• home
  • about me
  • latest
  • brooke beyond

  • destinations
    • WORLD MAP
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Morocco
      • Namibia
      • South Africa
      • Zambia
      • Zimbabwe
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Aus + NZ
      • Adelaide & South Australia
      • Brisbane & Queensland
      • Hobart & Tasmania
      • Melbourne & Victoria
      • Perth & Western Australia
      • Sydney & New South Wales
      • New Zealand
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Czech Republic
      • France
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Poland
      • Slovenia
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • UK
    • Latin America
      • Mexico
        • all Mexico
        • Baja Peninsula
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Panama
      • Peru
    • USA
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Montana
      • Nevada
      • New Mexico
      • Oregon
      • Utah
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
  • hiking guides

brooke beyond

Austria / Czech Republic / Europe / France / Germany / Hungary / Italy / Netherlands / Poland / Slovenia / UK

12 tips for backpacking Europe

October 29, 2016

Backpacking through Europe has long-since been the quintessential 20-somethings holiday― while there are a million amazing places to explore, and some even more appealing than Europe, there will always be something magical about zipping across borders on a sleeper train, climbing a church tower for views over a quaint old city, strolling along cobbled streets, and subsisting exclusively on pastries, all the while collecting patches to sew onto your backpack. I can’t pretend to be an expert on Europe, but I’ve certainly loved every minute spent traveling there, so here are a dozen tips to help you have the best backpacking trip. Doubtlessly, you’ll end up just as enamoured with the continent as everyone else.

1 | Travel in the off-season

I may absolutely hate cold weather, but I hate crowds more, so travelling Europe in November and December proved to be one of the better decisions I’ve ever made. Not only are prices lower in the off-season and reservations significantly easier to get, there’s a fraction of the travellers that descend upon Europe in the summer and you won’t spend your whole holiday battling with sweaty crowds. Despite the chilly days, it was one million percent worth visiting during winter for the quiet alone, but I also loved being in Europe leading up to the holidays. We spent our days at Christmas markets, drinking mulled wine and hot soup, and there’s just nothing quite like a white Christmas! Even if you don’t visit in winter, skip the over-popular summer period and opt to visit when you’ll actually have an opportunity to enjoy yourself.

2 | Plan your own trip

It’s seriously so easy to plan your own trip these days. Tour companies make a killing off overcharging people, as do travel agents (and honestly, what do they know that you don’t know, you’ve got the entire internet at your fingertips and with it the firsthand advice of millions of people who’ve actually been to that city rather than a young girl sitting at a desk who’s hardly left the country and is just trying to meet her sales targets).

The best way to travel on a budget is to just to do it yourself. I buy my flights from either Skyscanner or Momondo and then start to cobble together my itinerary in a spreadsheet.

3 | Make your reservations well in advance

The unfortunate thing about travelling in Europe compared to other parts of the world is that reservations really do need to be made well in advance, even if you’re travelling in off season, so you don’t have quite the same flexibility in your plans. Still, I change my itinerary a million times before I actually lock anything in. The first thing I book, after my international flights, is all of my internal transport.

4 | Travel by train whenever possible

In Europe in particular, but also on all of my trips through South America and Asia, it’s usually smartest to travel by train (or bus) rather than taking flights. Europe has some of the cheapest flights I’ve ever seen (you can fly between countries for $20!? It’s literally more expensive to check a bag than it is to get a seat on the plane), so the natural inclination is to book only these cheap internal flights and feel quite pleased with yourself. There are a number of reasons, though, that I think it’s actually unwise to fly if there’s an option to bus/train.

Firstly, as I just mentioned, it’s usually more expensive than the actual flight to check a bag, so if you are travelling with a backpack larger than 7kg, you’re already looking at 2-3x the listed price of the flight. It’s deceptive!

