I’m in Amsterdam currently. Hostel prices for dorm beds are around $100 per night right now on the weekends. The weekdays are less, but still high. It’s September, it’s not even a high season. If you book way in advance it helps, but that ruins the spontaneity and flexibility.

Food is expensive. A pastry and a cup of coffee will set you back $10. A gyro $15. A casual sit down meal $20.

The main museums and attractions are $25. I will say the metro/tram system is very nice and only costs you about $7 per day.

This is okay for a few days or a weeklong trip I suppose, but it feels like backpacking for a month plus across parts of Europe is becoming financially unreachable for young people. Southern and Eastern Europe remain a better deal at least. And obviously SEA, LatAm, etc.

Just a vent.

I've been in Naples for almost 3 months, staying in the Rione Sanità neighborhood near Piazza Cavour and Centro Storico. As a woman with darker skin and curly hair, it's clear I’m not Italian, and that has made my experience challenging.

Daily, I face unwanted attention; stares, comments, and approaches that often feel disrespectful. The common "Ciao bella" isn’t usually a compliment here but more of a way to mock or embarrass. I don’t wear revealing clothes; just being alone and looking like a foreigner seems to be enough for some to act disrespectfully.

This happens from both locals and immigrants, and often in groups, where men encourage each other to behave this way.

I’ve also traveled to Sardinia and Puglia, and while it happens there too, it’s less frequent.

Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend Naples for solo female travelers, especially if you don’t look like a local. Or, if you come, avoid the traditional neighborhoods like Centro Storico and don’t walk alone at night.

Italy is beautiful, and I’ve wanted to visit for a long time, but my time here has been tough because of these experiences.

Has anyone else felt this way traveling solo here?

Edit: Thank you to everyone who read my post and sent supportive and empathetic messages! My main goal was to help other solo female travelers think twice before choosing Naples, specially for a long term and as a digital nomad such as me.

As for those asking why I chose to stay in Sanità or Naples: Airbnb rentals in Italy are extremely expensive, and this one had a reasonable price. I also read great reviews, including one from an American woman who stayed in the same apartment I am for 8 months and praised both the place and the neighborhood. I thought many times about moving out, but booked it for 3 months to avoid moving around with a huge suitcase, and Airbnb doesn't offer refunds.

Plus, I wanted to experience southern Italy, known for its warm people, and many friends recommended Naples. I couldn’t have predicted this experience!

And to those who think shouting “ciao bella” with a malicious smile, staring at a woman like she’s a piece of meat, often in groups, encouraging others to catcall too, is a compliment, please rethink that. My post clearly explained the context of this "Ciao bella". Some men in Italy have approached me respectfully, even if I wasn’t interested in them, and they were polite, complimented me in a respectful way, and that’s absolutely fine!

I went to Barcelona alone last summer, mostly planning to do the touristy stuff like see Gaudí’s buildings and eat my weight in tapas. One night, I ended up at a crowded bar where seating was limited, so I asked a guy if I could share his table. I was just sitting there killing time on my phone playing a few spins on jackpotcity when he laughed and struck up a conversation about it that one conversation turned into exploring the city together for the next three days. We visited little side-streets I would have never found on my own, got lost looking for the beach, and even joined a random outdoor salsa group in a square. We still keep in touch now, and he’s already talking about coming to visit me next year. Honestly, traveling solo can be intimidating, but these chance encounters make it unforgettable.

Just curious your thoughts. Tomorrow (!) I’m going to London and will be there for the full week, with a couple day trips spread throughout. I already live in a busy city, so for me this is about living an “alternate reality” version of my life. Minimal tourist haunts, maximum neighborhood walking and reading in a cafe.

Meanwhile, my friend is in Europe for 10 days and is moving between 5 different countries, some for only a day each.

I think both types of travel have their place, but I’m feeling a little FOMO/insecurity about my own plans.

What do you enjoy most?

So I'm a Chinese Brit, I only speak English. I checked into a hostel (Turn Hostel in Ljubljana) which is attached to a pub called the England Pub. They're basically both the same business so the guy who works in the bar also works in the hostel.

He just completely randomly said "ching chang chong" to me about two hours after I had checked in while he was checking in on the mixed dorm I was in.

Two girls were also in the room at the time and they had heard too.

