Yvonne ChayContributed by Yvonnesher
Wander
…and be free. Do things that you have never done before. Step out of your comfort zone. Talk to strangers. Make new friends. Jump off the cliffs. Dive into the sea. Dance with the locals. Go to world famous festivals. Conquer your fear. Complete that bucket list.
Do things that make you happy. Do things that make you feel alive. Life is too short to have too much hesitation, or to be bound by too many obligations. Why did I decide to pack my bags and embark on this crazy trip? All I can say is: Live a life that you will remember.
Above all, be a proud Singaporean. Be surprised at how many people know about Singapore, and how fascinated they will be to finally be able to meet a Singaporean in the flesh. I brought a part of Singapore with me (the Singapore flag, of course) to serve as a reminder of home, as a bittersweet memory of the things i left behind. I also made little postcards, along with these little stickers of Singapore, as gifts for the new friends that I met.
Also read: A Budget Singaporean Journey: 50 Days & 13 Countries in Europe for SGD 3900
Bring a part of you, WITH YOU. I personally custom-made a banner and made everyone I met on the road sign it for me or write something in their language. No better way to remember each and everyone of them!
Where to stay?
Throughout the 4 months, I travelled, I couchsurfed, stayed in hostels, on friends’ couches (many!), or in buses/trains/airports. Be careful where you hobo. Buses/trains/airports are relatively safe since they are confined areas. I slept in Geneva airport, where they locked the airport from 12 midnight, but met a weird character in a sleeper train from Moscow to St Petersburg, and met a traveller who got his backpack stolen after a power nap at the train station in Prague. Crime can happen anywhere. I never locked my backpack since it has too many zippers, but never once did I lose my stuff. Other words, keep valuables in your daypack and keep it safe like your baby, at ALL times. Don’t make yourself a crime target.
What is Couchsurfing? Couchsurfing is a hospitality exchange and social networking website, as defined by Wikipedia. To me, it is a traveller platform where you get to meet and connect with like-minded people from all over the world, from all walks of life. DISCLAIMER: IT IS NOT A DATING SITE.
Over the 4 months I travelled, I met up to 200 wonderful couchsurfers from all over the world, and I couldn’t be more thankful! There were those that hosted me, those that I partied with, went climbing with, or had a roadtrip with. Many of these meet-ups blossomed to form wonderful friendships that I cherish dearly.
Also read: Impossible! Just SGD 800 for 19 Days in Europe?!
COUCHSURFING IS NEVER ABOUT FREE ACCOMMODATION. Always remember to give back – be it giving a small gift from home, cooking a meal for your hosts, or simply doing something to show your appreciation for their hospitality. Do not abuse couchsurfing!
Couchsurfing changed my life. It was probably the best thing that ever happened to myself as a traveller. Not only could I experience the local culture, I saw places from a local perspective and got an insight into their lives. I stayed with so many awesome hosts – from a hippie house in Santorini, Greece to a music house in Lucerne, Switzerland to a farmhouse in Inverness, Scotland and even got invited to San Fermin in Pamplona, Spain! In Munich, also known as a party city, I opted to stay in a hostel knowing that I wouldn’t be able to spend much time with my host if I couchsurfed.
Most of the time, when I want to stay in hostels, I simply walked-in rather than book in advance to avoid paying online booking fees. However, for some popular destinations, be prepared to pay more/book in advance or you might be left stranded! Most of the hostels in Europe cost about €10 per night or less.
If you have a bigger budget, try Airbnb. I met Pierre on the train from Belgrade to Timisoara, and he offered to let me leave my backpack with him for the day, so I could explore Timisoara before taking the night train to Bucharest! Pierre’s Airbnb apartment costs €25 per night, and it’s simply gorgeous! Personally, I prefer hostel to Airbnb, as I got to meet more travellers! In Kotor, Montenegro, I met Jack and Volkan in the hostel and we explored the old town together.
Pack
… only things that you need. Buy things that you need. Anything else just adds weight to your bag, and most of the time you don’t use any of it at all. I had a 20kg backpack and 5kg daypack, and 30% of the things I brought along were hardly used at all. I clearly overpacked.
I didn’t bring my underwater camera since I only went diving in Malta for a week. I didn’t bring my camera since I have my trusty iPhone 6. I didn’t bring my selfie stick since i pretty much use what’s available as a tripod. Yup, that was how I took my awesome selfies.
