world's best café culture (UNESCO-listed), and the spiritual home of cake-as-a-meal.
ÖBB. €50pp advance or Eurail. Lovely south-Czech countryside.
€100 ≈ A$165€4.80 for both. Drop bags.
Tafelspitz — boiled beef in broth. Theatre at the table. €100 for two.
€6pp tower, 343 stairs. Inside cathedral free.
Half a million lights. Ice-skating loop through the gardens (€9 rentals). Stay 90 min.
Schnitzel bigger than the plate. Share one. €55 for two.
Open till midnight. Original Sachertorte + Mélange. Tiny dark-chocolate Sacher seal — keep it.
€27pp pre-booked. 22 rooms, audioguide. Hall of Mirrors where 6-yr-old Mozart played for Empress Maria Theresa.
In the palace courtyard. Most photogenic market in Vienna.
15-min walk up the hill. Heated pavilion. Wiener Würstel + Apfelstrudel.
€17.50pp. World's largest Klimt collection.
Vienna's most beautiful café interior. Wiener Schnitzel + Apfelstrudel + Mélange. Piano plays softly.
Mozart's birthplace, Sound of Music village, baroque UNESCO snowglobe. The Silent Night Chapel is 15 min away — where the carol was written.
€30pp advance. Sit left for Wachau valley views.
€60 ≈ A$99Salzburg is small — 15 min walk old town to anywhere.
Mozart's actual café. Wiener Würstel + Esterházy torte + Maria Theresia hot chocolate. €38.
Free. Fountain + steps + Pegasus statue. Sound of Music photo moment.
Between cathedral + Residenz, fortress looming above. Handmade ornaments.
€16.30pp incl funicular + audioguide. Sunset from the ramparts is unreal.
Oldest restaurant in Europe (803 AD). Carved into rock of St. Peter's Abbey. Medieval-style menu. €140 for two. Book ahead.
Hallstatt is 2.5h each way = a 5h-travel day. Doing it on Dec 21 leaves Dec 22 (birthday) free in Salzburg — no rushed train back for the dinner reservation. You can also skip Hallstatt entirely if it feels like too much travel; everything in Salzburg + Sound of Music is enough on its own.
The salt mine + funicular are closed for major renovations through summer 2026 — so on Dec 21 it will NOT be operating. Verify on salzwelten.at close to your dates. The plan below has been rewritten to skip the mine and lean into the village instead — which is honestly the best part anyway.
€25pp each way or Eurail. Ferry meets every arriving train.
€50 return ≈ A$835 min ferry, €4 return. Walk to Marktplatz. The "viral photo" angle is from the eastern lakeshore path looking back at the village — 10 min walk past the Catholic church on the hill.
East lakeshore path. Find your spot — wooden houses stacked up the mountain, lake reflection, church spire in the middle. Worth the journey on its own. Tip: if you want a pro shot, book a 60-min Flytographer session here (~€350) for the keep-forever photo.
Reinanke (small alpine whitefish, lightly pan-fried) — Hallstatt specialty. Lake-window table if you're lucky. €60.
2-room ossuary with 1,200 hand-painted skulls (since 1700s — cemetery filled up). Macabre + beautiful. €3pp. The walk up gives another photo angle.
€10pp. Compact 2-floor museum covers 7,000 yrs of salt mining + Bronze Age archaeology — the same story the mine would have told you, just indoors and in town. Then wander Marktplatz + the laneways: souvenir shops, hot chocolate at Café Derbl, the Lutheran church with its slim spire (the postcard one).
Last light over the Hallstättersee. Tiny ~12-stall market by the Marktplatz with Glühmost + Lebkuchen. Sit on the dock and just be there.
Eurail covers it. Window seat for the Alpine sunset shadows.
Save space — birthday dinner is tomorrow.
A 5-hour travel day is a lot. With the salt mine closed, you could equally well stay in Salzburg: do the Sound of Music sites, climb to Hohensalzburg Fortress in the morning, take a long lunch at the Stiftskeller St. Peter (oldest restaurant in Europe, AD 803), spend the afternoon café-hopping. Skip-without-regret.
Pre-arrange with hotel/Airbnb host (when you book): flowers + small cake + handwritten note in room. ~€50. Coffee + cake in bed before anything else.