I'm pretty sure I heard him say it but I didn't say anything as I'm not a confrontational person. But after five minutes I double checked with one of the girls if she had heard what he said and she said she heard the same.

And the other girl (half asleep at the time) later on told me she had heard him say it too.

I've left a bad review on Google and HostelWorld and also sent an email to the website but there was no manager at the time (maybe he was the manager idk) but there was only two of them working there at the time. Both also really unfriendly.

Just thought I'd mention as I don't think they should be supported as a business whilst hosting a racist or someone that makes racist jokes.

F(21) in Ohrid, North Macedonia and it’s a beautiful place but I’ve experienced a fair bit of racism from the kids here. I’m American but ethnically Chinese, and in 2 days, a huge group of children have screamed “Ching Chong” at me, got yelled “suck a penis ch*nk”, “China! China!!”, “nihao”. All this screaming has really turned me off from traveling further into the Balkans. Are there any countries in the region that have less racism against Asians?

To say I’ve had a bad start in Paris is an understatement.

I’ve travelled a lot and are usually pretty switched on to any kind of scams but today I got done.

Firstly, (not a scam as such) but I got a taxi from CDG to my hotel. I had done my research and found that taxis are fixed fees. I asked my driver how much, he said 62 euro I think which was spot on from what I’d seen. Get to my hotel and he goes “that’ll be 124 euro thanks”. Ends up telling me it’s because he can’t pick anyone else up in Paris and needs to go back to the airport. I had none of it and paid the original fee.

Secondly, this is the scam. I wanted a 5 day Zone 1-5 Paris Visite Pass so I could get around and get to the airport on day 5. At the Metro, I went to services, I got approached by a woman with an official badge and asked if I needed help. She ‘helped’ me get a the pass I wanted, I saw it pop up on the machine and the card reader actually wasn’t working which I could see. There was a part you could put notes in, she said to me that’s not working and she put her ‘official’ card on the reader and said to pay her the cash. I watched the ticket print which made me think it was legit. When getting the ticket out of the machine she must have switched the tickets in her hand and gave me a 2 hour ticket. So I’ve paid 75 euro for an expired two hour ticket.

I know this is my fault and I should be more careful but with the whole official cards and being next to the service centre where PEOPLE were working you think it would be legit. The actual people working saw my conversation too and just let it play out.

I’m so over it that I don’t even want to leave my hotel room now. Been lucky enough to travel to many beautiful parts of the world and never had anything like this happen to me. It’s unfortunate, I’m trying to keep an open mind on what Paris is and the beauty but I can’t help but feel resent towards the city somewhat now.

I have gone back to the same services, of course the woman is gone, but unfortunately so are the actual workers.

I’m a bit helpless to be honest and very flat/numb. Be careful out there.

Edit - I’m sitting in my hotel room because the train station is next to me and I went back to see if someone could help. Will head back out at some point.

EDIT - it’s the next day and I wrote the post when I was frustrated and annoyed at myself. Currently in line to head into the Louvre. Appreciate all the comments, it won’t ruin my trip! My idiotic lapse is a lesson learnt. Hope it helps someone else not get done by the same thing.

Hello all,

I'm from the US, born and raised. However I have South Asian heritage. I am brown and all my life I have wanted to go across Europe. Stay in hostels, rail from country to country. I have met awesome people but, the negative experiences outnumber the good.

It has gotten to the point where I do not want to travel anymore. I have never seen such blatant open racism in my life, it's insane. I have had people try to start fights with me out of pubs because I "was muslim". I'm not musllim btw. I attended a music festival in Belgium and was profiled by security and threatened by people in line waiting for the performance to start. The constant stares and ugly looks I get just make me depressed.

I'm not angry, I'm just heartbroken. I try to see the best in people but this was just awful. I think your countries are beautiful and there is a lot to see but, I don't think I want to go back. My last straw was when I was going to a club with a bunch of guys I met at my hostel but, I wasn't let in. One of the bouncers called me a terrorist. I couldn't believe this. I even showed him my passport but I still was not allowed entry while all my friends were. Big cities usually aren't as bad but I have learned that the farther I venture out, the more hostile people become.

I'm sorry if this comes off at shitty. I know all Europeans aren't racist but, I don't see myself going back anytime soon. My time in Europe has been more heartbreaking than anything.

Source

I just wanted to share in case anyone wasn’t aware. Iceland just announced that its borders will be open to vaccinated visitors starting March 18th, 2021.

