Bidish 2025 has been my quietest year in terms of travel since I arrived in Germany in 2021. This year, I traveled to two new countries, taking my total to 20 (I’m aiming to travel to 80 countries before 2035).
Despite it being quieter than usual, I was still able to seek out beautiful adventures throughout the year. Shared below are my favorite travel moments of 2025!
Finding Winter Solace in Vienna
Vienna was not high on my priority list of cities to visit in Europe. I was not fond of royalty as such, and there was no burning curiosity that pulled me towards Vienna.
So when I got a chance to visit Vienna in February 2025 as a tag-along on my girlfriend’s corporate visit, it finally felt like a perfect excuse. We would be staying in the city for five days, and I thought that to be a perfect duration to see a big city like Vienna, so I looked forward to it. And I’m glad to break it to you that Vienna didn’t disappoint.
The city is majestic, and almost every street beams with royalty. February was cold, yes, but a few days of lukewarm sun made it livelier than winter’s standard. There’s definitely something enthralling about ordinary lives existing in the backdrop of Vienna’s royal grandeur. The architectural beauty was my favorite takeaway.
Additionally, Vienna has a variety of restaurants, and thanks to NeoTaste, we enjoyed the adventure of trying out different cuisines during our visit. You can check out this blog post for budget restaurant recommendations.
Attending Green Day concert in Luxembourg
I’ll share a short story. A teenager spent an entire day in a relatively “modern” neighborhood in Kathmandu, planning to buy a big poster of his favorite band to hang in his room. He was shown posters of Metallica, Bob Marley, Linkin Park, and the likes – but not of the punk boy Billie Joe and his gang.
Well, the teenager went home disappointed that day, but he had probably never thought that he might attend a Green Day concert someday.
We saw Green Day play in Luxembourg this summer and it was the best concert I have ever been to. It was also Rekha’s first concert and she absolutely loved it. It was 30 degrees that day but it didn’t stop us from reaching three hours early and sprinting when the gates opened so we could stand as close to the stage as possible.
The performance, the energy, the drama — everything was blissful. The concert started with “American Idiot” which set the mood quickly and ended with “Time of Your Life”, but it took us another two days to finally get closure and accept that it was over. It is an experience we will never forget and we both agreed to not give up another opportunity to see Green Day LIVE again.
The yellow trams and evening cruise in Budapest
This spring, at last, we took a trip to see Budapest — a city that was sown in our heads by a few solo travelers we met and emboldened every time we listened to “Budapest” by George Ezra.
It was spring, but the weather was borderline summer, so we enjoyed proper sun, and Budapest’s beauty blended well with it. My love for trams is no secret, and my major highlight in Budapest was watching the charming yellow trams that painted themselves into every Budapest postcard.
The evening boat cruise was another highlight, and probably one of the best views I have witnessed this year. The Budapest Parliament was ablaze with yellow lights that twinkled and reflected in the Danube River. We were awestruck by the beauty, a feeling also shared by all the other passengers on the cruise.
Other favorite things to do in Budapest included trying lángos, visiting the Budapest Market Hall, leisurely strolling along the streets, indulging in local cuisine, observing the Unity Bridge from atop Buda Castle, and tasting Hungarian beer.
Seeing the Netherlands beyond Amsterdam
The Netherlands is one of my favourite countries in Europe. I visited Amsterdam twice in 2024 and loved it more with each visit.
This year, we wanted to visit the Netherlands beyond Amsterdam. We visited Rotterdam for three days and used it as an anchor to explore the places around. Rotterdam itself was a lively place. We loved the city and the port area and how livable it is, but it lacked the charm of the signature Netherlands imagination. That is where Utrecht and Delft championed.
Utrecht is a charm. The kind of place you wish you could just escape to for two months and engage yourself in something creative. The canals invite you for a stroll, to grab a boat and float along, or to just pick a bench and read a few lines.
Delft is quite quaint. People often call it a mini-version of Amsterdam, and it makes sense. It is a small yet cute town – absolutely worth a day trip.
