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Travel Edition (Amsterdam & Copenhagen)
I just got back from a solo research trip to Amsterdam and Copenhagen—part travel, part life-scouting mission. We are entertaining a move to Europe, so this was a visit to explore the neighborhoods and see what living (not just visiting) might feel like. Below, a grab bag of things I liked, saved and discovered along the way.
Before You Go
Timeshifter Jet Lag App I’d heard of this app before, but this was the first trip I actually remembered to use it—and I’m seriously impressed. You plug in your flights, and it builds a custom plan to help prevent jet lag: when to sleep, when to get light exposure, when to have caffeine or melatonin. I followed it pretty closely in both directions and was kind of shocked by how smooth the time shift was.
Data from over 360,000 post-flight surveys indicated that 96.4% of the travelers who followed Timeshifter's advice did not struggle with severe or very severe jet lag.
YOLO Journal This has become my go-to resource when planning a trip. I signed up for the digital subscription before a January trip to Paris and London, and the Black Books are packed with local recommendations and insider tips that steer clear of the usual tourist circuit.
Substack is another great place to find travel recs, but—surprisingly—I couldn’t find any solid Amsterdam guides. So the YOLO Amsterdam Black Book really came in handy. I usually read through the list before a trip, then save a million spots in Google Map so I can pull them up while walking around.
For Copenhagen, I lucked out—
recently published her fabulous guide to the city. YOLO also has a Copenhagen Black Book, and between the two, I ended up booking a stay at Villa Copenhagen (both recommended it). It was lovely and incredibly convenient—the train from the airport to the city center takes under 15 minutes, and when I stepped off the train and looked up, the hotel was literally just up the stairs. I also loved Rug, the in-house bakery, where I had breakfast every morning and dinner one night, too.
On the Ground
Google Maps This might be obvious, but Google Maps is such a useful travel tool—especially for a loosely structured, solo trip like this one. I save places to custom maps for each city I’m visiting, usually adding notes on who recommended what. Then, as I wander, I can easily pull it up to find a nearby spot to eat or explore.
It’s also incredible for public transport—it gives real-time routes and timing for buses, trains, trams, everything. You’re probably already using it, but if not, definitely start.
Solo Travel I’ve never traveled alone for a full week. This was a mix of solo wandering and meeting up with friends (or friends of friends), with lots of unscheduled time in between. I think the instinct is to pack the calendar with at least one meetup per day, but if you can resist that urge, having a completely obligation-free day is so nice.
I carried a book with me everywhere and tried to default to reading—at meals, on the train—instead of scrolling. Dinners were especially easy: I made zero reservations but always managed to grab a seat at the bar with no wait. I had all kinds of delicious meals—pizza, açai bowls, Greek in a park, Thai street food.
New Amsterdam As I got farther from the center of Amsterdam, parts of it started to remind me a lot of Brooklyn—3- to 4-story brick townhouses on tree-lined streets. But because of the bike culture in the Netherlands, some areas felt like the version of Brooklyn I wish existed: peaceful streets lined with trees, gardens, cafés and pedestrians—with hardly any cars.
At some point I remembered that it was the Dutch who first settled New York City, “New Amsterdam” at the time. The names of the boroughs come from Dutch cities: Haarlem, Breukelen…suddenly, the familiarity made perfect sense.
I was also surprised by how green and lush Amsterdam is. It’s known for tulips, but what stuck with me were the rose bushes growing in front of buildings everywhere. Many homes have small front gardens—and some beautiful back ones you can occasionally catch a glimpse of. Even the houseboats lining the canals are filled with plants and greenery.
Places I Loved I lucked out with beautiful days in both cities and got to experience the whole city out and about. In Amsterdam, the canals were lined with packed terraces and boats full of people. In Copenhagen, every inch of the waterfront is optimized for public use—love to see it.
Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam) This was the only museum I ended up visiting (the weather was too nice to be indoors!), but I loved browsing the antiques collection and paintings from the Dutch masters. The museum also has beautiful gardens.
VondelPark + Oud Zuid + De Pijp (Amsterdam) After visiting Rijksmuseum you can wander into Vondelpark and the Oud Zuid neighborhood, which is a beautiful residential area. Neighboring De Pijp is younger, trendier and packed with restaurants and cafes.
