This travel recap may be a tad bit delayed, but believe me, it packs a punch! I ended up traveling to ten different places on three different continents for both work and holiday. And boy oh boy, do I have honest reviews for you! As always, you can trust me to give you my honest opinions, even if they may be a bit controversial. I hope you enjoy my 2024 travel recap!
Travel Recap: Chamonix
Remember when I said I may have slightly controversial opinions on my 2024 travel recap list? Well, we are starting off strong with Chamonix, which I find very much overrated! I truly doubt I will ever go back, at-least not by choice. As a heads up, I went with the wrong group of people, but my opinion would still stand regardless.
I went back in January of 2024 when it was quite snowy in the mountains, but pretty mild in the village. Was it gorgeous? Yes. But this is the norm in the area? I found Chamonix to be very expensive for what it was and there truly was nothing to see or do once you do a round in the village. It is worth noting that I did not ski; winter sports aren’t my thing. But even there, you have much nicer slopes for a fraction of the cost and with less tourists. And if I am being honest, I have been to ski resorts where you can still have a good time without hitting the slopes.
What shocked me the most? If you want to go to the top of l’Aiguille du Midi, it’ll set you back 80€. 80€!! I get that it’s a pretty view of mountains in three different countries, but come on.
Chamonix is very touristy and has turned into a trendy winter destination, and the prices follow suit. The restaurants are a good 20-30% higher than the region and the hotels are just as expensive? We can do better, much better. It was not bad, it just was not worth going out of my way for.
Luxembourg:
Next on my 2024 travel recap list is the first of many business travels I have had. I was sent to Luxembourg for a few days for training and I honestly loved it. I’ve heard others say that Luxembourg is boring, small, and there is not much to do… While those may be true, it wasn’t a negative for me. I’m very content wandering the streets of a new city, seeing the sights, and having a nice restaurant while taking in the views. It’s the simple things. Unlike Chamonix, you actually have things to see and that makes all of the difference.
What I am tough on now is safety and cleanliness. Living in Switzerland can sometimes make you take it for granted until you leave the country and get served a slice of humble pie. With Luxembourg, I felt very safe walking alone during the day and evening and the city is very clean. It was quite chilly as I was there in March and I did get caught in a freak thunderstorm, but it was worth it.
The city is built on what resembles two stories, with the bottom being the “old village”. Luxembourg is a gorgeous city full of beautiful architecture and lots and lots of greenery! I will say that if you’re looking to party, skip it or face disappointment.
Public transport is free, gas is the cheapest in Europe, and after 17h00, you’ll have the city to yourself. Because of its location, many workers choose to live in the neighboring countries where the overall cost of living is cheaper. This means that after work hours, the city is dead. I found myself in a town square (pictured above) with nobody else around at 18h00! One thing I will say is that I was disappointed by the restaurants. Most of them were underwhelming at best and some, flat out disappointing. I’d like to think I chose the wrong ones, but historically, I am quite good at finding good places for food. Regardless, I’d still go back to Luxembourg in a heartbeat.
Annecy:
Annecy was a day trip, but I wanted to mention it as it’s a popular tourist destination and with good reason. The town itself is gorgeous, full of history, ancient architecture, and that French small town charm, especially in the village. And don’t even get me started on the food! I can never be disappointed by a fondue, raclette, or tartiflette. While I do prefer a Swiss fondue, the French do all of the above very, very well. Despite its touristy reputation, the prices are fairly reasonable, depending on where you go.
If you’re able to go during the warmer months, I recommend renting a boat on the lake. The views are outstanding and nothing beats the feeling of the wind in your hair as you glide across a body of water.
Annecy is worth checking out, but you don’t need more than a day or two in my opinion as it’s quite small. Personally, we love it for a day trip on the weekends! But do avoid peak tourist times – it gets crowded very quickly.
