I’m starting to be asked the question of what I’m planning to do after Bulgaria. My original, very loose plan, was to go to Turkey for about a month, take a short holiday in Lebanon, and then head to North African (Morocco or Tunisia) for a bit. With Turkey being flat out of the question after the recent attempted coup and speaking to a lot of women who have been to North Africa alone, I decided to completely scrap that plan and stay in Eastern Europe, in countries outside of the Schengen Area (so Greece is not an option), as long as I can stand the weather.
My itinerary will really depending on ease of getting around. Flights are very cheap, but sometimes go through cities I don’t want to land in (because of Schengen), and buses and trains are iffy in this part of the world.
But here’s a rough idea of that I have in mind:
So from Bulgaria, I’m thinking of going to Serbia and living in Belgrade for about a month. Research tells me that Belgrade is lovely, Serbia is inexpensive and has decent internet, and Serbians are very welcoming. Sounds like a good next stop!
From Serbia, I would go into Kosovo for a bit. I’m doing it in that order because of the tense relation between the two countries (Serbia does not recognise Kosovo as being a sovereign state) and I’m worried that going to Kosovo first would impede me from going to Serbia.
From Kosovo, sometime in the last days of October or first days of November, I would then like to take three to four weeks to go through Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia, stopping only in the major cities. The cost of living in these countries is low enough that I’m hoping I can do a work four really full days/travel three days sort of schedule. I’m told the Adriatic coast is beautiful and the weather is still good for swimming in November, so I might want to find myself a beachside residence for a bit. Who knows 🙂 So that would bring me to the end of November.
From Croatia, I envision flying to Bucharest, Romania, for a few days and then possibly traveling through Moldova into Ukraine. I’d like to do a tour of Chernobyl (yes, it’s safe now!) and whatever dates I book for that would help me set my post-Serbia itinerary.
From Kiev, I would then travel to Poland, which would start my “Schengen clock.” I primarily want to go to Poland to visit Auschwitz near Krakow. Average December temperatures in Krakow are much warmer than I expected (around 7C), so I may want to hang around the area for a bit and enjoy my last chance at a lower cost of living before heading to Portugal or the south of Spain for the worst of the winter.
So that’s a rough idea of what I’m looking at through the end of 2016.
But first, I have my grand tour of Bulgaria to plan! I should be able to get away for a week to ten days at the end of this month!
Wow, now that’s traveling, lots of traveling.
Wherever you go, you’ll find something interesting to visit.
Can’t believe we’re talking about the next leg, you haven’t even finished this one.
Very exciting 😀
By North American standards, it’s not that much mileage, really!
You should believe it since you asked the question! 😉
🙂 😀
Sounds like a great plan. Very exciting.
It is! 😀
Hi, Rae,
I am enjoying your tour through Bulgaria very much. As a fellow solo traveler, I love your tenacity.
I have been to over 70 countries now, with Croatia being in my “Top 3 Favorites,” so I hope you enjoy your time there. I was there in 2002, so things have no doubt changed, but at the time, these wonderful local women would meet the bus at the main stop with a photo album of rooms for rent in their homes (Just have to get clarity that it’s not a “shared” room!) It was very economical.
My favorite memories were Dubrovnik of course (you can walk along the top of the old city wall,) but also the boat from Split to Hvar. Such beauty! And please try not to miss the Plitvice Lakes National Park. It was gorgeous.
And when I was there, they had movies in English. 😉
Happy travels!
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne, thanks for your comment! 70 countries? WOW. My neighbour back home also told me not to miss Dubrovnik, so it’s definitely on my list! That’s very interesting about the rooms for rent. I can’t wait to discover Croatia!
That sounds so ambitious that I have to keep reminding myself you are not doing this on a “If it’s Tuesday this must be Belgium” type of timing. You are taking the time to explore these places in much more depth than most tourists do. Because you are a traveler not a tourist.
To be honest, I think there will be a little of that post-Serbia… And remember, I don’t plan to 100% travel over land, so the distances aren’t that great. But, yes, I agree that I am a traveler, not a tourist!
I’m sorry, but could you explain (at some point, not necessarily here in the comments if you’d prefer) about the Schengen Area, and why you can’t go there? If I missed it, I do apologise.
The Schengen Area comprises many members of the European Union. Entry into the area is like entry into Bulgaria (and many other countries), where you’re only allowed in for 90 days out of every 180 days. So basically, three months in, three months out.
If I go into a Schengen country, say Greece, at the start of October, then I’m only allowed three months total in a Schengen country through March. I wanted to be able to spend close to three months in the dead of winter somewhere warm (ie. Portugal and southern Spain), so I don’t want to a) start my Schengen clock too early and b) squander my 90 days country hopping.
Here’s more info, including a list of the Schengen countries. Thankfully, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania haven’t joined yet! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area
Thank you, Rae, for the explanation.
Ugh, warm – I’d rather have cold. 😉
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