Secondly, airports are usually located outside the city (while train and bus stations are usually quite central), so you’ll need to factor in the cost of transport to and from the airport, which can often add quite a bit of money. For the same reason, it can also add quite a bit of time― if you need to be at your flight 2 hours early and then you add on the time of taking several different metro lines, you’ve already lost several hours of sleep or time to explore! On the other hand, you can safely arrive at the train 20 minutes before it’s scheduled to leave AND it’s likely to be much closer to your accommodation.

Further to the point, a lot of budget airlines like Ryan Air operate out of secondary airports, and you may not even realise this when you book. In Paris, for instance, most budget flights leave from Beauvais rather than Charles de Gaulle or Orly, so you may end up riding the metro to reach a bus station and then paying 15€ for a bus ticket just to get to the airport. More time, more money.

Thirdly, and most importantly, train travel is part of the classic Euro trip. If you don’t ride at least one sleeper train, did you even backpack Europe?! I absolutely love train travel, having taken many multi-day train trips across America as a teenager (my dad is also a lover of trains), and it’s undeniably more fun to watch the countryside roll by through your window than to be waiting in long security lines at the airport. And also more comfortable to stretch out in your compartment with all your bags next to you and not worry about transporting liquids! It really is the ultimate, so I try and travel by train whenever possible, even if the ticket price is slightly higher.

5 | …but ditch the Eurail Pass

I grew up hearing all of mum’s stories about training across Europe with her friends, and I could hardly wait to have my own Eurail adventure, but gone are the days when you could buy a Eurail Pass for a few hundred dollars and hop on and off trains spontaneously all over the European continent. When I looked into it, I was horrified to find that you’ll likely spend over $1000 just to get a Pass that doesn’t even entitle you to free travel across all trains. Easily half of the European trains will charge you additional fees to ride, you will pay plenty of extra fees for a sleeper train, and you’ll be stuck with booking fees left, right, and centre. Oh yes, and that’s the worst part: you’ll be making reservations weeks in advance. You can’t just show up to the train station and choose a destination at random like you were once able; instead, you’ll have to book in advance just like everyone without the Pass.

Just considering the cost alone, it’s not worth it anymore to use a Eurail Pass (unless maybe you’re an EU citizen, because they get hefty discounts). But factor in the ridiculous limits on which countries you can travel within, the rules about traveling on consecutive days, and the extra fees for booking in advance, the Eurail Pass is effectively so different from what it once was that I can’t understand why anyone would want to use it. Just book your trains online and forget about using the Pass, however fun your mum’s stories may be.

6 | Use Airbnb to stay with locals

While campsites, hostels, and hotels certainly still have their place on a Euro trip, I am a huge fan of Airbnb in Europe. And, contrary to what my mum seems to think, Airbnb actually provides really nice accommodation! Not only is it cheaper than staying in a hotel, you also have the opportunity to connect more with locals and local culture.

This is someone’s home you’re staying in, so it’s not usually in the same part of town as all the hotels, which might mean it’s in an even nicer spot or that it’s in a residential area and you have the opportunity to explore the city more like a local.

If you’re staying in a private room within someone’s flat, you’ll even get to interact directly with people who know the city best. We got phenomenal recommendations off our hosts in Ljubljana, Budapest, and Amsterdam, and discovered places we never would have found on our own. And in the other cities where we rented the entire flat to ourselves, the hosts were still available via email before the trip to answer all sorts of questions about their city and offer recommendations of good places to visit nearby. It really is the ultimate!

7 | Take advantage of free walking tours

Despite being a bit wary of organised tours in general, I came to really appreciate the free walking tours available in most European cities. For starters, they are free (!!), but they are also a great way to learn about historically significant places that you definitely would have just walked right on by if not for a guide. I can highly recommend this walking tour of Kraków, which leads you through the Jewish Quarter, and this tour of Prague. It’s a good way to spend an afternoon getting acquainted with a new part of the world, getting some exercise, and saving a bit of cash!

