The French capital. One thing springs to mind when you think of Paris: that big ol structure that towers over the French Gothic architecture
I’ve always put off visiting Paris and France for one reason or another.
You hear it’s overrated, dirty, and expensive.
The latter is correct depending on where you decide to spend your days. The others, it couldn’t of been further from the truth.
Paris is the best city in Europe I’ve been too. My mind has been made.
Here’s why
Day 1
Don’t jump straight into activities. The abundance of them can be overwhelming. Know what you want to see, and book in advance.
Tourist season = no space.
Take a walk around the districts. The wine villages. Take in the smell of the bakeries and the food Paris has to offer.
Cafes are everywhere. Sitting outside and watch the world go by with an espresso or beer is something I latched onto quickly. It’s unique. It’s Paris. The late-night meals and the family’s out and about, talking till midnight.
Day 2
Time to explore. There’s lots to get done in a few days. I highly recommend going for 4-5 days to get the best experience.
Invalides: the dome church and Napoleans’s tomb. An absolute must-visit in Paris. A feat of art and literature you won’t quite see anywhere else.
The dome is home to the soldiers’ chapel.
On the other side of the dome is Napoleon’s tomb.
After this we stopped for lunch at Le Ju.
I’m sorry, Italy, I love you. This pasta is the best I’ve ever had. At the price of €13.
Paris is not expensive, if you know where to look.
Keeping it cheap
Sometimes it feels like you spend endless amounts of money in one day. You want to keep it cheaper. This won’t cut into your experience at all.
Baguette & cheese from the local cafe.
Coupled with a bottle of wine or any drink. Split the costs at €5 each.
Not a bad view either. The Effie Tower. Sparkling at 11pm. You’ve got yourself a cheap and memorable night.
Sometimes the simpler things are the ones you remember the most.
Day 3
Get to the Louvre. Book in advance. Don’t miss it. The art in this museum is incredible.
If you were to see every single piece, it would take 13 days.
Mona Lisa. I waited in line for 45 minutes to take this. It’s worth it. A strange feeling queuing to see a picture on the wall, though.
She’s grinning by the way.
ONYX – Paris
Fancy 5-course meals and a night out? This restaurant held us for 3 hours. No idea where the time went. Probably sped up by the wine. The food, exquisite nature of it all. The service, impeccable. We started with red tuna. Wagyu steak. Finishing the evening, lemon sorbet. I had 3 of the best meals I’ve ever had in one sitting.
It was pricey, but definitely worth the experience of feeling like James Bond for the night.
Knowing that there’s 100’s of other restaurants like that in Paris, filled me with fear and joy.
How can one possibly enjoy everything Paris has to offer?
You can, if you stay for 2 weeks and have more money than France’s GDP.
The city surprised me. Don’t believe everything you read in the news. I fell victim to this; you shouldn’t have either.
Not a title you see very often, though, you’ll know that there isn’t a truer sentence out there. Or you’re about to find out. No matter what country you’re in, their national store is a hub to keep you going day by day.
Every country has a unique set of laws. Opening times, alcohol licensing and the contents of what the store sells. Subconsciously, we all have our favourite in which we seem to levitate. Let’s call it a leader board, because that’s exactly what it is.
If you’re backpacking on a budget, they can be a lifesaver. Being on the road for a long period. It’s not ideal to eat out at restaurants every night.
Take 7\11. They’re all over the world. But in Thailand? They’re elite
7/11 is open all night in Thailand. It’s 8 pm. You’re hungry but don’t fancy adding a big meal to your expenses for the day. You also want something healthy. Balance is essential, of course.
The toasties of Thailand. Warmed behind the counter in less than 5 minutes. While they may not be the healthiest, they are divine. Pair this with a Banana, or any fruit for that matter. Bottle of water too. You’re winning. Take it where you want, sit on the curb and watch the world go by. With some good company, that’s a cheap and memorable night.
That’s under £3. or $4 for the night. Fancy adding noodles? Well, the price just went up by about 0.40 pence or 0.60 cents for the night. Compound this maybe 2-3 times a week. You’re onto a money saver.
Who am I kidding? Southeast Asia is cheap, even to eat out at restaurants.
The real money saver is when you start doing this in Europe. Especially when it comes to Paris, London, Barcelona and so on.
Maldita Dulzura Cafe. Valencia. AKA best sandwich ever.
Europeans will be Europeans. Early closures, opening stores at their own convenience. The customer is, in fact, not king there.
It’s part of European culture, especially in Spain, to close during the day. Life is a balance (sorry Americans).
You’ve always got to keep your eye on the opening times. Most of the time a shop will be open most of the evening.
The food quality here, especially in the markets? formidable.
Take your average dinner experience in Europe. You go to a lovely restaurant in Madrid Central. You’re backpacking. a week in. a month in. You take a look at the bill and it’s €40 each. You think, my word, i will not survive long doing this every night.