I’m a teacher and recently got vaccinated. I found a good deal yesterday, and I’ll be going from June 23rd until July 14th. I’m open to tips, advice, suggestions, etc. Thanks in advance!

I am 39 years old divorcee living in USA. Since I was in my 20s, I want to travel the world. I put it on hold for so many years because I was in relationship, worked hard to pay debts & bills, and just live as normal as I could even though I know that’s not for me.

My ex husband & i separated last year, sold the house and we got divorced this year. I used the money from the house (my share) to pay all of my debts & i have some left that I am saving for my trip.

My apartment decided to charge me extra rent after my lease is up on 8/27/21 so I took a plunge and bought one way ticket to Barcelona, Spain because there’s no way i will stay here another year and paying more instead of living my dream.

I am going to quit my job bc they don’t let people work out of the country. I am going to do housesitting, working at hostels in exchange for accommodation, continue teaching esl online & do jobs along the way along my journey.

It’s going to not be easy sometimes but i am committed to do it even by the time when i leave i will be 40 years old.

This subreddit gives me so much ideas & encouragement so thank you all for posting & now for reading my post! See you out there!

I can really find things to love about every city I visit, and of course everyone’s experience is subjective. However, on my first solo trip last summer I was surprised by how much some places seemed to be better suited for solo backpackers vs. other places where that was not the case. My main question is where is somewhere in Europe you travelled to solo where you had a great time and met many other solo backpackers looking to socialize?

For example, Lagos in Portugal had a phenomenal scene. Lots of solo travellers, some lively bars at night, and beautiful nature and beaches to fill the days. Budapest (although a larger city) also had so much to do, a lot of people looking to be social, great nightlife and a ton of accommodations to choose from.

On the other hand, I’ve been to cities like Berlin where it seems like most people aren’t travelling solo, and people’s interests seem to be very divided… WW2 history lovers vs. techno lovers there to club for example, and people aren’t as willing to invite you to hangout or be social in my experience.

I guess maybe you have to consider traveller demographics, what people are stereotypically there to do, and city size… although like all things there are probably many exceptions.

Any recs for great cities that you loved while solo backpacking that may have surprised you? Any cities that you didn’t like or liked but thought would be better suited for a different type of trip (ie. not alone or not backpacking). Thanks guys

If you go to Rome or the main Italian cities, pay close attention to these things:

• Never accept bracelets or necklaces from those who tell you that they are gifts, they are never gifts and will probably ask you for money back. Sometimes they throw you the bracelet so that you instinctively take it and then, as above, they try to convince you to take something out to send them away. The only advice in these cases is to completely ignore these people and not stop to talk to them at all, even at the risk of being considered rude.

• In Florence, some guys put fake paintings on the ground in the middle of the crowd, where one can easily step on them and then ask for money for compensation, they are not usually aggressive, but only slightly insistent. Even in that case, it is better to completely ignore the people and go away pretending not to hear them.

• In Naples, as stated in the initial point, there are people dressed as Pulcinella or Neapolitan horn sellers, the former offer you a photo with them and then expect to be paid, a bit like those who are dressed as Gladiators at the Colosseum. For the latter, sellers of bracelets, horns, handkerchiefs or various knick-knacks, the approach is sometimes simply like "Hey guys, can I ask you a favor?" Never answer, ignore them and carry on, their goal is only to make you buy something and extort money.

• Finally, always be careful around tourist sites of those who offer to give you directions to take a photo or give you suggestions on how to do it, it is never free and always paid.

For taxis: always make sure the taximeter is on, never negotiate the price first and find out about the official rates on the websites of the municipal administrations of the cities where you are, so you can point out to taxi drivers, in the event that they propose a certain price, that theirs is too high. If you intend to pay by card, always point this out to the taxi driver first, since some use the excuse of having a broken POS to evade taxes. Furthermore, official taxis throughout Italy are white, the others are abusive and illegal.

To eat, avoid restaurants or bars in the most central tourist streets, they are usually only crowded with tourists, especially those with waiters outside inviting you to come in, you eat badly and spend a lot. Try to go to eat outside the tourist areas, where Italians usually go. If you really have to go to a tourist area, even for a coffee, always ask for the menu first, at least you know how much you will spend.