8 | Don’t forget about nature

On the other hand, don’t spend your entire holiday walking around Europe’s beautiful cities and forget to check out Europe’s beautiful nature! I started to burn out on cities after a while, so taking a break from the history and all the bustle was a necessity. There are a million amazing mountains and lakes to explore, so get out of the city and enjoy a bit of nature on your holiday.

9 | Don’t wave your valuables about

In South America, it’s particularly important to be wary of your belongings, as anyone with expensive electronics and full wallets becomes an easy target for muggings― I met a couple who had $1000 in cash, their passports, and their laptops taken at knife-point because they had an expensive-looking camera out in a dodgy area. That just screams “mug me, I have money!” While being held at gun or knife-point may not be as large a concern when backpacking Europe, there are still plenty of European cities where pickpocketing is a real risk (probably one of the worst for it is Rome).

I’ve managed to avoid being a target thus far by just being aware of my valuables.Don’t put your brand new iPhone in the back pocket of your jeans, don’t carry a wallet or purse in your hand, and don’t leave your expensive camera in an easily accessible part of your backpack. It’s seriously common sense, but I know a lot of people who have had their pockets emptied on a metro or while in a crowd of people and they didn’t even know it was happening. I think money belts are definitely overkill, but don’t underestimate the importance of having a backpack that’s difficult for people to get into and of holding it in front of you in busy places.

Another favourite trick of mine, again better for places where mugging is a greater concern than pickpocketing, is to distribute my cash all over my person. I might have $200 on me at any one time, but I’ll have some in my bra, some buried deep in my backpack, some tucked in with my camera, and some in a front pants pocket depending on what I’m wearing. That way, you could hand over the contents of one pocket and never lose more than a quarter of your money in a mugging. Similarly, and this goes without saying (and yet I see people do it all the time), don’t walk away from the ATM with a huge wad of cash out. Count it discretely and put it away before you even leave the ATM, I don’t know why anyone would think it’s smart to just have $500 in their hand walking around.

To that end, my last suggestion is to be discreet about your valuables. That means being wary of when it’s probably not a good time to pull out your $2,000 camera. In an alleyway at night, for instance. A really good trick that we used in South America was to tape up our cameras with electrical tape to make them look old and in poor condition. Not only does it discourage someone from running off with your DSLR, but it also doesn’t draw attention to your wealth. Nothing makes you a target quite like being a confused foreigner with shiny new electronics.

10 | Get a SIM card with unlimited data

If you’re someone who likes to have a working phone to check on reservations and use Google Maps (an absolute must if you’re driving around Europe), you should invest in a SIM card with data. There’s a UK mobile company called 3 that offers free unlimited data roaming and it works in nearly all European countries! If you’ll be in the UK, easy: just pick a SIM card up at a store, I think it’s 20GBP ($33AUD) for the unlimited deal. If you won’t be in the UK: still possible, but you’ll pay a bit of a premium. I ordered one as a Christmas gift for my stepmother off this site, which is totally legitimate, they just mark up the price. I paid about $50AUD for the same unlimited SIM― the price of convenience, I guess!

11 | …but also seize the opportunity to disconnect

One of my favourite things about travel is just disconnecting from social media and constant communication with people for a while. We spend all day, every day talking to one another on the phone, over text, on Facebook, on email, so it’s so refreshing to just be in the moment for once. We actually decided not to put any data on our phones while we were travelling through Europe until we rented a car and needed it for directions because I was worried that we’d spend downtime on the train or at a cafe scrolling through social media instead of actually looking at each other and talking, or meeting new people, or reading a book! We had wifi at most every place we stayed, so it wasn’t as if we were off the grid, we just used our days to speak to humans face to face and I’m so glad that we did.

12 | Go somewhere different

My last piece of advice is simply to go somewhere a little different. Visit less touristy places in Eastern Europe, hop on a bike and ride out of the city to find charming country towns, pack up and go on a long hike through the alps, volunteer on a dairy farm, just go somewhere out of the ordinary― it may just be the best part of your whole trip.

