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Useful tools
Welcome to my portfolio. Here you can find my travel observations and a collection of my work. In Projects you can find out more about my work.
1) The very useful Mapy
The image on the left shows the map app "Mapy" that we used during our trip, displaying the gondola route map.
The image on the right is the common map app "Google Maps."
This is a cropped version of the same location, and the ease of use is clear.
Google Maps displays famous places in different colors, so it may be useful when using it in the city.
I think Mapy will be very useful for people who hike in the suburbs.
2) If you have time, it's convenient to use the "Flex" bus
The first thing I used in the Netherlands was the FlexBus , which was not only very expensive, but unlike Japan, trains in Germany are often delayed, and if you have a lot of luggage you have to drag it across a long platform or have to transfer, which can be quite a hassle.
However, most buses depart from near Chuo Station, so it is convenient.
I stayed in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and if I were to go to Amsterdam, I could use the FlexBus and book it the day before, which would cost 11 euros for a round trip, which is about 2,000 yen in Japanese yen. By the way, the train is more expensive, costing around 4,000 yen, and the bus can sometimes be quicker.
However, be careful, unless you make a reservation, you will be assigned a seat if you do not specify otherwise. The assigned seats are generally unreserved seats, so you will not be criticized for sitting anywhere unless you have a reservation.
I also used this bus to travel from Rotterdam to Düsseldorf, which cost just 3,000 yen instead of 10,000 yen by train. Naturally, the bus was equipped with USB charging outlets, and some buses even had free Wi-Fi.
3) It's convenient to use multiple devices
This time, I brought my smartphone and 8-inch tablet, which are essential for making electronic payments and searching.
If your internet connection is poor, you may have trouble displaying the QR code on your train ticket, for example.
I remember being able to display it on a tablet even when it didn't display immediately on my smartphone, which was very helpful.
I have a SIM and an eSim in each one, and even though both have a 10GB limit over 20 days, it cost me less than 3,000 yen.
2025 Europe Travel
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