Running a half-marathon in Bremerhaven
Running came to me unexpectedly this year and quickly became one of the hobbies that helped me get through things. An ambitious 10K in April introduced me to the world of running events, and it has not stopped since.
One of our proudest moments this year was running the half marathon. We signed up for the race three months prior to race day and trained with uncommon discipline to prepare ourselves for the event.
On September 7, we started the run from the Mein Outlet shopping centre in the central Bremerhaven plaza. The race took us along the North Sea and through the streets of Bremerhaven as we navigated our way through fatigue, dehydration, and looming muscle cramps to make it to the finish line. We both finished strongly and, after a few hours of doubt, decided that we’ve got to do more of these in the future.
Bremerhaven was a lovely place for our tiny run-cation. The beautiful coastal sunsets and delicious seafood were some of the things we enjoyed during our trip.
Running has been a great addition to my life, and I’m eager to blend it with my love for travel. In 2026, we’re already looking forward to running different races throughout Europe, with the 10K race at the 2026 HiPRO Utrecht Marathon being the first one on the list.
Attending the OktoberFest
As someone who enjoys a good beer, it is probably a crime that I waited four years to visit Oktoberfest. But better late than never?
We visited Munich during the opening weekend of Oktoberfest. We stayed with our friends, Kush and Babita, and the four of us ventured out to see what the opening day of Oktoberfest had in store for us.
The weather was crazy – 31 degrees (a jump from a moderate 15 degrees the previous day) – and me forgetting to carry my sunglasses started to seem more and more stupid. The day tested us, as we had to wait in a queue for almost an hour and a half, and dehydration and heat were getting heavy for all of us. I had a brief moment where I felt I couldn’t handle it anymore, and we went to a grocery store, got some water and electrolytes, and refreshed ourselves.
When the weather cooled down a bit, we went back again and were finally able to get inside a beer tent. Vibing to the classic 90s English songs being played, we enjoyed the good beer. Later, we also took a swing where we were lifted high into the air spinning sideways, and then brought back down in faster speed. Thankfully, we had drunk just enough beer to sign up for this ride, but not enough for anything bad to happen.
In addition to Oktoberfest, we enjoyed some very quality time with Kush and Babita. Eating delicious Nepali food and cuisines very well prepared by Babita, along with Kush’s signature English breakfast, we really enjoyed our time and can’t wait to visit Munich again.
Witnessing the beauty of Prague again
this time, during Christmas!
We love Prague. Its medieval backdrop is always a treat to the eye. Prague during Christmas is a much-celebrated spectacle, and this year we gave it a go.
Christmas decorations against the backdrop of Prague were quite aesthetically pleasing. We could just sit there and watch the beauty while enjoying our Trdelníks. This time, we visited a historic pub, U Pavouka (Medieval Tavern), which was founded in 1375 and has run every day since, and tasted their homemade beer. It was quite an experience.
However, the Christmas markets did not compare with the ones we experience in Germany. The Glühwein also tasted quite bland. This is not to take anything away from the experience, because Prague itself is majestic – just that the Christmas markets did not live up to their hype.
All in all, we loved our experience and explored a few breakfast places we really loved and would recommend you try out if you’re visiting Prague soon: Savor drink&eat and Bond Cafe.
If you haven’t visited Prague yet, also check out my guide on things to do and planning a trip to Prague. You’ll absolutely love it. We’re already contemplating our next visit to Prague.
Exploring German Christmas markets and indulging in lots of Glühwein
The opening of the Christmas markets is our favorite time of the year. Exploring the markets, getting a bratwurst and a Glühwein, and another, and another is what we absolutely love to do.
Visiting nearby markets, tasting new food, and collecting cups has almost become a winter tradition. This year, we visited the markets in Koblenz, Luxembourg, Bonn, Köln, Düsseldorf, Traben-Trarbach, and Boppard. Every place had an almost similar atmosphere, yet was very different. Markt der Engel in Köln was my favorite of the lot. Also, a showpiece reindeer singing a song in Bonn was my favorite moment.
What was your favorite travel moment of 2025?
