I am 41 and it's going to be my first time in Europe, I've been to the UK a few times and didn't make that many friends. I am looking at doing this trip solo, how might I make a few friends a long the way, dating apps have proven less effective as I've got older lol.
Also not really interested in France that much, maybe the countryside? That's why it's not in there...Thoughts, this is a first trip.
Maybe UK, Netherlands, France for a second trip
Looking at about a week in each stop, also wanting to do some countryside stuff, Should I buy a rail pass or use flix bus?
the best spots will be inbetween those cities
I am almost doing the exact same route Lisbon/Barcelona/Nice/Florence/La Spezia/Venice(maybe)/Munich/Vienna/Prague/Berlin(maybe)/finishing in Paris (Watching Roland Garros).
I was looking at rail pass initially but it's not worth it for 2, especially getting from Lisbon to Barcelona, which is a 21 hour journey with multiple transfers and seat reserves. I'm mostly taking wizzair flights to get from Lisbon/Barcelona/Nice and then italian rail in italy and flix bus for the rest of it. Cmae out lower than a rail pass when I calculated total cost.
Are you staying in hostels? I am going for 42 days and trying to keep the cost of lodging down.
Not sure if Berlin is worth it but I need a stop in between Prague and Paris. Went to Berlin before some of the history is cool but dont care too much for checkpoint Charlie and Berlin nightlife.
>stop in between Prague and Paris
possible beautiful areas include
Bavaria, Black Forest, Middle Rhine
Nuremberg, Wurzburg.
There is the Romantic road.
Maybe its a tourist trap but Rothenburg ob der tauber was cool medieval town.
Frankfurt and Stuttgart large modern cities, much of the post war rebuild was not in historical style but who knows what you are after.
Heidelberg or Frieburg
Starsbourg and other Alsace towns
Can seek out some of the famous german castles Hohenzollern Castle, Neuschwanstein Castle, Wartburg Castle, Eltz Castle.
but there are plenty others, and others you can come across on your trip already.
thinking of castles on your route, in france you could go to Carcassonne
>La Spezia
Didn't see a ton of it but much of that city was destroyed during WW2 and it's pretty ugly. Cinque Terre is okay if you can avoid the tourist spots which is near impossible. Unfortunately I was pretty bummed with it tbh. The hiking and views would be great if not for the masses of people you will be stuck with.
Personally, I would skip munich and do Vienna to Salzuburg. It'll save time and Salzburg is a much prettier area with more to see and do. You could still hit Munich afterward Salzburg and only lose 90 minutes. Since you're in Prague, you definitely want to spend a day or two in Cesky Krumlov. I'd also add a couple days in between to do some Italian cities off the main route. Verona was the best city I did in Italy. There are a thousand Italian villages that would be better than Munich.
>first time in europe
>will be driving the entire way
>will also try to cover 9 countries in quick succession
You're already fricking it up. I get it, it's expensive, you want to do it all when you finally cross the ocean, but you're just turning your trip into a ton of boxes to check off a list instead of actually enjoying where you are.
You can do Lisbon > Madrid > Barcelona then fly to Rome and take a train to Florence and Venice. Throw in some stops in Andalucia and you're looking at 3 solid weeks right there, all done via airplane and train for easy transport. For 3 weeks you should ideally visit 2 countries, and that barely gives you enough time to give yourself 3-4 days for a few big cities. It's why you can also do a flight to Rome > train to Florence+Venice > Munich > Vienna > Prague, the downside of those being you dont see anything not major city.
If you can actually spend a full week per stop (11-13 full weeks?) I'd be impressed since you'd be vacationing for an entire quarter of a year. If you actually have that much time, then just spend 4 weeks in 3 countries and see the whole thing instead of a bunch of samplers of a country.
>how might i make friends along the way
by not leaving the entire country the next 3 days.
>dating apps are less effective
so stick around for a while and actually see the same girl more than once
Warcelona is a shithole, just skip It, head nort after Madrid. Northern Spain has a lot of stuff to do/see like Cabarceno park and San Sebastian
>how might I make a few friends a long the way
I like your optimism.
How does this work out for you usually? You stay 2 days in a country and suddenly people like you and want to be your friends?
How does this work?
if youre not a brokie buy some reliable 5k€ japanese car (preferrably an estate car so its better to sleep in) much better than some shitty train or bus
I met an English person once. Never hope I see another one of those fricking biscuit dunking whitehouse burners ever again.
>be me
>shitty job working cash register at Sheetz
>usually left alone to watch pron on cellphone
>weird white guy with square glasses walks in
>asks about “petrol”
>asks where “toilet” is
>says has “bad case of the sheetz”, then emits breathy low commitment laugh
>tumbleweed.gif
looks good, king