Summer Trip: A Taste of the Balkans
Sometimes I will test myself and venture out into the unknown. I don’t know if it is a game I play or a personal challenge. Go somewhere you have no clue about and see how you fare (like the Balkans). Watch the people around you in their everyday life. Eat, drink, and try to live like a local. Take it all in. Learn from your new experience, and grow as a result. Escape from the ordinary and get out of your comfort zone.
Do you go to a place because you want to and have a genuine interest? Or are you are going to a place to share that same photo and follow in other people’s footsteps? Which path do you go down? What are your motivations? Have you considered or thought about your travel style? Going with the unknown can be a little unsettling but it can also be very rewarding.
My next test is in the Balkans. A region of Europe that I haven’t been to yet. I am hoping to avoid the summer crowds by going to where they are not. Will I succeed in bypassing the masses? We will see. I know next to nothing about this area except for the names of the countries and some food items. It seems that I will have a lot to learn.
I can tell you for certain that the tourists are already in Croatia. Sunning themselves along the Adriatic coast. Sailing and swimming in the lakes and around the islands like Hvar. Turning “must see” places like Dubrovnik into an overpopulated swelling mass of humanity. Yeah, I’m not going there!
My itinerary is less popular (I hope) among the throngs and Dothraki hoards. I am planning to visit Serbia, Kosovo (maybe), Bulgaria, and North Macedonia. I will meet up with the summertime travelers before and after my jaunt through some of the Balkans. Places such as Paris, London, and Bologna will be at full capacity. I hope I can still enjoy them and breathe. In Bratislava and San Marino, I hope that I will have a little elbow room.
I have always had a fascination with Eastern Europe. Not sure if it was because these countries were behind the Iron Curtain or something else. They were mysterious, out of reach, and different from the rest. I was giddy when I made my way to Romania, Czechia, and Hungary. Something inside was triggered leading me to delve further into each place. The feelings should be the same on this journey.
Travel in the Balkans will be by bus. Trains aren’t the best option right now. Tracks are being worked on and the journeys are actually longer. There isn’t much information on the internet with accurate bus schedules. Common sites like Rome2Rio and Google maps suggest long and bad planned routes from city to city. Some of these make no sense at all. What could possibly go wrong? Challenge accepted.
I wish that I had more time to explore the whole region at once but I don’t. I have a pace that I am comfortable traveling at. Some places I will have to visit at another time. Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Montenegro don’t fear for I will return. You are not forgotten. For now, it will be a small sampling and a brief introductory taste of the others.
I’m not expecting everything to go smooth and that’s okay with me. Experiences don’t have to be mundane. Do you read Cyrillic? Yeah, I don’t either. I’ll find my way even if it means getting lost along the way. That’s the fun part, right? The stories will be better and the feelings stronger. Be prepared as best as you can. Be accepting, kind, and tolerant, because in turn that is how you hope those that you meet are to you.
Protect Yourself with Travel Insurance
While the Balkans are a safe area for travelers, I love the peace of mind travel insurance gives me in case of emergencies, accidents, illnesses, theft, trip cancellation, or disruption. For a few dollars a day and with coverage for many types of adventure activities, I’m all in.
Get Ready to Book Your Trip: Helpful Links and Resources
Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner to find and research your airfare needs and to find the best flight deals. It searches worldwide on multiple airlines to help you find the best options.
Book Your Stay
Booking.com is my go-to for finding a place to stay anywhere globally. An outstanding company that I trust and have used for many years. Find accommodation from budget to luxury in cities and countries around the world. If you happen to be backpacking and staying in hostels, I recommend Hostelworld to help you find a place to stay.
Get Travel Insurance
Travel is unpredictable. Anything could happen. A trip interruption, flight delay, lost or stolen items, or personal injury, having comprehensive trip insurance will protect you if anything goes wrong. SafetyWing is a solid choice for most travelers.
Tours, Activities, and Things to Do
Viator (a TripAdvisor company) offers many excellent options to keep you busy wherever you may be, from walking and food tours to sunset cruises and more. Make sure to give them a look and add some fun-filled activities to your itinerary.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend companies and products that I use myself and believe in.
The Balkans are great fun. It’s just a few hours from Munich, so I’ve been there more than once. I had my first love affair in Croatia, I was twelve, she was the 20yo camp instructor haha… Happy days, even though we only held hands and it didn’t last long.
The proximity from Munich must have made it quite easy to travel around. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the lesser-known parts of the Balkan region. Serbia was different in many respects for me, but I found it rather enjoyable even though the city I was in (Nis) had many atrocities in the past. Bulgaria (Sofia) was modern, easy to navigate, has the best-looking women in Europe and a million miles of sunflower fields that I gazed at while on the bus. North Macedonia was quirky and fun. I really enjoyed Skopje’s oddness (Did you know that there are tons of Double Decker buses from London there?) and the calm of Lake Ohrid. Ah, childhood memories are the best. Thanks for sharing about your young camp love.