Noordermarkt + Wochenmarkt (Amsterdam) These two markets take place on Saturday in the city center and were so fun to explore. Food, vintage, antiques—they have it all. Afterwards, you can wind your way through the 9 Streets—which was completely packed on a sunny Saturday—but I found a quiet place to take a break at the courtyard of the Pulitzer Hotel. It’s like an oasis just steps away from the crowded streets and there’s nothing better than grabbing a drink or bite at a fancy hotel.
TorvehallerneKBH (Copenhagen) A friend brought me here for lunch—it’s jam packed with food stalls and little gourmet shops. I loved it! And it wasn’t too crowded on a Tuesday.
The Danish Film Institute + The King’s Garden (Copenhagen) After TorvehallerneKBH, we popped up to the rooftop of the Danish Film Institute, which has a café and outdoor cinema with beautiful views of the city. Then, we strolled 👑 The King’s Garden (so lovely) and stopped for ice cream at Hercules Pavilion, which felt like a little slice of Provence.
What I Packed
Packing for this trip was super practical as I was planning for tons of walking, nothing fancy, and not planning to see any person more than once. Trench coats, sneakers, and straight or wide leg pants were ubiquitous on the locals in both cities.
Sneakers and Birkenstocks I was walking over 15k steps a day, so I was in sneakers every day. I wore my Birkenstocks one day and for shorter trips out.
Bembien and Muuñ Bags I’m absolutely loving this Muuñ bag (a
rec)—it instantly makes any outfit feel more pulled together. When I need more space or a zipper (pickpockets be damned!), I switch to my Bembien bag (similar one here), which I also love. For the plane ride, I nested the Muuñ inside the Bembien—voila! I also recently got the Bembien wallet and love that I can just slip it into a coat pocket and skip the bag entirely.Light Jackets I was perfectly comfortable the whole trip in light jackets. I love the Everlane canvas coat I bought two years ago (similar one here), it has just enough details to be interesting and adds a layer without excessive warmth. I also brought a denim chore coat (similar one here) and wore that a lot.
Cashmere Cocoon Cardigan Such a great travel piece—I wear it on the plane to stay cozy and it layers well over basically everything.
AYR High Hope Pants I bought these as travel pants, and they’ve been perfect—comfortable, never wrinkle, and look polished. But I’ve also been wearing them my whole pregnancy. I’m almost 30 weeks and they still fit.
Silk Pants They take up zero space and were ideal for wearing down to the hotel bar or restaurant after a long day (mine were passed along from a friend, but so many good options out there!).
What I Brought Home
This was not a big shopping trip as I packed light and intended to return that way, but I can never resist a little European clothing—kids, especially!
Hema I’m obsessed with buying kids clothes abroad, and like Monoprix in France, Hema is a Target-esque store in the Netherlands that happens to have very cute, well-priced kids clothes (and lots of Miffy gear).
Søstrene Grene I discovered this store while in London, but it’s Danish. I love stocking up on their very reasonably priced napkins and stationery and this time I also bought party decorations (candles, garlands) for my daughter’s 3rd birthday.
Arket I browse Arket often, but sadly they don’t ship to the U.S., so I took advantage while I was there. I picked up some things for my kids (really cute stuff), my husband, and myself—I was especially happy to find that their linen t-shirt is long enough to cover my bump.
Skall Studio I’ve had my eye on the Edie blouse, a cotton pointelle long sleeve tee that also happily covers my bump. I bought it in white, but love how many colors it comes in.
Royal Copenhagen I didn’t bring any home, BUT I bought a vintage pedestal bowl in Paris from Sarreguemines’ Copenhague line and the blue-and-white floral motif was apparently inspired by Scandinavian design. On this trip, I came across Royal Copenhagen’s classic porcelain and realized how similar they are. Totally different origins, but I love them both. You can find vintage pieces from each on Etsy—that’s where I’m hunting for them now.
If you have recs for either city, I’d love to hear them!
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Still utterly inspired by you clocking steps across both cities at nearly 30 weeks!!! One strong woman 💪🏽 ♥️
I loved reading this! I did a tour of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium last June, and I fell in love with Amsterdam. Copenhagen is on my bucket list. Thank you for sharing!