I didn’t bring toiletries because it makes more sense to buy them along the way. I brought along 4 pairs of shoes, but I ended up throwing 2 pairs away and hardly wore the other 2. Brought 8 bikinis and wore 3, brought winter clothes but ended up losing all of them, so I bought new ones in Serbia (60% cheaper than Singapore). Pack wisely. If you are able to pack all you need into one bag, you save a lot from not checking in your luggage! This is especially since budget airlines like Easyjet only care about the sizes and NOT the weight of your hand luggage.
I do very little shopping during my trip – clothes are not exactly cheap in Europe, so don’t even bother. Sending yourself postcards is probably the best way to remember the countries you travelled to.
Souvenirs are too heavy, so you can consider paying postal fees to mail them back home (though be warned: most of the time, it won’t even reach you).
Where to go?
Where do you want to go? When do you want to go? What do you want to see? Summer or winter? I am crazy, and ambitious to travel from summer to winter – hence my 25kg baggages. “How can someone so small carry so much? Do you really need so many things?” are the common phrases I got. Honestly, my trip itinerary didn’t really flow well, and I went all over the place. The reason? The festivals I wanted to go to fell on dates that didn’t sync with a smooth travel plan! I went to Paris for a stopover but flew to Madrid for Pride week.
Belgium for Tomorrowland, Croatia to see the Games of Thrones filming scenes, England to see Stonehenge, Greece to chase sunset at Meteora, Amsterdam to smoke the hell of myself, Munich to see Neuschwanstein Castle, Berlin to party at Berghain!
Have a goal/purpose and don’t go for the sake of adding another country to your world map. Do not rush, stay a few days in each city/country, or you will miss out the whole point of travelling. The first 2 months of my trip were pretty well planned, with flights and accommodation all booked diligently. The third month onwards, I stopped planning and simply went with the flow. Woke up, look at the map and decide where I wanted to go next. It was so much fun to be without fixed plans – no frills, nothing.
What to eat?
To eat WELL… was not in my itinerary. Hahaha! I ate alot of bread in Europe, and NO, I do not like bread. But it is the best way to save money. One trip to the grocery store which costs €5 lasted me for 6 meals over 3 days.
Also read: A Complete Guide to Getting Around Europe
You must try the local cuisine too. I made it a point to try at least one traditional cuisine in every city/country I visited. Like this awesome Russian pancakes!
Remember the reason you are traveling! I tried grilled rabbit in Malta, haggies in Scotland etc. Not my favorite but you just need a taste of the local cuisine. You will be fascinated by the food as much as the culture~!
Cook out! You get to try different kinda home cooked cuisine as well! Like the Serbian cuisine with this lovely bunch, over wine and lotsa laughter.
Be Responsible
…to yourself and don’t put yourself in unnecessary danger. Trust your basic instinct. Anything feel not right? Run. Always remember, nobody can force you to do anything when you say NO. Stay safe. Stay vigilant. (And now I sound like crime watch. Haahhaa!) I was walking along some dark alley in Timisoara, and when I felt that something was wrong, I immediately turned back and walked away. Always ask yourself if anything feels wrong. Another time I was in the local bus crossing borders from Austria to Germany, there were police on standoff and the whole situation was pretty intense. No, I do not know self defense or have any weapons like knives or pepper spray with me. Well, I tend to believe the good in people! Yes, I am afraid that I will get robbed, so my advice to you is: don’t bring too much cash (remember the don’t put all eggs in one basket theory!), and don’t bring your passport around, a copy will suffice. And most importantly, don’t look stupid. Your facial expression tells it all, or if you have a “come-rob-me-face” with a mega hat with map and big ass DSLR, YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY LOOKING FOR TROUBLE. Be confident but not cocky, and I promise you will be fine. Travel light; the bigger the bag, the bigger the target. You will definitely meet some weird characters no matter how careful you are, and some experiences can be really hilarious, just like this!
Mingle with the locals
Yes, when in a foreign country, do as the locals do. Be friendly! Make friends! That’s the best way to see the country. Try to blend in with the locals!
Most of them are just curious to encounter a solo traveller. In Eastern Europe, it is uncommon to see Asians. I met these fabulous kids at the train station at the border of Serbia before heading to Romania. They were so excited to meet foreigners like myself and were so keen to practice their English. They even asked if we could have a selfie/welfie, I love their enthusiasm – one of the many lovely encounters I had!
Eat where the locals eat, shop where the locals shop, and you definitely will discover good finds and hidden spots! Special thanks to Toni for bringing me to a great local pancake shop within the touristy areas!
