What is some great destination for a 22- year old female in Europe?

Question

Hey guys, I am a 22yr old female, and I am planning a trip to Europe ALONE this summer!! Its a family tradition to explore Europe on your own! I'm Brazilian, but I have lived in the US for almost 10 yrs! And now its my turn to take the Europe Trip! So what are the top cities you recommend me to go?

So far this is my list:

Santorini, Cyclades, Greece

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Paris, France

Rome, France

Vienna, Austria

London, England

Amsterdam, Germany

Venice, Italy

Answer 1

You don't say how much time you have, nor what your interests are (general sightseeing, architecture, culture,painting,literature).

Some thoughts that might help:

You speak of the summer. In general avoid tourist areas in late July or August One exception to this rule is Paris. All the Parisians leave in August, so it is quieter when walking  around and easier to find a nice cafe seat on your own.

Check out the weather to expect at

http://www.accuweather.com/world-city-li...

London on a hots summer's day is not funny.

Visit major cities by all means, but bear in mind that London or Paris would need a weeks stay each even for a cursory glance. Then look at an itinerary once you decide how long you can allow.

But do not ignore other, smaller, locations which can be reasonably reached from those major cities.

Planning

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Europe is expensive. It is easy to spend US$100 per day on top of flights and hotels. That may not bother you, but if it does, then Lonely Planet is your best friend. Buy and read.

Make a spreadsheet with the locations, travel cost estimate from the previous destination, accomodation cost estimate, food and miscellaneous allowance (per day) multiplied by the days there. An additional column could list the major sights you want to see at each location. A good travel agent plus intense internet searching will fill that in as best as you can prior to actual booking. You might find that your budget gets stressed beyond belief with the current rate of the Euro to the US$, or you may find that there is room and time to spread your wings further.

Tips from my own travels over the last 25 years:

England

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London is worth a visit of course. The exhibitions, museums, royal palaces, cathedral, London Bridge, Houses of Parliament...

It could be a good starting point. At least the language is familiar and shopping is easy. But it is very expensive on all fronts.

In England, consider a trip or two out of town. Perhaps Windsor Castle, a cute town not too far from London. Or Stratford upon Avon. (A day's bus trip) There you can visit Shakespeare's birhtplace, Anne Hathways cottage, and see a truly old town English style. Have tea and scones with jam and cream at an olde worlde teahouse.

The Netherlands

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Amsterdam will give you a breather from the big cities. It is compact, there is lots to see, and if you like spicy food, their Indonesian restaurants are a legend. Try the street vendor potatoe fries with a luscious choice of sauces. A 2 to 3 day stay is fine. Beware of wandering the small streets at night alone. Early evening, say until 8 pm is fine, but no later.

France

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You can get here by train from Amsterdam. Check out European rail passes. Trains in Europe are fast, clean and comfortable for the most part. Often quicker than air and cheaper as you dont have the hassle of getting to an out-of-town airport.

Paris needs a week at least. Look for small hotels between Les Halles and  St Germain. Too many places to list. Food is unbelievable. treat yourself to at least one 2 star Michelin guide restaurant. For an unusual  experience drop down to "les Halles" in the afternoon, a modern underground shopping and cultural center, then in the early evening around 5 or6  pm, wander up the Rue St Denis to the Gare du Nord and back down. One  of the quainter small  streets in the area. Cute little shops. Look out for Couscous retaurants toward the lower end of  that street if you are hungry. A "Couscous Royale" is a feast not to be missed. (North African cuisine). Then cross the river on foot to St Germain, a myriad small streets with nice small restaurants where you can sit outside a cafe and have simple but wonderful food. (if you had a Couscous then this will be a scouting trip for tomorrow night's dinner.) St Germain is students and models and.. err most everyone. It is safe even late at night, but if the host gives you a full bottle of wine don't drink it all!

In France, as in England, try to find time to drop down to another area, for example the Loir valley which is full of Chateaux. A bus trip from town will do that one in a day. Or be really adventurous and get on the TGV down to the south of France. Head for Carcassonne, then maybe Nice, and Monaco. Car rental is probably a good idea once the TGV drops you off down south. Stay out of town at small modern family motels like Blue Boar (from memory). They are usually just off the south coast freeway, or even camp. There are hundreds of camps, all well equipped, dotted all over France. They'll rent you a small tent if necessary, though a cheap one can be bought and given away after a couple of nights. Book in advance if possible.

Since you are now within shooting distance of Spain or Italy, one of those two might be a good choice next. Eiher drive over the border and drop the car on the way back, or look for a rail connection. If you decide on Italy then get a sleeper train down to Rome. Rome is Rome. Its ill be hot and dusty, but there is enough to keep you busy for a week. Do not carry large amonts of cash there, and hide all your documents in a body belt. Petty tehft is common, and loosing your bag to a motorcyclist with a sharp knife (to cut the bag strap) is no fun, especially if the bag contains your passport, camera, and phone.

If you choose Spain, then Barcelona is not far from the French border, so no need for a bunk. Lots of stuff down the coast. If you fall in love with Spain as most do, then go wild and head down south to Granada. An old Moorish city dating back to the time the south of Spain was ruled by the Arabs, There are good beaches down on the coast, but avoid them in August. Half of Europe will be down their.

Another insane off-the-beaten track trip? Hop on a flight to the Canary Islands. Tenerife is an old volcanic island. Superb beaches in the south, wonderful  scenery, and the tropical north is only an hour's bus ride away. Look out for performing parrots, lush gardens, nightly shows with dinner. All the hotels have private pools and sunbeds for residents. You can probably get a package with 2 meals a day or just breakfast.

Last hop is Venice before Greece, but by then you might be exhausted. Venice is worth seeing, but you have seen so much on this trip its close to overload time. Personallly I'd skip it. Save it for a romantic holiday one day in the future. Go for a week or more.

Oof, sorry if a bit long. Is a huge subject.

Have fun and post some pics somewhere  we can look when you get back. I would be very interested as I might be doing something similar next year. Probably UK - France - Spain.