Traveling solo would not be a bad thing because you’ll meet people at hostels, on trains etc. You’ll have the option of hanging out with them or going off on your own, just hanging out with them in one city and going your separate ways, or you might end up deciding to travel together.

You can post (and read other posts) in our “find travel friends” forum and look for mates, but there doesn’t seem to be too much activity there, so I wouldn’t count on it. However, if your friend will go for a couple of weeks or if you find a buddy for a week, that would be great. Looking at a month by yourself can be kind of daunting, even though it probably won’t be once you get started.

I would stick with your plans and go alone if your friend waffles. I think you’ll have a great time. Do some research on your destinations. If you’re the one with the ideas like “how ‘bout a day trip to Salzburg” or a highland hike, you’ll almost always find somebody at the hostel who’s interested in at least talking about it.

Thank you both for the comments. I really appreciate it. . Also, I actually have been doing research on solo traveling, and everyone who has done it seems to conclude that its the best way to travel! – so I’m actually looking forward to the idea. Scared out of my wits – but excited. .

…now if only I could get my father to understand. .

ps. what are the eurotrip points all about? what are they for? and how does one go about earning them?

How could your friend flake out on you this close, have you guys not bought plane tickets, reservations and such within europe and etc? Is he/she really going to just lose all that money? Seems like a weird concept. But you should be absolutely fine travelling alone in Europe, your itinerary is a safe one (except maybe Marseille, why are you going there anyway?).
I’m not so sure about the eurotrip points either except that I know I get one every time i post, and they accumulate allowing me to keep track of how much help I am doing to the community!

Yes, I always ask “why Marseille?” The food and wine are great (probably the best in France if you’re a true foodie) but it’s a huge freight port, not really a tourist destination.

Why Marseille.. good question. Originally there was supposed to be 3 of us going together – and one of the girls was born and raised in Marseille – so we were going to stop by there. Needless to say, she’s out of the picture. But Marseille just kinda stuck with me, probably because I really like the idea of a beach. . But ok, I took your advice and got rid of Marseille. Any better beach locations you could recommend instead?

Also, speaking of recommendations – where would I find the ratings of different cities – so I can better make decisions on where to go and where better to skip? Would that be through forums – and then favorite places?

Thanks for your help!

Marseille has nearby beaches, but isn’t really a beach resort — think Oakland. Go to Nice, Antibes, Cannes or somewhere on the Riviera.

Got it.
Thanks!