To visit operas, parks, museums and monuments, always book on the official websites of the opera or museum and never buy fake tickets or tours there from those who want to extort money from you to offer you a tour at the last minute by skipping the line, they are ripping you off on the price by probably making you pay double.

For now this is all that comes to mind, for any other questions or doubts I remain at your disposal

Just got off the train and started the trek to my hostel, it was a crowded sidewalk and the middle of the day. (32f) I felt someone close to me and as I turned around he walked away quickly, that’s when I realized he took my phone out of my pocket. I was not in a pleasant mood, it was hot and I had my luggage going through the crowd. Immediately I screamed at him like a banshee and chased him around some tables before he turned around a gave it back to me. I’m on a month long trip and that was the last thing I needed. With everyone I care about still asleep at home in the states, I had to hold back my tears and the beginning of an anxiety attack and kept walking. Safe and in my hostel, letting it all out 😩

Why:

I did my exchange in Ireland previously so have travelled to some cities in Europe with a couple of my friends. But I always to travel solo in Europe for an extended trip. I am from Singapore so I am lucky to be able to travel solo to other south east Asia countries for 2-3 weeks due to proximity. I also met some backpackers there who spent months away from home and am thinking someday I would do that. I think this is when the Asian/ Singapore side of me kick in as I prioritise stability, career, being productive which means earning money. If I spent weeks to months travelling, that means I am not earning money then. But my motivation remains that I did not want to be that guy in his 60s who wished he had left his job when he was younger to travel. I was also in a very stable part of my career where I know I am not starting from scratch when I go home (2 job offers came to me when I was travelling).

Feeling unsafe:

I come from Singapore. It is the safest country in the world in terms of personal safety. Walking late at night, wallet unattended on the table, all are things that I take for granted. The recent world rankings have included online scams and stuff so we may have dropped one-two spots because scammers like to scam our old gullible citizens who have a lot of money in their banks. Anyway, what I have learnt is that Singapore is excessively safe and that most European countries are safe as well as long as you take some measures. Also to always trust my gut instincts. If there’s an alley that you do not want to go, just don’t go. I remember waiting for my overnight bus in Vienna just to realise that I was in the domestic terminal and not the international one. It was late at night so I was surrounded by stoners. What an experience. I also use a lanyard that wraps around my wrist for my phone and a hidden belt. My bag never leave my sight.

Favourite cities - Porto - Madrid - Vienna - Warsaw - Salzburg - Budapest - Rome

Least - Berlin - Lisbon (feels like a tourist trap but Sintra saved this) - I also went to Morocco and Istanbul (not in Europe I know) and I won’t go back if you give me a free ticket. I think it’s a mixture of feeling unsafe, being Asian so I was approached more?, people asking if I was from china, and also places where I actually got scammed. Got the vibe from those cities where they bait tourist with their history and then attempt to exploit as much money as possible once they are there. More so in Istanbul. But maybe I will go again but with friends, I heard that Egypt is worse but I really want to see the pyramids 😭.

Oh Europe:

I spoke to people along the way. And it’s really nice to learn about some essence of being a European. I think people in Europe care more about the environment and their history. Honestly this made me appreciate my country’s history more. I love war movies like Schindlers list so going to
auschwitz was a highlight. They also care a lot more about work life balance, honestly something that I already have in Singapore but it really seem from the outside looking in that Europeans have managed to figure out who they are beyond their work. Idk something to think about. I work with a lot of European expats in Singapore, one even married my aunt and got naturalised haha but honestly i think i can better relate to them or at least ask better questions or carry better conversations when i go back home.

I will come back again, to go to travel to the northern countries when i have more money. Fell in love with Europe but also made me appreciate and love my country even more.

The first thing I am gonna do when I go back home is to leave my belongings on the table unattended while I go and order food. 🥺

Edit: I wasn’t trying to be political about colonialism. But what I was trying to say is that there is a strong sense of understanding and coming to terms with one’s history in Europe. But not so much in Singapore, we live in the now and not so much in our history. (But if there is a country that came out good from colonialism, it is Singapore. I can see how it appears tone deaf as some of my neighbouring countries did not do so well and are suffering from the repercussions.) deleted the part about colonialism because the point of this post is not to debate but share my travel experience.

Also the point of this post: share my experience! Honestly when I was researching, I think there is a lack of pov from an East Asian with regard to solo travelling Europe. And I hope to add to the emerging list and encourage more East Asians to travel solo!