Continuing the 2024 Travel Recap With Milan:
Milan was a dream of mine for many years. So naturally, when the opportunity came around of going because of a music festival, I jumped at the opportunity. We drove with our cat due to the train route being under maintenance and the drive itself isn’t too bad, that is if you don’t get stuck it traffic at the Mont Blanc tunnel…
The food? 10/10. It’s fairly cheap, despite it being a large city in the north, and the quality? Ridiculously delicious. Nothing beats Italian food in the motherland. The people? Italian. They are sassy, dramatic, and hilariously frustrating. Nothing out of the ordinary! The cathedral? Absolutely jaw dropping both inside and out, even if I personally preferred it from the outside. The inside feels sort of empty for a place of religious worship, you know? And other than that, meh. The shopping is top tier, but site-seeing wise, meh. There isn’t much to do once you’ve done the big touristy bits.
I’ll be going back next year for another concert (Bad Bunny!), but I’m lowkey disappointed that it’s in Milan. I feel like once you’ve been there, there really isn’t a reason to go back. It’s just a bit boring and I find that there are much nicer places in Italy to visit.
Boston, Massachusetts, USA:
I’ll keep it short and sweet. Boston was the worst of my 2024 travel recap. I was sent for work and I found the people absurdly rude and I’m used to the east coast. A side of my family is from New York, and honestly, I love New Yorkers. However Boston? So. Rude. I got into an argument with my taxi driver straight out of the airport! The prices are outrageous and the quality is not there (I don’t eat seafood so I won’t speak on that), and the city itself does not feel safe. I found myself alone more than once in broad daylight and truly was not comfortable. I got harassed on the street on my last day, too.
If I never have to go back to Boston, I’ll be a happy woman. Good riddance.
Colmar, France:
Another day trip that I had to include. Colmar is the cutest town in France that I have ever visited. And I make it a point to visit all cute French villages, mind you! It has a bit of a Venice vibe due to the river that goes through the village and the little gondolas that you can get into.
The buildings themselves are very colorful and similar to traditional German architecture. The food is outstanding and reasonable; we even found a few places that do continuous service – a rarity in France. Fun fact for you- the man who built the Statue of Liberty is from Colmar and there is a smaller replica of it on a roundabout on the outskirts of the city.
If you’re in the area to visit Strasbourg (as most are), you must make it down to Colmar. You won’t be disappointed.
The Winner of my 2024 Travel Recap: Adelaide, Australia
I’ve always been terrified to visit Australia due to the fact that everything can kill you there. I even told myself I’d never set foot! Imagine my surprise when my work gave me a three week notice that they were shipping me off down under. Alone. For two weeks. I about lost it.
The trip itself was great thanks to flying business with Qatar, which I reviewed here. I stayed at an Intercontinental hotel, which was also top notch. After confirming with the reception that there were no Huntsman spiders in my room, I started to relax, explore, and really enjoy myself.
I didn’t have much work to do at first, so I had a blast exploring Adelaide and a bit of the back country, too. First off, STUNNING. Even Adelaide itself I found quite cute. The food? Top notch. This actually surprised me as I did not know what to expect, but I ate so well and dirt cheap, too. The Swiss franc is quite advantageous in Australia as it’s worth about double. Drinks? Insane. Every restaurant and bar did a Toblerone Martini that I’ve begged my mixologist parter to recreate for me. And don’t even get me started on their wine. The shopping? Let’s just say I struggled to close my three pieces of luggage… I have always loved Aussie fashion and used to get it shipped for a pretty penny. I was in fashion heaven.
Safety wise? I never felt uncomfortable as a woman during the day or at night. I even took public transport at night from Glenelg Beach back to Adelaide with zero issues. Overall, I was very co,fortable walking the streets of Adelaide. And can we talk about the back country? I went to the Adelaide Hills at a lovely sanctuary called Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary that truly changed my life. I was able to hold and feed so many cute baby animals and could barely contain myself.