Heated terrace overlooking the Salzach. Linger.
€13.50pp. The actual 18th-c. apartment.
Order Salzburger Nockerl — the legendary 3 mountainous baked-egg-white "peaks" symbolising the 3 mountains around the city. Made to order, 15 min wait. €80 for two.
Stille-Nacht-Kapelle: where the carol was first sung Christmas Eve 1818. Free. Museum next door €4pp. They sing the carol in the chapel daily at 17:00 in Dec — time your visit for that. The most magical 30 min of the trip.
Home of the original Mozartkugel (1890). Velvet back room. €20.
In the old town. Modern Austrian, alc-free pairings available. Tasting menu €145pp. €290 for two. Book 4+ weeks ahead. Alternative: Magazin (€220 for two, more relaxed but excellent).
Wooden Chapel Bridge, painted facades, alpine lake. The cosy lead-up to Christmas, before you head up to Grindelwald for the big day.
1 CHF ≈ A$1.75. Most places accept EUR at a bad rate. Use your card or pull CHF cash at Zurich airport ATM on transit. Switzerland is ~30% more expensive than its neighbours.
Railjet to Zurich (~5h), change, IR to Lucerne (47 min). Eurail covers all of this. €120pp point-to-point.
€240 ≈ A$396 or covered by Eurail5-min walk from station.
14th-c. covered wooden bridge with 17th-c. paintings in the rafters. Free. Walk it slowly.
Free wander. Mark Twain called the Lion "the most mournful piece of stone in the world".
Moitié-Moitié (half Gruyère, half Vacherin Fribourgeois). Apfelschorle to drink. Don't let the bread fall in. CHF 110 for two.
CHF 110pp combined. 1h scenic boat + 30 min cogwheel up. 360° panorama of 13 lakes + Alps. Check Dec 24 schedule on rigi.ch in case it's reduced.
CHF 220 ≈ A$385Potato pancake topped with bacon + cheese + fried egg. CHF 60.
Sled rental CHF 12pp. Gentle 2.5km descent. Cable car + boat included in pass.
Critical: Coop + Migros + nearly every grocery in Switzerland is shut on Christmas Day. Buy for tomorrow morning: bread, cheese, fruit, eggs, coffee, milk, Lindt chocolate. Plus snacks for the train ride to Grindelwald. The chalet has a kitchen — use it.
5th-generation grandma's kitchen. Order Chügelipastete (Lucerne specialty: puff-pastry vol-au-vent with veal in cream-mushroom sauce). CHF 110 for two. Reservation essential — many restaurants close early or fully on Dec 24.
Twin-spire Renaissance church. Free, atmospheric, candle-lit. Even non-religious — go for the experience.
Under the Eiger's 1,800m north face. Wooden chalets, deep snow, the village goes silent on Christmas. Your main Swiss alpine stay — 4 nights for proper exploring.
✓ Staying at Chalet Gletscherliechtli · details
Open small gifts together. Coffee + Bircher muesli (made from supplies you bought Dec 24). The day is yours; the train is later.
Possibly the most scenic train in Switzerland. 5 lakes, 2 passes (Brünig). Panorama windows. Sit on the right. Reserve seats. Eat lunch on board or in Interlaken.
CHF 73 ≈ A$128 + reservation CHF 8Sit on the right. Cogwheel climbs into the Bernese Oberland — Eiger appears.
Private alpine chalet — your Christmas HQ for 4 nights. Check-in window 15:00–20:00. Pick up keys, settle in, light the wood-stove. Important: chalet has no on-site restaurant, so reserve a village dinner spot for Christmas night NOW if not already (most close Dec 25 evening — try Hotel Belvedere, Hotel Spinne, or Kirchbühl Christmas gala menus). Booking details →
The whole village smells of woodsmoke. Stillness — the village is asleep. Coop and Migros are closed today (you stocked up yesterday in Lucerne). If you need anything emergency, the train station kiosk + petrol station shop are usually the only places open.
Your pre-booked 4-course gala somewhere in the village (Hotel Belvedere or Spinne typically run CHF 130–150pp). 5–10 min walk back to the chalet under the stars.
Bortle 3 dark sky. Wrap in hotel blankets. Milky Way over the Eiger.