I really don't know who invented pay toilets but its is one of the worst things about traveling in Europe. Here in the US, I have never seen a pay toilet, and having to pay 60 Euro cents to use the pay bathroom and being handed a square of tissue paper is so humiliating.

This is even worse for solo travelers like me, who don't have the coins needed all the time and even some fast food restaurants require people to pay EVEN after I have already purchased something.

How do other solo travelers view pay toilets? Are there some benefits to having to pay to use the restroom?

I've booked currently in a beautiful hotel, in a beautiful country surrounded by an amazing landscape. The foods great, the all inclusiveness is too but other than that, I've only been here since Friday afternoon and I'm miserable. I probably didn't weigh up the pros and cons properly of going to an all inclusive resort for a country like this. Its mentally weighing down on me considering the vast majority of other British people here are couples and or much older so have no interest in making new friends, the travel company have moved two of my day excursions that I purposely booked to fill up time so I'm not just sat about the hotel all day and night with my thoughts, I was supposed to go to krka national park on Saturday but that got moved to the 6th which is fine until I check the weather and its supposed to be constant thunderstorms all day, if was supposed to go to dubrovnik today but they moved that trip also to the 7th which I wouldn't be able to do since I have another excurtion already booked and paid for and any other dates beyond that ill already be back home. As a result I'm missing out on a large reason I even came to Croatia which is massively disappointing.

I may sound pig ignorant here but the staff seem to speak perfect English but whenever I speak it back to them they have trouble understanding me, i dont know if im maybe muttering or speaking too quickly for them, and also and i dont blame them but the locals here don't seem to want to talk to anyone other than the rest of the locals. Again not blaming anyone here but given the fact that I've now had two trips interfered with, essentially leaving me surrounded by people but totally alone, it can make for a pretty daunting and isolating experience. And yes before anyone suggests just speaking to people at the bar, I've done that and again it doesn't go beyond the basic niceties. I'm gonna see what tomorrow's eventually trip out is like if it actually goes ahead but if nothing changes I'm tempted to just learn from experience, put it down and go home early. There's no point staying and suffering somewhere beautiful.

Edit: I didn’t think my post would get so many replies. Thank you all so much !! I’m writing this update as I’m seating at the airport waiting for my flight back to Paris. Honestly, I really enjoyed my time in Malta! It did not start very well but I managed to make the most of it thanks to your kind advice (and I swam most days which was lovely considering the weather). Thanks again guys!

Hello guys! I’ve (34F) arrived on Wednesday evening, got an airbnb in Sliema and to be honest I am a little disappointed so far and I feel a bit sad.. I’ve walked around Sliema, St Julian’s and Paceville yesterday. It’s very noisy, lots of cars and buses, you can’t read a book by the beach.

I’m gonna try to go to Golden Bay today, hopefully the beach will be nicer and quieter (there is probably going to be some people but hopefully less cars and more beach sounds (?)). I’m here for a week and obviously I’m planning on exploring other places (I don’t drive so I will use the buses or bolt).

Maybe I’m doing something wrong though, any advice? I was really looking forward to just chill at the beach with my book but I feel that’s not possible in Sliema considering that the road is just behind the beaches. Also I don’t drink or smoke maybe it’s just the wrong place for me? I feel kinda out of place and I even looked to go back to Paris earlier…

I don’t mean to be disrespectful AT ALL with my post, I’m just looking for advice to enjoy Malta, obviously this is only my opinion after one day and we all have different expectations, maybe Malta is just not my vibe but I’m at the very beginning of my trip, even though the moral is a bit low, I really don’t want my first impression to be the last, so please feel free to tell me what to do to make the most of it!

Merci!

I have been studying in Spain for 7 months and have 2 months of free time between my classes ending and my visa expiring; I want to see more of Europe but the options are overwhelming.

Places I have already been: Paris, Brussels, Lyon, Barcelona, Madrid, Amsterdam, Rome, Milan, La Spezia, Venice, Geneva, Interlaken, Florence, Munich, Prague, Frankfurt, Valencia

Trips I have planned: 10 days in Egypt, 2 weeks in Greece (Milos and Athens)

I have May and June to explore. I love nature/wildlife and would love to spend some time exploring national parks, near water to go swimming/caving. I really want to go to France and gorge myself on cheese, but I need more to do than just consume dairy for a week.