As for the people? I’ve always liked Australians. They are kind, laid back, and down to earth. But being in their home? The like has turned to love. Even for work, they were so friendly, accommodating (especially as I was alone, halfway across the world!), and an absolute blast to spend time with.
I am counting down the days until I go back to Australia with my partner. As for Adelaide? Apparently it doesn’t have the best reputation in Australia, but in my experience not knowing the other major cities, I can’t think of a better city to have my first Australian experience with that made me fall in love with it. Between you and I, I may or may not have looked up real estate there for a second home. 😉
Salt Lake City & Capitol Reef National Park:
The nature in Utah is second to none. I think my jaw was dropped the large majority of the time that we left the city. As for SLC itself? It’s okay. It has a bit of a weird vibe and it felt quite dead for a city of its size. I haven’t lived in the States for over five years, but there was a large amount of homeless – worse than Boston. Heartbreaking. I also got denied alcohol at an arena because I didn’t have my passport on me. They wouldn’t take my ID even though it was written in English. I know Utah is Mormon and a bit weird with alcohol, but still. I was not happy. Truth be told I barely took any photos in the city and the few that I did are not worthy of appearing on the blog.
Now for Capitol Reef? 12/10. The nature is out of this world, the hiking is insane, and you even have petroglyphs! It was an absolute pleasure to explore some of Utah’s natural beauty. Honestly, Utah itself was great the second you left the city. Not pictured are also the Bonneville Salt Flats, which were very impressive. Every corner of Utah has something amazing to show you and I am so grateful that we were able to visit.
Paris:
Ohhhh, Paris. It breaks my heart to see what it has become. Paris smells, is dirty, very dangerous, and problematic. But it still holds a special place in my heart, even if I avoid it like the plague. Every time I go, I tend to leave slightly disappointed because it should be so much better than what it has become. It hurts my heart.
Yes, Parisians are rude. Even us French folks agree, nobody likes the Parisians. But honestly, they were lovely this trip! I have no complaints. What I do complain about is how at 2 in the morning, the only gas station open in all of Paris is an electric vehicle only station and the other one? Out of gas. I’m not even kidding you. We could not find gas in all of downtown Paris. It’s a miracle we were able to go back to our hotel, start the car the next day, and fill up without running out… But I digress.
Anyways, I don’t find Paris that expensive unless you go to the touristy locations. Your typical bistro is actually quite cheap and absolutely delicious. I always eat very well while in Paris. And the history? Paris has one of the best. It’s a city where you’ll never be bored, always have something to do, and may get your purse stolen… you just never know! Just make sure you have the right expectations when it comes to visiting Paris so that it doesn’t end up at the bottom of your travel recap list.
Final City in my Travel Recap: Zürich:
From one extreme to another! Zurich is clean. Safe. Law abiding. Everything that Paris isn’t, really. We went towards the end of the year, so it was quite chilly. Despite this, it was gorgeous, with something new to see around every corner. You have the lake, old German-style buildings, and a wide array of luxurious cars. Zurich is rich rich. What’s there not to love?
Is it expensive? Well, yeah, it’s Switzerland, so nothing new. But as with Switzerland in general, the food is high quality and often local, so you will have a delightful meal. Language wise, most people speak English or even French, which is comforting. Swiss German is not for the faint of heart…
I’d say Zurich is a bit more exciting than Geneva. There is more to do, such as museums to visit, landmarks to see, and a larger night scene than we have. Their public transport is quite good, too. They are more on time than their French-speaking counterparts.
It’s always a pleasure to head up to Zurich, whether it be for business or pleasure!
2024 Travel Recap: Final Thoughts
2024 was a great year full of traveling. Some good, some bad, some I would rather forget. The best was by far Adelaide, despite it being a solo business trip. It surprised me in the best way possible. The worst? Boston. Never again…
But overall, I’m grateful that I was able to travel so much and I cannot wait to share my 2025 travels with you – it’s even crazier than 2024 was, even despite having three of my work trips cancelled.
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Stay Chaotic,
Tess
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