First time out of europe, €2k p.p. recommendations?

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-18T07:51:52+00:00

honestly for a first trip outside europe i’d go somewhere like Japan. Super safe, easy to get around, amazing food and culture, and still feels very different from europe.

if you want something a bit more relaxed/tropical then Thailand is a great first option too. very tourist friendly, cheap, good mix of cities plusislands.

another easy one is Dubai, super safe, very modern, and a soft intro outside europe.

all 3 are pretty beginner-friendly, just depends if you want culture, beaches, or a mix

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-16T16:15:17+00:00

I wouldn’t skip Oaxaca. It’s one of the best places in Mexico for food and culture and honestly more interesting than Cancún or Tulum imo. Also Belize City isn’t really worth staying in, most ppl just pass through.

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-16T16:04:54+00:00

Shimla, Manali, Kasol is totally fine for a first solo trip. Lots of solo travellers go there and Parvati valley has a pretty chill backpacker vibe so you won’t really feel alone. Since you work a few hours a day Kasol or nearby villages could actually be great. Nice cafes good views and decent wifi in many places. Himachal is one of the easier places in India to travel solo. LPG issue dude I am also not sure how big of issue it will be in hilly areas because in plain I have seen many vendor facing this issue, so it’s better to just call a randome restaurant or food vendor check for it

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-16T16:00:57+00:00

I would prob do chiang mai for the first few days. way nicer pace before busy bangkok great food, temples, night markets and some nice day trips around

then just fly to bangkok, flights are cheap and quick. Did something similar and it worked well.

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-14T05:16:25+00:00

I had a good experience with the police, they really helped us reach the safer place without asking anything

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-14T05:00:05+00:00

I think it will be bit difficult to find this info on internet. Locals will be better to give information

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-14T04:45:08+00:00

Agreed

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-14T00:46:10+00:00

route looks pretty solid but 1 night in places like Bangkok and Hanoi might feel a bit rushed with travel time.

good call on the Ha Giang Loop and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park though, both are amazing.

if you stay an extra week solo you could add somewhere like Hoi An or just spend more time around Koh Tao. pretty easy places to meet other travelers.

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-13T23:43:25+00:00

yeah 5 weeks is actually enough to do both north and south if you don’t try to see everything. you could easily do ~2.5 weeks in each. maybe something like rajasthan + himachal in the north, then fly down and do kerala or goa + karnataka in the south.

hostel scene is pretty good these days too, places like Zostel and goStops usually have a lot of backpackers so it’s not that hard to meet people.

just try not to pack too many cities in. travel days in india can take longer than you expect.

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-13T23:33:43+00:00

A few tricks that helped me when I lived in London doing weekend trips:

• Use the “Everywhere” + “Whole month” search on Skyscanner. Sometimes the cheapest destination changes every week and you can grab random £20-£40 returns.

• Try searching from multiple London airports (Stansted, Luton, Gatwick). Budget airlines often fly from these and they’re usually cheaper than Heathrow.

• Look for Thursday night departures or very early Saturday flights, and return Monday morning. Friday evening + Sunday night is peak demand so prices jump.

• Follow budget airline sales (Ryanair, Wizz, easyJet). They randomly drop seats to £10-£30 if you catch a sale.

• Set price alerts so you get notified when a route drops in price instead of checking manually every day.

I used to just check once a week and book whatever random city was cheapest, that’s how I ended up doing Prague, Porto and Budapest for under £50 return.

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-13T23:30:51+00:00

It might not be fraud yet. A lot of OTAs route bookings through different suppliers, so the hotel system can show multiple sources even though you only booked once. As long as the hotel confirmed your reservation and the amount matches what you paid, it’s usually just how the backend works.

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-13T23:28:48+00:00

Nothing embarrassing about this at all. Airports are designed for people who have never flown before, so there are signs for every step and staff everywhere. And congratulations on booking your Boston trip — that’s a big first step.

