Travelling Europe in 2024 turned out to be the best summer of my life so far. The funny thing is, it was also one of the most spontaneous times of my life! I live with no regrets. After experiencing a messy ending of a long-term relationship earlier in the year, I was left feeling disconnected from myself. I decided that the best thing to do for my mental health would be to leave the country and spend time alone. ‘Alone’ is a funny way to put it. I don’t think I have ever spent as much time with people as I did during this month.
The beginning of this itinerary doesn’t have much logic to it it terms of a travel route. I originally booked a flight to Amsterdam before I decided to turn this trip into an Interrailing adventure. An Interrail pass cost £330 for travel on 10 days within 1 month.
I also cheated on the “interrail” adventure whilst travelling Europe and took a couple of flights. Stick with me and I will get into it. I could cry whenever I think about this trip. It truly was one of the best experiences of my life. I can’t believe how scared I was to travel solo before this! It was a moment of jumping out of my comfort zone, and I can safely say that this is just the beginning of my solo adventures. I’m sure that I won’t be looking back!
Day 1 – Day 4: Netherlands (Amsterdam & Utrecht)
I will preface this by saying that I believe that there is a calling for me to move to the Netherlands! This was my 10th time visiting Amsterdam. I spent 3 days doing yoga, drinking peppermint tea and reading my book by the canal. A bit of a contrast from when I used to visit as a university student, and I would spend 3 days touring the coffee shops and smoking the funny stuff! You can tell I am getting a bit older, ay.
Plenty of activities and tours can be booked via GetYourGuide, Viator and AirBnb Experiences. I can strongly recommend a wine and cheese tasting canal tour to learn about the history of Amsterdam from the water. I booked a ‘Dutch Cheese & Wine Tour’ through Air BnB, which was hosted by locals. This included a selection of cheeses and 3 drinks varying from a selection of wines, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.
During this part of my trip I was reading ‘And How Does That Make You Feel’ by Joshua Fletcher. It truly was the most perfect book to start off a month long trip in Europe.
During my 3rd day in Amsterdam I was torn between visiting Haarlem, Delft or Utrecht for a day trip. I settled on Utrecht due to it being the closest to Amsterdam. However, all 3 cities can be reached in under an hour via train from Amsterdam Centraal station. The main thing that I loved about Utrecht is that you can sit, drink and eat right next to the canals, in comparison to looking down onto the canals in Amsterdam. This is a stunning experience at sunset.
I spent a total of £255 in 4 days in Amsterdam, and I stayed at the Generator Hostel in Oosterpark.
On day 5 I took a direct flight from Amsterdam to Barcelona, which took 2.5 hours. I left my phone charger and my travel adapter on the Amsterdam train. The first mishap of my trip!
Day 5 – Day 8: Barcelona, Spain
This was my first time ever visiting Barcelona, and I expected to fall in love and want to move there instantly after the hype that it gets! Unfortunately my experience was tainted when I had my purse pick-pocketed on the Metro. Nevertheless, it is a pretty cool city and the Gaudi architecture is a sight for any bucketlist.
I stayed the the Generator Hostel and I had the best experience. My dorm roomies were so lovely. It was so nice to have people to hang out with out with on the beach and to go on a night out with. Although, I’m not sure that I can get on board with the clubs not opening until 1am. That is way past my bed time now I’m nearly in my 30’s!
Things to do in Barcelona:
- Las Ramblas Boulevard – The bustling iconic street in the heart of Barcelona! Take a wander and check out the architecture that Barcelona has to offer.
- Mercado De La Boqueria – The famous market with an entrance off La Rambla is one for food enthuasiasts. Restaurants ranging from traditional Catalan dishes to international delights. You can find many tapas restaurants inside of the market including Bar Pinotxo and El Quim de la Boqueria.
- Wine Mood – A wine bar recommendation from one of my dear friends. The owner is so friendly, and I spent an evening here, people watching whilst wine tasting over a cheese board. An incredible experience!
- The 3 Gaudi Houses: Casa Batllo, Casa Mila and Casa Vicens.
I spent a total of £320 in Barcelona which was waaay above my budget for 4 days. This included laundry, a toiletry shop and overcoming the inconvenience of having my purse stolen.
