Hey, what’s up?

Welcome to episode 10 of my travel blog! This is part one of four covering my Austria trip. I planned this adventure with my mum—so yes, you could call it a son-mum adventure. Anyway, let’s get into it!

As always, the first step is buying a flight ticket. This time, I flew with EasyJet and booked the flight about two months in advance. I took off from Gatwick to Innsbruck. Now, let me tell you—Gatwick Airport is far. And the train ticket to get there? Expensive. Honestly, between Gatwick, Luton, and Heathrow, Gatwick is my least favorite. Not just because of the distance but also because they don’t have a proper Wudhu area in the prayer room. If you’re a practicing Muslim, it’s a bit of a hassle.

The flight itself was just an hour and a half, but because Austria is one hour ahead of the UK, we technically “arrived later” than we left (time travel, anyone?). At immigration, the officer asked me a lot of questions—hotel booking reference, return flight details… I was half expecting him to ask for my childhood address too. At one point, I just wanted to say, “Chill, brother, I love England more than Europe—I’m coming back!” (Just kidding… or am I?).

Oh, and a quick tip: Do not sleep when you’re about to land in Innsbruck. The view of the Alps from above is absolutely magical—like something out of a fantasy movie. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it! I didn’t take any photo because I was having a headache, so you guys just have to trust me on this.

Since we arrived at dusk, we decided to head straight to our hotel to drop off our luggage before looking for dinner. Initially, we tried booking an Uber, but none came to our rescue (felt like we were being ghosted). So, we hopped on a bus instead. In Innsbruck, you buy your ticket from a machine, then validate it on the bus, where it gets stamped with the time, date, and bus number. The bus took us to the city center, and from there, we walked to our hotel.

Now, let’s talk about the hotel—Austria Trend Hotel Congress Innsbruck. Honestly? 10/10. It cost me almost 90 euros per night, but it was worth it. I booked an ensuite room because I wanted my mum to have the comfort of a private bathroom, and it turned out to be an amazing choice. The room had a breathtaking view of the Alps, and to make it even better, the receptionist upgraded us to a higher-level room for an even better view. Oh, and the location? Perfect. The hotel is literally next to the funicular, and there’s a bus stop right in front. What more could I ask for?

That night, we went for dinner at a place called Chili Kebab (I found it by Googling halal restaurants, and I really hope it was actually halal—otherwise, I may have just committed a food sin. HAHA).

The next morning, I went for a jog—because if you’ve read my previous blogs, you’d know I’ve developed a new hobby of running in random cities! And let me tell you, this was easily one of the most scenic runs of my life. The view was breathtaking, the air was unbelievably fresh, and for a moment, I felt like I could just keep running forever. 

But reality hit fast—I had a cold, and by the time I reached 5KM, my throat felt like it had been personally attacked. So, I reluctantly stopped, gasping for breath and reconsidering all my life choices. Still, totally worth it. If I had this view every day, I swear I’d be the next Eliud Kipchoge.

After my run, I headed back to the hotel, took a shower, and we checked out early, leaving our bags in the luggage area so we could explore freely.

Next Stop: The Top of Innsbruck!

Our main plan for the day was to visit the Top of Innsbruck! The round-trip ticket cost me 56 euros (it’s even pricier if you add the Alpen Zoo, but my mum and I aren’t exactly “zoo people”).

The first checkpoint was Hungerburg, where we had to switch to a cable car that took us up to the second checkpoint. This stop had a weird name I’ve already forgotten, but I do remember one thing—it’s the go-to spot for beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders. Looking at them zooming down the slopes, I had a brief moment of inspiration.

“If only I had been introduced to this sport back in medical school or A-levels, I might have given it a go,” I thought.

But then I remembered my current age, my fragile knees, and the terrifying prospect of a spinal injury (or worse, a financial injury)—so yeah, I’ll pass.

From there, we hopped onto another cable car, which finally took us to the Top of Innsbruck! The whole journey took around 30 minutes.

Now, last year, I went to Grindelwald, Switzerland, and it was surprisingly warm at the top because of the sunshine. So, naturally, I assumed it would be the same here.

Only Allah knew how wrong I was.

The moment we stepped out of the cable car, the freezing wind hit us so hard that I’m convinced I almost got teleported back to Derby. My mum and I stood there, frozen in place, instantly regretting all our life decisions.

But despite the cold, we stayed longer because it was my mum’s first time seeing and playing with snow! And let me tell you—it was totally worth it. The views were absolutely unreal, with so many picturesque spots to capture the beauty of the Alps. Plus, it was way cheaper than the one in Switzerland!

A Riverside Stroll

After taking a few (read: hundreds) of pictures, we made our way back down and decided to walk along the river.

This might have been my favorite part of the day—the river was this stunning turquoise color, lined with colorful buildings, bare winter trees, and the majestic Alps in the background. The whole scene looked like a painting.

Oh, and the bikers casually passing by? It gave off some serious old-English countryside vibes. Obviously, we took even more pictures.

By the way, if anyone’s interested in seeing (or even buying) my photography, here’s the link to my Picfair! 📸: https://simple-photo.picfair.com (I will post Austria’s photos ASAP!)

Exploring the City Centre

After our scenic riverside walk, we headed to the city centre! There were plenty of great spots for taking photos—mainly because the architecture here is so different from what you’d find in England. I wouldn’t say it has a strong medieval vibe, but it definitely has a unique “Innsbruck-only” charm.

My mum, as always, went straight for the fridge magnets—classic mum move. Meanwhile, I was on the hunt for a bookmark (because, if you know me, you know this is a must). But to my utter disappointment, I couldn’t find a single one that caught my eye. Heartbreak level: 1000.

Also, I found it really odd that there didn’t seem to be an official souvenir store in Innsbruck. Even the shop at Top of Innsbruck felt a bit understocked. I mean, come on, where are all the cool souvenirs? Innsbruck, you’ve been amazing, but you seriously need to up your souvenir game!

Saying Goodbye to Innsbruck

In the evening, we went to AiF, a small prayer room conveniently located next to the train station. We said our final goodbyes to this beautiful city and then hopped on an evening train to Salzburg. (More on that in my next blog—stay tuned!)

Overall, I’d rate Innsbruck an 8/10—it was stunning, peaceful, and totally worth visiting. The only downside? The souvenir struggle.

Hope you guys enjoyed reading my blog! See ya in the next one! 😊