Smart Travel: Exploring Cologne & Vienna Plus The Best Walking Tour Apps
February 17, 2026
Fresh off a whirlwind four-city trip, Mike is back to share his recent adventures through Germany and Austria, proving you don't need a crowded tour bus to see the sights. In this episode, we explore the nuances of authentic European travel, moving past the typical guidebooks to find the real culture hidden in plain sight. From navigating the massive spires of Cologne to mastering the efficient train systems of Vienna, we break down how to explore these historic cities on your own terms.
We dig into the specific tools and experiences that elevate a trip from standard to spectacular, including the unique rules of drinking Kölsch beer and the best ways to utilize public transport. You’ll learn about MapView, a game-changing app for self-guided digital walking tours that lets you ditch the umbrella-holding guides. We also debate how to find memorable dining experiences—and avoid rookie mistakes like eating Italian food in Bangkok—by utilizing apps like The Fork and Beli to uncover local gems.
If you are an independent traveler who wants to maximize your time abroad without feeling like a typical tourist, this conversation is essential listening. We also recap the massive FITUR trade show in Madrid and drop the first set of clues for our upcoming all-inclusive Mexico vacation giveaway. Tune in to upgrade your travel tech stack and learn how to navigate Europe's best cities like a local.
Episode Resources
Introduction and Recent Travels
Mike Putman: Hello. Good day, everyone. I'm Mike Putman.
James Ferrara: And I'm James Ferrara. Welcome to No Tourists Allowed.
Mike Putman: Glad to be back for another exciting episode. Lots going on this time of year in the travel space.
James Ferrara: And Mike, you really are just back.
Mike Putman: Just back, fresh off the plane. I did a quick one-week, four-city trip to Europe. That was a lot of fun, and I’ve got some things to talk about there. I had a pretty exciting week.
I left on Thursday and every flight I was on was delayed, but I ended up making it into Frankfurt on time. From there, I caught a train out of the station. They've got two train stations in the Frankfurt airport. It's a huge airport and very expensive.
I went to Cologne for a couple of days for a meeting and got some time to do a little bit of sightseeing. They have one of the oldest cathedrals—actually the oldest cathedral in Northern Europe—in Cologne. It was actually the tallest structure in the world for about 300 years.
There are two massive spires right in the center city, right beside the train station in Cologne. I got to spend some time there.
James Ferrara: You lucked out on the flights. Had you been a couple of days later, I saw an interesting statistic that Sunday and Monday were the two worst airline travel days since the pandemic. There were almost 20,000 cancellations and delays as a result of the snowstorms.
Mike Putman: Luckily I wasn't part of that. But back to the cathedral, they also have the Shrine of the Three Kings. At the end of the cathedral, there's this large gold box, probably six feet by five feet by five feet.
Inside are supposedly the remains of the three magi, which was interesting right past Christmas time. It’s something everyone should go out of their way to see if you're in that part of the world. I've seen a lot of cathedrals, and this is one of the more spectacular ones.
I also got to have some Kölsch beer. That's the only beer in Germany that by law has to be brewed in a specific region. It used to be that the beer had to be brewed by breweries that had eyeshot of the spires of the cathedral.
Now it's anything within 30 kilometers of the cathedral. It was pretty interesting. They have these beer halls. They have beer gardens during the summertime, but in the winter, they have beer halls.
When you sit down, they'll say, "Do you want a beer?" and you go, "Yes." It's not like you want flavor A, flavor B, or flavor C. You get their brand of Kölsch beer. They put them in these smaller glasses that are 200 milliliters, about nine or 10 ounces.
When you're almost through with it, they just bring you another. It's like those Argentinian steakhouses. They just keep bringing them until you put a coaster on top, which signifies don't bring any more.
James Ferrara: It's like bottomless brunch.
Mike Putman: Yeah. They use those little cardboard coasters and they put a mark on it to signify how many you've had, and that's how much you pay for. So that was a pretty interesting experience.