Dec 26 (St Stephen's Day) is a public holiday in Switzerland — supermarkets + most shops are still closed. Cable cars + trains run normally. Restaurants are mostly open today (vs Dec 25 closures). Coop reopens Dec 27.
Don't pre-book — Top of Europe is weather-dependent. If clouds: swap for First Cliff Walk + cable car (CHF 64pp). If clear: GO.
Europe's highest railway station. Ice Palace, Sphinx Observatory at 3,571m, Aletsch Glacier view (longest in Europe), Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven (free chocolate!).
CHF 480 ≈ A$840 for bothÄlplermagronen (alpine mac & cheese with apple sauce). CHF 60.
Log-cabin pizzeria. Yes, pizza in the Alps — but the wood-fire oven is the real deal. CHF 75.
CHF 64pp return. 25 min ride up.
Cliff Walk = steel walkway hugging the cliff face, free with cable car. First Flyer = 800m zipline at 84 km/h, CHF 31pp. First Glider = lying flat like a bird, CHF 31pp.
Big windows facing the Eiger. Sausage + Rösti. CHF 50.
Bus to Bussalp, rent toboggans CHF 22pp, descend 4km in ~30 min. Do it 2–3 times.
Check what wellness the chalet has (sauna/tub if any). Otherwise: day-pass at Sportzentrum Grindelwald (pool + sauna, CHF 18pp) or the spa at Hotel Belvedere (~CHF 35pp day-pass). Earned it after First Cliff Walk + sledding.
Trendy spot, lighter food than the alpine cabins. Wood-fire pizzas, modern pastas. CHF 90.
72 waterfalls cascade down 300m cliffs. The Staubbach Fall freezes into a giant ice ribbon in late Dec.
Mürren (1,650m) — frozen-in-time mountain village, 350 residents, sweeping Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau view. Cable car + train. Wengen (1,275m) — slightly larger, train-only access, gentle sledding runs. Pick one or do half-day of each.
Cable car continues up from Mürren to 2,970m. 50-min revolving restaurant. Tourist trap but a glorious one. CHF 108pp return + CHF 55pp lunch.
CHF 326 ≈ A$571 (optional)CHF 14pp. Open in winter. Spooky, dramatic, loud.
Last Swiss-cheese ritual. CHF 100 for two.
The "Capitale de Noël" — Europe's oldest Christmas market (1570), still going. Half-timbered houses on canals, Cathedral 142m high (tallest in the world for 200+ years). One magical night before Paris.
Alsace charmStrasbourg's main "Christkindelsmärik" historically closes around Dec 24 (Christmas Eve). However, the city extends some satellite markets (notably at Place Broglie and around the cathedral) for a few extra days into late December. Confirm 2026 dates on noel.strasbourg.eu as you get closer. If the market is already wound down by Dec 29, the city itself is still magical: lit-up half-timbered houses, Petite France at night, the cathedral, winstub dinners. Pivot the plan below if needed.
Check-out window 08:00–11:00, but with a 07:30 train you'll be out by 07:00. Strip the bed if the chalet asks, take rubbish out, leave keys as instructed by host.
Eurail covers it. Cross-border at Basel. €60pp point-to-point.
€120 ≈ A$198 or EurailMost photographed building in Strasbourg, restaurant inside. Tarte flambée (Alsatian thin-crust with crème fraîche + onions + bacon). €60 for two.
Free entry — the cathedral is open year-round. Don't miss the Astronomical Clock at 12:30 if you arrive early. Climb the platform (332 steps, €8pp) for panorama. Pink-Vosges sandstone glowing at sunset.
IF Place Broglie / Kléber markets are still running on Dec 29: the 30m Christmas tree at Kléber is THE photo. Try bredele (Alsatian Christmas cookies), pain d'épices (gingerbread), vin chaud sans alcool, kougelhopf cake. IF closed: the city is still lit up everywhere — wander Grande Île, Rue du Maroquin, Place de la Cathédrale.
Half-timbered houses reflecting in the Ill river canals, lit up. Open all year, no closures. Most romantic 30 min of the trip arguably. Free.
Crocodile = €180pp tasting. Yvonne = €80 for two, choucroute garnie (Alsatian sauerkraut platter) + flammkuchen. Winstubs stay open year-round; reserve.