Read more from our Europe trip:

OMG, WE SAW THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND

DISNEYLAND PARIS: THE HAPPIEST PLACE IN FRANCE

EXPLORING UNDERGROUND PARIS: LES CATACOMBS

AUTUMN IN THE CITY OF LIGHTS: OUR FAVOURITE PARIS EXPERIENCES

VENICE, THE WORLD’S GREATEST MAZE

BIKING AROUND LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA

BIKING AROUND LAKE BLED & VINTGAR GORGE

ADVENTURING TO POSTOJNA JAMA & PREDJAMA GRAD

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS IN VIENNA

HUNGARY FOR THE HOLIDAYS: THE BEST BUDAPEST EXPERIENCES

HISTORY LESSONS IN KRAKÓW: VISITING AUSCHWITZ AND KAZIMIERZ

COUNTING DOWN TO CHRISTMAS IN WROCŁAW, POLAND

PLANNING A TRIP TO POLAND

OUR TOP 5 PRAGUE EXPERIENCES

OUR TOP 5 BERLIN EXPERIENCES

POFFERTJES, VESPAS & ANNE FRANK: THE BEST OF AMSTERDAM

TAGS:BB2city escapestravel guides
0 Comments
Share
brooke brisbine

I've spent the last decade exploring the world— everything from solo trekking in the Andes to overlanding in Zambia, all while completing a PhD in Biomechanics, teaching at a university & securing permanent residency in Australia. In 2020, I finally fulfilled my dream of becoming a full-time nomad! Whether it’s vanlife in Mexico, scuba diving in the Galápagos, ticking off incredible US National Parks, or climbing in the Dolomites, I hope this blog will inspire your future adventures & help you find wonder in every corner of the globe. xx bb

Leave a Comment Cancel Comment

You May Also Like

October 3, 2022

Alta Via 2 (day 9): Rifugio Mulaz to Rifugio Pradidali

November 4, 2016

Exploring underground Paris: Les Catacombs

July 20, 2017

Sea of Ice: Exploring France’s largest glacier, Mer de Glace

hi, I’m brooke!

I've spent the last decade exploring the world— everything from solo trekking in the Andes to overlanding in Zambia, all while completing a PhD in Biomechanics. In 2020, I finally fulfilled my dream of becoming a full-time nomad! Whether it’s vanlife in Mexico, scuba diving in the Galápagos, ticking off incredible US National Parks, or climbing in the Dolomites, I hope this blog will inspire your future adventures & help you find wonder in every corner of the globe. xx bb

read my story
currently exploring

currently exploring

lebanon

img

travel resources

flights ✈️ Skyscanner

hotels 🏨 booking.com

adventure gear 🥾 REI

travel essentials 📸 Amazon

travel guides

hiking guides

vanlife resources

moving to australia

trip itineraries

recent posts

  • Solo climbing Mont Blanc via the Goûter Route

    Solo climbing Mont Blanc via the Goûter Route

    August 12, 2023
  • Juliana Bike Trail Slovenia

    Juliana Bike Trail: a complete guide to Slovenia’s best cycling tour

    July 26, 2023
  • Alta Via 4 Italian Dolomites hiking via ferrata guide

    Alta Via 4 (days 5 & 6): Rifugio San Marco to Rifugio Antelao to Pieve di Cadore

    June 5, 2023
  • Alta Via 4 Italian Dolomites hiking via ferrata guide

    Alta Via 4 (day 4): Rifugio Vandelli to Rifugio San Marco + Via Ferrata Giro de Sorapis

    June 5, 2023
  • Alta Via 4 Italian Dolomites hiking via ferrata guide

    Alta Via 4 (day 3): Rifugio Fonda Savio to Rifugio Vandelli

    June 5, 2023

@brookebeyond_
BB ON INSTAGRAM

@brookebeyond_

  • happiest when I’m climbing on top of things & this golden mountain in Iceland was screaming out CLIMB ME!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
  • july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧

