Florence – Mark's Travel Journal

Best European Destinations for Singles

person traveling single to a European destination.

Europe is an excellent destination for a solo traveler. You can meet friendly people, enjoy some great meals and learn a lot about art and history. Also, Europe is relatively safe for travelers and, because of the European Union, many countries have the euro as a common currency. But, if you don’t know where to start your journey, we made a list of the best European destinations for singles. Pack your bags and prepare for a great adventure. You will be booking a flight to one of these destinations in no time.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and one of the Europes’ top financial centers. This beautiful city is a great destination for a single traveler, and especially for solo female travelers. It is regarded as a safe city with a laid-back attitude that will make you feel at home. You can rent a bike and ride around the city’s famed canal networks, or you can visit one of the city’s many museums. You will discover artworks by famous painters like Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh. Also, Amsterdam’s numerous cafes can keep you busy for hours. Rest assured that one day is not enough to discover all of Amsterdam’s beauties. Therefore, make sure you have at least a week to spend in this beautiful European capital.

Madrid, Spain

An inside of a building — If you want to see something spectacular in Madrid, visit the Cristal Palace.

Another one of the best European cities for singles is the capital of Spain, Madrid. It is also a secure city with an outstanding metro system that allows easy exploration. Best of all, you can do it on a budget. Furthermore, it is an excellent destination for singles that are looking for great nightlife. You can book a guided tour at night and explore the city alone by day. You will find amazing secret gardens, tons of museums, and exceptional restaurants. Mediterranean cuisine is at its finest in Madrid, and you can even learn how to make paella by taking cooking classes.

Munich, Germany

This amazing Bavarian city has a friendly small-town feel to it that will make you fall in love with it immediately. If you plan a trip during autumn, make sure to visit the famous Oktoberfest. You will have the chance to taste many different types of beer and eat the famous German wurst. If you don’t like beer, don’t worry, Munchen has a lot more to offer. You can choose to visit one of its 42 museums or join the locals in riding a bicycle through the beautiful parks. Also, if you decide to travel during summer, make sure to pack your swimsuit. You can go for a swim in the Isar river and have a picnic on the riverside.

Belgrade, Serbia

View of a bridge in one of the best European destinations for singles. — Belgrade offers impressive views during the night.

Belgrade is another capital that is one of the best European destinations for singles. The White City has a special charm to it that will keep drawing you back time and again. Also, this Slavic city has become notorious among tourists because of its incredible nightlife. It’s not only great to visit at night, but it also has amazing places to see during the day. For example, the Kalamegdan fortress is the jewel of the city that you can’t miss if you travel to Belgrade. Although this capital has had its undisputed rough moments, it somehow managed to rebuild itself every time. Even if it’s not your ordinary beautiful city to visit, the fantastic cuisine, the welcoming locals, and their famous rakija will make your journey there more than worth it.

Florence, Italy

Florence is one of Europe’s most beautiful towns, and it is ideal for solo visitors. In fact, it is better to visit Florence alone, so that you don’t need to compromise. While you are here, you can take the chance to see the famous Galeria Degli Ufizzi, where you can admire the artwork of Raphael, Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci. Also, the Duomo cathedral is one of the most iconic sights, visited by thousands of tourists each month. If you prefer to take a walk around the city, you won’t be disappointed. There are a lot of cafes and gelato shops to explore. Moreover, Florence is a great city to find original souvenirs that you can take back home.

Paris, France

Even if it is considered the capital of love, Paris is also an excellent destination for single travelers. Even more, if you don’t like to share your croissants. Besides the fact that multiculturality is the word that can describe Paris the best, here is where the word cuisine is at home. You must visit local restaurants and sample famous French cheeses as well as excellent wines. After that, you can see the Eiffel Tower and do some shopping on Champs Elise. Also, make sure to visit the Louvre museum to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa painting. You can rest assured that you won’t be bored while visiting Paris by yourself.

Budapest, Hungary

If you’re searching for a beautiful European destination for singles on a budget, look no further. Budapest is the best place to find stunning architecture, a rich history, and superb cuisine without breaking the bank. Here you can taste a great drink and learn about history while being in the same place. The ruin bars in Budapest are world-famous for being built from the ruins of buildings left after World War II. Also, you can relax in a Turkish bath from the 16th century or take a cruise on the Danube river. Wherever you turn, there is something to see or do in Budapest. No wonder it has become a must-visit city on any European itinerary.

A statue in Budapest, one of the best European destinations for singles. — In Budapest, you will see outstanding architecture all around.

Traveling alone through Europe

All of the cities we have mentioned are great destinations for a single traveler. They are safe, full of life, and inhabited by friendly people. Best of all, in all these cities, there are large communities of foreigners who can help you get around easily. Who knows, you may decide to move to one of these cities, and you will need help to become familiar with a new country. So, it’s nice to know that there are people in Europe ready to welcome you and help you settle quickly.

Prepare for a great adventure.