Three days. Eiffel. Louvre. Champs-Élysées NYE — 1.5M people, light show on the Arc, Eiffel sparkles at midnight. Most photogenic NYE on earth.
€60pp advance, fastest TGV in France. Arrives central Paris.
€120 ≈ A$198€4.80 for 2 single tickets, or buy Navigo Easy and load Day Passes for 3 days.
Sartre's old hangout. Croque-monsieur, café crème, fresh OJ. €40 for two.
€22pp. Mona Lisa first (empty for 15 min if you rush there), Winged Victory, Venus de Milo. Cap at 2.5h or you'll glaze over.
THE Parisian hot chocolate — thick like ganache. Order the Mont-Blanc pastry. €25.
€12pp wheel. Panorama over Concorde + Louvre + Eiffel.
Book 60 days out, sunset slot. €30pp summit (276m). Stay till the on-the-hour sparkle.
€60 ≈ A$99Glass-roof restaurant, Eiffel literally fills the window. €120 for two — book ahead.
Aussie-owned Paris brunch. Pancakes with bourbon caramel (skip if alc), eggs Benedict. €50.
€16pp. Impressionist heaven. Van Gogh's self-portrait, Monet's water lilies.
1854 tea house. 1,000 teas. Earl Grey French Blue + fig-orange tea cake. €30 for two.
NYE bag essentials: hand warmers, water, snacks, fully charged phones, ID, power bank, gloves, beanies. Champs closes to cars from ~20:00.
Do NOT do a long midnight dinner. Eat early, walk to Champs after. Le Petit Cler is bistro classics, 12-min walk to Concorde. €70 for two.
Enter at Place de la Concorde end. Aim for a spot ~150m up, looking toward Arc de Triomphe. 1.5M people. Bag stays in front of you — pickpockets work this crowd hard (see Safety).
8-min son-et-lumière projection on the Arc leading to midnight. At 00:00: fireworks from the Arc, Eiffel (distance) sparkles, "Bonne Année !" Kisses, photos.
Walking down the Seine at 1am on New Year's, hand in hand — the moment of the trip.
Sleep in — most attractions don't open until afternoon today anyway.
Sainte-Chapelle €13pp — 13th-c. stained glass, 15m of glass on every wall. Reduced Jan 1 hours (typically opens 14:00). Notre-Dame free (reopened Dec 2024) — tourist access from ~13:00. €26 for both.
Quintessential Paris café on the prettiest island. €60.
Salted caramel + chestnut. Locals do it. €10.
90-min glass-roofed boat. €100pp with 3-course dinner. Eiffel sparkles at 19:00 mid-cruise. Book NOW. €200 for two.
Pink-orange Dolomite peaks at sunrise ("enrosadira"). Italian alpine villages with Ladin language + cuisine + Italian coffee. Val Gardena is the most beginner-friendly + scenic ski area in the Dolomites — way better for first-timers than Cortina.
UNESCO heritage peaksOrtisei (Val Gardena) wins for: beginner slopes (Alpe di Siusi = largest high-altitude meadow in Europe, full of gentle runs), better value, more authentic Italian-Ladin culture, easier access from Venice/Bolzano. Cortina wins for: prestige, more luxury hotels, higher altitude. Both work. Picked Ortisei here — swap if you prefer.
2h15 flight. €130pp incl bag advance fare. Cheapest option Paris → Dolomites.
€260 ≈ A$429Cortina Express or Südtirol Transfer. ~€80pp each way. Door-to-door to your hotel.
€160 ≈ A$264Skiset or Sport Sanin: €40pp/day full set (skis, boots, poles, helmet). Dolomiti Superski day pass €72pp/day, or 2-day €138pp.
€296 (rental + 2-day pass for both) ≈ A$489Free village walk afterwards. The pink-orange peaks at golden hour = enrosadira.
Modern Alpine-Italian tasting menu €150pp. Or Restaurant Concordia for traditional Ladin food at €70 for two.
SPF on face (snow glare doubles UV), thermals, 2 pairs socks, goggles, gloves, helmet.
Scuola Sci Selva or Snowsports Ortisei — 3h group beginner lesson €175pp. Instructor speaks English. By lunch you'll be on gentle blue runs.
