It's been so many years since my first trip out of the country that I barely even remember the event. I've been traveling for 40 plus years and after getting around quite a bit, I've started to advise new travelers on where to start. Here we go!
1. The Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland. I took my husband and son there for their first time out of the country, and they were very impressed. Why on Earth would I suggest this spot?
This has long since been a British playground. Everyone pretty much speaks English even though it's smack dab in the middle of the German speaking part of the country. It's a small village kind of place and is also served well by Swiss Rail. You don't have to drive or anything if you don't want to. Murren, one of the villages on the cliffs, claims to have invented Alpine Skiing. Did they? I don't know, but Alpine Skiing did come about to get the British to visit in what used to be the off season, so who knows?
It is a bit expensive, however, there is so much to do and it's one of the most beautiful places in the world. You can go up a cog railway to Jungfrau, the highest spot in Europe for visitors they say. Up there at around 12,000 feet, you'll find a railway station. You'll also find all kinds of activities, like skiing and tubing year round, hiking on a glacier, checking out the view or even walking inside of a glacier at the Ice Palace. There's a place to get drinks and snacks and it's a very good time.
On the other side of the village is the Schilthorn. This peak was made famous by James Bond himself. "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was largely filmed up there and now it's a restaurant called Piz Gloria. The views are amazing. You get there by a series of gondolas. There is a ski resort along the way. There is a James Bond World Museum in the cellar. It's a lot of fun and the rotating building is a restaurant, so you won't get hungry.
On the cliffs are villages. There's Murren, Gimmelwald, and Isenfluh on one side and Wengen and Kleine Scheddig on the other. They are all a lot of fun to visit. Also, just back up the road a bit is Grindelwald. That little village is also very popular. You can take a train from there to Jungfrau as well, but they have a lot of stuff to do. They have an Alpine slide, canyoning, zip lining, rock climbing and the list goes on. This is your adrenaline stop.
And finally, in addition to great food, drink, shopping and a campground; Lauterbrunnen is full of waterfalls. There's Staubbach Falls which is the famous one that you see in every single picture, but there are also 22 waterfalls in that valley. They are beautiful. One of the best is Trummelbach Falls. This one is inside of a cliff, you take an elevator inside of a cliff up to the top of it and walk down the 400 or so feet of falls all the way down.
This is one of the best introductions to Europe you can have. Swiss trains are easy to use. In Lauterbrunnen and the area everyone speaks English. It does cost a bit, but it's so worth it, and I guarantee it will make you want to travel more.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/destinations/lauterbrunnen/
https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/switzerland/lauterbrunnen-valley
https://www.wander-lust.nl/guide-to-lauterbrunnen/
https://schilthorn.ch/12/en/Piz_Gloria
2. Porto, Portugal. This one leans into my theory that you should find the most popular tourist spot in a country and go someplace else. Lisbon is the tourism draw overall, but Porto is amazing. The price is right on this one and the list of things to do is never ending. Most people in the old town and along the shore and the river and a lot of places speak English. We made friends while we were there. It's easy in Porto. This is a pretty popular expat spot, so the language barrier is minimal.
Driving is impossible in this city, so don't do it. We took the metro, trains, trams, bus and even a cable car, an elevator, and a boat while we were there. It's easy and fun. Porto is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to. Everything is covered in those scenic blue and white tiles. There are over 400 churches in the city and every one of them we went to was gorgeous.
Port Wine is king and this is the only place in the world that produces real Port. You can go to several places to taste the wine and tour the cellars, but you can also take a boat tour up the river to visit the vineyards. It's magical. Port is so popular that when visiting the city market, you can buy a glass and take it shopping with you. Just remember to bring the glass back before you go.
Porto is known to be the inspiration for the Harry Potter books, as JK Rowling lived in Porto at the time. The funny thing is that I thought that was stupid, but after being there a while I became a believer. The city is charming as are the people. The history is long, as is the fantastic Atlantic Coast. The buildings are amazing as is the food. Learn about Fado Music. It's amazing! It's a perfect starting point to learn to travel.
https://goaskalocal.com/blog/local-guide-to-porto
https://porto-north-portugal.com/index.html
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g189180-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal-Vacations.html
https://portugalgetaways.com/en-us/destinations/portugal/oporto
3. Helsinki, Finland. This is paradise. It's not too hot in the summer, but the sun doesn't set much. This is a great city, especially for the first timer. For starters, it's really hard to get lost. Helsinki is pretty much designed for tourists. It's full of trams, which are great to get around on because you can see where you are. Most things are at Central Station, including shopping restaurants, trains, metro, and on and on. After you've been there for one day, you'll get around easily. and people speak English, Finnish and Swedish most often. So, language barriers are a minimum.
