The most spontaneous foreign trip we’ve ever made

Sometimes it is different than you think. Originally we had requested vacation for the first week of October for our employers, to drive a week to Dubrovnik – visit filming locations of “Game of Thrones” and soak up a little sun before the cold winter moves into Central Europe. But soon we noticed during our research, that there is indeed no swimming-weather-guarantee more in Croatia at the beginning of autumn. Time to go hiking for plan B, we figured, and sketched a route around the Dachstein. Just a few days before the start of the adventure, also here a disillusionment: forecast speaks of pouring rain, and temperatures barely above zero – not just a weather for the mountain. So what to do? The clock is ticking: the Friday before our first day we are punished with too much time and little plan.

So we sit down on the sofa, armed with two smart phones and a laptop. Our head of gastro & nutrition checks the weather on selected vacation destinations via Smartphone, I search in parallel on Checkfelix for cheap flights. The choice falls on Malta: good weather even in early October, and the flights are also so in the short term more or less affordable. What is there so all can do? I don’t know. Heike writes a message via WhatsApp to her circle of friends, whether who has a travel guide to the State of the Mediterranean and we are lucky: A friend can bring the book to the party, to which we want to go at 8: 00 pm. At the time, it’s just after 6: 00 pm.

The best price performance ratio on Checkfelix is a flight with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, which starts on Saturday morning from Vienna – perfect. When we land on the booking page, we are asked by default, whether we want to have an airline bankruptcy insurance. For the case that Turkish Airlines goes bust on the night of Friday to Saturday? I don’t think so. After successful booking, it takes only a few minutes, until we get the ticket by email, with which we also immediately make our online check-in. Now it is 7: 00 pm, and we need still an accommodation: So we  quickly go on Airbnb and in approximately 15 minutes book a halfway reasonable apartment in Valletta.

“What plugs to use on Malta?”

We rush through the apartment, then gather those things you need for a Mediterranean vacation week. In between,essential information checks on the laptop: can you dive, should I take my diving certificate therefore? Do we need an adapter for the power outlets? You have the euro as a national currency there anyway… or not?

Our entire luggage ends up on the bed, and we set off quickly towards the party.  There we are pleased about the promised travel guide, we want to plow through it the next day on the plane. We are home at about one in the morning. After a brief check whether we have forgotten any essential things, we pack everything in our backpacks and go to bed – after all, the alarm will ring again after about five hours, and we drive towards the airport.

Not even 24 hours after our decision to the travel to Malta we are in the warm, wonderful city of Valletta – and learn from our Airbnb-host that our timing could have been no better: because precisely this Saturday night a town festival is celebrated with performances, great food and open churches. Perfect.

We kept the beat of the start during the remaining trip: After a day of sightseeing in Valletta we walk into a hard rock cafe with  Wi-Fi and use our smart-phones to book a rental car and a new Airbnb accommodation on Gozo. We didn’t regret out decision once. And as it would have the irony of life, we have also seen some “game of Thrones”-sets on Malta.

This text was automatically translated from German into English language.

The gate of Mdina when Rabat is one of numerous “game of Thrones”-sets on Malta.