€350 ≈ A$578Sun-deck. Canederli (South-Tyrolean bread dumplings) + speck + Apfelstrudel. €60 for two.
Practice slowly. Fall on purpose — falling well is the most useful skill.
Most Ortisei hotels have a wellness centre — claim your free spa time.
Genuine Ladin food: schlutzkrapfen (spinach + ricotta ravioli), goulash, Kaiserschmarrn. €80 for two.
Renaissance art capital, Tuscan kitchen, Ponte Vecchio at dusk. Off-season Florence (Jan) = 30% of summer crowds, 100% of the magic.
€7pp. Departs hourly.
€65pp advance. 300 km/h direct. Eurail covers + reservation €13.
€130 ≈ A$215No bookings, shared tables, cash only. Bistecca alla fiorentina (T-bone Chianina, share a half-kg), pappardelle al cinghiale (boar pasta). €60 for two. Open lunch only.
Brunelleschi's masterpiece. €30pp combo (Duomo + Baptistery + Campanile + Crypt). 463 steps inside the dome. Orange-rooftop panorama.
15-min uphill walk to Piazzale. The classic Florence panorama photo.
Run by Prince Dimitri D'Asburgo-Lorena. Romantic, fairy-lights, free amuse-bouches. Pear-and-pecorino ravioli, tiramisù tableside. €120 for two.
Modern Italian café. Best coffee in Florence. €15.
€25pp. Botticelli's Birth of Venus + Primavera, Caravaggio's Medusa, Leonardo, Michelangelo. 2.5h minimum.
€16pp pre-booked. 5m tall, somehow more impressive in person. 30 min, leave.
Lampredotto (Florence tripe sandwich — brave or curious), schiacciata sandwiches, fresh pasta. €40.
€22pp combined. Quiet in winter, lemon trees in giant pots.
Way better than the tourist places near Duomo. Ricotta-fig + pistachio. €8.
Tuscan classics in the Palazzo Antinori. Pici al ragù, bistecca, cantucci with espresso (instead of vin santo). €110 for two.
Colosseum, Vatican, Pantheon, Trevi. 3 days to soak in 2,000 years. Then fly home from FCO via Singapore.
Many small shops + restaurants closed. Booked sites and museums stay open. Streets quieter — actually a lovely arrival day. Befana witch costumes everywhere.
€45pp advance.
€90 ≈ A$149€15 taxi, 10 min.
Carbonara done properly (NO cream — egg + pecorino + guanciale + pepper), fried artichokes alla giudia, tiramisù in a Coppetta. €70 for two.
15-min walk. Coin in Trevi (right hand over left shoulder) guarantees a return.
Books-and-snacks lounge on Piazza di Pietra. €30.
Right by the Pantheon, family-run since 1961. Tonnarelli cacio e pepe, abbacchio. €100 for two.
Pistachio + nocciola. €10.
€20pp + €5 fee for general. Better: 3rd-party "early access" tour €80pp lets you stand in an empty Sistine Chapel for 10 min before the crowds. Worth it once in your life.
€160 (early-access) ≈ A$264Free entry. €10pp for dome (551 steps, partial elevator). View over St Peter's Square.
Best pizza al taglio in Rome. By gram. Try potato-rosemary + mortadella-pistachio. €25.
Hadrian's mausoleum → escape tunnel to Vatican. €13pp. Rooftop = perfect Tiber sunset photo.
Probably the most-loved restaurant in Rome. THE carbonara. €110 for two.
€36pp. Underground (gladiator waiting area) only opened to public in 2021. Go.
€72 ≈ A$119Use the free Rick Steves audio app. Bring water. ~2h.
Modern Roman, less touristy than the centre. €70 for two.
2,000-yr-old concrete dome. Stand under the oculus. Pope Francis is buried here.
Beloved Roman, seafood-led, outdoor heated terrace. €130 for two. The proper send-off.
Land Singapore ~09:10. Optional: 1–2 night stopover (Marina Bay Sands, hawker food, Gardens by the Bay) before the final leg — breaks the 24h journey, lands you in MEL recovered instead of zombie.
Land Melbourne early next morning.
Eat avocado toast. Unpack slowly. Pop back into this site once a year to remember.