I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… 

I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :)

memorable moments:
☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps
🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine!
🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge
🥾 hiking the Haute Route 
🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen)
🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon!
.
.
.
.
.
#travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
  • 3 moody saunas to visit in southern Norway 🧖🏽‍♀️🔥 

I just spent a fantastic week sauna-hopping my way through Norway, and even with all the moody weather, it was an incredible showcase of the misty fjords & the perfect opportunity to appreciate the simple pleasures of a wood fire. A few faves ↯

📍Soria Moria, Dalen
⭐️ best for: luxury sauna experience with an incredible view of the canals
💸 300NOK for 2hrs of private sauna use (up to 5 people)
 🛌  spend an elegant night at the historic @dalenhotel 

📍Sauna Vebekkdalen, Seljord
⭐️ best for: complete seclusion on the lake, an entire day of sauna & swimming with space to picnic
💸 450NOK for 24hrs of private sauna use
🛏️ stay nearby at the cutest Norwegian hytte (see my full blog post for a link to the airbnb)

📍KOK, Oslo
⭐️ best for: a sauna experience right in the city, the perfect rainy (or sunny) day activity in Oslo!
💸 from 1990NOK for 2hrs of private sauna use (up to 10 people) or 240NOK per person in the communal sauna
 🛏️ all the best parts of a hotel combined with the perks of local living in Oslo @bobwco
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
@visitseljord #visittelemark #visitnorway #mynorway #soriamoriasauna #dalenhotel #oslo #visitseljord #sleepwithbobw #sauna #saunatime #saunalife
  • THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐

Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack.

On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. 

The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). 

For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. 

After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
  • The reality of life on the road is that I spend more time thinking about leaving than I ever do about staying. Blessed or plagued or perhaps some combination of the both with a wild spirit that seems only settled in the most uncertain of circumstances, I find myself alight in chaos & drawn inexplicably to something new.

Change has been the only constant in my life for a long time now and I’ve gotten really good at ~leaving~, at dreaming about the next thing, at always moving forward, at staring out the plane window & wondering who I’ll get to be tomorrow. 

I never really know. I’ve been one million versions of myself, a product of the places I breathe & the people who wash over me & the winds that carry always new opportunities to me on a road where I can only see the moments & never the years that stretch ahead. 

In the next life, I wonder if I’ll know what it feels like to stay. For now, I pander to the whims of my restless heart. Take me anywhere.
.
.
.
.
#travelgirl #anywhere #travelreels #restlessheart #travelgram
  • Sizzling in our own private sauna boat right in the middle of the Oslofjord & life is good 🔥🔥

@kokoslo.no 
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#visitnorway #mynorway #sauna #saunaboat #saunatime #saunalife #oslo #oslooperahouse #oslofjorden #oslofjord
  • no one does moody summer days quite like Norway 🌙 

📍 Sauna Vebekkdalen @visitseljord 
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#visittelemark #visitnorway #mynorway #visitseljord #sauna #saunatime #saunalife #norway
  • Last week, I got a major upgrade from my typical hostel dorms & budget backpacker digs at the historic @DalenHotel in Telemark, Norway!

I planned to visit for access to Lårdalstigen, an epic clifftop hike overlooking the Telemark Canal, but I ended up finding so much more to love about the Dalen, from lakefront saunas to fireside drinks to 130yrs of history.

the perfect 3-day/2-night itinerary ↯

DAY 1
⛴️ arrive to Dalen on a 4hr canal cruise aboard the iconic M/S Henrik Ibsen
🫖 afternoon tea overlooking the gardens
🍷 fireside drinks & chess with live piano

DAY 2
⛴️ boat ride up the canal to Lårdal, brekky on board
🥾 hike Lårdalstigen for incredible clifftop views (6hrs)
🧖🏽‍♀️ luxurious sauna experience at the Soria Moria
🍜 phenomenal 4-course dinner at Restaurant Bandak 