Navigating Europe by High-Speed Rail
Then I had a meeting in Vienna and I took the train from Cologne to Vienna, which was really nice. It was about a six-hour train journey. I was on the high-speed ICE trains and went in first class.
The interesting thing was first class was only maybe $60 or $70 more than second class. You got a nicer, broader, wider seat, and they had some service there as well in a restaurant car.
It was a really pleasant journey traversing most of Germany and quite a bit of Austria. I got to see a lot of snow and a lot of mountains as we got into Austria. It was very beautiful.
James Ferrara: I was in Austria in November. Spectacular.
The Value of Public Transportation
Mike Putman: I had a business meeting there and stayed at the Marriott, which was a really nice hotel right in the middle of Vienna. They have a great public transport system, which I love. You're able to get everywhere.
One thing I would suggest our listeners do is if you're going to spend some time in a European city, investigate the public transport. They are generally pretty complete with a combination of trams, subways, and buses.
It's worth doing a little bit of investigation before you go because they often have tourist passes. You can buy a full day of public transport for nine euros—say $10—and you can use unlimited transportation.
Due to the fact that these cities are so highly populated and a lot of people don't own a car, you can get everywhere. You might have to walk 100 or 200 yards, but through a combination of using buses, above-ground trams, and subways, you can really navigate the city.
Oftentimes you travel much quicker than if you were in a car or Uber because they've made these public transport lanes very efficient. It's a great way to save money. As an example, to get from the airport in Vienna to central Vienna is about 30 euros in an Uber, whereas you can do it with public transport for as low as four or five euros.
James Ferrara: Plus, you see more because you're not just on the highway. You see more and you interact more with people. As we've talked about before on this podcast, taking public transportation is one of the ways you get closer to the culture and have a more real experience.
We shouldn't discount New York, where they also figured out a long time ago that public transportation is the best way to move people around in a city this complex and with this many people.
For example, even though I'm always in a car, I will never drive my car over to Brooklyn because it'll take me an hour and a half. But it takes 15 minutes and two train stops on the subway. New York is better in public transportation too. Not to mention that then you go park your car and they want you to buy it back. It's like $80 to park.
Innovative Sightseeing with VoiceMap
Mike Putman: While I was in Vienna, I also went to another church called the Votivkirche. At night, they closed the church off and they've got seating. It's a big cathedral, and they have the most tremendous light show that's accompanied by music.
There's choreography between the two and there are these displays of lights. It's hard to explain, but there are animals on the ceiling of this large ancient cathedral. The light combination was just fantastic.
I did that, and then I did a self-guided tour using a new app I found called VoiceMap. The URL is voicemap.me. You download the app, and when you're in a city, you can see the different tours they offer. They have 2,000 different tours in 600 or 800 cities.
You download the tours to your smartphone so you're not with a group and you can do it at your own pace. These are walking tours. You put your earbuds in and turn it on. You can even turn your data off because once you download it, it works off the GPS.
It's very affordable and the production value is really high. You're not walking around in a group with some lady holding up an umbrella. As an example, it gives you a starting point, and as you walk, the GPS picks up and knows where you are.
It might say, "Keep going north on Main Street, and when you come to the corner, stop." When you stop at the corner, it knows you're there because of the GPS recognition. It will say, "Now look to your left at the yellow building. That is where blah, blah, blah started."
Then you walk two more blocks straight ahead and come to the next stop. It's this kind of constant interactive tour which I really enjoyed. I did it once in Austria and then I went on to Madrid and did one there. This will be the way I see cities going forward.
James Ferrara: And you said it could be thematic, too. You did a tapas crawl with one of them.
History and Tapas in Madrid
Mike Putman: In Madrid, I did. It was history combined with stopping at important tapas places. In Madrid, there are a lot of old restaurants that are very traditional. The tour was really more about the history of Madrid and historical sites.
There were three or four stops at places like Casa Labra. There was a line of people waiting. If you just walk by, you'd wonder why these people are waiting outside in the cold to get into this bar.