On holiday, sure. Backpacking for 2-3 months? no.
If you have the financial means to do so, congratulations.
After digesting the shock of restaurant prices in big cities in Europe. It’s time to turn to the supermarkets for 2-3 nights a week.
This is where Carrefour comes in. The mighty hypermarket across Europe (Not the UK).
Same routine as 7/11. One night, we had a hotel, a kitchen, and an empty stomach. Most hostels have them too.
Let’s cook paella, we thought. Make the most of the amenities around youwhen you have them. I won’t list all the ingredients here. You want to know the price, not cook with me episode 1.
After swooping around Carrefour for a while. We spent a grand total of €14 between 2 people compared to €45 each. It was huge, and we had a portion for the next day.
If you don’t have a kitchen in an Airbnb or Hostel. Or simply can’t be bothered. Just simply find less hassle meals that are equally nice.
Truth, eating out every night becomes stale after a while. Mix it up. Keep it healthy. Try local foods and expand your knowledge to take home. There is a wealth of foods around Europe for everyone’s taste.
You will save an absolute fortune, and it will compound fast if you do it frequently. You’re now equally as full and get to enjoy more experiences with your saved cash.
The Hi Giang Loop is the best thing to do in Southeast Asia. I will run this narrative to the ground. The Motorbike journey takes place in the northern province of Vietnam near the Chinese border. The routes are varied, and equally unique and beautiful.
The trip gives you a real insight to Vietnamese life for ordinary villagers living in the valleys. You can choose to go for 3-5 days, though, I highly recommend picking the 3-day tour. It’s more than enough. This is a great opportunity for solo traveler’s. You meet a whole host of new people and have a great chance of building friendships.
Firstly, you need to choose who to go with. The name that pops up again and again is Jasmine. It’s popular, and they ride very fast round the loop. Most of their riders fly past you on the road, displaying the consequences of that through obvious injures with bandages.
We chose Mad Monkey Hostel and Mama’s Hostel. Both were very similar, but Mama’s group was extensive compared to Mad Monkeys. The smaller the group, the better for the Hi Giang Loop.
I loved it so much, in fact, that I went twice. I had a driver for the first trip, and I rode my own bike the second time I did it. Both are very different experiences. If you aren’t confident on a motorbike or have no experience. I highly recommend you get a rider and sit on the back.If youare experienced, ride the bike yourself. Its cheaper and worth it.
Day 0
Again, depending on who you go with, your itinerary will look a little different. For this example, we’ll go with Mad Monkey.
You get picked up from the Mad Monkey hostel in Hanoi at around 13:00 in the afternoon. We’d just come in from a flight at 6 am, so we were already exhausted by this point. The Mad Monkey Hostel will arrange the entire trip for you after you pay at the Reception. Food & accommodation is included in the costs.
The minivan will pull up and pick you up straight outside the hostel. After some more pickups with likeminded folk, you’ll soon be on your way. After a few hours, you will reach the starting point of your 3-5 day journey on the motorbikes. Be excited, it’s justified.
You’ll arrive in what seems like a small town. Everyone will be dropped off at their homestay for the night. My friend and I were put in a group with 3 other lads. All from the same country, and a small group, so that was pretty awesome. Much like Love Island, chucked into a house getting to know each other on the first day. You’ll be given food to eat and a drink to wash it down.
Day 0 is over, and the accommodation was way better than I expected. Take a look for yourself. Good food, great hospitality and great beds. Bring on day 1.
First night accommodation
Day 1
Early start. It’s hot, so you’ll rise early by no choice of your own. Unless you’re adapted to SE Asian heat (I’m not, thanks England).
Breakfast down, 7-9am and you’ll meet your easy riders if you booked to ride on the back of one. The bike will be given to you if you’re riding yourself.
You’ll be shown the route of your trip and where you’ll stop and when. You don’t really need to pay that much attention to this. You’re going the way your rider takes you anyway.
Day 1 begins. You’ll be riding through the lowlands of the Vietnamese mountains. It gets a little chilly on the bike higher in the mountains. Make sure you bring some waterproofs and a layer. You’ll be on the bike for a few hours till lunch. Take a pillow for the bike, your ass will hurt after 3 days of non stop sitting down. Don’t make that mistakeloads of us have
Afternoon pitstop. The lunch every day, for 3 days, was incredible. The options of Vietnamese food coming out on the platter that’s shared around your group. There’s more than enough to go around. They also top it up if you ask.
Night time
Karaoke, good food, good people. Mingling with the other groups at the homestay after riding around the Vietnamese mountains. It’s as good as it sounds. The eventful nights make the Hi Giang loop what it is. Community. The riders will make it unforgettable for you and put on events until the early morning.
3am guitar sessionThe Vietnamese love a partyTrying their best at English Karaoke
Day 2
Day 2 will consist of riding in the upper mountains. Depending on who you go with, a boat tour too. You snake through the mountains on the bikes. The roads can be quite choppy but you can trust your rider. You’ll stop off at some unbelievable view points for regular breaks. This is a chance to take a rest have a snack and a laugh with others. Take some pictures of the viewpoints. It’s truly like nothing else you’ll experience.
