1 week solo in Europe. Which of these?

Old Sep 27th, 2016, 09:54 AM
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1 week solo in Europe. Which of these?

Hello! I'll be spending a week with my family in Rome & Tuscany in late May/early June, and afterward will have 7 or 8 days solo in Europe. I've short-listed a few possible destinations: Scotland, England, Croatia, Slovenia, and Santorini (quick itinerary ideas outlined below). I would love advice about which of these sounds most realistic and best for the time of year and other factors.

Specs:
- I'd rather not rent a car. Usually I like to get around by a combo of public transport, budget airlines like Vueling, and the occasional private transfer or tour.
- Strong interests include history (especially medieval and neolithic history, plus moody ruined castles), literature, natural beauty, outdoor activities, and pretty coastlines.
- A mix of town/city and countryside or coast is ideal.
- As a solo female, safety is top of mind.
- Budget is modest. I'd like to keep accommodations under $150 USD per night, and food well under $100 per day.
- I don't mind cool and rainy weather, as long as it's not at the beach!
- I have never visited any of these places, except England (just a few days in London).

Sample itinerary ideas:
- Scotland: A few days in Edinburgh and the surrounding area; overnight near Aberdeen to see Dunnottar Castle; fly Aberdeen to Orkney for a few days.
- England: This is the one that overwhelms me. I know England has more historic and literary sites than I could ever see in a lifetime, but a lot of the ones that appeal to me seem to be concentrated in Sussex and along the coast. York looks incredible as well.
- Croatia/Slovenia: 2 days in Dubrovnik; fly to Zagreb for 2 days (including day trip to Plitvice); train from Zagreb to Ljubjlana and spend a few days exploring Ljubljana, Bled and more.
- Santorini: This would be mostly about relaxation and beaches, but I would also spend some time out on the water, do a little hiking and visit a couple of wineries.

And if there are any places I haven't listed that spring to mind, please feel free to suggest. Thank you!
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 10:02 AM
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Scotland - the Islands and Highlands - plus you'll get your money's worth with all the daylight at that time of year.

What is so appealing about Sussex, you must have some niche tastes???
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 10:31 AM
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Sofarsogood - Indeed. I'm really interested in some of the Norman/Wm the Conqueror-era sites like Battle Abbey and Dover Castle. I would probably combine that with a couple of days in a place like Kent or Dorset.

Normandy is on the list for future family travel so want to hold off on that for this go-round.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 10:35 AM
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Should add - I know Dover is in Brighton. I was just using Sussex as a general home-base location.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 10:41 AM
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Strong interests include history (especially medieval and neolithic history, plus moody ruined castles), literature, natural beauty, outdoor activities, and pretty coastlines.

Then let me suggest a slight modification to your Scotland plan. Visit Edinburgh and do two day tours, one to the western Highlands (like this one from Rabbie's - https://www.rabbies.com/en/tour-scot...stles-day-tour ) and the other one down to the Northumberland coast to the Holy Isle, Bamburgh and Alnwick - http://www.scotland.org.uk/scotland-...sland-bamburgh

Between the two you'll get stunning coastal scenery, incredible history in Argyll, Loch Lomond, the Holy Isle, Alnwick and Bamburgh, lots of castles, and a real feel for the interface of ancient and modern times. Read up on these places if you're not familiar already.

Orkney is an interesting idea but expensive and logistically difficult in a very limited time.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 10:47 AM
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Thanks Gardyloo - I like that idea. I'll check out those tours. Would it be possible/worthwhile to add a day or two on Skye or another island into the mix?
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 10:55 AM
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"Orkney is an interesting idea but expensive and logistically difficult in a very limited time."

Ok, you have to fly in but the place is no more expensive than anywhere else in the north of the UK.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 11:09 AM
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Would it be possible/worthwhile to add a day or two on Skye or another island into the mix?

It's certainly possible but with just a week you're going to run into some scheduling difficulties. Distances can be deceptive, and without a car travel times can be long. My feeling is that "less is more" is the way to go. Believe me, Edinburgh has more than enough to occupy several days.

Ok, you have to fly in but the place is no more expensive than anywhere else in the north of the UK.

That's what I was referring to; it's over £300 return from EDI on the cheapest days. Sure, once you're there it's not so bad (although getting around without a car can be challenging.)
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 11:11 AM
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Interesting re: flight costs. I thought Flybe from EDI or Aberdeen > Kirkwall was a whole lot less expensive than that.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 11:48 AM
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I loved Slovenia and Croatia. Click on my name to read my past trip reports to both countries. But I wouldn't do both in the time you have - do one or the other. Either do Dubrovnik (side trip to Mostar and/or Bay of Kotor in Montenegro), Split, an Island, Zagreb...or do Slovenia: Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Piran...and maybe a dip into Croatian Istria and also down to Plitvice.

$150/night is far above what I ever pay as a solo traveler, so to me that seems like a luxury budget. I usually aim to pay about half of that or less. In Slovenia and Croatia, you may find fewer hotels and more "sobe" - what today we'd call AirBnB-type places, basically private homes or apartments. You could use AirBnB or website like booking.com to find places like this.

