Comments | eurotravel: Solo female traveler has 2 weeks this summer, where to go?

sheisaeval in eurotravel

Solo female traveler has 2 weeks this summer, where to go?

Mar 21, 2012 09:55

I've been racking my vacation days and now I have about two weeks, and I want to travel somewhere. Husband just started new job so he doesn't have much vacation these days so it'll just be me ( Read more... )

!question(s), ^where should i go (in...), ^trip planning, ^on a budget, ^safety, !info, ^backpacking, ^tourist attractions, *hostels, .multi-country

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sheisaeval March 21 2012, 17:19:28 UTC

Yep, loved switzerland, probably one of my favorite places

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sheisaeval March 22 2012, 11:56:32 UTC

Is Scotland pretty expensive? If so, what would you recommend a daily budget be? Also, what other places outside Edinburgh would you recommend?

kali_kali March 21 2012, 19:32:32 UTC

I agree with Scotland. Try to get out of the major cities (though Edinburgh is absolutely beautiful and easily one of my favourite cities in the world) and get into the rural parts as well - the scenery is absolutely stunning in the Highlands. I worked in a hotel/pub in the northwest Highlands for eight months, and the setting was amazing and one of the most beautiful places I've ever been (see here for a photoIt takes a bit more work to travel the Highlands without a car, but it can still be done, especially considering there are tons of hostels (www.syha.org.uk/hostels.aspx) available, even in tiny places. These folks: www.decoaches.co.uk/timetables.asp have a bus that runs from Inverness to Durness (on the north coast) daily during the summer, so you can take it up through the Northwest Highlands to Durness, spend 24 hours or so there, and then take it back the next day. While in Durness, you absolutely have to stop in at Cocoa Mountain (www.cocoamountain.co.uk), which is a delicious chocolate shop ( ... )

sheisaeval March 22 2012, 11:58:39 UTC

How's the train system like in Scotland? Or would you suggest doing a tour (like Haggis tours) if I'm solo and won't be renting a car to get around? If I had 2 weeks how should I divide my days - ? days in Edinburgh and ? days in the Highlands and ? somewhere else?

Thanks

kali_kali March 22 2012, 14:15:16 UTC

I'm not that sure on trains, because the extent of train travel I did in Scotland consisted of going from Edinburgh to Inverness, but I know it doesn't exist in the part of Scotland that I was in. The southern part of Scotland has a fair bit of train coverage, but buses are more flexible.

I'm not one for tours, so they're not something I'd recommend myself. But depends on how much of your day you want to have planned by other people versus how much time you want to spend planning your own time. It isn't impossible to travel the Highlands if you don't have a car, you just need to plan your time carefully to make sure you make all the connections you need.

If you have two weeks, I'd recommend four days for Edinburgh, then the rest of the time skipping through the Highlands and Islands. Besides the bus company I mentioned above, there's also Scottish Citylink, Stagecoach, Postbus and a bunch of others, you just need to explore your options and I'm sure you can find something that will work for you.

silentseanymph March 21 2012, 22:11:01 UTC

Thirding the suggestion of Scotland, for all the reasons kali_kali said. I'm living in Edinburgh at the moment, and I don't ever want to leave. The only one of your criteria it probably won't fit is decent weather. The weather here is completely unpredictable, even in summer. I'd suggest renting a car to get around the highlands if you have the money, but it can be done by public transport (train or bus) if you've got some determination.

sheisaeval March 22 2012, 11:59:35 UTC

Awesome, what are your top favorite things of Scotland so far?

silentseanymph March 22 2012, 13:11:40 UTC

Oh man, so many things! The scenery in the western highlands and the far north is some of the most gorgeous I have ever seen. The Isle of Skye is also a place to go for exceptional scenery, although I usually end up covered in mud whenever I go there ( ... )

sheisaeval March 22 2012, 13:53:33 UTC

Ah, I would think that I'm a young budget traveler :)
[Although it's been like almost 5 years since I was in in Europe, has it really been that long, lol?]

The only thing that may differ is that usually young travelers are more into drinking/bars/etc, but other than that, I love staying in hostels, eating at cheapo places, and taking in the local sights, and not really into the froofroo tours that stay in exp hotels and restaurants and stuff for more money.

Well, thanks for the recommendations! If I did Scotland and had 2 weeks, how many days should I stay in Edinburgh and how long elsewhere?

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labrax March 21 2012, 23:04:56 UTC

Can't say I'm impartial because I'm portuguese. Portugal and Spain are your deal and we obviously need your money ;-) You've got all you're looking for here, historical places, castles, ruins, yummmy tasty food (especially seafood), a lot of sun, desert beaches, warm people, etc. In Portugal (one of oldest countries in the world) aside from Lisbon (a must see) all cities are small, the north and the valley of the Douro (port wine vineyards carved in a breathtaking scenery) are also a must see and don't forget the red wine (we've been mastering the art of producing wine since the romans introduced it here).

In Spain I would not miss the Cantabric region and Galicia (up in the north, Bilbao, Santander, Santiago, etc. ) and the moorish center to south (Toledo, Malaga, Valencia, Sevilla, etc.) and leave Madrid and Barcelona out for they would consume one week alone.

Whatever the choice, have fun!!

sheisaeval March 22 2012, 12:01:34 UTC

IS Spain/Portugal very hot during the summer? I only ask because I was in Italy a few summers ago (in June/July?) and it was pretty hot and crowded so I didn't have a very good time because of that.

So how's the weather like in June?

Also, I don't really speak Spanish/Portugese, would that be a problem? And I'm assuming like rest of Europe, the train system is pretty easy to use?

Thanks!

labrax March 23 2012, 20:44:40 UTC

Train system -> easy and cheap. Hot in the south, center and north max. 25 C. Everybody speaks english. Not crowded at all. Couple of examples of Portugal:

http://labrax.livejournal.com/165329.html

http://labrax.livejournal.com/166029.html

These are just 2 old villages of Portugal but there's so much more...

poppy_tussle March 22 2012, 22:46:33 UTC

I second this! I'm living in Galicia at the moment. This part of Spain is beautiful in the summer, cheap, and safe. Really, this goes for most of the country, except that the South will be very very hot in the months you are talking about.

The weather in northern Spain is ideal in June/July. I would recommend visiting Galicia for the beaches (there are the Islas Cies, which is very famous) and Santiago (the pilgrimage city). In Asturias are the Picos de Europa. Bilbao is a lovely city to visit (my favorite in Spain) - Pais Vasco is beautiful and Bilbao is full of culture (Guggenheim museum, etc.).

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