5 European Cities You Need To Visit

Good morning and Happy Friday!

Welcome to another edition of The Matt Viera Newsletter.

The newsletter with the goal to inspire you to live the life you actually want to live.

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Come this Sunday, I'll be flying to Europe.

Vienna, Austria, to be specific, followed by spending time in Budapest, Hungary.

To say I'm excited is an understatement.

This will be my 4th "mini-retirement" since 2018 (certainly not my last).

With my experience with mini-retirements, I’m happy to share I was interviewed recently on a podcast for my take on mini-retirements and how much they cost.

When the podcast drops, I'll share the link for you to enjoy.

Overall, it was a great time sharing my experiences and opinion.

Now that summer is here, the one experience I always encourage people to do (as often as possible) is travel.

Whether to somewhere foreign and exotic or as simple as a cross-country road trip, travel is always the antidote to our hustle culture.

And since this is a newsletter about personal finances, I'd be remiss if I didn't share the exercise that started me on this financial journey:

Tracking your spending.

If you do nothing else concerning your personal finances, the one thing you absolutely need to do is track your spending.

Dive deep into your finances for the past 1 - 3 months (6 - 12 months is better) and get a clear picture of your spending.

I guarantee you'll be surprised.

I've been tracking my spending since January 1, 2021, and it's been a game-changer for me financially.

For example, tracking my spending opened my eyes to how much I was spending on:

• Brunch

• Restaurants

• Happy hours

I was spending ~$400 - $500 monthly on these activities (which I tremendously enjoy).

But this excessive spending prevented me from saving and investing, which is critical for building wealth over the long term.

I cut spending on these activities dramatically, saving me, on average, ~$300 - $400 per month.

Money I now use to invest, in part, on life experiences, such as mini-retirements.

Now, because I am traveling to Europe, a continent I love traveling to (and once lived in), I'm happy to (re)post ideas from a newsletter article I originally published in early December 2022: 5 Travel Ideas for 2023.

If you're itching to get out and go on a vacation (or mini-retirement), here are some places I highly recommend:

Berlin, Germany

Germany is the first country outside of the U.S. I ever traveled to and lived in for 2 years.

Berlin is a very Brooklyn-esque city.

Berlin has a good mix of:

• Museums

• Fine dining

• Sightseeing

• A vibrant nightlife

Two highlights were stopping for pretzels and beer in Tiergarten Park and two great meals at Max and Moritz, a restaurant recommended to us by locals.

Additionally, you can easily take a day trip to Bamberg, Germany, and visit the brewery of my favorite beer: Schlenkerla.

If the beer doesn't appeal to you, the food served there definitely will.

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is the European city to go to when you want to decompress.

Most people may recommend Porto. I am not a fan of Porto. I much prefer Lisbon.

For a day trip from Lisbon, take advantage of a visit to Sintra.

Just an hour away by train, Sintra is home to the gorgeous Palacio de Pena.

Get there early to beat the crowds.

And wander around (away from the tourists).

We found a great restaurant in the hills of Sintra that we would have easily overlooked had a local not pointed us in the right direction.

If you're looking for more of a beach vacation, you can always travel to The Algarve.

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is one of my favorite European cities because it reminds me of Germany in the early 90s.

It's smaller than both Berlin and Lisbon.

It's also less expensive.

You'll get more bang for your buck in Prague than in many European cities without sacrificing culture and experiences.

Of course, visit Prague Castle.

And, if you have time, cross the river and visit Vyšehrad.

You'll get a great view without fighting crowds.

If you're lucky, you can grab a table for a drink and a snack on the terrace at Rio's.

Scotland

Scotland is a country I plan to spend a lot more time in, considering my best friend and his wife currently call Glasgow home.

I've only spent about a week in Scotland, which was far too short.

For added life experience when visiting Scotland, take a cross-country road trip in Scotland.

Rent a car and take a road trip along the North Coast, The North Coast 500.

Stay in small-town hotels and ask locals for recommendations for their favorite whiskey (Scotch).

Spend a night or two in Lossiemouth.

And visit the brewery of my second favorite beer: the Belhaven Brewery, Scotland's oldest working brewery.

And the scenery really can't be beaten.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, a metropolitan city, has it all.

There are bars and restaurants all over the place.

There's easy access to beaches, it's incredibly walkable, and the people are friendly.

It's just a fun place to be.

The one area of Barcelona to stay away from is the beaches.

The beaches in Barcelona during the summer are ridiculously crowded.

They remind me of South Beach in Miami during the height of Spring Break.

For a relaxing beach experience, take the train to Canet de Mar (1st bonus recommendation), about an hour north of Barcelona.

2nd Bonus Recommendation: Sundance, Wyoming

What's in Sundance, Wyoming?

Absolutely nothing.

That's why I love it.

I have been to Sundance twice and stayed in a small cabin.

There is a pizzeria, a drive-through bar, and a steakhouse.

That's all I need.

Sundance is the one place I travel to annually.

It's about a 2-3 day drive from New York City.

For me, it is the ultimate escape.

If you need to do something while staying in Sundance, you can visit Devil's Tower, about a half hour to the West.

Or, check out The Badlands, South Dakota, which is about an hour and a half to the East.

Not far from The Badlands is Mount Rushmore.

If you are looking for the ultimate escape from everything, Sundance, Wyoming, is where you want to go.

Remember: one of the best investments you can make is an investment in life experiences.

Get out and explore the world.

Interesting:

If you need more encouragement to travel, watch this:

Happiness

Thanks for reading!

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