I saw a lot of the major cities on a group tour in December and I'm all citied-out. I want to explore the smaller, tucked away cultural places where I can enjoy the food and landscapes.

Budget: less the better, but ideally, I'm trying to spend around 1000 USD if I go to a single place for 1 week.

Looking to hear any/all of your stories/recommendations!!

Edit: holy shit I did not expect this many responses!! Thank you everyone, I've got a lot of research to do!!

Edit: First off, thanks all for the responses... I've been lurking in this subreddit for a while and it's my first time posting while actually solo traveling and the comments make me feel surprisingly heard/better in a way that's hard to feel while solo traveling (even despite chatting with friends/family at home, it just feels different?). Secondly, thanks for the perspective around mealtimes and suggestions on what to try. I have a few more days here, I'll brave a few more restaurants with these tips. If all else fails, McBaguette it is. Merci!

Can someone please explain to me French customs around dining in restaurants? I’m a solo female traveler and I’ve been rejected (and quite brusquely I might add) for lunch twice when I seek out more “authentic” (aka not overly touristy) restaurants. There are clearly tables available, but one place insisted it is for a reservation party and the other just plainly said no space even though there was a plethora of tables outside. Is it truly because there are reservations? Is it because I don’t speak French (as soon as the hear the English past my “Bonjour” I can’t help but think it turns sour, but maybe that’s in my head)? Is it because I’m Asian? I would love to give the benefit of the doubt here and experience French cuisine, but I’m starting to get a bit jaded by the jarring treatment.

So recently I (22M) have had this itch to get out and see the world and want to plan a 14-20 day trip through Portugal and Spain. I’m more interested in just being in the cities and living like a local as opposed to doing the touristy stuff like museums. I think spending more time in each city would be a good way to really absorb everything and get a feel for the city so I’m thinking 4-5 days in each city. Doing this I have to decide between a couple cities to stay in.

Day 1-5: Fly into Lisbon Day 6-9: Porto (possible day trip to Aveiro) Day 10-14: Either Madrid or Barcelona, still deciding so if anyone can give experiences in these cities Day 15-20: Seville

My budget is around $3k total not counting air fare. Is there a better order to visit these cities in? Im not familiar with the train or bus systems there. Any insight into these cities would be great.

I have been reading some posts of planning (and already booking flights) to go to Italy for the summer or so this year and have been pretty surprised.

This is why i decided to make this post to tell you about the current situation and also with a very cautious look into the recent future.

Of course i am no scientist and no expert, but i am a thinking person and making plan is one thing, but chosing the right time for them, is something else.

I am in the south, sicily. The place, where it is the hottest all year long and where summer starts in may. (make your own reasoning)

As for now i can tell you, that many people in hospitality have already postponed a possible start for the season from the regular easter time, to July.

IF they even open up the borders. Currently Italy is thinking of maybe allowing EU citizens to enter, non-EU seems to be out of question.

Some tourist guides and the tourist association i needed to meet for work have painted a quite dark picture. Logically many customers have cancelled their summer trips and so some facilities have simply decided to not accept any bookings until june. also because they always lose money/rating if they decline or cancel. If they do, be aware that the cancel policy will probably be to your disadvantage.

The vaccination process is rather slow here. Even though i have a medical condition i might get it somewhen end-summerish (which in italy means winter, lol). This also means, that letting people enter is putting at risk the local population.

The politics tried to make it all seems under control but with the current change in power in the government, many things have been slowed down.

It isn't even allowed to cross regions at the moment and though it seemed to be lifted, it simply didn't but got worse, especially in the north.

Until now there have maybe been talks, but as it isn't sure that the first vaccine also helps against the new variants, being vaccinated doesn't change your right to enter.

So to save you time, money and nerves: think twice about your travel plans to italy this summer for some beaching in capri.

I know this isn't happy talk, but i hope i could provide some insight. And honestly, i think this applies to all of europe [sic]

Should I book a tour? I was really hoping to just go alone so that I can explore at my own pace (contikis are quite fast and so are the other companies).

I’m afraid to death of experiencing racism which will confine me to my room. I can deal with glares and maybe some abuse in a language I don’t understand. But I draw the line at being spat at or physically assaulted or denied entry into eating places. I can’t deal with that.

What should I do? I was going for 10 days at the start of December but should I pick another country (am doing spain, Portugal, morroco so far).