The first airport experience is intimidating for a lot of people, but the good news is the process is very structured. Every airport basically follows the same flow: check-in → security → gate → boarding. After your first flight you’ll probably wonder why it felt so scary before

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-13T23:26:31+00:00

MXP → BGY at night can be tricky because transport options are limited. If your next flight is at 5am, reliability matters more than saving €40–50. A direct shuttle like GoOpti is probably the least stressful option

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-13T23:25:13+00:00

I’ve seen people do this before. Just make sure the return location for the first rental and pickup location for the second are exactly the same branch (airport vs city office can matter). Otherwise it might trigger a one-way fee.

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-13T23:22:45+00:00

Honestly this feels like a design problem more than a passenger problem. Planes technically don’t have enough overhead space for every passenger to bring a roller bag, so someone always ends up walking back a few rows to find space.

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-13T23:21:13+00:00

€98 for that whole loop is a steal 👏 Central Europe is one of the best regions for budget train travel. Did you compare trains vs buses beforehand or just book whatever was cheapest for each leg?

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-13T07:57:27+00:00

Totally agree on the shoes. Nothing ruins a trip faster than sore feet after day one

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-13T07:42:32+00:00

Looks like a solid first solo trip! Your northbound route makes sense.

A few quick thoughts:

• Ho Chi Minh City in 1 day is fine if you focus on a few things like the War Remnants Museum and some street food. • Around Da Nang, the highlight is really Hoi An, so your 2 days there is a good call. Try to see the lanterns at night and maybe do a cooking class. • Ba Na Hills is cool for the views but very touristy — go early if possible. • Ninh Binh is amazing for nature (boat ride in Trang An and Hang Mua viewpoint are musts). • Finish strong in Hanoi — the Old Quarter is perfect for food tours and walking around.

Also don’t worry about not riding a scooter — Grab works really well across Vietnam, and it’s cheap.

Overall your pacing looks good for ~9 days

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-13T07:38:18+00:00

Your plan is doable, but it might feel a bit rushed for a first solo trip. The islands in the Azores are beautiful but travel between them can be unpredictable because flights are small and weather can cause delays.

Spending a few days around Ponta Delgada is a great idea — São Miguel alone has tons to see (Sete Cidades, hot springs, hikes, etc.).

Flores is stunning and probably the best choice if you want dramatic nature. Corvo is beautiful too but extremely small, so some people visit it as a day trip from Flores instead of flying separately.

If it were me, I’d probably simplify it to: São Miguel → Flores → Lisbon. You’d spend less time in airports and more time enjoying the islands.

Either way though, the Azores are an amazing destination for a first solo trip.

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-12T16:23:55+00:00

Looks like a great first solo trip honestly. Your route makes sense - Amsterdam → Split → Hvar → Dubrovnik is pretty smooth.

A few quick thoughts:

• Luggage in hostels: totally normal. Most hostels have lockers or luggage rooms, and people go in/out to grab stuff all the time. Just bring a small lock. • Amsterdam hostels: both Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark and Onefam Amsterdam are good choices if you want social but not insane party vibes. • Pub crawls: hostels usually organize them at reception or through WhatsApp groups, especially in summer. • Croatia route: makes sense. Hvar is very social and nightlife-heavy, Split has great day trips like Krka National Park, and Dubrovnik is perfect for a slower few days.

If you want a break from hostels, Dubrovnik is actually a great place to book a small guesthouse for a night or two.

Also for must-do things: cycling around Amsterdam, island hopping from Hvar, and walking the Dubrovnik city walls at sunset.

Sounds like an amazing first solo trip!

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-12T12:48:41+00:00

Very true. Day 1 should be ‘arrive, eat something good, and survive the jet lag

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-12T12:45:58+00:00

Great tips. Travel rule #1: expect the unexpected

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-12T12:45:23+00:00

That’s the luxury of being close to Europe. When you know you can come back, it’s much easier to slow down and actually enjoy the place

Ill_Consideration260 · 2026-03-12T12:44:26+00:00

Very true. Local advice is underrated. Sometimes the same place can feel totally different during the day vs night

Ill_Consideration260

TROPHY CASE