Where do you want to go next?

[dbskyler]

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?

Comments

[peaceful_sands]

I'd love to be able to take in some of the more Northern parts of Europe, I've never yet made it to Norway, Sweden, Finland or Denmark, all of which tempt, if I got the opportunity. Plenty of other bits I'd like to see too.

I love some of the less populated areas of France for their beauty. We took a drive this summer through the Alsace area and while we did visit Strasbourg and some of the other larger towns, we also veered off into the wilderness and found some lovely little villages and amazing views.

I have been to Prague (with my Mum - we took a girls' weekend away a few years ago) It was a lovely city and I would love to go back and see more of it again. I didn't feel unsafe there at all, although we did stay in a nice hotel and we weren't out particularly late at night - my mum's not a night owl!

If you were to ask me personally about travelling alone in Russia, or more specifically Moscow, I wouldn't recommend it. I found it very hard and had some unpleasant experiences while there, before meeting up with a tour group to travel onward. I would, however, say that it is definitely worth visiting for the history and the stunning architecture and art (don't miss out on the subway stations - they're unlike anything I've ever seen before). At the same time, I do know of people who had a much easier time while there alone than I did.

I love how Europe as a whole is so varied, each country has its own feel, its own history, art and architecture, so much to see and do. Seriously, I could spend months travelling happily (if finances permitted!).

[dbskyler]

I've never driven in Europe -- that's another thing that I'm a little nervous about, and I think it would be difficult to do alone. But because of that, I've never been able to just drive around the countryside and find the little villages. Hmm, I might have to put that on the list for something to try to do someday, preferably with a traveling companion who can navigate. (I have a terrible sense of direction myself.)

I actually have been to Prague, which I think of as more Central Europe (or maybe Eastern Europe lite?), but I got to go there with a friend. Not being able to decode any of the signs even a little bit did kind of throw me, but a lot of people spoke English and in general I found it to be a great city. I'd be willing to go back there alone now, but I was glad to have company that first time.

I really want to see Russia someday, especially Moscow and St. Petersburg, but I can see it being a difficult place to manage alone. Just the alphabet is hard! I usually prefer independent travel over tour groups, but I'd be willing to consider a tour group for Russia.

Seriously, I could spend months travelling happily (if finances permitted!).

Me too! So many places that I haven't been to yet, and so many places that I want to go to again!

[peaceful_sands]

Driving outside the cities is for someone like myself (I come from somewhere very small) less daunting than inside the cities, which I try my best to avoid if I can help it at all. The last couple of times I've driven with a GPS which helps overall (although it's neither infallible nor able to comprehend that telling you to turn right/left when you're two lanes across from where you need to be to turn is not that easy - LOL!)

Not sure where you're from, but the most difficult thing I found the first time was having to drive on the opposite side of the road but you soon adjust and in fact the best thing I've ever done was on a trip to Canada, I hired a car which puts you on the right side of the road for the traffic - this makes overtaking so much easier, because you can see!

Travelling in Europe I've largely done by either taking a tent and camping with family or more recently staying in medium price chain hotels or travelling with a friend.

Outside Europe, I've done more of a range of things from large and small group tours to travelling completely alone. The group I travelled from Russia to Mongolia and then China with was only 9 people and that included the guide. We took the Trans-Mongolian Railway. It's a hard choice - in some places I think a tour is a good way to get a quick insight into a place, maybe learn a little about some of the cultural differences and history, but then taking the time to go back and explore at more length is a plus when you know where to go and what you really want to spend more time at.

Also I've made some amazing friends by doing the smaller tours where you really get to know other people and then travelled on with them or met up with them later, but then again the majority of friends I have in everyday life are not as big on travelling as me and can't see the urge I have to explore constantly - many of them are happy with two weeks in the sun at a resort and hardly ever venturing outside the compound they're staying in.

[dbskyler]

Yeah, I wouldn't want to drive in cities either. Mostly, though, I'm afraid of being stuck on the side of the road by myself, and/or being lost. (I'm very good at getting lost, even with a GPS.)

I'm American, so I'm used to driving on the right. But then one of the places I would love to go driving around is Wales, so no help there . . . ; )

The Russia-Mongolia-China trip sounds like it was amazing! If I chicken out of going independently, a small-size tour group like that would be ideal. I agree that tour groups can be good things, especially when the guide is knowledgeable. More than once I've been to a place, learned something important about it afterwards and thought, "I wish I'd known that while I was there." But I do like to make my own choices about where I go, and for me, part of the adventure of travel is diving in and finding my own way around. I just prefer for it to not to get too adventurous, which might be the case for Russia on my own.