After my first time to Europe and visiting only the popular cities in the West, I was dreaming of Eastern Europe the whole next year in University waiting for summer to come around. It took ages to plan my sample Eastern Europe itinerary – and I’m going to detail it all here for you now that it’s said and done.

I’ve written about all these cities before so there will be links throughout with proper guides. As I mentioned in my sample western Europe itinerary, I didn’t have the funds at the time to go to Ireland and Spain as they would have required flying with my time constraints. Therefore, I made sure to hit those up first before heading East.

I mentioned Ireland and Spain in my Western Europe itinerary and as I said you could do Ireland first, then the Western Itinerary I wrote about, ending in Spain, then flying to Greece so start this “Eastern Europe” itinerary. So, I will start with Greece now!

Sample Eastern Europe Itinerary for Backpackers

1. Athens, Greece. Flying into Athens was exciting, but nerve-wrecking as my backpack didn’t make it and I didn’t have anything but almonds and my journal in my carry-on. First thing to know about Athens, is in July and hot months no one is there. They are on vacation because it’s so hot! The city was a little dirty and desolate to be honest, but interesting and of course seeing the ancient ruins at Acropolis was very cool. Tips for travel to Athens.

2. Mykonos, Greece. Mykonos is a party island. From Athens, you need to take a ferry to the closest port and you’ll want to find a travel agent in town to book your ferry tickets. They’re a little pricey if you’re comparing to Thailand islands. Mykonos was gorgeous, expensive, had delicious food, and there are quiet areas if you know where to look; we found a cute apartment in a secluded area. Read more: The Best of Mykonos Greece

3. Santorini, Greece. In terms or partying and gorgeousness, Santorini takes the cake. There’s no question as to why this is the most tourist island. It’s stunning. You have the famous sunsets and that white on blue rounded architecture everywhere you look. Food was a little pricey but scrumptious and the shops were full of the cutest stuff. I couchsurfed here mainly to save money and also because we hadn’t experienced Greece like a local. We stayed with a model/scuba instructor and had a blast club hopping the whole time and exploring the island on bikes. Read on for tips: What I love about Santorini Greece: Scuba and the Gods

4. Corfu, Greece. Corfu is the “green” island. The water is so clear, but with lush green forests in the background. Actually, it looks a lot like Thailand. We stayed at popular party hostel the Pink Palace, which is retrospect was a mistake as they trap you a bit from seeing the local parts of the island.

5. Tirana, Albania. So Albania was a bit of an accident. We pretty much were stuck in Santorini and told we had to go to Italy in order to get to our next city (Dubrovnik). The only other option was taking a ferry to the southern bit of Albania and going via taxi north, as local buses are hit and miss. We did take local buses / hitchhike through Albania through Montenegro to Croatia. We started via local bus to Tirana and met a cool chick, Bena, who shared all the secret local hotspots of Albania with us, from beaches and bars to UNESCO sites.

6. Dubrovnik, Croatia. After a couple of days of unplanned travel, we made it to Dubrovnik and I was overwhelmed with how much I loved this city. If there was one place I wanted to go back to and take Ben, it would be this town. I know it’s become more touristy partially with help from Game of Thrones filming on the castle. It’s a medieval wonderful town. Fabulous food and so gorgeous overlooking the sea that I didn’t mind the small crowds. We stayed at a Sobe in the Old Town which I 100% recommend. They will find you at the bus station.

7. Sarajevo, Bosnia. Sarajevo was a bit of a culture shock after being in beach party towns, not to say we didn’t party in Sarajevo (I was only 20 after all). A place not so long ago destroyed by war, you can still see the destruction today and learning about the history of that war is very important. This was the first place I’d been that had a call to prayer, but was interesting in that there were also Christian churches and Synagogues in the same intersection. Also, the food was incredible as well as the coffee! Definitely buy a coffee set here.

8. Belgrade, Serbia. Not only interesting, but affordable. It’s a cool town to see but I was there only a short time. There was a beer festival in Belgrade happening so you can only imagine what I was up to. We found a hotel online and it was 3 bucks a night with breakfast. How is that possible!?

9. Budapest, Hungary. The first thing I learned about Budapest is that one side of the river is Buda and one side is called pest. I recommend doing a walking tour of the city to learn, and I also couchsurfed here. Mostly, we learned about what happened there during world war 2, which has always interested me. Make sure to visit the famous Szechyeni baths, which is a highlight of a trip to Budapest.

10. Krakow, Poland. Although I liked the walking tour and learned a lot, I found the city a bit boring. Perhaps the weather had something to do with it. I did enjoy the town fair and markets. I’m sure it was a fluke that I didn’t have a blast, but I would go back. Read more tips for visiting Krakow.