If you choose to visit any of our suggestions for the best European destinations for singles, rest assured that you will have a great adventure. Pack all the things you never travel without and book a flight as soon as possible. You might like it so much that you will want to visit all the cities we suggested. Bon voyage!

A Foodie’s Travel Itinerary for Italy

December 3, 2019February 10, 2022markstraveljournal16 Comments

This Post Was Originally Published on the TuGo Travel Blog on May 21, 2019 by Mark Crone

A foodie’s travel itinerary for Italy—where to begin? When it comes to food, Italy is in a league of its own, with so many possible itineraries and meal choices for every palate. Yes, Italian food is available outside of Italy, but the fresh, local ingredients make Italian food jump to another level when you’re there! If you need a reason to travel, or need a reason to see Italy at all, food is certainly a good one.

Italy has 20 different regions, each unique with its own food specialties. A single travel itinerary with all 20 regions would be a dream come true! But to be more realistic, this foodie travel itinerary includes a few hand-picked regions this time (with a return trip to follow).

Venice

A great starting point for your foodie travel itinerary is Venice. Tourists are everywhere, and the streets are always packed. The main walking routes offer quick Italian takeout foods like slices of pizza, baked goods, and gelato. When you venture off the main routes, you’ll find side streets and squares or “piazzas” where the locals are. The small neighbourhoods with cafes and restaurants are where you’ll enjoy an authentic Italian meal. Venice is not particularly known for a cuisine of its own, but you’ll find seafood and pasta aplenty.

Naples

If you’re a fan of stone oven pizza, the birthplace of pizza, Naples, must be on your itinerary. In the 18^th century, an inventive chef was said to have added tomato to traditional Roman focaccia flat bread. Authentic Neapolitan pizza has a thin crust, flavorful sauce and a dusting of cheese.

Among the many pizzerias in Naples, there are a couple that stand out. Gino’s is Italian-style fast food, and pizza at its best. Big, delicious, and ready in 5 minutes. You’ll be lining up for a table unless you book in advance, but it’s well worth the wait. The Neapolitans also head to Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba—the oldest pizzeria in the world, dating back to 1830. Even with just the traditional ingredients, there is a marked difference in taste.

Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is all about the views, and getting there adds to the excitement. From Naples, we drive south along the highway, then onto the winding roads of Sorrento and its long mountain tunnel. Positano, most famous for its incredible coastal views, is our first destination on the Amalfi Coast. It also has some of the region’s top hotels, including Le Sirenuse, with its Michelin-starred restaurant, La Sponda. It’s not cheap by any means, but well worth the 5-star experience. Down on the beach, there are some great restaurants including Chez Black and Le Tre Sorelle–both highly rated and right beside each other. From Positano, you can easily make day trips to Amalfi, Ravello, Scala and others.

Rome

A foodie’s trip to Rome is akin to the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain. Within the ancient city and its grand architecture lie restaurants that combine fresh ingredients into simple dishes. Perhaps the best example is the classic Roman dish, Cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper). This dish is made with 3 ingredients – black pepper, pecorino romano cheese, and pasta (normally spaghetti). A gastronomic euphoria takes over when these ingredients combine to create a dish that has been indulged since ancient Roman times.

Roman food also has the adept ability to use “poor man’s” ingredients known as quinto quarto. These are the animal parts that are often frowned upon including tongue, tripe, brain, and liver. If you’re adventurous, you’ll enjoy trying these dishes. If you’re a picky eater, why not give quinto quarto a try under the adage ‘when in Rome!’

Hostaria Costanza is the place to go for traditional old Roman dining. Built from the ruins of Pompey’s Theatre, Hostaria Contanza is overflowing with Roman/Italian atmosphere. Some of my favourites include fried artichokes with cheese stuffed zucchini flowers, crepes funghi e tartufo (mushroom and truffle), ravioli di carciofi (ravioli with artichokes) and a tender beef fillet with Barolo wine sauce. And of course, all meals are enjoyed a little more with a glass of the house red wine.

Tuscany

There are so many reasons to include Tuscany in your foodie Italian travel itinerary. The wine, the food, the scenery and the people. Among the many wines, the Classico Chianti (with the black rooster on the bottle neck) stands out. The other well-known wine in the area is the Super Tuscan, blended from Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. Among the very best wineries to get a Super Tuscan (and other quality wines) is Villa San Andrea. The small 400-year-old winery provides an intimate tour and wine tasting for just 10 Euros.

Among the many places to visit in Tuscany are Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, Montalcino and of course, Florence. You really can’t go wrong wherever you go, but San Gimignano stands out. It’s an amazing, well-preserved medieval village with several small hotels, shops, museums, and Tuscan restaurants.

My favourite restaurant is Le Vecchie Mura. It has both a restaurant inside and an outside terrace area across the lane. Authentic dishes feature pasta, steak, rabbit, deer, wild boar and of course, local wine. Eating a Tuscan meal overlooking Tuscany views is hard to beat.