Helsinki has a varied history and used to belong to everyone else. They were ruled by Sweden and Russia over the years, which has led to some fascinating religious locations to visit. The Russian Church and the Lutheran Cathedral are two of the most popular places to visit in the city. The other tourist hub is the old port. They have a market, both indoor and out. This is where most of the cruise ships stop. If you like, you can try that famous Finnish Sauna experience right at the port. They even have a big wheel there to ride. You can also catch a local ferry to Suomenlinna Island from there. It's a great living museum on the island and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.
Finland has been doing a lot of business with the United States for many years. Several American businesses have their European offices there. But there's a lot more to do in the city, so I will say you should get away from the obvious tourist attractions. Just hopping on a tram in Helsinki can lead to some amazing discoveries. They have an amusement park, they have a mall on the single metro line. They have many islands and a lot of them are parks and even the zoo. It is the country's capital and there's a fabulous park in the embassy neighborhood that is great to visit for so many reasons.
Helsinki is a great city to visit and great for first time travelers. I've been there multiple times and I love it. I will say one thing. Don't go looking for Finnish food. They don't go out to eat that. They cook it at home. The restaurants tend to be yummy, but not Finnish and that's okay.
https://www.visitfinland.com/en/places-to-go/helsinki-region/
https://www.forbestravelguide.com/destinations/helsinki-finland/travel-guide
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/what-to-do-and-see-in-helsinki-24-hour-guide
4. Niagara Falls, Canada. This may seem like an obvious one, but it's not like it used to be when I was young. Now, you need a passport. It's a tourist paradise with a ton to do and one of the most amazing views in the world. You can theoretically spend time on both sides of the border here. We did discover that the Americans do randomly close the border in Niagara, so sometimes if you stay on the Canadian side, you can't just run back and forth.
However, this is a great spot. In the summer, you have the Cave of the Winds, the tunnel behind the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. You can take either Hornblower or Maid of the Mist, depending on which side you're on to see the falls. There's Clifton Hill with a ton of different things to do, there's a wheel to ride with great views of the falls. There's casinos, mini golf, parks, the whirlpool, jet boats and on and on. If you're bored while in the area, you aren't looking hard enough for something to do. You can just go up the Skylon Tower or to the visitors center on the Canadian side and be entertained.
On the American side you have Goat Island and all that's out there. There is a casino as well in New York. The Cave of the Winds is my favorite activity, because you get to walk right up to the American Falls and it's cool. However you do it, it is a border crossing experience so it counts as a first time international travel and it's a lot of fun.
https://www.niagaraparks.com/attractions/
https://www.cliftonhill.com/niagara-falls-attractions
https://travel.usnews.com/Niagara_Falls_Canada/Things_To_Do/
https://travel.destinationcanada.com/en-us/things-to-do/top-10-attractions-niagara
https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/
5. Reykjavik, Iceland. It doesn't get better than this. I've been there both in the summer and the winter, and it's a great place to be. Everyone speaks English. There's all kinds of food. People are very social. It is a little expensive, but it will be one of the most interesting places you ever visit. My husband hates winter vacations, and he loved going there in January to see the Northern Lights. And you will if you go there in that season.
You'll probably want to rent a car and that can be interesting, as we ended up with a Dacia Duster diesel SUV with a manual transmission. It was a little advanced, but we got the hang of it. You will want to drive around. It's a small country, and you won't get lost. Google works well there if you need it.
What Iceland has is waterfalls, thermal heat and volcanoes. You really can't beat that. The only thing I will say is you should visit Sky Lagoon instead of the Blue Lagoon. Trust me on that one. Here you will meet people. They'll tell you what it's like to live there. You'll learn and feel immersed. It's a great experience. You get all of the main things that you should learn to appreciate about international travel, like different foods, extreme seasons, friendly people, surreal views, one of a kind experiences, and don't forget to try the hot dogs. Trust me.
This is probably my favorite experience to recommend to first timers. It's always original. Last time we went there, a volcano was erupting as we were landing at the airport, which is also an experience and not like a lot of other airports. So, go for the people, go for the nature, go for the once in a lifetime experience. Go to Iceland.
https://www.nordicvisitor.com/blog/iceland-travel/
That's my best advice for the first time international traveler. I say, don't be afraid. Once you've gone to your first extraneous country and had a little something go awry; you'll be ready to try about anything. It's all about taking that first step. I hope that everyone will try travel at some point. It gives you a bit of perspective, especially when your own country is going insane.
If you'd like to see what I'm doing right now, check out my YouTube Channel, "Adventures for Anyone with Terri Dixon" That's me!
https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2026
Keep checking back for more advice and cool out of the way places to visit. Thanks for joining me! Enjoy!
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