I actually had a flight booked home from Barcelona which I booked before I decided to extend my trip. From Barcelona, I caught the high-speed train to Valencia which took 2.5 hours. I used my Interrail Pass to book this. The journey required a seat reservation, which I purchased for £15 in advance from the Interrail website for approximately £15.
Day 9 – Day 10: Valencia, Spain
A summer fling was not on my itinerary for Valencia, but it was ended up being much fun and I spent 2 days swimming in waterfalls in Buñol, sunbathing on the beach and eating Paella Valenciana in Albufera, where paella is believed to have originated from.
I stayed at Cantagua Hostel, which was one of the best hostels of the whole trip! I spent a total of £75 in 2 days in Valencia. Honestly, I just loved Valencia so much. What a beautiful city.
From Valencia, I took a 2 hour high-speed train to Madrid. This train also required a seat reservation to be booked in advance, costing approximately £15.
Day 11 – Day 14: Madrid, Spain
Wow, Madrid was HOT! It was approximately 44 degrees, and I really could have done with a pool! The weather is a factor that should be taken in consideration when travelling Europe between July-August.
I stayed at The Hat Hostel, which I could not rave about more. I loved the balcony in the dorm, the rooftop bar and the staff were so helpful at helping me to receive my new debit card after having my purse stolen in Barcelona.
Things to do in Madrid:
- Restaurante Los Galayos – Amazing restaurant right next to The Hat Hostel serving traditional Spanish dishes. I visited with my dorm roomie from my hostel, and we shared a huge serving of Paella that could have easily fed 4 people!
- Mercado de San Miguel – An 100-year old market that has became one of Madrid’s most tourist attractions! This quirky market is a stones throw away from the famous Plaza Mayor and is the perfect location for a stroll around or to grab some food and a drink from one of the 30 stalls.
- Plaza Mayor – One of the two public squares in Madrid, the second being Puerto Del Sol. Plaza Mayor, designed in 1619, is one of the prettiest squares in the whole of Spain, and offers a view point of the whole city.
I spent a total of £150 in Madrid, which included a pub crawl, laundry and an Uber to the airport. From Madrid, I decided to fly to Marseille in the South of France as opposed to catching the train. The train journey was looking complicated and required a long layover during the night, which I did not feel safe to do as a solo female traveller. I paid £60 for a flight to Marseille, which only cost me £40 extra compared to travelling via. train due to the requirement of seat reservations. However, it saved me approximately 10 hours of travel.
Day 15 – Day 16: Marseille, South France
With 24 hours in Marseille, I wanted to see as much as I could! I stayed at The People Hostel, which was okay. It wasn’t a very social hostel and their social events posters all appeared to be months out of date – which was a bit disappointing. Marseille itself was very busy due to visiting whilst the Olympics were being hosted in Paris.
I can’t pinpoint why but I didn’t feel particularly safe in Marseille as a solo female traveller, and I felt grateful that I had only planned to stay for 1 day. I also did not think there was much to see. Maybe I was walking in the wrong places, but the majority of my day was spent walking through empty streets!
Things to do in Marseille:
- Grab a bottle of Côtes du Rhônes, a french baguette and some brie from a grocery store and cycle down to the beach for a picnic.
- Le Cours Julien – known as the ‘bohemian quarter’ of Marseille, with quirky restaurants, cafés and bars. Street art covers every corner of this trendy neighbourhood, making it an interesting place to explore over a cocktail.
I spent a total of £70 in Marseille including a £30 toiletry shop, as I had to throw mine away to fly as I was only travelling with hand luggage. Does anyone else find the toiletries in European countries so ridiculously expensive compared to the UK? Especially SPF!
From Marseille, I travelled via. train to Nice which took 2.5 hours and I spent all of it on the floor! I didn’t need a seat reservation for this journey with my interrail pass and I boarded it far too late to get a seat.
Day 17 – 18: Nice, French Riviera
24 hours in Nice! I spent the day wandering the promenade whilst listening to a podcast, checking out the beach and drinking Aperol Spritz.
