Anna Discovers Europe
Anna, AustriaTraveling alone can be the best thing in the world, you can make decisions spontaneously and listen to your own gut feeling.
I traveled with DiscoverEU in July 2019. I started in Slovenia and took the train from there to Sofia with a stop in Belgrade. I stayed in Sofia for a couple of nights and then went on to Plovdiv. After a week in Bulgaria I went back to Greece from Sofia. There I stayed for two weeks in Thessaloniki, Kalambaka (Meteora monasteries) and Athens. Finally, I drove back to Belgrade via Thessaloniki and spent the last night of my DiscoverEU trip in Zagreb.
I learned a lot about myself and became much more confident. Although I like to be alone, I became more self-confident through contact with new people. Traveling alone can be the best thing in the world, you can make decisions spontaneously and listen to your own gut feeling.
Hostels are a great way to meet people and maybe even cook together. The best part of my trip was the people. I got to know the most inspiring personalities. I also learned a lot about myself from the different stories of other people. In addition, the diverse nature of European countries was a big highlight.
My top three tips for everyone who has the opportunity to travel with DiscoverEU are:
- Use this unique opportunity and be open to new people and cultures. Take a look at the countries that really interest you and dare to travel to countries that avoid mass tourism.
- Don't be afraid to travel alone, it can be the best experience of your life.
- Take your own water bottle with you, Europe has excellent water quality. To be on the safe side, always ask the hostel/hotel/restaurant staff whether you can drink the tap water. Even in Athens and Bulgaria I was always able to fill my stainless-steel bottle with tap water. This saves you lugging around bottles, saves money and does something good for the environment.
Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026