My big European Adventure has officially begun!
For the next 2 months, I’ll be skipping around Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the UK, having as many adventures as humanly possible. Yes, I’ll probably be burnt out by the end of this trip, and yes, I’ll probably spend more money than I want to… but I don’t really care — I’m excited for all of it!
I’ve never traveled to any of these places before, so I’m really looking forward to stepping out of my comfort zone and exploring new places, people, and foods.
The first leg of my trip has me exploring Eastern Europe — from Budapest to Istanbul.
I’m doing this part of my journey with one of my partners, Intrepid Travel, and can’t wait to experience this part of Europe (a region I’ve been dying to see for years) with my tour group.
Here’s our route:
As you can see, I’ll be getting a nice glimpse of Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. I’m excited for castles and countryside, hearty food and village life. We’ll be staying in a mixture of budget hotels and local homestays on this trip, which I think will be great way to fully experience this part of the world.
I’ll have an extra 2 days in Budapest before my tour, and roughly 2 days in Istanbul afterwards — an added bonus, for sure!
My next few weeks look like this:
June 22-24 — Budapest, Hungary
June 25 — Eger, Hungary
June 26-27 — Maramures, Romania
June 28 — Sighisoara, Romania
June 29 — Viscri, Romania
June 30-July 1 — Brasov, Romania
July 2 — Bucharest, Romania
July 3-4 — Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
July 5 — Sofia, Bulgaria
July 6 — Gorno Draglishte, Bulgaria (and Rila Monastery)
July 7-8 — Bansko, Bulgaria
July 9-10 — Plovdiv, Bulgaria
July 11-13 — Istanbul, Turkey
Eastern Europe, here I come!!
I can’t wait to share my adventures with you over the coming weeks, which I hope to do as often as possible with blog posts and (hopefully) frequent photo/video updates. Stay tuned! I have a feeling it’s going to be epic.
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Will YOU be in any of these places at the same time as me? If so, let me know!
Also, be sure to be following me on Facebook and Twitter so you don’t miss any part of my upcoming journey!
Sounds amazing! Have yet to visit that part of Europe, so looking forward to following along.
Ashley at No Onions Extra Pickles recently posted..Sound Traveling on BART
An awesome adventure…I’ll be tagging along!
D.J. – The World of Deej recently posted..Bay Hill Golf Club – Footsteps of The King
Sounds like an exciting adventure – have tons of fun!
Ayelet – All Colores recently posted..Jerusalem’s Ice Festival: A Night Out on the Ice
Thank you! I can’t wait to be done with airports and just get started already!
Have fun!
Thanks! I’ll do my best.
You’ve changed your header! And your photo! And your whole colour scheme! Love it!
Have a superb trip
Laurence recently posted..In photos: Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter
Haha, yup, the site got a mini-makeover earlier this month!!
And thanks! I really think it’s going to be an awesome trip!
Whoa. That is an epic Eurotrip! I’m extremely jealous, borderline envious… HAVE A BLAST!!!
Pauline recently posted..Spanish Meals
Thank you, Pauline! If this were someone else’s summer itinerary, I’d be envious, too!
Still kinda can’t believe that it’s mine and not someone else’s!
Looking forward to reading about Eastern Europe, since the only place I have been on this list is Istanbul (and loved it). Very interested to know how you are getting between each city/ town and what type of budget you need for a trip like this.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Foto of the Week from … Sucre: Holiday!
Hopefully I’ll be able to answer your questions, Stephanie! I’m going to make an effort to track my expenses. (Or, the ones I can, at least.)
I know on my Intrepid tour, we’re going to be traveling mostly by local trains and buses. I’ll have to be sure to ask about prices.
Wow! That’s quite the itinerary. I’ve yet to make it to Europe so I’ll live vicariously through you blog!
Please do! I’ll do my best to make the content awesome.
Wow, this is so exciting! Have a safe trip with a lot of fun!
Memographer recently posted..What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas!
Thank you, I’ll do my best!
Hey Amanda,
Great looking trip and Intrepid is a wonderful company. I traveled with them in India and enjoyed it all.
Budapest is a fabulous city and famous for all it’s wonderful spas and baths. If you’re going to be there a couple of nights, I would highly recommend the Gerloczy Hotel. It was one of my favourites.
Can’t say enough good things about Istanbul either. Have a great trip. I’ll be following your posts.
Colleen Friesen recently posted..My Mother’s Hands
Intrepid really is fantastic. It’s shaping up to be a really really great trip!
I’ve actually already left Budapest, but I did check out one of the baths yesterday!
Sounds a wonderful trip, Amanda. I’ve seen a bit of eastern Europe but Romania and Bulgaria are still really high on my list – look forward to hearing what you think of them. Good luck with all the planning!!
Cherina recently posted..The Wilds of South Iceland In Photos
I can’t wait to experience both of them! We head to Romania tomorrow!
Great, enjoy! Hope you can use some of our locals’ tips in Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia and Istanbul!
PS: The interview is coming next week… sorry it took so long!
Bart van Poll recently posted..Il Peperone restaurant – The delicious pepper
Looks like such a great trip! Istanbul is the only place on the list I’ve been to, but I’d love to see the rest. I’ll just be adding these to the list of places I want to visit, especially now that I live fairly close. I hope you’re having fun!
Ali recently posted..Stormy Days and Fishy Nights in Bora Bora
I’m having a blast so far. When you have time, absolutely get yourself to Budapest. And Romania. And probably all of Eastern Europe! Lol. So far, the first week has been amazing!
Glad to see you finally made a route. Its perfect. I’ve seen you already blogged about Budapest, can’t wait for your review on the Romanian cities!
Romania so far has been AMAZING! Can’t wait to write about it.
I will *just* miss you in Bulgaria–will be in and around Sofia with some family in two weeks. Looking forward to hearing all about your time there though and maybe a few tips if you’re able to post while you’re there.
Rachel recently posted..Photo essay – Ennerdale, Lake District
Aw, darn! I doubt I’ll be caught up enough to offer up any Sofia tips before you get there, but we’ll see!
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