Work and play through Central Europe

Remote working allows the worlds of business and leisure to collide. In our journey across borders through 6 countries in Europe, we discovered that swapping the home office for a balcony overlooking Lake Como gave us a refreshing change of scene: along the way, we watched landscapes shift past sprawling Dutch plains, across the mountain passes of the Alps, and through sparkling Italian valleys and lakes. The result? The journey became the holiday, and the pause in Como became the most aesthetic work setup we've ever had. Here’s our day-by-day itinerary, complete with a bookable trip if you find yourself swooning over views and plates of plant-based currywurst, tiramisu or Czech dumplings: the 'work' part optional!

Day 1 & 2: Rotterdam’s windmills and surreal Monsters

We kicked things off by taking the Eurostar from London to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, wasting no time checking into our hostel and settling in with some pizza for a relaxed first night away.

Day two was when the real adventure began. We caught the water shuttle out to see the historic windmills at Kinderdijk. In the afternoon, we headed back into the city to visit the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, a mind-bending museum completely covered in mirrors that reflect the city at wild angles. Inside, the architecture is stunning, with crisscrossing staircases and installations like a hanging bicycle suspended through the center. We stumbled into a surrealist section where live actors had us lay on the floor for a game of "exquisite corpse," folding up paper to draw monstrous features. We ended up creating these weird little monsters, and the actor walked us through "feeding" or "donating" them to the museum as an intro to surrealism. Afterward, we caught some beautiful panoramic views of Rotterdam from the rooftop cafe over a sunny coffee, before stopping at a warm wine bar on the walk back.

That evening, we went to Mooie Boules, a brilliant bar packed with activities like giant Jenga and karaoke. The food was easily the best part; they had two separate kitchens so we could tuck into both traditional Dutch snacks and a full Indonesian rice table. The evening ran away with us and we ended up in the Karaoke room until the early hours!

Highlight: The interactive surrealist workshop in the Depot. Tip: Try both the Dutch snacks and the Indonesian rice table at Mooie Boules to get the best of both culinary worlds.

Day 3: The hangover pivot to Berlin

We woke up very humbled by our cocktail-fuelled karaoke stint the night before. After a slow, chilled morning, we sat by the canal right next to our building, drinking coffee in the sun (and seriously contemplating moving to the Netherlands). Our original plan was to catch an early train for a half-day in Amsterdam, but tempted by a slower morning, flexible tickets meant we instead made a very quick one-hour lunch stop in Amsterdam before settling in for the long train ride to Germany's capital, Berlin. We pulled in late and went straight to the Nu Wave Hotel for a much-needed quiet hotel night in.

Highlight: Daydreaming about moving to Rotterdam while sitting by the sunny canal. Tip: Be flexible with your Interrail itinerary; if a spontaneous late night makes an appearance, there’s no shame in trading a sightseeing afternoon for a quiet train nap!

Day 4: Runways, vegan currywurst and humbled thrifts

We dedicated our one full day in Berlin to exploring the city's edgier side. We started the morning at Vegan Vibes Berlin cafe. The food was incredible: scrambled tofu with avocado, a powerhouse quinoa salad bowl loaded with fruit and pomegranate, an oat latte, and a vibrant pink beetroot chai latte.

Fueled up, we hopped on some Lime scooters and rode down to Tempelhof, the massive former airport whose runways have been completely reclaimed as a public green space. While some people use it as a massive running track, we took it easy, brought our books, and just read and kicked back in the sun. Afterwards, we wandered back through Friedrichshain - an artsy neighbourhood packed with cafes and thrift stores. We stopped for some delicious vegan currywurst and a spot of vintage window shopping. 

Highlight: An adorable "Crowbar" outside a shop—a tiny food and drink setup complete with bowls of peanuts for the local crows. Tip: Friedrichshain is a fantastic area to base yourself in Berlin for great cafes and an artsy vibe, even if the thrift store prices break the bank.

Day 5: Berlin to Prague - Time capsules and bread dumplings

On day 5, we caught a direct afternoon train from Berlin to Prague, Czechia's capital city. We arrived late in the evening and checked into a stunning apartment in the Old Town district that cost the same price as a hostel.

On the walk over, we stumbled past Lokál U Jiráta: an incredibly traditional, hidden local pub near the Novoměstská radnice town hall. It felt like stepping back in time; a guy was selling just one type of local beer to a room full of older Czech men reading the newspaper with massive steins. Sam completely ditched us to go grab one, and it felt so whimsical and authentically Prague. 

For dinner, we stopped by Lehká hlava. We spent the evening practising how to pronounce the menu, but the food was a triumph. We had a vegetarian version of Svíčková, a popular, traditional Czech dish featuring dense bread dumplings, a sweet potato puree, creme fraiche, and cranberries. We also shared a phenomenal smoky whipped tofu dip and a hot noodle broth.

Highlight: Finding the hyper-local, single-beer bar on the walk to the apartment. Tip: Self-catering apartments in Prague's Old Town can be incredibly good value compared to hostels if you are travelling as a small group.

