the getAwayZ Podcast
Real travel stories and practical guides for exploring Europe the way people actually travel.
Welcome to the getAwayZ. We’re Erin and Lisa, friends and roommates who moved from the U.S. to Europe in 2017. Since then, we’ve spent years traveling across the continent, mostly by car, figuring out what’s worth your time and what isn’t.
Sometimes that travel includes Erin’s teenage son and Lisa’s dog, Rex. Sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, we talk honestly about where to stay, what to skip, what to eat and drink, when to go and what you need to plan ahead for.
Whether you’re planning a trip to Europe or thinking about living abroad, the getAwayZ shares realistic, practical advice based on real experience.
Episodes
78 episodes
The Dolomites: Why We Keep Going Back to Northern Italy
We’ve been traveling to the Dolomites and South Tyrol since our first trip in 2017, and it’s still one of our favorite parts of Italy. This week, we’re talking mountain hotels, incredible hikes, traveling with kids and dogs, alpine food, cowbel...
Finnish Lapland Travel Guide: What to Do in Saariselkä in Winter
We traveled to Finnish Lapland in winter hoping to see the Northern Lights, but the weather had other plans. We stayed at the Star Arctic Hotel above Saariselkä, went on a reindeer safari, snowmobiled through the snow and took on the long tobog...
European Christmas Markets: Where We've Been and Where We're Going This Year
Our very first episode back in November 2024 was about Christmas markets, and we have been to a lot more since then. This one picks up there, starting with glögi and lit-up reindeer in Helsinki and the Christmas version of Tivoli in Copenhagen,...
Iceland Travel Guide Part 2: Snowmobiling on a Glacier and the Helicopter Tour
Iceland Part 2 picks up on the glacier, where we went snowmobiling for the first time and discovered that an hour on a snowmobile is a much bigger workout than it looks. From there, we get into the ice cave tour and the helicopter ride that bec...
Iceland Travel Guide Part 1: Blue Lagoon & Golden Circle
We went to Iceland in July 2016 after finding a $99 fare from Los Angeles on the newly launched WOW air.In Part 1, we talk about arriving in Iceland and heading straight to the Blue Lagoon, staying in Reykjavik and spending a very long d...
Rotterdam Travel Guide: Best Things to Do, Eat & See in Rotterdam
Rotterdam is not the Netherlands most people expect, and that’s exactly why we love it.After living in Rotterdam for four years, we have a LOT to say about this city. In this episode of The Getawayz, we’re sharing the best things to do i...
Bavaria, Germany Travel Guide: Würzburg, Bamberg & Nuremberg
We’ve covered Munich and Oktoberfest before, but this episode is about another side of Bavaria: Franconia. We talk Würzburg, a Baroque wine town where we stumbled into a wine festival at the Würzburg Residence, and Bamberg, a UNESCO-listed old ...
Graz, Austria Travel Guide: Schlossberg, Food & the Friendly Alien
In this episode, we go to the second biggest city in Austria that most tourists skip on the way to Vienna or Salzburg. We stopped in Graz on our road trip to Croatia and liked it so much we came back a week later with Dylan.We cover the ...
Summer Rewind: Corsica Travel Guide
SUMMER REWIND: We are wrapping up our summer rewind series with Corsica. Wild beaches, canyoning, natural pools you have to hike to and an island that feels more rugged than anywhere else in the Mediterranean. We talk about how to get there, wh...
Summer Rewind: Croatia Beach Guide
SUMMER REWIND: This week we are replaying our Croatia beach guide while we are actually in Croatia right now. We cover the water (it really is that clear), the rocky shores, where to swim and the beaches that are worth the effort to find. If yo...
Summer Rewind: Puglia Travel Guide
SUMMER REWIND: This week it is Puglia. We have spent multiple summers in this region and it is one of our favorite places in all of Italy. We talk about the beaches, the towns, the burrata situation and why Puglia keeps pulling us back. If you ...
Summer Rewind: Sardinia Travel Guide
SUMMER REWIND: This week we are bringing back our Sardinia episode. We have been three times and each trip taught us something different about the island. We talk about the beaches (some of the best in Europe, honestly), how to get around, wher...
Summer Rewind: Sicily Travel Guide
SUMMER REWIND: We are replaying some of our favorite summer episodes while we are on the road. This week it is Sicily. We cover the best towns for a summer trip, the beaches worth finding, the street food that will ruin you for any other Italia...
Cologne, Germany: What to See, Eat and Drink (And Why It's Worth More Than a Day)
We have been to Cologne twice now and somehow the cathedral still surprises us every time. In this episode we cover everything you need to know about one of Germany's most underrated cities: the Kölner Dom and the remarkable story of how it sur...
Matera, Italy: Cave Hotels, Killer Pasta and 9,000 Years of History
In this episode, we go to one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on earth and one of our favorite spots in all of Italy. Matera is built into limestone caves that people have lived in for at least 9,000 years, it's been called the seco...
Turin, Italy: The Most Underrated City in Italy and Why We Still Call It Home
In this episode, we go back to the city we called home for over five years, Turin. We make the case for why we think it's the most underrated city in Italy and walk you through everything from the French inspired piazzas to the second largest c...
Tuscany Travel Guide Part 2: Beyond the Hill Towns
In this episode, we continue our two-part Tuscany series by heading beyond the famous hill towns. We talk about Lucca, Pistoia, Pisa, Viareggio, Greve in Chianti and Pienza, along with the beaches, festivals and food that made us keep going bac...
Tuscany Travel Guide Part 1: The Hill Towns We Keep Going Back To
In this episode, we start our two-part Tuscany series by exploring some of the region’s most unforgettable hill towns and wine villages. We talk about Cortona, Montepulciano, Montalcino, San Gimignano, Volterra and Siena, along with the festiva...
Paris Travel Guide: What We’d Do on a First Trip
Paris is one of those cities everyone has an opinion about, which is exactly why we put off recording this episode for so long.In this episode, we’re breaking down how we would plan a first trip to Paris if you have three or four days. T...
Hotels vs. Airbnbs in Europe: What We Actually Book
Trying to figure out where to stay in Europe and going back and forth between a hotel and an Airbnb? Same. We do this every single trip.In this episode we talk through how we actually decide. Not the perfect version, the real version. Wh...
Elba Island Travel Guide: Why We Want to Go Back
After a week in Puglia and another on the Amalfi Coast, we headed to Elba Island and it ended up being one of the most unexpected highlights of the trip.In this episode, we’re sharing what it’s really like to visit Elba, from beach hoppi...
Croatia's National Parks: Krka vs Plitvice Lakes (Which One Is Right for You?)
If you're planning a trip to Croatia and wondering whether to visit Krka National Park or Plitvice Lakes National Park, this episode is for you. We've been to both and they are not the same experience at all.Krka is an hour from Split, m...
Lavender Season in Provence: What You Need to Know
If you've ever seen a photo of Provence in June and thought you needed to go there immediately, same. This week we're talking all things Provence during lavender season, which is hands-down one of the most beautiful places either of us has ever...
Dubrovnik Travel Guide: City Walls, Beaches & Islands
Dubrovnik is stunning, but it’s not the effortless postcard people imagine. We’re fresh off a rough stretch of sickness and finally back behind the mic to unpack what Dubrovnik, Croatia actually feels like on the ground: steep cliffside neighbo...
Driving in Europe: What to Know Before Renting a Car
Planning to rent a car during your trip to Europe? Driving can be one of the best ways to explore the continent, especially if you want to visit smaller towns, scenic coastal roads, and countryside regions that are harder to reach by train....