11. Prague, Czech Republic. Prague is incredible! Spend as much time here as you can. Affordable, great food, amazing history and architecture, and a fun nightlife. I couchsurfed here and loved seeing the city from a locals view. Read for some tips on Prague.

12. Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic. This place is about 4 hours from Prague by a cheap bus that offers hot chocolate and a movie! The town is the “last bohemian town” with a castle uniquely hand-painted to look like it’s more fancy architecture than it really is. There is a moat with beers, lots of little homey bars, and your hostel will possibly offer you a joint fix on arrival.

So, there you have it, my sample Eastern Europe itinerary based on my own trip. All in all I started the trip flying into Irelend, then flying to Spain, then onward via flight to Greece. The rest is as you read, then after Cesky, we took a bus back to Prague to fly to Ireland to catch the roundtrip flight home.

I had more fun on my trip to Eastern Europe than Western Europe, and although some people think it’s not as easy to travel, I found that wasn’t true except lack of buses in Northern Albania and Montenegro. It was very affordable and I learned a lot.

I hope you found this Eastern European backpacking itinerary helpful! Remember to find a cheap flight using my tips and get some travel insurance that covers adventure sports. If you’re planning a trip, check out my tips on how to plan a trip from scratch.

Pin this sample Eastern Europe itinerary for later:

The post Sample Backpacking Eastern Europe Itinerary first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Sample Backpacking Eastern Europe Itinerary appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Let’s say you’re rolling in the dough… you have so much money that you could pick random places to travel and not worry about budget. Usually I wouldn’t even consider this, but thanks to a reader’s e-mail, it’s been brought to my attention people like this exist!

They don’t want to know which places are convenient or easy to get to- they want to know what are the BEST and coolest places in the world. They may have all the money in the world but only a couple weeks to fly from place to place. I can’t say which are for sure the best, but I can give you my opinion!

So here we go, my 5 favorite cities in the World

except one is and island & one is a state, but hey, SEO ;)

1. Dubrovnik, Croatia.

It’s been getting this reputation of being too crowded and too touristy but it’s a stunning town. Here you’ll get to see the prettiest town I went to in Eastern Europe complete with a fairy-tale castle (the one from Game of Thrones), winding alleys like a small town in Italy, delicious pizzas and local food, and some of the greatest ocean views I’ve ever seen. On top of all that, it’s got a serious cultural bonus: you get to stay at a Sobe and have a local woman treat you one of their own kids. If you want to visit here, consider a full Croatia road trip!

2. Ko Lanta, Thailand.

Ko Lanta might not stay this way for long, but as of late it’s been known as the most beautiful sunset in the world… with not nearly enough people there to see it. Just the way I like it! Of course you have everything the other islands have: good food, great nightlife, and even better 5 star hotels, but having a whole stretch of beach to yourself in Thialand? Nothing better.

3. Goa, India.

There’s no greater adrenaline rush than coming to India, but if you’re short on time you won’t get to really take it all in. In a rush, just come to Goa and enjoy a mixture: get a massage for under a buck on the Arabic sea, indulge in coconut curries, wash a few elephants, take a spice plantation tour, and maybe even partake in one of the impressive Psy trance parties on Anjuna beach. Maybe I’m bias since this has been my home as of late, but Goa holds such a special place in my heart.

4. Corfu, Greece.

It’s said to be the most beautiful island in Greece. Other than the typical bright blue sea views, you get all that Greece is known for (seafood, white and blue houses, parties) and on top of that you have way fewer tourists than it’s counterparts Santorini and Mykonos. The island has a historic Old Town, a castle, forts, and plenty of outdoor activities. The island is “greener” than others and quite possible the most beautiful place in the Mediterranean.

5. Paris, France.

Paris, France photo source

Paris isn’t only for hopeless romantics; it’s for shopaholics and those who keep their noses buried in history books. Get dressed up in your favorite black outfit and pretend to be Parisian in one of the street side cafes. Wonder the Louvre and sip wine under the Eiffel Tower. Take the time to see Notre-Dame and peak through second-hand novels at the Shakespeare and Company book store. After all your site-seeing make sure you aren’t too tired to sip cognac and take on the luxurious nightlife.

The post My 5 Favorite Cities in the World first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post My 5 Favorite Cities in the World appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

When I got into green, beautiful, Croatia, I either kissed the ground, or… my imagination has warped and exaggerated the story over time. We couldn’t wait to get to Dubrovnik, hoping to stay at a sobe in Old Town.

Here’s the prequel: Megan and I had been traveling for over 2 days from Corfu, an island in Greece through Albania and Montenegro before we finally reached Croatia. It was all a nice little accident; we originally thought we could take a ferry from Corfu straight to Croatia. We were silly. The journey- ferry, bus, mini-bus, hitchhike, taxi, bus- was exhausting but exhilarating because we felt like explorers, only, we didn’t know the language, currency, or where we were located on a map. At one point I wasn’t sure which country we were in. I was pretty into Carmen Sandiego when I was little, but obviously never won that computer game.

