I visited Europe for the first time and saw 11 countries in one month. I wish I'd done these 5 things differently.

"As a child, I fantasized about adventuring to places I'd see in movies, meeting new people, and expanding my horizons beyond the city I was born and raised in. Growing up, though, travel was only viewed as a necessity reserved for family emergencies. It wasn't until I was in my 20s that I was able to make my dream come true."

"Before this trip, I had never been to Europe. I've lived in Canada my whole life and mainly just traveled within North America. This spring, though, I took a leap of faith and ended up visiting 11 countries in a span of four weeks. I went to Turkey, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, and Croatia on my own, and then met my partner for a second leg in Austria. Together, we visited Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands."

A traveler visited 11 European countries in four weeks, including Turkey, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, Croatia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands. The trip combined a solo segment and a second leg with a partner. Cost-saving measures included staying in hostels, using a Eurail pass, and taking red-eye buses. The experience was highly rewarding but included avoidable mistakes that increased expenses and stress. Key lessons learned were to pack detergent pods for laundry, invest in a large backpack for ease and storage, and reduce dining out to lower costs and simplify logistics.

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