Day 3
The Chinese Border. After a few eventful days, you’ll start on your final rodeo to the mountainous range near the Chinese border. It’s full of drones and people watching you without you knowing. Forget all of that, though. One of the members in a different group decided to fly a drone over to the Chinese side. It got shot down within a minute of it being airborne. You don’t want that trouble.
It’s faint. However, the white line on the mountains is a fence that the Chinese built. It’s quite remarkable how they managed to do it. There is a village at the bottom of the hills. The border has undergone many changes over the years. Due to this, the locals on either side have had some issues with residency.
Some riders don’t, but most of the time, the guides speak good English. It’s always worth asking questions about the places you are looking at. Otherwise, you are just looking at nature without cause.
As per our guides voice, this road was built by the villagers. Whom were very young boys, and it took them over a year to finish the road. With no supplies or authority. They risked their lives so the village brings supplies in by cutting out the long and dangerous route. Local community is everything here, it’s commendable.
The road stretches for over 8 miles on the side of the mountain.
The journey comes to an end. Congratulations. You’ve had some of the best 3 days of your life. You’ll be taken to the rendezvous point by your riders. You’ll be seen off in the minivan in which you came in back to your respective hostels. it’s like clock work they had it all covered. Don’t forget to tip your easy riders. These guys work very hard and it can be forgotten how hard they work when they’re in the background. In the best way possible, your tip is a monthly wage for them. Be generous if you can, they deserve it.
Here are some more photos from the trip so you can get a feel of what you’re going into. Enjoy!
Every day, there’s something, someone, and somewhere new. The fundamentals of travel never really change.
However, the first few days and weeks of your very first solo trip can be tough to navigate, but rewarding. All my friends at home have been somewhat confused yet inspired to travel alone.
I always get tons of questions, and the ranking of most frequent go something like:
Did you get bored alone?
Did you feel lonely?
How do you know where to stay? What if you don’t like it
How does it feel knowing life is moving on without you at home don’t you feel like you’re missing out?
After staying in a hotel in Italy on my first few days of my 2-month Europe trip, it was time to go into my first hostel I ever stayed in. I think I stood at the door for a solid 5 minutes, wondering if what I was doing was really for me.
1 hostel became 2. 1 conversation led to fruitful friendships. 1 bus became the best place I’d ever seen before. Taking the steps you necessarily aren’t inclined to take are the ones you need to take. it’s the snowball effect, once you get it rolling the confidence will grow and so will you.
You can do this.
I had a plan for my trip, deciding where to go and what to see. Initially, I planned to travel solo, but I made lifelong friends along the way and ended up visiting most of my chosen destinations with them, many of which I have stayed in touch with and have seen since. The thing about travelling and meeting strangers is you find that you align with people who are meant for you. I am no psychologist, but we connect with some people more than others and that really shows when you travel and select people based on interests, connections, and comfort around them.
While I did spend some days alone, I enjoyed those moments just as much. it’s okay to be on your own and do things alone; you learn to be comfortable in yourself, and that’s a key step in being a well-rounded individual. I loved the freedom to make spontaneous choices, like deciding to go to Budapest on a whim after deciding 3 hours prior without anyone holding me back. Putting the headphones on in the bus, wondering what’s coming tomorrow, calling home and seeing if everyone’s okay. There is no feeling like it. Being free to do what you want, when you want.
The more people you try to meet and talk to, you’ll find they also have better ideas of what to do than you originally came up with. Do some research and ask around the best places to stay or have a look online at reviews. Can you imagine what it would have been like to travel 30 years ago? we have everything at our fingertips, it’s too easy.
convrsley, if you’re more of a relaxed person who simply wants to mind their own business. Check out what hostels are quiter and what are party hostels. It’s truly up to you what kind of experience you want to have
Staying in a room with strangers you can talk to, not knowing what tomorrow brings, Nights with no plans then ending up going out with a bunch of people. Hearing stories from people around the world makes four hours feel like just four minutes. When you’re reading this, just know your story is out there to be written, go write it.
The greatest advice I could give is no one knows who you are. You are not in the box you grew up in at home where people have pre-determined opinions or expectations from you. You create your path and decide where you goand who you want to be. Most of these people you will never see again, and being yourself leads to better connection to people that are right for you on your trip.
You’ll feel happy.
You’ll think about your life at home.
You’ll consider your professional situation.
You’ll wish it would last forever.
Some days won’t go as planned.
Other days will go just the way you want.
The first days will feel freeing, the first weeks will mean smiling with strangers, and then comes reflection towards the end.
In the end, you may not find yourself as others say you will, I dont believe in this notion. But you’ll become someone you never imagined you could be and develop a new appreciation for life.
Solo. Together. Anywhere. 