Day 6: Mind-bending art & psychiatric cocktails

We spent the morning exploring along the river, stopping under a bridge at a cool collection of cafes that serve espressos by day and turn into lighted DJ bars by night. Liv and I ordered a hilarious combination of a midday espresso and a pint. For lunch, we hit up Herbivore: another great vegan spot with incredible vegan schnitzel with potato salad, and I had a fantastic fusion dish of mini Prague-style gnocchi with sauerkraut.

Because it was a rainy afternoon, we headed to an interactive art installation called Signal Space. The exhibit focused on infinity mirrors and manipulating light in ways that made it impossible to tell where the beam was originating. We had previously done a similar mirror room in Japan that was packed with queues, but because it was so quiet here, we had the entire infinity mirror room completely to ourselves.

That evening, we lined up 10 minutes before opening at a secret underground bar called the Anonymous Shrinks Office (you have to book, but they hold tables for walk-ins between 5:00 and 7:00 PM). The menu consists entirely of a collection of psychiatric inkblots. You choose the one that speaks to you, and they give you a "diagnosis." I was diagnosed with insanity and Sam got loneliness - not great, but the drinks were spectacular! Mine was a theatrical white drink served with a syringe of aloe vera liquid that I had to inject halfway through to turn the drink black and change the flavour profile, while Sam’s arrived in a cloud of smoke and citrus. 

Highlight: Having a world-class infinity mirror room entirely to ourselves on a rainy afternoon. Tip: Line up just before 5:00 PM at Anonymous Shrinks Office if you can't get a reservation online.

Day 7: Prague to Innsbruck - a surprise blizzard

We set off early for Innsbruck in the Austrian Alps on a journey that was supposed to be two trains, but thanks to rail disruptions at Linz, turned into four separate legs. However, it ended up being the most flawlessly managed disruption I’ve ever seen. A rail worker actually got off the train with us, guided us right onto a one-hour replacement bus (which the driver somehow cleared in an hour despite GPS saying it would take two), and escorted us onto the next train. This leg was a beautiful first-class journey where we paid for a proper restaurant breakfast: eggs, fresh bread, and coffee served on real ceramic dishware right to our seats.

Innsbruck was our only one-night stay, so we hadn't checked the weather at all. We stepped off the train right into a massive, swirling winter wonderland blizzard! It was stunning but hilarious walking to our hostel seeing spring cherry blossoms weighed down with heavy snow. 

Highlight: The incredibly smooth transition through the Austrian rail disruption. Tip: First class on this route is worth it just for the seat-delivery restaurant breakfast on real chinaware.

Day 8: Innsbruck to Florence - fast trains and heart-shaped pizzas

Before leaving Innsbruck, we grabbed breakfast at the highly recommended Karaffu, which specialised in gorgeous plant-based pastries. I got a pistachio croissant, a black forest loaf, and an excellent coffee. Then, it was back on the rails for my favourite train journey of the trip: Innsbruck to Bologna over the Brenner Pass. We hadn't planned for it to be a scenic rail route, but it was a magnificent surprise watching the windows transform from a snowy winter wonderland to lush, sun-drenched Italian spring. We lived large in first class, ordering beers, a rich parsnip soup, and a lentil stew with bread dumplings delivered straight to our seats.

When we hit Bologna, absolute chaos broke out at the station due to widespread delays. We missed our connection, but a stressed worker just told us to jump on the next fast train to Florence even though it was entirely sold out. It was a slightly awkward, tense 30-minute dash on the Trenitalia, but we made it!

In Florence, we stayed in an apartment outside the centre, which I would highly recommend. The centre was packed because of the Easter school holidays, so escaping to the quieter neighbourhood of Gavinana (south of the River Arno) with a full kitchen and two private terraces was heaven. For dinner, we stumbled into a local spot called Pizza Laverace. The owner was incredibly wholesome; he sat with us, shared a bottle of wine, brought us heart-shaped pizzas, and left a bottle of Limoncello on the table, telling us to just serve ourselves. It was the best pizza of the trip, and we couldn't top it.

Highlight: The stunning, unexpected alpine views on the train out of Innsbruck. Tip: Don't be afraid to stay just outside the city center in Florence; it’s only a quick bus ride away and saves you from the intense tourist crowds.

Day 9 & 10: Florence’s best pasta and a wine window crawl

We spent the next day braving the central Florence crowds. We hit a healthy vegan cafe called Carduccio for fresh juices and smoothies. Afterwards, we visited Cortese Cafe for raw vegan gelato, before joining the locals in style for traditional Italian espresso standing up at the bar. 

That evening, we headed back to our quiet neighbourhood for dinner at Covo. This was the best pasta I’ve ever had. We couldn’t decide on flavours, so we ordered three freshly made dishes: a spinach gnocchi, a gorgonzola & hazelnut pasta, and a lemon & ricotta pasta, rotating them around the table to sample a third of each. We even ordered an eggplant parmigiana "as a dessert", followed by traditional tiramisu.