DAY 3
🍳 beautiful breakfast at Restaurant Bandak 
🥾 climb the 810 steps to RUI
~ return to Oslo
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#dalenhotel #visittelemark #visitnorway #dehistoriske #thehistorical #HistoricCharm #mynorway #fairytalestay #norwegianhospitality #finedining #restaurantbandak #luxuryhotelinnorway #MagicalEscapes #hikinginorway #travelbackintime #soriamoriasauna #historicalhospitality
  • the perfect rainy day in Norway @dalenhotel 🔥
follow @brookebeyond_

travel beyond the ordinary

Explore my travel guides, custom itineraries & blog posts with an interactive world map ✨

all destinations

  • happiest when I’m climbing on top of things & this golden mountain in Iceland was screaming out CLIMB ME!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
  • july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧

I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… 

I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :)

memorable moments:
☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps
🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine!
🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge
🥾 hiking the Haute Route 
🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen)
🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon!
.
.
.
.
.
#travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
  • 3 moody saunas to visit in southern Norway 🧖🏽‍♀️🔥 

I just spent a fantastic week sauna-hopping my way through Norway, and even with all the moody weather, it was an incredible showcase of the misty fjords & the perfect opportunity to appreciate the simple pleasures of a wood fire. A few faves ↯

📍Soria Moria, Dalen
⭐️ best for: luxury sauna experience with an incredible view of the canals
💸 300NOK for 2hrs of private sauna use (up to 5 people)
 🛌  spend an elegant night at the historic @dalenhotel 

📍Sauna Vebekkdalen, Seljord
⭐️ best for: complete seclusion on the lake, an entire day of sauna & swimming with space to picnic
💸 450NOK for 24hrs of private sauna use
🛏️ stay nearby at the cutest Norwegian hytte (see my full blog post for a link to the airbnb)

📍KOK, Oslo
⭐️ best for: a sauna experience right in the city, the perfect rainy (or sunny) day activity in Oslo!
💸 from 1990NOK for 2hrs of private sauna use (up to 10 people) or 240NOK per person in the communal sauna
 🛏️ all the best parts of a hotel combined with the perks of local living in Oslo @bobwco
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
@visitseljord #visittelemark #visitnorway #mynorway #soriamoriasauna #dalenhotel #oslo #visitseljord #sleepwithbobw #sauna #saunatime #saunalife
  • THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐

Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack.

On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. 

The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). 

For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. 

After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
  • The reality of life on the road is that I spend more time thinking about leaving than I ever do about staying. Blessed or plagued or perhaps some combination of the both with a wild spirit that seems only settled in the most uncertain of circumstances, I find myself alight in chaos & drawn inexplicably to something new.

Change has been the only constant in my life for a long time now and I’ve gotten really good at ~leaving~, at dreaming about the next thing, at always moving forward, at staring out the plane window & wondering who I’ll get to be tomorrow. 

I never really know. I’ve been one million versions of myself, a product of the places I breathe & the people who wash over me & the winds that carry always new opportunities to me on a road where I can only see the moments & never the years that stretch ahead. 

In the next life, I wonder if I’ll know what it feels like to stay. For now, I pander to the whims of my restless heart. Take me anywhere.
.
.
.
.
#travelgirl #anywhere #travelreels #restlessheart #travelgram
happiest when I’m climbing on top of things & this golden mountain in Iceland was screaming out CLIMB ME!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
happiest when I’m climbing on top of things & this golden mountain in Iceland was screaming out CLIMB ME!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
happiest when I’m climbing on top of things & this golden mountain in Iceland was screaming out CLIMB ME!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
happiest when I’m climbing on top of things & this golden mountain in Iceland was screaming out CLIMB ME!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
happiest when I’m climbing on top of things & this golden mountain in Iceland was screaming out CLIMB ME!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
•
Follow
happiest when I’m climbing on top of things & this golden mountain in Iceland was screaming out CLIMB ME!! . . . . . . . #laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
1 day ago
View on Instagram |
1/5
july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧

I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… 

I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :)

memorable moments:
☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps
🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine!
🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge
🥾 hiking the Haute Route 
🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen)
🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon!
.
.
.
.
.
#travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧

I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… 

I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :)

memorable moments:
☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps
🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine!
🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge
🥾 hiking the Haute Route 
🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen)
🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon!
.
.
.
.
.
#travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧

I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… 

I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :)

memorable moments:
☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps
🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine!
🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge
🥾 hiking the Haute Route 
🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen)
🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon!
.
.
.
.
.
#travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧

I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… 

I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :)

memorable moments:
☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps
🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine!
🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge
🥾 hiking the Haute Route 
🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen)
🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon!
.
.
.
.
.
#travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧

I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… 

I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :)

memorable moments:
☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps
🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine!
🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge
🥾 hiking the Haute Route 
🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen)
🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon!
.
.
.
.
.
#travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧

I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… 

I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :)

memorable moments:
☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps
🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine!
🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge
🥾 hiking the Haute Route 
🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen)
🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon!
.
.
.
.
.
#travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧

I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… 

I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :)

memorable moments:
☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps
🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine!
🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge
🥾 hiking the Haute Route 
🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen)
🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon!
.
.
.
.
.
#travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧

I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… 

I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :)

memorable moments:
☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps
🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine!
🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge
🥾 hiking the Haute Route 
🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen)
🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon!
.
.
.
.
.
#travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧

I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… 

I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :)

memorable moments:
☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps
🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine!
🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge
🥾 hiking the Haute Route 
🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen)
🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon!
.
.
.
.
.
#travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧

I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… 

I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :)

memorable moments:
☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps
🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine!
🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge
🥾 hiking the Haute Route 
🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen)
🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon!
.
.
.
.
.
#travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
•
Follow
july phone photo dump 🇫🇷🇹🇷🇨🇭🇱🇧 I am perpetually behind on sharing photos & stories, a product of travelling literally all the time & forever opting to ‘go explore’ instead of catching up on my mountain of unedited photos & half-written posts on the computer… I decided several months ago that I wanted to share a monthly highlights post & include more of the ‘unedited’ iPhone-camera moments that don’t usually make it onto my feed. I even wrote this list… and then got too busy to share. So, here’s a little look back at July and HOPEFULLY the first of many monthly highlight posts :) memorable moments: ☀️ sunny week of climbing in the French Alps 🏔️ solo climbing Mont Blanc, a major dream of mine! 🇹🇷 flying business class to Istanbul & going bananas in the lounge 🥾 hiking the Haute Route 🇨🇭 co-working with @maeve.desay & @ajwilrad in Zermatt while waiting for a weather window to climb the Matterhorn (which did not happen) 🇱🇧 ending the month in a new country, Lebanon! . . . . . #travel #travelgirl #photodump #frenchalps #hauteroute #lebanon #fulltimetravel #traveltheworld
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/5
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
•
Follow
3 moody saunas to visit in southern Norway 🧖🏽‍♀️🔥 I just spent a fantastic week sauna-hopping my way through Norway, and even with all the moody weather, it was an incredible showcase of the misty fjords & the perfect opportunity to appreciate the simple pleasures of a wood fire. A few faves ↯ 📍Soria Moria, Dalen ⭐️ best for: luxury sauna experience with an incredible view of the canals 💸 300NOK for 2hrs of private sauna use (up to 5 people) 🛌 spend an elegant night at the historic @dalenhotel 📍Sauna Vebekkdalen, Seljord ⭐️ best for: complete seclusion on the lake, an entire day of sauna & swimming with space to picnic 💸 450NOK for 24hrs of private sauna use 🛏️ stay nearby at the cutest Norwegian hytte (see my full blog post for a link to the airbnb) 📍KOK, Oslo ⭐️ best for: a sauna experience right in the city, the perfect rainy (or sunny) day activity in Oslo! 💸 from 1990NOK for 2hrs of private sauna use (up to 10 people) or 240NOK per person in the communal sauna 🛏️ all the best parts of a hotel combined with the perks of local living in Oslo @bobwco . . . . . . . . @visitseljord #visittelemark #visitnorway #mynorway #soriamoriasauna #dalenhotel #oslo #visitseljord #sleepwithbobw #sauna #saunatime #saunalife
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
3/5
THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐

Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack.

