Planning a solo trip to Europe
Hey everyone,
I'm new here and wanted to get my name in the solo scene. This summer I'm planning a 5-week trip to Europe (flights already booked). I'll be flying in and out of Paris as my central location because a family member lives there and it seems to be the cheapest.
I have 3 goals with this trip. 1. "Find" myself. After 21 years of life, I feel like I need a reconnection to nature and this place we call Earth. With that being said, I want to camp out in the Alps for a couple of days, disconnecting from social media and the dopamine we are so addicted to. (At the same time, I want to use social media to share my story and maybe go viral and make some money lol.) 2. I want to immerse myself in different cultures and learn about how people live rather than how people live in the States. Learning about all the different things around the world. And finally, 3, of course, I want to have some fun. I'm a 21-year-old and want to explore some of the bar and club scenes around the world.
Currently, I plan to fly into Paris, then move on to Geneva or Zurich (Switzerland), stay for a day or 2 while I prepare to camp in the Alps for 3 days. After the camping, I plan to continue on to Munich, Germany. Here is where I'm unsure about what to do next. I guess I would plan to go to Prague. I've been told to go to Budapest, but this is an expensive option. I definitely want to see Germany, but where do I go that will be cost-efficient? Originally, I thought to go straight through and into some of the western cities in Germany so that it would be easiest to get to Amsterdam, which has been a lifelong dream. I'll stay in Amsterdam for a couple of days, taking in the atmosphere, and then go off to Antwerp and Brussels, Belgium (meeting some friends who live there). And then, of course, ending back up in Paris, where I'll debrief with my family who lives there.
TLDR: I have a 5-week trip and have no clue what to do. I don't want an exact itinerary and feel like the best way to do this is "figure it out" along the way, but I do want a rough idea so I can book tickets for some of the more expensive bus rides. (Buses are cheaper than EURORAIL, right?)
If you are a solo traveler or someone who will be in Europe this summer, please reach out. I would love to meet you all on this journey as I figure things out.
If you have an itinerary that you think would fit my expectations, please share. I'm also open to the idea of doing Belgium and Amsterdam first, then going through Germany to Munich, then ending off my trip camping, leaving myself thinking about the amazing journey I have gone through and how I can change my life in the States. What do you guys think?