An experienced travel agent will save you time and money in planning your foodie travel itinerary for Italy. You’ll need to book airfare, accommodations and a car rental to make this Italy dream trip a reality. Start planning and get packing–and bring your appetite!

Safe travels,

Mark

The Italy Road Trip

November 29, 2018February 10, 2022markstraveljournalLeave a comment

The Italy Road Trip was planned for a very long time. The dilemma was how do you squeeze all of what Italy has to offer in 2 weeks? Well the answer is you don’t. It’s just not possible in 2 weeks. So what do you see? And where do you start? Well right here.

The Italy Road Trip – Getting There

Choose your airline (it’s Air Canada for me from Canada). In order to hit the ground running (with a 6 hour time difference), I need to fly Business Class (sometimes) or Premium Economy (this time). The extra room and increased comfort make the long flight enjoyable. I absolutely have to sleep so I bring along my new travel friend, my Palmate Travel Pillow, to get to sleep and stay asleep. I want to be ready to go and awake on Day 1!

The Italy Road Trip – Venice

Arriving in Venice, we leave the airport in a water taxi and begin the short journey along the historic canals of Venice. After checking into our hotel, we grab an espresso and head out to explore the streets of Venice. The Italy Road Trip has begun. Tourists are absolutely everywhere and the streets are packed. Making our way along main walking routes and over bridges, we manage to find side routes and squares where the locals are. Small neighbourhoods with cafes, restaurants, shops and Venetian homes let you see the real Venice. On Day 2, we jump on the public water taxi (Venice transit) to get around easily and visit the main tourist areas. There’s a lot to see in Venice including Piazza San Marco, the Rialto Bridge, the Bridge of Sighs and the Doges’ Palace. But do yourself a favour and take the time to get off the main paths and explore!

The Italy Road Trip – Prosecco

We leave Venice in a rental car and head up to the Prosecco Region (the hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene in the province of Treviso). It’s mid-September and we have hit full grape harvest. The area is alive with extra workers and tractors with grape packed trailers. There are many wineries to visit but look for Prosecco Superiore DOCG. Most will have a fee based tasting (5-10 Euro per person) and will provide a generous sample of their product (3-5 wine samples). If you choose to buy a bottle or 2, the wine fee will be reduced or waived (depending on your purchase amount). Among the best wineries to visit: San Gregorio (family owned- you’ll meet father, mother and sisters); Col Vetoraz (with a wine vending machine on the small road to the winery); and Villa Sandi (great wine and restaurant).

A view of the hills of the Prosecco region in Italy

The Italy Road Trip – Tuscany

Tuscany gives you many reasons to be included in your Italian Road Trip. There’s Tuscan wine; the fresh and delicious food; the views; and last but not least the warm people. Classico Chianti wine (noted by the black rooster on the bottle neck) is exceptional. The Classico label is only available to Chiantis produced from grapes in the the Chianti Classico subregion. It covers an area of approximate 260 km² (100 square miles) between the city of Florence to the north and Siena to the south. The other well known wine in the area is the “Super Tuscan”. The American name for a deep red wine blended from Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. It’s priced to take advantage of the aura in the marketplace. Villa San Andrea is among the very best wineries to get a Super Tuscan (and other quality wines). This small winery is a neighbour to the much more famous Antinori winery. For 10 Euro, Villa San Andrea provides an intimate winery tour and tasting. Their Super Tuscan is far less expensive than the winery next door. They also have 7 other high quality and affordable wines.

Within Tuscany, there many towns to visit including Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, Montalcino and Florence. San Gimignano stands near the top for me. It’s a very well preserved medieval village with shops, museums, several small hotels and restaurants. “Le Vecchie Mura” is one of the top restaurants in town and a personal favourite. It is divided in 2 parts- an inside restaurant and across the laneway is an outside terrace (weather dependent). Authentic dishes feature deer, rabbit, wild boar and of course pasta, steak, and local wine. Enjoying a long meal here overlooking Tuscany is something very special. Who doesn’t love great Italian food!

The Italy Road Trip – Amalfi Coast

The rugged coast and the views are worth the trip to the Amalfi Coast. And driving there adds to the anticipation. Heading south along the highway through Naples, we make our way through Sorrento and its long mountain tunnel. Positano is our destination and our base for 3 days on the Amalfi Coast. Positano has some incredible views. It also has great hotels (Le Sirenuse, Villa Rosa) and some great restaurants. Chez Black and Le Tre Sorelle are both highly rated and right beside each other right on the beach. And there are many small boutique shops along the walkway to the beach. Staying in Positano, you can easily make day trips down the Amalfi to small towns like Ravello, Minori, Furore and others.

Overlooking the coastline of Positano in Italy

The Italy Road Trip – Summary

We drive to Rome Airport and overnight at a Rome Airport hotel before leaving the next day. Except for the return flight, the trip is over. The Italy Road Trip was among my top trips ever. And that’s saying a lot given the amount of travelling that I have done over the years. Each area/stop well worth the visit to immerse yourself in the history, culture, food and wine of Italy. The biggest issue is when is the next Italy Road Trip?