I really enjoyed my time in this French Riviera city, but I absolutely hated my hostel. It was a fault of my own for booking it so last minute – literally about 20 minutes before check-in – and I only looked at the ‘rating’ and not the reviews. My dorm had no air conditioning and no fan, meaning that the windows were left open all night which enabled a feast for the mosquitos. I won’t name and shame, but it was a lesson to say the least!
I would love to return to Nice to explore the local nature and swim in the nearby waterfalls. I definitely found my 2 days in France to be very expensive compared to the rest of my trip, as I spent £80 in 2 days in Nice.
From Nice, I embarked on a whole day of travel from Nice to Rome! I took 3 trains taking 9 hours in total, changing at Ventimiglia and Genova. It sounds horrendous, but I actually really enjoyed this day. My trip so far had been very active and very social, and I was thankful to spend a day sitting down and having some time to get some life admin done. I was so inspired by my travels, I spent this journey ordering the documentation that I need to apply for Irish Citizenship as my grandma is Irish, so that I can get my EU citizenship back (thanks Brexit) and move out of the UK!
Day 19 – Day 21: Rome, Italy
I spent 3 nights in Rome, and this Italian Capital exceeded all of my expectations! Rome was a highlight of my entire trip, and everyday was so amazing. I stayed at the Jo & Joe Hostel, and although it was on the pricier side of hostels, it was an incredible experience! I stayed in a 6-bed dorm and spent every day and night with my wonderful roomies. I felt so lucky to have met such amazing people, and I hope that our lives cross paths again one day.
As everyones dismay, I did not actually visit the tourist attractions in Rome. Not inside of them, anyway. The temperature in Rome was so hot during my visit, Vatican City was closed down early due to people passing out from the heat. I spent my time in Rome eating pizza and pasta and drinking Prosecco. I have no shame.
I spent £200 in 3 days in Rome. It would be wise to budget more if you plan on visiting the Roman Ruins, as tours can be quite pricey.
From Rome, I embarked on a 3-hour train journey to Naples. I was advised not to spend any time visiting Naples, so I took a coach to Sorrento directly from the train station.
Day 22 – Day 23: Sorrento, Italy
Sorrento stole my heart. I completely fell in love, and I am desperate to return. Located in the Campania region of Southern Italy, the Sorrentine Peninsula is located between the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. I stayed in The Florida Hotel, which had a dorm room within the hotel that I shared with 5 other lovely girls.
Things to do in Sorrento:
- Paddle Boarding Tour from Sorrento to Bagni Regina Giovanna – I booked this incredible tour on Viator. With a small group, I went out into the stunning sea on a SUP – travelling to Bagni Regina Giovanna, the location of the ruins of the Roman Villa of Pollio Felice, dating back 2000 years. It was on this tour I made friends with some teenagers and jumped off some cliffs into the sea. I really was pushing myself out of my comfort zone!
- La Colonna Sunset Bar – An outdoor bar offer an amazing view of the sunset over the coast. I arrived here 1 hour before sunset, grabbed a drink and journalled whilst watching the sun set over the sea. This is also a Michelin Star restaurant, but you can visit the bar separately.
- A’Marenna Bakery & Bistro – The best sandwich you will ever eat. However, be prepared to queue for 30 minutes and then wait another 30 minutes for your food. I can promise you, it’s worth the wait!
I spent a total of £150 in Sorrento, including coach transfers to and from Naples. Following Sorrento, I planned on visiting Florence. However, things were becoming trickier as I was working virtually for the remainder of my trip and many travellers were warning me about the heat in Florence. Therefore, I spontaneously decided to change my flight home from Florence, and I returned to Valencia in Spain for 8 more days. The final part of my trip was a mixture of remote working, partying and spending time on the beach with great people.
Thank you so much reading! I hope that this post helps you with planning your own adventure travelling Europe. I would love to read about your experiences in the comments.
This trip was one that had many twists and turns, as you can probably imagine for something that had so little planning. I went with the flow for the majority of it, and I spent far more than I had budgeted, but I have no regrets.
This time solo travelling Europe enabled me to connect with strangers from all over the world, which helped me to reconnect with myself. It was a soul exploring experience, and I feel so grateful that I work in a job that allowed me to travel for a month at a time that I really needed to.
Make sure to follow me on Instagram for more travel and wellbeing content.
