3 week trip- country recommendation?

[lucybelle]

I have 3 weeks off in July and I'd like to take a trip to Western EU. Since I'm coming from Costa Rica, going to western EU would mean a shorter and cheaper flight than eastern EU (though I really want to make it there one day!). I've spent 3 months in Spain so I don't really need to go back there. I only want to visit one country because I like to take my time traveling. And also a safe country for a solo woman traveler. Though all of western EU probably qualifies for that.

I'd like to go to a country where I can get a good bang for my buck. Budget would be absolute highest 50 euro a day. Preferably more like 30 euro. I'd also like to go somewhere known for either its food, beer or wine. I like those things 100 times more than museums and history. (yeah I'm a schmuck!) I'd also prefer a country with fewer tourists, though in July that's probably not possible.

Any suggestions?? I've looked briefly into Germany and Switzerland.

[snow_girl]

OMG Come stay with me!!!!!! Go to Germany! It's my second home. Switzerland is expensive and not all that exciting. What about Italy or croatia? Eastern EU is way cheaper btw and if you fly into LONDON then flights are super cheap and everything is cheap in the east, I was looking a few months ago. I really want to go see all the eastern countries


*ahem* I mean, London is kind of cool and all that and I have a floor...if your desperate or whatever. .

[lucybelle]

Oh helll yeah! You wanna go to eastern EU for a few weeks? I just checked and flying into London is the cheapest flight I've found so far

[CynicalQuixotic]

Though it is a contentious place (), I think Paris is worth at least a day or two. You can have incredible wine, eat crêpes and really good pho, and walk around and take in the gorgeous architecture--most of which you can see the exteriors without paying anything!

[lucybelle]

I know, I need to go to Paris one day! But I'd like to spend my 3 weeks in another country. I've only visited France once, but since I've already been there I'd like to see another place. I don't like hopping around too much. In fact, in the 3 weeks I plan on going I'll probably only visit 5 or 6 cities.

Paris-- one day!

[snow_girl]

I'll save all my pennies! Totally want to go! I just watched a show on Lithuania it looked pretty cool, or tallinn, Estonia looks really nice. I made a thread about it a while ago.

I also really want to see Poland one day and russia and romania. Lots to see in Greece and its cheap right now too I think with their financial crisis.

https://members.lovingfromadistance....ana-or-Tallinn

[lucybelle]

My sister just went to Prague and said it was awesome! I looked into tickets there but it was like $2000! To fly into London/Berlin/Switzerland it's half that. That's why I wanted to go to western EU. I suppose once you actually get into the EU it's cheaper to fly around.

[snow_girl]

Flights are max $100 to anywhere in the EU, I got 4 flights to Germany for $250, get the cheap flight to london then from there its easy peasy to get anywhere else

[kirbycat]

I've always wanted to go to eastern EU! It may cost a bit more to get there, but it seems like you can stretch your money a lot further once you actually hit the ground. My stepsister and her husband actually trekked around eastern Europe for their honeymoon last year, taking the train and hiking and staying at local inns or even people's homes, and they had a swell time! In their experience, everyone was very kind and welcoming. I also have a few friends who've lived in Ukraine, Moldova, and Turkey, and who all had wonderful experiences. As long as you do your research and know how to travel safely and smartly - and I imagine you do - it's no less safe than anywhere else in the world.

[lucybelle]

Sweet! Okay I might go ahead and get a ticket once I get home.

[lucybelle]

Lots to see in Greece and its cheap right now too I think with their financial crisis.

I'd love love LOVE to see Greece. It'll be hot as balls in July, but whatever. Though I was warned that it's "dangerous" because of the financial stuff. That was actually my top choice, until people told me about it. I wonder how much truth there is to those statements though. Can't be any worse than Honduras and I went there no problem...

[CynicalQuixotic]

I just want to say I'm so jealous that you'll get to go to any of these countries! I'm dying to go to Eastern Europe and Greece.

[snow_girl]

I was in Athens with a girl a couple years ago I never felt uneasy, but that was before the stuff going on. Theres lots to see so if you were on an island then I dont think the political stuff is going on. I't would be nice to go back, the girl I went with never wanted to go out to eat cause she didn't spend money. The most greek thing I ate was a salad...

[Dziubka]

You can stay with us if you fly into FRA (Seriously - pm/facebook msg me!).
We have the best wine in Germany (supposedly).

Poland is a beautiful country, I could probably write books on what to see and where to go there, but yeah, if you fly from Costa Rica the flight is likely to be expensive and if you don't want to /can't buy tickets in advance then flying in the EU isn't that cheap either.

I only was in Lithuania for a long weekend (somewhat embarrassing, considering I took Lithuanian for 1,5yrs during my BA) but it was so beautiful. Vilnius is amazing. And the whole of Lithuania is so clean and just wonderfully pretty. It's totally worth visiting.

Maybe Hungary is an option for you? It's rather cheap and they have good wine as well (Tokaj!). I don't know if there's much to see outside of Budapest, but seeing as Budapest is the homebase of wizzair you should be able to catch reasonably cheap flights to anywhere else in the EU.

We're going to Ukraine in August and I can't wait! I haven't been outside of the European Union in something like 10 years and I've never been further east than Lithuania. I'm super excited about the trip already.

[lucybelle]

How bout I fly to London, get snow_girl then we both fly down and hang out Dzbuika in Germany. Later we can visit CQ in Paris