Hey everyone,
My partner and I managed to snag some extremely cheap tickets to Tokyo in January, however it seems like regardless of COVID-19 there's a good chance Japan doesn't let Muricans in by then...so if we can't go we are planning on going to the EU instead.
Now considering the US sucks by pretty much every metric compared to other first world countries, I'd love to see a few places (thinking 1-2 week total trip time) that while maybe not being explicitly leftist, have much better public transit (no car needed), healthcare, work/life balance, and other positives that if the opportunity presented itself would love to move there. Anyone have recommendations? I was thinking Amsterdam/The Netherlands, as well as Scandinavian countries. My partner is obssessed with London but considering the UK is trying it's hardest to beat America for worst first world country I'd prefer to pass on it.
Obviously if COVID is at a point where even vaccinated individuals are being irresponsible traveling, even while masked, we will hold off on any traveling until things are better.
Thanks!
This is a great writeup!
To add on, if you go to Belgium, do not go to Brussels, it sucks. Antwerp and Ghent are top tier (although Antwerp has armed army members guarding the diamond district which is right next to the train station, so that's weird). Ghent is mostly a university town, but it's got cool canals and good trams. It's like if someone let Bruges get a little modernized. If you go to Wallonia I don't have a ton to offer. I went to Liege and was not super impressed (but it was still cooler than Brussels), but beyond that I didn't spend a ton of time there.
If you're #traingaing, Belgium has a tram line that runs along its entire coast (longest tram line in the world). It takes about 2.5 hours to ride the whole way, but if you really like cloudy dreary North Sea coastal towns and trains, it's kind of hard to beat.
Brussels' square at the centre is admittedly pretty stunning but yeah I mostly agree, kind of dreary town. Loved loved loved Ghent when I went there, such a pretty town. Never heard of that tram line but now I want to go back and take it, sounds divine.