From Italy, you can get to Slovenia most easily by one of the private shuttle companies like GoOpti (shared rides in a van - I've not used them but hear great things and the prices sound good if you book in advance). For some reason, trains between Italy and Slovenia and almost non-existent, so to take a train you generally need to detour up to Austria or make other connections. There are some direct buses.

There are also ferries across from Italy to Istria (Rovinj and Piran), to Split, to Dubrovnik.

You'd mostly be doing buses in Slovenia and Croatia, but they seem fairly good, the few times I've used them. I do find driving very easy in both countries, though. For a basic itinerary like Dubrovnik-Split-Plitvice-Zagreb, the buses seem to work great. In Slovenia, you will miss a lot in the area of Triglav National Park etc. without a car unless you hire a private tour or something.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 12:01 PM
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>> I know Dover is in Brighton. I was just using Sussex as a general home-base location.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 12:04 PM
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Thanks Andrew. For Croatia/Slovenia, my idea was to hop on a quick flight from Rome to Dubrovnik and work northward from there. I know that with a week I'd be getting just a taste of both countries, but I'd like to see both if manageable. It will be a while before I'm in Eastern Europe again. I suppose I could cut Zagreb, but I'd hate to miss out on Plitvice. Is it really a feasible day trip from Slovenia?
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 12:07 PM
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Oops, thanks for the correction, janisj. UK geography always throws me!

I think Skye is a definite no-go, based on what you and others have said. Maybe sometime I'll plan a week or more just in western Scotland. Too many choices!
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 12:07 PM
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Your outlier here is Santorini as you mention beaches. Santorini is all about dramatic views looking over the caldera. Beaches are not it's draw. If you want good beaches, pick another Greek island.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 12:11 PM
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Ahhh, didn't realize Santorini beaches aren't great. The more I think about Santorini, it's not what I'm looking for this trip. I'm going to remove that one from the list.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 12:12 PM
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Usually I like to get around by a combo of public transport>

Some good resources for you - www.seat61.com - great on discounted tickets for trains; www.budgeteuropetravel.com (check online European Planning & Rail Guide for lots of itinerary suggestions) and www.ricksteves.com.

In just a week forget about any railpass.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 12:34 PM
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Plitvice is not a day trip from Slovenia. If you decide on visiting it, you will need to allocate an overnight stay there.

Otherwise, late May/early June is a great time to visit both Slovenia and Croatia. The Alpine peaks in Slovenia will still be snow-capped, with wildflowers blooming in the meadows, local harvest celebrations, such as the cherry festival in the Goriska Brda will be in full swing and it will be warm with plenty of sunshine. The sea in Croatia will start to become warm enough for swimming and there will be few tourists around.

I second Andrew's recommendation to either focus on the north or the south as the distances involved are large - Slovenia to Dubrovnik is a day's drive. If opting for the north, it's easiest to fly from Rome to Trieste Airport, which is just 10 miles from the Slovenian border and then either simply take a local bus if you'll begin your visit in the western areas (Istria, Goriska Brda, Vipava Valley or Soca Valley) or book an easy 80-minute shuttle transfer to Ljubljana with GoOpti.

Your budget will go very far in this area - $250 per day for accommodation and meals will give you a choice of some truly great options - moderate to high-end. As a guide, budget travellers can spend €100 or less per day in the region without sacrificing much at all.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 01:01 PM
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I also agree with the suggestion to do either Croatia or Slovenia. Also agree that you can take a train from where ever you end in Italy to the town of Trieste (which is worth an overnight) and then even get a taxi to Piran, in Slovenia, which is less than an hour away. I'm someone who never takes taxis (probably taken a total of about five in 27 trips to Europe) but this one was worth it. Here's my trip report/photos from that trip. http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...e-slovenia.cfm

Croatia also makes a great trip for the amount of time you have and the time of year. That one I was with my husband on but as I travel about half the time solo I can pretty much judge which place would make good solo trips (which often boils down to a trip that doesn't require driving, since diving alone is more expensive and you don't have a navigator) and I think Croatia would have been fine solo.
Here's my trip report from that one (need to scroll half way down to get past Amalfi Coast part) http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rful-weeks.cfm

We flew from Rome to Dubrovnik on easyjet for something like €12 each.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 01:04 PM
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>>Maybe sometime I'll plan a week or more just in western Scotland.
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Old Sep 27th, 2016, 03:37 PM
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It sure makes things easier to do a night at Plitvice, especially because it's best to get into the park first thing in the morning (opens at 7AM) before the big tour groups arrive, clogging up the place. Without a car, I'd stay at one of the park hotels that are directly in the park and not far from the bus stop (e.g. Hotel Plitvice, where I stayed in 2009). These park hotels are overpriced for sure but convenient. Otherwise, there isn't much of a town nearby to do anything at night. I'd plan to arrive late, sleep, get up early and explore the park (six hours is probably enough) and move on.

Plitvice is more doable as a day trip from Zagreb. Zagreb really wasn't a favorite of mine so I can't personally recommend spending much time there. It's worth a day but to me not much more. Some people do wind up liking it better. On the other hand, I fell in love with Ljubljana and have visited three times and hope to return.
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