The next day was action-packed. We shopped for lightweight aluminium jewellery at Vesto Pazzo before heading to Move On, a brilliant bar right in front of the Duomo. The downstairs is a standard pub, but the upstairs is a quiet vinyl listening bar with seats overlooking the cathedral. All their cocktails are inspired by musical artists, and you can scan a QR code on the menu to listen to the track that inspired your drink while they ply you with free popcorn. Afterwards, we tracked down one of Florence's famous historic wine windows, knocking on the little wooden shutter to have glasses of wine handed out to us on the street. We did some thrifting, had dinner at a quirky all-vegan pasta place called Nirvana for a rich vegan carbonara, and ended the night at a tiny hole-in-the-wall wine bar. 

Highlight: The lemon & ricotta pasta rotation at Covo. Tip: Visit Move On for a peaceful, elevated view of the Duomo away from the street-level chaos.

Days 11–17: Lake Como’s balcony office

After sampling Florence’s nightlife, the train journey to Milan was our chance to regain some zzzs, before grabbing a quick lunch and catching the train up to Varenna on Lake Como.

We stayed in Fiumelatte in a secluded, self-catering apartment. It was a brutal, steep 40-minute walk uphill from the station (we wisely took a taxi with our bags), and because it was so remote, finding a grocery store was a struggle for the first few days. But the view from our apartment completely sold us. We were there for a week of remote working, and we had an uninterrupted, jaw-dropping panoramic view of the lake. Every afternoon when the sun peaked, it was beautifully warm on the balcony, so we would sit out for at least an hour a day to get our work done in the sun.

We walked down into Varenna a couple of times to find a corner shop for cooking ingredients and ate at Ristorante Crotto di Pino: a wonderful, highly authentic local neighbourhood restaurant. It felt like stumbling on a hidden secret; we overheard the couple next to us saying it was the best food they’d had in Varenna. The restaurant even had a resident dog named Ombra (translated as ‘shadow ’), whom we spotted the next day, completely casual, taking himself for a solo walk down the street! 

One day, we took the one-hour fast boat over to Como. There are only a handful of fast boats per day from Varenna to Como, and we wanted to go at least one way by boat. You had to sit inside, but you could see each of the islands we stopped at on the way and the journey was pretty smooth. It was a working day for us, so we found a nice coworking spot called Work in Progress - we got a day pass and worked for the afternoon.

On our last night, we walked down into Varenna for Aperol Spritzes on an outdoor patio to toast a successful week.

Highlight: Working on a sunny balcony overlooking the sparkling waters of Lake Como. Tip: If you stay in Fiumelatte, stock up on groceries in a major hub like Como or Lecco before you arrive, as local shops are sparse.

Day 18: The Rhaetian Railway 

This was our bumper travel day: an 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM trek from Varenna to Mulhouse via Tirano, St. Moritz, Chur, and Basel. The first half of the journey along the Bernina Express route from Tirano to St. Moritz was busy due to the Easter weekend. We didn't have seat reservations for improved flexibility, so we managed to sit on the little pop-out chairs by the doors. I ended up offering mine to a lovely older woman who had limited mobility. Her husband kept jumping up to take photos of the mountains and running back to show her so she wouldn't miss out, which was such a lovely experience to watch. We got to pop our heads out at stops to take massive mountain photos.

We stopped in St. Moritz for a quick station lunch, and for the second leg to Chur, we had first class completely to ourselves. The carriage was empty, but because you can't open first-class windows, we snuck down to standard class to stick our heads out for better photos. We met a local snowboarder who gave us a brilliant running commentary, instructing us exactly which side of the train to look out for upcoming views. We also passed a gorgeous, vintage restaurant car painted bright blue. We had an hour layover in Chur, so we stopped right next to the station at an awesome Asian fusion place called No Name for slurpy noodles, bao, and burgers. From there, we connected through Basel to Mulhouse, had a quiet drink in the lobby, and flopped into bed.

Highlight: The local snowboarder giving us insider tips on the Bernina Express views. Tip: Even if you have a first-class ticket on scenic routes, wander down to standard class if you want to open a window for reflection-free photography.

Day 19: Wonderland Paris and first-class treatment

Our final day on the rails took us from Mulhouse to Paris, where we stopped for a quick lunch at an aptly named spot called Yummy Asian Food: a total neon-lit wonderland packed with fancy drinks, ramen, and an upstairs shop overflowing with cutesy stationery and K-Pop merch.

From there, we boarded the Eurostar back to London. Sam managed to score Seat 61 in first class, and we enjoyed a brilliant dinner and beers on board. The final leg of our trip was an LNER train from London to Leeds in first class, which was delightfully empty. The staff were incredibly generous, walking past every few minutes asking, "Do you want another beer?" as they tried to clear out their stock. We made a final quick change onto a classic Northern Rail train and pulled into our home station. 

Highlight: The incredibly generous hospitality (and free beers) on the LNER home stretch. Tip: First class on the final leg of a long journey is a brilliant way to ease the post-travel blues and celebrate making it home.