It's because they sell these tapas which were basically a euro—a dollar ten—and it's a strip of fresh cod. It's the most fresh cod they could bring in. They bring it in that morning and deep fry it.
You wait three or four minutes to go through the line, and then they have a special kind of wine. It was like two dollars total for the wine and the tapas. It was very historic, and they talked about all the famous people who have done deals there. Then it took you around to the oldest restaurant in the world that has been continuously operated. It was just very neat.
James Ferrara: I like that a lot. Both of our companies sell escorted tours, and there's a place for that. But I have found myself in a lot of cities where I haven't done the research and I don't really want to walk around reading a guidebook.
It's cool that you could just pop your headphones in and not waste time. I love getting lost, absolutely, but it's a bit of a crapshoot. Sometimes it's serendipitous and you find really cool places.
Sometimes you don't know where you're going and you wind up having wasted a few hours walking around the wrong section of town and you just didn't see anything that interesting. I like it a lot, and I'm going to check it out more.
Marriott has upped its game, especially in Europe. I usually seek out more local accommodations, but I have stayed in a couple of Marriotts in historic or very interesting buildings in excellent places. You can't write them off.
You just have to choose carefully. What about restaurants? What's your secret to finding a memorable dining experience in a good way?
Tools for Authentic Dining
Mike Putman: When I'm in Europe, I use an app called The Fork, which is owned by TripAdvisor. The Fork is the go-to dining app when you go there. They've commercialized the model a little bit.
One of the things I like about The Fork is they have Michelin-rated restaurants. You can say, "I'm going to be in Paris, show me the Michelin-starred restaurants," and it will show you those that are available.
For some of the lesser ones, like the one-stars and even Michelin mentions, they broker some type of specific menu, like a prix fixe menu at a special discount. You get a real gourmet meal for maybe 80 euro.
James Ferrara: I think a lot of people have trouble in this area and wind up with mediocre restaurant experiences or wind up in a tourist trap. My daughter turned me on to an app called Beli.
It is used by a lot of younger people because it socializes the whole idea of restaurant recommendations. Not only do you put your own restaurant recommendations in and rate the places you've eaten, but you can link with your friends and see their lists and rankings.
You can map it out and see where they've been. It also identifies Michelin restaurants. It's important to say that not all Michelin restaurants are expensive, fancy restaurants.
Michelin takes each restaurant on its own terms. If you're going to be an authentic Mexican place, you better be the best authentic Mexican. If you are, you'll get a Michelin mention or even a Michelin star.
You can also use the concierge at a hotel, but depending upon the hotel, you risk getting a recommendation where the concierge is getting a kickback. It could be very touristy.
I would love to see people seek out unique dining experiences that reflect where you are and the culture there. I always use this as the negative example: my poor father was a great eater and loved food, but he really loved Italian food.
No matter where we were in the world, he would find an Italian restaurant. One time, we flew halfway around the world to Bangkok. Instead of eating beautiful Thai cuisine, we were in Via Sorrento, some Italian restaurant in Bangkok.
It wasn't bad, but really? I have to go to Bangkok to eat Italian food? I think you have a "No Tourists Allowed" trip experience if you seek out food that reflects the place you're visiting.
Mike Putman: It's not just about having a good meal. It's about experiencing the local culture. Even going to an Italian restaurant in Bangkok, you're going to see the cultural differences of an Italian running a restaurant in Bangkok and how they feel about the local area.
We spend a lot of time eating in our waking hours. I think it's important to take it in and experience different cultures and foods as much as you can.
James Ferrara: There's something to learn from every experience. They were very nice people, but they did not look Italian to me.
No Tourists Allowed Giveaway
Mike Putman: We should mention that we are promoting a free trip giveaway once again to all of our steady listeners. We are looking forward to providing someone an all-expense-paid trip, except for the airfare. You’ve got to get yourself there. But we're sponsoring an all-inclusive trip for two people.
James Ferrara: We've given away cruises before, but this time we're giving away a land-based all-inclusive resort. Your accommodations, food, beverages, and entertainment are all included.
