Europe is bursting with travelers. Not in a good way.
My travels have taken me to many amazing places. Although I enjoy all of the classic cities, I love finding hidden nuggets that haven’t quite been discovered yet.
Go Here Instead of There
Ischia and Procida instead of Capri
Capri is wonderful. Unfortunately it can be very crowded. Hop on the ferry from Naples and instead of Capri, go to Ischia or lovely Procida.
Ischia is a big island known for history and thermal baths. You can easily spend a week exploring the island. I was there on a girlfriend trip and we went to the thermal pools everyday. We even found a 2000 year old Roman spa where we had mud baths! We spent a day taking a relaxing boat ride around the island. It’s easy to get around on public transportation. It stands out as one of my most memorable trips.
How to get here: Take the ferry from Naples.
Where I stayed: Il Monestero Hotel in the Aragonese Castle
Amazing food and history in this former monastery. Rooms are rather sparse but you are living where nuns lived, so what do you expect? Don't miss the homemade orange cake while sitting in the rose garden overlooking the island.
https://ilmonasterocastelloaragoneseischia.com/en/
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| View from the Monestero Hotel |
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| Mud Baths were the highlight of the girls trip to Ischia! |
Procida is a much smaller fishing village. The picturesque multi color buildings and sea side restaurants won my heart. I think two days here would be sufficient. I wouldn’t hesitate to go here solo or with friends. Maybe combine with a trip to the Amalfi Coast or Ischia?
How to get here: Take the ferry from Naples or Ischia.
Where I stayed: Hotel Corricella
A lovely terrace and sea view. Small family owned. They also have a wonderful restaurant.
http://www.hotelcorricella.it/
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| Procida |
Ljubljana, Slovenia instead of Vienna
Ljubljana is one of my favorite cities in the world. It is a planned city designed for beauty, functionality, and pedestrians. Cafes line the rivers throughout the city. The food is amazing and the Slovenian people are very friendly. Of the former Yugoslavian countries, Slovenia is the most like their Austrian-Hungarian ancestors. I love Vienna, but I’ll take Ljubljana over Vienna any day.
Don’t miss the farmers market in the town square on Saturday or a visit to the castle that lords over the city. Plan enough time to spend a day or two at gorgeous Lake Bled (about 1 hr bus ride), go hiking in the Julian Alps, or take a bike tour around the city. I could easily spend a week there, solo or with friends.
How to get there:
Fly in from major European airports, or take the train if you're already in Europe.
If you happen to be visiting Venice, Ljubljana is a 3 hr drive. Bla Bla Car and FlixBus are under 30 euros.
Where I stayed: Hotel Mrak
Family owned, great breakfast, good location.
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| Lake Bled |
Krakow instead of Prague
Prague has become so crowded lately that it’s lost some of it’s charm for me. But Krakow is another story. It has a similar feel with the open town square and the old clock. Like Prague, it is rich in history with a prominent role in WW2.
Krakow has the largest medieval market square in Europe (Rynek Glówny) along with the gothic St. Mary’s Basilica and Wawel Castle.
I loved exploring the city, eating the Polish food, relaxing while listening to music and people watching at one of the many cafes around the market square. I’d be very comfortable going to Krakow solo or with friends. If you are interested in Poland during WW2, include a tour of Auschwitz or the Schindler‘s List tour. Or take a trip to the Salt Mines.
How to get there: Fly or train
Where I stayed: Hotel Gródek
A five star hotel right outside of the market square and Wawel Castle. Great food. It was a perfect location for me. I walked everywhere.
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| Krakow Old Town |
Budapest instead of Paris
It’s no secret how much I love Paris. But I realize there are those who might want to try something new, not to mention avoid the Paris crowds. If you love the drop dead gorgeousness of Paris you won’t be disappointed in Budapest. The architecture, the bridges, the Buda Castle lit up at night on the river are all spectacular. The farmers markets are fun, too. The thermal baths are a must. I was only there a few days but it’s definitely on my bucket list to go back and do a deep dive.
How to get there: Fly or train
Where I stayed: KK Hotel Opera
Central, right near the Opera house in a quiet upscale neighborhood close to public transportation. Gorgeous ornate Hungarian coffee shop nearby, also a laundromat a few streets over. Lots of fun bars and cafes. Perfect for solos, close to everything.
https://www.kkhotels.com/hotel/kk-hotel-opera-budapest/
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| Budapest at Night |
Croatia instead of Italy
Travelers have discovered Croatia in the last few years, but it is still not as popular or crowded as Italy. If you want beautiful scenery, history, interesting architecture, great food and really nice people, Croatia has it all.
Consider a small yacht (only 38 people total!) cruise tour to really experience what Croatia has to offer. The coastline is to die for! One of my best travel experiences was going with friends on a small yacht with Always Croatia from Dubrovnik to Split. Great for a group or a couple.
How to get there: Many flights fly into Dubrovnik or Split
My small yacht cruise: https://alwayscroatia.com/
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| Yacht docked at Hvar, Croatia |
Trogir instead of Split, Croatia
Split is a must see city in Croatia. If you’ve seen Game of Thrones, it was filmed in Split. Not much has changed in 2000 years in the old town. Unfortunately, Split has become pretty popular and can get very crowded.
Visit Split but avoid the crowds by staying just outside in a small fishing village called Trogir. You will thank me for this nugget! When flying into Split the airport is actually closer to Trogir. Trogir is an easy 15 minute taxi to and from the airport.