On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. 

The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). 

For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. 

After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐

Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack.

On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. 

The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). 

For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. 

After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐

Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack.

On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. 

The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). 

For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. 

After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐

Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack.

On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. 

The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). 

For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. 

After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐

Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack.

On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. 

The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). 

For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. 

After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐

Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack.

On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. 

The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). 

For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. 

After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐

Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack.

On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. 

The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). 

For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. 

After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐

Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack.

On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. 

The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). 

For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. 

After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐

Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack.

On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. 

The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). 

For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. 

After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐

Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack.

On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. 

The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). 

For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. 

After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
•
Follow
THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL, an incredible journey through the wild & wonderful Icelandic Highlands 🤩☄️🪐 Although I tend to favour demanding backcountry treks, the Laugavegur is remarkable for an entirely different reason— at 56km & less than 2000m of elevation gain across the entire route, it’s a hike suited to just about anyone, with well-placed huts providing indoor accommodation options & the ability to carry a light pack. On any other route, those stats might equate to boredom for avid hikers, but with the kaleidoscope of folded hills & geysers & steam vents & volcanic valleys & surging rivers than central Iceland holds, it actually just means more time to run around & ENJOY. The true joy of a 12km day isn’t arriving into camp at midday, it’s the freedom to spend hours running up an interesting looking mountain off the side of the trail or to clamber all the way down to the edge of the canyon or to skinny-dip in a glacier lake (all cleared with the ranger, of course). For 4 sweet days, we delighted in being the last ones to arrive to camp every night, dispersing our limitless hours across the landscape in search of ever-better vantage points & time-consuming photo ops. After a long summer of running between a dozen countries, tackling long hiking routes, and climbing at elevation, it was such a treat to meander through Iceland with little more than a few hours of walking on each day’s agenda but an entire universe to explore between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk… All photos taken off-route while making absolutely zero progress from Point A to Point B, just how we like it 💃🏻🕺🏻 . . . . . . . . #laugavegur #laugavegurtrail #iceland #icelandtrip #icelandnature #hikersofinstagram #hikerbabes #hikergirl #landmannalaugar #icelandtravel #icelandadventure
4 days ago
View on Instagram |
4/5
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
•
Follow
The reality of life on the road is that I spend more time thinking about leaving than I ever do about staying. Blessed or plagued or perhaps some combination of the both with a wild spirit that seems only settled in the most uncertain of circumstances, I find myself alight in chaos & drawn inexplicably to something new. Change has been the only constant in my life for a long time now and I’ve gotten really good at ~leaving~, at dreaming about the next thing, at always moving forward, at staring out the plane window & wondering who I’ll get to be tomorrow. I never really know. I’ve been one million versions of myself, a product of the places I breathe & the people who wash over me & the winds that carry always new opportunities to me on a road where I can only see the moments & never the years that stretch ahead. In the next life, I wonder if I’ll know what it feels like to stay. For now, I pander to the whims of my restless heart. Take me anywhere. . . . . #travelgirl #anywhere #travelreels #restlessheart #travelgram
1 week ago
View on Instagram |
5/5

  • home
  • about me
  • latest
  • destinations
  • hiking guides
  • Australia visa
  • vanlife
  • privacy
  • contact

COPYRIGHT © 2022 BROOKE BEYOND. TRAVEL BEYOND THE ORDINARY. Site Powered by Pix & Hue.