Very often, you find yourself to be the only foreigner in the place and that’s honestly the best feeling in the world. Don’t be afraid of stares, people are just thinking how you found the local hangout and might even start a conversation with you! I met Niko at a Greek restaurant in Athens and he became my tour guide exploring Athens!
Don’t be afraid to get lost! It often leads you to the best view like this.
I met random strangers outside the club in Berlin and they brought me to a local club only known by the locals! I met Ivan in the club in Dubrovnik, and he brought me to watch the nightview + sunrise overlooking the King’s landing.
Usually, I will ask my host where to go or even any strangers I met on the way, like from the groceries store or random strangers on the street. Somehow, they will direct you to the best place to eat. Remember to always ask the price first before placing your order since everything is mostly in the local language. Most importantly, trust your instincts! If you sees a place crowded with locals, you are definitely at the right place!
Learn the universal
…language. Learn to speak the basic like “Hello” and “Thank you”, it goes a long way. Personally, I learnt to say “I love you” in many different languages. (I know it in 20 languages now!) Why? Because it works better than Hello! Whenever I say “I love you” to strangers in their language, they smiled and giggled, and asked where I learnt it from. It’s definitely a good ice-breaker. They will even try to speak to you in their native language! Just remember to smile and let them know that you don’t understand. Speak slowly. Singaporeans have a bad habit of speaking too fast. Slow down, listen and ask. Rule of thumb: ask more than 3 persons for directions or for anything you are unsure of. Yah, I even missed my train in Timisoara because the ticket person didn’t understand English.
Save
…as much as you can. You never know when the money will come in handy. Always be prepared. I split the money in my bank account into 3 different portions – one part for my travel, one part for my expenses/bills back home while I travel, and one part when I’m back home to reality and looking for a job. How do I save for my travel? Sell things that you don’t need. Pack lunch to work. Cut down on partying. Temporarily terminate your mobile line, internet services or gym membership to cut down the costs since you’ll be away for months. All these efforts will pay off eventually. Citibank offered great ATM withdrawal services without admin charges. HOWEVER, during my 4 months travel, I only saw 2 Citibank ATMs, in Romania and Hungary. Apparently, Citibank are not very popular in Europe. But fret not, their ATM cards can withdraw cash almost everywhere in Europe with a minimal administrative charges. I withdrew €500 each time and it lasted me for weeks.
Transportation
How to travel through Europe? I took many flights, and most of the time, fares are reasonable if you book in advance. For instance, my flight from Dublin to Brussels cost me €35. Do check out the budget airlines Aegean airlines, Vuelings, Ryan Air, Wizz arilines and EasyJet. The fares are fairly reasonable, except the check-in baggage prices are a killer!
The cheapest way is to travel through the countries by buses. Most of us assume that trains are the cheapest option. However, they are only cheap when you get youth rates or plan far in advance. So far, I took less than 3 trains in Europe. The most challenging trip was in Russia – the person who sold me the ticket speaks only Russian, the tickets are in Russian, and I needed to be fully alert to know where to alight or God knows where I would end up!
Car pooling aka Bla Bla Car would be another option. A train ride from Switzerland to Belgium would have cost me at least €100 thanks to expensive Swiss train systems, but I saved a lot by using Bla Bla Car. Sadly, I did not have a very positive experience. It was literally a disaster, as the driver couldn’t understand or speak English and it took us hours to find each other! Bear in mind that communication is crucial especially for pick-up and drop-off points.
Check out the local buses like Megabus, Meinfernbus, Orangeways and Student Agency, which has really good deals if you book in advance. For instance, a bus ride from Barcelona to Paris can cost as little as €10! I didn’t really plan my trip in advance, so even for last minute bookings, the prices were reasonable. The only problem with buses is that you need to know the location of the bus stops. The only time I missed my buses is when I can’t find the bus stops. For Eastern Europe, little information is available online and you need to buy the tickets physically at the station, where no one speaks English.
Hitchhiking! I met so many random drivers in Europe but of course you need to be careful too. If there are more than 2 persons in a car, or if the driver looks dodgy, then NO. Don’t leave your backpack at the back of the car. Always look at the map to make sure that you are on the right track. Trust your gut feel. My worse (or rather weirdest) experience was in Montenegro, when the driver who picked me up brought me for coffee with his friends instead of dropping me off at the place I wanted. Other than that, my experiences so far were really positive!
Walk. I walk a lot everyday, and to be honest it was enjoyable to walk. You see more things, and see the little details that no one pays attention to, such as this beautiful piece of art in Madrid.
