Meeting Princes and Princesses for Less than $650: 48 hours in Liechtenstein

 

Have you ever dreamed of meeting real-life princes and princesses?

What if I told you that you could visit one of the smallest countries in the world, celebrate with its royalty, spend the day eating and playing games, watch a spectacular fireworks show, and still be back home by Sunday night for less than seven hundred dollars?

This time, the destination is Liechtenstein.

A country hidden between Switzerland and Austria, known for its mountains, castles, and beautiful Alpine scenery.

Every year on August 15, the Prince invites the entire country to a garden party at Vaduz Castle, the official residence of the royal family, to celebrate two important occasions: Liechtenstein's National Day and the Assumption of Mary, a holiday that is also celebrated in Lebanon.

After doing some research, I found a round-trip flight from Beirut to Zurich for only three hundred and ninety-nine dollars.

The flight leaves Lebanon on Friday, August 14 at 3:05 in the morning and arrives in Zurich at 10:35 AM with just one stop.

From Zurich Airport, reaching Liechtenstein is surprisingly easy.

Simply take a train toward Sargans and then connect to a local bus heading to Vaduz or Schaan. The entire journey takes around two hours and offers beautiful views of the Swiss countryside along the way.

For accommodation, I found the Schaan-Vaduz Youth Hostel for one hundred and thirty-one dollars in total for two nights, breakfast included.

Guests also receive a welcome card with free local bus transportation and discounts on selected attractions and museums.

Check-in begins at 3 PM.

The main drawback is that most of the affordable options are shared rooms, so you may be sharing with up to five other travelers. If you prefer more privacy, make sure to book early or consider traveling with friends and reserving an entire room together.

What impressed me most about this hostel was the consistently positive feedback regarding cleanliness, breakfast quality, location, and staff friendliness.

After checking in, I would suggest taking some time to rest before heading out to explore.

Spend the afternoon walking through Vaduz, visiting the Parliament building, admiring the architecture of St. Florin Cathedral, exploring the Liechtenstein National Museum or the Museum of Fine Arts, and getting your first taste of the country.

Saturday is the highlight of the trip.

National Day begins with celebrations throughout the city. Streets fill with locals and visitors, food stands open across town, and the atmosphere becomes unlike anything you would normally experience in a country of only around forty thousand people.

In the afternoon, the royal family appears at Vaduz Castle and welcomes the public to the traditional garden party.

Visitors can enjoy food, activities, live entertainment, and the rare opportunity to celebrate alongside the country's ruling family.

As evening approaches, the festivities continue throughout Vaduz before ending with a spectacular fireworks display over the valley.

On Sunday morning, there is still enough time for breakfast, one final walk through the city, and perhaps attending Mass before making your way back to Zurich Airport for the journey home.

The budget looks something like this:

Flights: three hundred and ninety-nine dollars.

Accommodation: one hundred and thirty-one dollars.

Transportation and food: approximately one hundred dollars.

That brings the total cost to around six hundred and thirty dollars.

For now, this trip remains in the planning stage.

But if everything goes according to plan, this could become one of the most unique destinations featured on this channel so far.

Forty-eight hours.

Endless adventures.