5 WAYS TO WANDER: Breeze through Airport Security with This Secret Trick
28 March, 2025 | Welcome to 5 Ways to Wander. 🌍✨
Last week, I had to sprint through the airport to catch my connecting flight – all because I booked a 30-minute layover. Nothing humbles you like running full speed, dodging strollers and suitcases, as people around casually sip $8 lattes.
If I ever book another 30-minute layover, remind me of this moment, will you? 😵💫
#1 This Week’s Travel Hack:
🛫 Fly Through Airport Security Like a Pro. What if I told you, you could skip the long security lines?
Many major airports in Europe now let you book a FREE security slot online in advance.
Airports like Amsterdam Schiphol, London Gatwick, and Berlin Brandenburg offer time slots that let you walk straight to a dedicated lane. You just book your slot before you fly, show up at your chosen time (usually a 15-minute window), and glide through like a VIP. No waiting.
OF COURSE it helps speed things up if you wear slip-on shoes, keep your liquids and laptop easily accessible, and have your ID ready. Airport security scenes are always chaotic, slot or not. It’s like the Hunger Games (but with less fighting and more shoe removal).
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#2 Destination of the Week:
🇩🇪 Dinkelsbühl, Germany. I promise this is a hidden gem – not the kind where you visit and it’s overrun with tourists, leaving you wondering what’s so “hidden” about it.
Dinkelsbühl is a rare find where you can still feel the understated magic of a charming medieval town.
Cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, and completely intact 14th-century city walls… It’s got the whole thing goin’. The town is so dreamy, you half expect a fairytale character to pop out from behind a door. 👀
Stroll through Marktplatz, take in the pastel facades, and climb the Church of St. George for views that will make you wonder why this place isn’t more famous.
Fun fact: Unlike most medieval towns, Dinkelsbühl was never bombed in WWII, which means its original charm is fully intact.
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#3 Cultural Insight:
🇦🇹 Why Coffee Houses Are an Essential Part of Viennese Life. Coffeehouses are veritable institutions in Vienna. They’ve been a part of the city’s culture for centuries. They’ve witnessed lots of intellectual debate and quiet contemplation, and have always delivered really good Sachertorte.
Some standout features of a coffee house in Vienna are marble tabletops, newspapers (lots of them!), Thonet chairs, and interior design with a touch of regality.
Even in this day & age where cafes are increasingly introducing no-laptop policies, you can linger for hours in a Viennese coffee house, reading a newspaper or people-watching, without the obligation of placing a second order.
In 2011, UNESCO declared “Viennese Coffee House Culture” as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Insider Tip: Skip the basic cappuccino and order a local Melange if you want to blend in. ☕
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#4 Travel Quote to Ponder:
🌸 “Spring won’t let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again.” ― Gustav Mahler
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#5 Question for You:
❔What’s a travel habit you picked up from another culture?
Hit reply and tell me.. I’d love to hear!
Here’s mine: I can’t jaywalk anymore – thanks to having lived in Germany all these years! Germans take road (and, mostly, any kind of) rules very seriously, and I now diligently wait at red lights even if there’s no car in sight! 🫠
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