Usually there's a few exceptions, like top-shelf liquor or motorized water sports. Otherwise, it is all-inclusive. It's sunny and warm, we can say that.
Mike Putman: South of at least where I am, and certainly where you are.
James Ferrara: Native language is not English. The food's very good. Lots of water sports. It's oceanfront. What else can we say about it?
Mike Putman: You might have a drink of tequila while you're there.
James Ferrara: Well, now we might as well tell. We're talking about Mexico, but Mexico is a big place. In our next episode, we'll help you narrow it down. So far, we've established an all-inclusive resort in Mexico for two. How do you enter that drawing?
Mike Putman: It's super simple. If you just go to notouristallowed.com and sign up for our newsletter, you will get an immediate entry. We will also provide some additional ways that you can enter more than once.
Highlights from the FITUR Travel Expo
James Ferrara: So, Mike, when you were over in Spain, you attended a travel industry event, didn't you?
Mike Putman: I did. One of the largest in the world is called FITUR. It is very similar to World Travel Market in the UK or ITB in Berlin. It is a show where countries and companies come in and showcase their destination.
It is a massive production. It's about half a mile long from the beginning to the end of this show and about a quarter of a mile wide.
James Ferrara: It's enormous.
Mike Putman: These huge pavilions—you have one for Europe, one for Africa, one for U.S., Canada, Caribbean, one for technology. It's a massive event.
It's for travel professionals the first three days, and then the last three days are for consumers that come and learn more about these different destinations and where to go.
James Ferrara: The last couple of years at the shows I've been to, the Middle East has had huge investments, like the Saudi Arabian pavilion or UAE pavilion. Were there any standouts that surprised you?
Mike Putman: There were two. One was Egypt. Egypt broke out and did their own pavilion. It was made up like a museum. It was so well done, very well thought through, and just a really good way to express their heritage.
Then in the middle of all these pavilions, the key sponsor was Mexico. Mexico had all of these authentic booths where you could go in and taste their local cuisine.
There was one that had tacos, and another one that was giving away Shot to Veneo, and another with tropical drinks. You could kick a soccer ball and try to get it past this electronic goalie. It just made it really interesting.
James Ferrara: We had the New York Adventure Show here in the city last week. It's a big travel show with all the major suppliers, cruise lines, and destinations. It's in the Jacob Javits Center, so it's pretty big, but those European marts are bigger. What about on the travel technology side?
Mike Putman: The majority of the vendors were either people that had a hotel feed they were trying to sell or people that had hotel software.
The weird thing was there were a lot of companies there that had technology around the hotel door lock itself or the door handle, which seemed kind of out of place to me. But there were quite a few of those.
James Ferrara: Technology is changing everything, and it usually bleeds into the hotel experience. A new kind of elevator control, a new kind of door lock, or different plugs.
Everybody added USB ports just in time for Apple to move to USB-C or mini. Now nothing plugs into the USB port.
Mike Putman: That's actually a European standard that's required now is that everything must be USB-C. I got so frustrated while I was over there, I just bought another one that has the multi-pronged where you can power three USB-C things at a time.
James Ferrara: I went on Amazon and bought a pack of adapters that you can put on the end of a USB-C. If you have all these old lightning connecting cords, you can buy these little plugins that go on the end and change them to USB-C. I'm going to beat that, Apple.
Closing and Listener Questions
Mike Putman: That's a good tip for people traveling. Well, we're a little bit over time. I want to thank all of our listeners for sticking with us. Please share No Tourist Allowed with your friends and family.
We've made a commitment this year to be a little more consistent, although we will be interrupted from time to time with our travels. That gives us an opportunity to create more content to share with you.
James Ferrara: Please go to the website, notouristallowed.com. If you've got a burning question about travel or something you think we should be talking about, please let us know. We'll try to compile it all together and make a "You Asked For It" episode.
Mike Putman: Absolutely. Thank you everyone for being with us at No Tourist Allowed. See you next time.
James Ferrara: Bye for now.