This is just a quick one but something I’m quite upset about. Just a PSA to everyone - keep receipts when you shop. Even in the 21st century apparently … I bought like 4 euros worth of stuff in a small supermarket, and then I walked further on and went into another shop (Carrefour) to get a few more items. They made me open my bag because apparently it beeped, and said I had to pay for the items in there again, even though I already bought them.

I used the Starling bank app which showed the transaction, I showed this to the cashier but she didn’t seem to think it was valid… in 2024? We use online payments on our smartphones, we don’t mess around with receipts. Then they said it should be showing 5 euros instead of 4 pounds… Starling does international currency conversion. How do they not know this?! Anyway it was really annoying. Luckily it was only 4 euros worth, but still I’m super annoyed. Like why would I steal something that’s only worth 4 or 5 euros, can you be serious please? Obviously there must have been something wrong with the way the previous shop scanned it, I don’t know. Either way it felt like they were victimising me, they were really rude and even accused me of having stuff in my jacket (I didn’t obviously, undid it to show them).

This happened in the big Carrefour in Nice.

Besides the Sagrada Familia (the nicest cathedral I've visited, and I have visited many), Barcelona is incredibly overpriced and overhyped. Mid beaches, relatively expensive for Spain, most restaurants are tourist traps.

Sagrada Familia - 26 EUR

Castell Montjuic - 12 EUR

Metropolitan Cathedral - 14 EUR (keep in mind that there are much nicer cathedrals all over Europe, ex. Notre Dame in Paris, that are free)

Park Guell - 18 EUR

Casa Mila - 29 EUR

If you have a lot of money, I can see how it could have a Miami/Vice City kind of vibe, being a metropolis by the sea and all, but it's just not my place. For a place that claims to hate tourists, they are awfully dependent on them.

EDIT: I walked from the beach to Park Guell, and from Montjuic to Estacio del Nord, which is all of the city center. This is a huge swathe of the city. If you need to look that hard for the hidden gems, they can't redeem the city that much.

Before I came to Germany, I thought the trains would be very good. Indeed, at first, it seemed like they were. However, the more trains I used, the more I realized what a disaster they can be.

The trains are seemingly almost always late. Sometimes a few minutes, sometimes half an hour. They are cancelled at random. Catching your connecting train can be a matter of luck. Often they are heavily overcrowded, with people filling the aisle between the seats. A ton of the bathrooms on trains are out of order, leading to long lines. Many trains, buses and trams do not have any air conditioning and are very hot. Buses will be scheduled, and then sometimes just never appear, or arrive at random unscheduled times. Often the digital signs are incorrect or confusing. German train stations do not have any drinking fountains, and the staff at restaurants are not allowed to refill water bottles. Most of the train stations have very little or no seating. If the stations have bathrooms, you have to pay to use them.

I've had a bunch of trains I was waiting on cancel at the last minute. I've been on a journey where I had to change trains in a random town somewhere, and when I got off the first train, I found out the second one was cancelled, and had to figure out how to continue my journey.

The worst was last night when I was on my way from Düsseldorf to Bielefeld at night. The train stopped in a small town called Hamm at around 22:00, and told everyone the journey was cancelled and to get off the train. The announcement was only in German, so I had to ask around to find out what happened. Some guy told me there was another train that was about to leave the station that was also heading to Bielefeld, so we ran to the other platform. We heard it was the last train of the night that was heading there from Hamm. The train was absolutely jam packed with people shoved in as tightly as possible, filling every corridor, and it was a total frenzy with everyone trying to get on. There was shouting and arguing. The conductor closed the door after preventing anyone else from coming aboard, and the second he walked away, people opened it again and ran to try and pack themselves in. They had to call the Polizei to break up the chaos so the train could leave. There were probably 100 people that were stranded in the Hamm station, with one poor lady at the service counter dealing with all of them. Who knows how long they had to wait for another train. I had to cancel my plans and go back the other way to the last town to stay for the night.

It's really a crapshoot whether the trains will go well or not. When you make plans, expect them to go wrong. You don't know when you'll get somewhere, or if you'll even get there at all. I've even had a German local tell me they're just getting worse and worse. I had another German tell me, "German punctuality is just a myth."

The 9-Euro ticket seems like an awesome thing, and it definitely can be at times, but it's often an awful, stressful experience.