I walked approximately 40km a day in Barcelona, Spain! Yup, the city ain’t that big and most of the attractions are clustered together. It saved me a lot of money because transportation was not exactly cheap. It is a good way to keep fit too. How to gauge how long a walk is? Trust 50% on Google Map and 50% your judgement. A 1 hour walk is manageable but a 3 hour walk might be too much to get to a destination. The craziest walk I had was the 5km walk from my host’s place to the bus station just to save a few €. Call me crazy, but that few € goes a long way, baby!
Lastly, I’m wrapping this post up with the final expenses of my 4 month adventure. I must say that it is quite decent at €7500, considering my extensive drinking, partying and many boo-boos with missing flights/buses/trains.
I guess I pretty much covered what you need to know travelling around Europe as a solo female traveller. If you plan your trip well, I’m sure you can save heaps! But the best things in life are absolutely those spontaneous adventures that were unplanned. #JustSaying
SO HAPPY PLANNING Y’ALL!
Thank you for journeying with me through another crazy adventure. I could not have done so without all the love and support!
✨Live a Life You will Remember ?
Full coverage with photos/videos on Instagram #vOnTravelEurope or # location below.
Starting from Singapore flying to Paris via Frankfurt.
01 July 2015 – Toledo and Madrid, Spain (Madrid Pride Day!) #vOnTravelMadrid
05 July 2015 – Pamplona, Spain (San Fermin fiesta!) #vOnTravelPamplona
08 July 2015 – Montserrat and Barcelona, Spain #vOnTravelBarcelona
12 July 2015 – Ibiza and Formentera, Spain #vOnTravelibiza
15 July 2015 – Geneva, Switzerland
16 July 2015 – Interlaken, Switzerland #vOnTravelInterlaken
18 July 2015 – Lucerne, Switzerland (Blue ball festival) #vOnTravelLucerne
21 July 2015 – Bruges, Belgium #vOnTravelBrugge
23 July 2015 – Boom, Belgium (Tomorrowland!) #vOnTravelBoom
27 July 2015 – Brussels, Belgium #vOnTravelBrussels
28 July 2015 – Dublin and Galway, Ireland #vOnTravelDublin
31 July 2015 – Belfast, Northern Ireland (Belfast Pride Day!) #vOnTravelBelfast
03 Aug 2015 – Glasgow and Inverness, Scotland #vOnTravelInverness
06 Aug 2015 – Stirling and Edinburgh,Scotland(Fringe Festival) #vOnTravelEdinburgh
08 Aug 2015 – London, England #vOnTravelLondon
12 Aug 2015 – Mykonos, Greece #vOnTravelGreece
14 Aug 2015 – Ios, Greece #vOnTravelGreece
17 Aug 2015 – Santorini, Greece #vOnTravelGreece
20 Aug 2015 – Athens, Greece (Mount Olympus) #vOnTravelGreece
31 Aug 2015 – Malta #vOnTravelMalta
07 Sep 2015 – Amsterdam, Netherlands #vOnTravelAmsterdam
10 Sep 2015 – Berlin, Germany #vOnTravelBerlin
14 Sep 2015 – Prague, Czech Republic #vOnTravelPrague
16 Sep 2015 – Cesky kromlov, Czech Republic#vOnTravelCeskyKromlov
17 Sep 2015 – Munich, Germany (Oktoberfest) #vOnTravelMunich
20 Sep 2015 – Salzburg, Austria #vOnTravelSalzburg
21 Sep 2015 – Vienna, Austria #vOnTravelVienna
23 Sep 2015 – Bratislava, Slovakia #vOnTravelBratislava
24 Sep 2015 – Budapest, Hungary #vOnTravelBudapest
27 Sep 2015 – Zagreb, Croatia #vOnTravelCroatia
28 Sep 2015 – Plitvice lakes, Croatia #vOnTravelCroatia
28 Sep 2015 – Split, Croatia #vOnTravelCroatia
30 Sep 2015 – Dubrovnik, Croatia #vOnTravelCroatia
02 Oct 2015 – Budva, Kotor, Montenegro #vOnTravelMontenegro
03 Oct 2015 – Belgrade, Serbia #vOnTravelSerbia
05 Oct 2015 – Timisoara, Bucharest, Romania #vOnTravelRomania
11 Oct 2015 – Moscow, Russia #vOnTravelRussia
14 Oct 2015 – St Petersburg, Russia #vOnTravelRussia
17 Oct 2015 – Istanbul, Turkey #vOnTravelTurkey
20 Oct 2015 – Goreme, Turkey #vOnTravelTurkey
23 Oct 2015 – Singapore
