travel_europe | Where do you want to go next?

Hi gang! I unfortunately don't have any trips to Europe currently planned, but I still think about where I would like to go the next time I'm able to travel. Here is my current "wish list":

UK: Cornwall (never been), Wales (need to see Aber next time), Scotland (one of my favorite countries, so I need to visit it again)

Ireland: need to see western Ireland

France: Paris (last time I was there I didn't spend nearly enough time)

Russia (never been), Norway (never been), Sweden (never been), Finland (never been) -- I know this would be an expensive trip, but worth it!

Greece: it's been ages since I've been there; time to see how it's changed or stayed the same!

Also, I have yet to delve into Eastern Europe, and I would like to do that someday. However I tend to travel alone, and I'm more hesitant about going to Eastern Europe alone. I don't expect it to be less generally safe, but there will probably be more language barriers, and more (or at least, less familiar) cultural differences.

So, there's my current "wish list"! How about you? Where do you want to go next?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Greece was so long ago, I can't remember exactly where I visited, but I do know I went to Athens and Crete along with some other places. I think that once you can't remember a trip, it's past time to return!

I've heard good things about CouchSurfing, but I've never done it. I think I'd be nervous the first time, so I doubt I'd combine that with being nervous about where I'm going. But maybe that just means I need to CouchSurf my way to Paris first. ; )

Thanks for the advice on Eastern Europe. I know some people like to stick to less-traveled paths, but I don't mind going to the more tourist-visited cities as I find there's usually a reason why they're popular.

"I don't mind going to the more tourist-visited cities as I find there's usually a reason why they're popular." Exactly!! It drives me up the wall when people say "I don't want to go to anywhere touristy!" but they're going to Paris, Amsterdam, etc etc. Like, um, really? So you're going to go to the most touristy cities in the world and...go to some little backwoods part of it and ignore the entire reason to go there in the first place?! I mean, if you really don't want to be "touristy" then you don't go to those cities! But yes, exactly, they are touristy because there are good/special/unique/etc things to see/do there!

hahaha, well I really loved Greece, so I definitely support a return trip regardless! ;P

Honestly I think it'd be fine to do it there first, you just have to be smart about it is all. Look for the profiles of truly active people with lots of references, been on the site for a while, as well as being people who have similarish interests as you, that you think you'd get along well with. The only "negative" experience I've had was this girl who stayed here who was a total partier, wanted to just be out, at bars/pubs/clubs and so forth, drinking and dancing the nights away, and that is so completely not us, which it very clearly states on our profile and which she knew, she kept being like, Well I know you don't really drink but... and I'm just like, NO!! She was a very nice girl, but the personalities were just way too different. So, try to find people, if you can, who you think match up with you nicely. And make sure you request enough in advance that people are still free, but if you do it too far ahead they may forget or not know if that date is good yet, but you an always contact early and then keep in touch. And you should keep in touch regardless, to make sure they don't forget and things haven't changed. You should also keep their contact info/address/directions with you on paper, 'cause you won't always have access to the internet and you don't want to be stuck without it. Also, make sure your requests are personalized, address some things that they said on their profile. It lets them know you took the time to actually read it and are requesting them for a real reason, not just because they were handy. In a less popular city, it might not be as big of a deal (though even then some people won't accept, as they feel they're just being used for a free couch, and not the experience), but in more visited ones, where it can be harder to track down a couch, things like that make all the difference! Those people who get 10+ requests a day, are not going to choose the person with a "hi I need couch on such & so dates, can you host me?" but the one who takes the time to address the things on their page. But yeah, either way you should try it out, it's nice! Oh, and make your profile asap, if it's made just before the trip, again it seems more that it's made for free couches rather than the experience. If it's possible, you should consider hosting and/or going to meetings/events in your area, to get some references before you travel. ^_^

It drives me up the wall when people say "I don't want to go to anywhere touristy!" but they're going to Paris, Amsterdam, etc etc. Like, um, really? So you're going to go to the most touristy cities in the world and...go to some little backwoods part of it and ignore the entire reason to go there in the first place?!

:D Yeah, I wonder about that, too. I mean, I understand that people travel for different reasons, and some people mostly care about experiencing the "vibe" of a place, and for that you don't need to go to landmarks, or museums, or major historical sites. But as for me, I go to a country as a tourist, and yes damn it, I want to see the tourist stuff! I want to go to the Louvre! I want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower! And I am going to take pictures while I do it, and I am not ashamed!

That's great CouchSurfing advice, thank you.

Where do you want to go next?

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