Trogir has wonderful restaurants and a seaside for lingering with a coffee or a glass of wine. You can easily go into Split for sightseeing, then go back to your uncrowded oasis in Trogir. You can also take the ferry from Trogir to various islands for the day.
I would not hesitate to take a solo trip to Trogir for a week.
How to get there: Easy flights into Split from European hubs.
Where I stayed: Hotel Pasike
There are many good hotels in Trogir, ranging from one star to five star. I suggest the adorable Hotel Pasike. It's right in the center of the old town with the seafront down the street.
Cavtat instead of Dubrovnik
Cavtat is a cozy seaside village just outside of Dubrovnik.
I’ve been several times with friends and solo. It’s between the Dubrovnik airport and Dubrovnik. It’s an easy 10 minute taxi/Uber from the airport. I took a flight from Paris Orly and stayed in Cavtat for a week. Perfect place for a solo trip!
What’s there to do there? Take a bus, boat, or taxi in to Dubrovnik from Cavtat, spend the day sightseeing with the thousands of other tourists, then gladly return to your quiet village by the sea. There are many boat companies offering excursions to nearby islands and wine tours if that’s your thing. Wonderful restaurants are everywhere. A walk/run around the point provides such gorgeous scenery you’ll be snapping pictures constantly.
How to get there: Easy flight into Dubrovnik. Uber to Cavtat.
Where to stay: Hotel Cavtat
For 4 star luxury, Hotel Cavtat is an easy walk from anywhere in Cavtat. Pool and great views of the water. I toured it while I was there and highly recommend if you want a high end hotel.
Where I stayed: Villa Pattiera
For a 2 star experience, I love Villa Pattiera. Owned and managed by a group of sisters, this little spotless gem sits right in the center of Cavtat, near the bank, bus station, and a grocery. They have an excellent restaurant and breakfast is included. I stayed solo recently and was treated like part of the family. Here's a video of my room: Villa Pattiera
https://www.villa-pattiera.hr/
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| Cavtat, Croatia |
Montenegro instead of Amalfi or Cinque Terre
If you want an alternative to the hordes of people in Positano or Cinque Terre, without sacrificing any of the beauty, Montenegro will blow you away.
I’m waiting for people to discover the beauty of Montenegro, the stunning little sister of Croatia. Both former Yugoslavian countries, Croatia is a member of of the EU and Montenegro is not. The currency of Montenegro is the Euro.
I visited Montenegro with friends and wouldn't hesitate to return solo.
By air: The airport in Tivit has flights all over Europe including Paris. Taxi to Kotor (see below) or wherever you are staying along the water.
By car: I hired a driver who brought us from Cavtat, Croatia. Because Montenegro is not a part of the EU, there can be a wait at the border.
Perast instead of Kotor, Montenegro
If your travels have taken you to Montenegro, most likely you’ve been to Kotor. Like Split, there is an old town surrounded by an ancient wall. It is worth spending a day/night here. But the cruise ships bring tourists daily, so if you want to avoid the crowds, get a taxi to take you to Perast instead.
Perast is the most charming baroque coastal village, lined with terracotta roofed houses. In the old days Perast was where the wealthy fishing captains lived. Many of those beautiful houses have been converted to inns and rentals.
In the Bay of Kotor in front of Perast is a picturesque island called Our Lady of the Rocks. Take a boat tour and explore the little island and enjoy the gorgeous scenery.
How to get there: Taxi from the Tivit airport or from Kotor. If coming from Croatia, take the bus or hire a driver.
Where I stayed: Hotel Conte
We wanted a mid range hotel on the water for just a couple of days. We ended up extending our stay because we loved Perast and Hotel Conte! The restaurant literally hangs over the crystal clear water where you can watch the fish while you enjoy your buffet breakfast.
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| Perast, Montenegro |
Santa Margherita Ligure instead of Portofino or Cinque Terre
SML is a beautiful seaside town just north of Cinque Terre and south of Genoa. There is an abundance of great restaurants and hotels and cozy back streets to explore. It is a wonderful spot for just relaxing and enjoying the small Italian town.
If you want to venture out, SML is a perfect base for exploring the area. Jump on the ferry to visit Portofino or Rapello for the day, or take the train or bus over to the darling town of Camogli. If you are missing the crowds, take the ferry on a very enjoyable ride to Cinque Terre for the day. Go hiking, see the villages, then gladly hop on the ferry back to your peaceful hamlet on the sea.
I've taken the train to Santa Margherita Ligure from Florence and from Milan. It's very easy. I highly recommend it for solos, couples, or groups.
How to get there: Fly into Milan or Florence, train from there.
Where I stayed:
Hotel Laurin
Inexpensive, clean, friendly hotel right in the middle of the harbor. Get a room with a sea view balcony. There is a roof top pool.
Imperiale Palace Hotel
This one is a splurge but one of my all time favorite experiences. The hotel was the former palace of an aristocratic Italian family. It is drop dead gorgeous. Breakfast on the veranda is a highlight. It is up the hill from the center of town so it's quite a workout to walk back from town. Close to the train station.
https://www.imperialepalacehotel.it
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| View of Santa Margherita Ligure from Imperiale Palace Hotel |
Places I love on the Amalfi Coast that aren't Positano or Sorrento--Coming Soon!
The Amalfi Coast is very popular. Stay tuned for an entire post that covers the uncrowded alternatives to Positanto and Sorrento!
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