At this time, Albania, Montenegro, and Croatia were not part of the EU (Croatia now is). That means we should get our passports checked at border control. Ha, so that wasn’t quite how it went down, maybe because while racially profiling, they decided we were awesomely sweet and innocent, therefore welcoming us into the country with open arms regardless of our nationality.

This post is really hard to write because Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic, was one of my favorite cities in Eastern Europe, but there was so much more in Croatia I want to experience! Like usual, I hadn’t done enough research. We knew there were some other options like Split, Zagreb, Ljubljana, the many islands, and the Plitvice Lakes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But with little time allowance, we chose Dubrovnik, along the beautiful Adriatic coast, and stayed for 4 days.

The “staying” is where it gets really exciting.

Where do you stay in Croatia: a guesthouse? Hostel? Hotel? Nope. Just women from the bus stop. They’re selling rooms in their homes to make a living, like the new airBnB. The rooms are called sobes, but the women offering up these rooms aren’t all as cute as you’d think. They can be quite aggressive, swarming the bus and ferry arrivals, each one hoping you pick them, and angry when you don’t. “you want room? Sobe? Good price! Near old town! Map map! Good price!” they all tell you in unison. Although, not unlike any other tout at a bus stop, it’s strange coming from these little old ladies.

We initially checked out a campsite- 20 E with no tent provided… no thanks. So we went back to the bus stop and chose our sobe after some horrible negotiating. We settled on 500 kuna, about 16 bucks, split between the two of us. That was her original offer. She was a tough old broad. We got lucky with an awesome private room at a good location overlooking old town. She drove up to the house from a back road, and showed us from the front how we could simply walk down approximately 500 stairs and be in the city. I only fell face first down them once (maxi dresses had just become popular, my legs were confused).

 yep, fell down these.

view from our room 

Another “easier” ways to stay with at a sobe is to go to any tourism office in town to have it arranged. The benefit for you is an easy booking with photos to guarantee what type of place you’re staying in. The downside is, you usually pay a little more in booking fees, plus the middleman will take even more off the top, meaning the sobe gets less money. Obviously, an alternative option is to not stay at a sobe at all. There are hostels, campsites, and hotels, but sobes are an interesting and fun part of Croatian culture. These women are hardened from years of war, and actually being around them is a little intimidating. You can see in their faces and bodies they have worked hard their whole lives and seen such intense things- how silly they must think us backpackers are! Although seeming unapproachable, they are welcoming… maybe only because that’s their business. Our lady made us tea and juice, and even offered us dinner that we refused, so that we could go out into town.

Are the Sobes safe?

It’s really unregulated. In Eastern Europe, even places we stayed in from Hostelworld were simply someone’s home. Could you get everything stolen and leave with bedbugs crawling all over your luggage? Maybe, but come one that’s probably not going to happen. You can book through the Croatian site that sobes should register with.  but it will probably cost you more than just showing up.

photo credit: flickr

What To Do in ‘Old Town’ of Dubrovnik

Eat a Mea Culpa. Delicious, enormous pizzas for about 5 euros. I got the four cheese with corn, scrumptious! Then get some gelato.

Check out the Castle’s Ancient City Walls. You can pay to walk the castle walls, which I didn’t do, but I’m sure would offer even more amazing views of the Adriatic Sea. The “Walls of Dubrovnik” have protected Croatia since the 7^th century, and were never breached during the Middle Ages, making them the best! They became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Even as late at 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, This wall prevented Yugoslavia from completely demolishing the Old Town.

Free Walking Tour, which I didn’t do. But I LOVE a free walking tour so it’s a shame I missed this one, seeing as though the history in Croatia is not so far in the past.

Wander around Old Town.  All cities with a castle are magical. I’m going to go ahead and make that bold statement. Dubrovnik is no exception. The city is magnificent; the stone streets, amazing views, and couples there on destination weddings. The shopping is a little pricey, but the food is on the cheap! The streets are full of entertainers… and stray cats.

Use Dubrovnik as a hub to an island. Popular destinations are Mljet (a national park) and Korcula.

Take a cable car ride to see views from above the city. The restaurant is pricey but worth the views!

photo credit: flickr

Museums. There’s one to celebrate the Croatia War of Independence and the only popular one is War Photo Limited. I unfortunately didn’t make time for these, so can’t offer any tips.

Lay out at Copacabana beach. Who doesn’t love a good book at the beach. Right now I’m reading “Seriously…I’m Kidding” by Ellen Degeneres. It’s fantastic!

 feature image credit: flickr

The post Dubrovnik: Stay at a Sobe in Old Town first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Dubrovnik: Stay at a Sobe in Old Town appeared first on Hippie In Heels.