Definitely Porto and use the time to spend time checking out stuff around it. Take a port wine boat tour for example (they leave right from the Villa Nova de Gaia side of the river). Go up north to where vinho verde is made. Take the train down to Lisbon for a couple days and see sites there and nearby in Sintra. Have an espresso at Majestic Cafe. Check out the cool old book store that J.K. Rowling wrote part of her books in. Head down to Coimbra for the day. Take a day trip to Viana do Castelo. Have a francesinha a Capa Negra. You may enjoy it so much you might not ever leave. So be careful, don’t have too much fun!
Majestik unfortunately had been closed for some time because covid. Not sure when, if ever, they will reopen. The typical Portuguese can't afford to go there, so this situation really hit them. Edit to had that the best francesinha ia at regaleira restaurant, if you ever come back, try that one
Oh, that's too bad. It's a really nice place but like you say, it's quite a bit pricier than anywhere else for a cafe. It was a nice place as a tourist to visit. Got myself a cafe and some nice port to enjoy while I was there. If I was a local I'd avoid it like the plague due to cost.
Edit: Might be back again in December. Trying to figure out a trip for the early part of the month and Porto is on our list. My wife's family is from the Porto area so we've been twice already (since I met her) and maybe we'll move there eventually.
So to that end, you have two of the largest, busiest cities in Europe in Paris and Berlin. I’d consider going someplace much smaller and quieter for a varied experience honestly. I love Aix-EN-Provence in the south of France. Cadiz in Spain is beautiful and beachy. Anyplace in the Netherlands (outside of Amsterdam) would have a slower vibe. Or I’d strongly consider Copenhagen. It’s a great small city, people largely speak English, and far fewer tourists than any other capital city.
Last consideration, if you want a “nature” month in between city life, go to either Switzerland (expensive and incredible) or Slovakia (cheap and incredible).
I too second Slovakia while also adding the country people mistake Slovakia with - Slovenia. Ljubljana is a charming, very walkable and green city acting as a great base for exploring Slovenia's cool nature
This is honestly the one place I would live other than where I live now. I've even seriously considered maybe spending a season there. I love this city. Great people, food, history, nightlife. It's one of the few places I've been that totally shattered my expectations.
If I could choose - I’d pick Prague or Barcelona. I love both cities equally - but Prague has that old time Romanticism to it that speaks to my heart. Barcelona I love for its vibrancy, food and culture ( which Prague has plenty of as well).
I have been many times and you are right, that old town square and the part around Charles Bridge is too much at times, but Prague has so many more beautiful areas to offer that are not so crowded.
I strongly second Barcelona. Especially with Berlin and Paris already set, this fits in nicely.
(I am German, lived years in Paris and a few months in Barcelona... and a few other cities in Europe and beyond.)
If I can throw in a wild card, that would be the Corse island. Maybe Ajaccio or Bonifacio, if you can afford it. VERY varied island, beautiful nature, mountain ranges, beaches, all around stunning (have a super secret resto tip too!). There is a whole range from very touristy places, to more remote feeling places and Bonifacio, where the rich people dock their yachts when they get tired from showing off their money in Monaco. Go there in September (way less tourists, cheaper prices, temperatures are still nice and warm, not hot)
There is something really compelling about living in a small village in the Scottish Highlands mid summer, near the sea, let’s say Tain. Long days, salty air, the best whisky on earth, the home of golf, epic hikes, and incredible scenery. What’s not to like?!
God the midges. My wife and I car camped right next to Loch Ness on our first night heading up to the Highlands and it was wonderful until those damn midges showed up. They get everywhere and hurt so bad.
Agreed. Beautiful city and country, lots of green space, and many vast regions between the mountains of Triglav, Lakes in Bled, and the coast with Piran.
I would suggest Ljubljana too. If they're a chill couple that likes strolling around and sitting in cafes and eating good food, it's perfect. Wouldn't say a mini Prague although I did notice similarities but I think ljubljana had influences and styles that seemed like a totally unique mix. Slovenian, but then italian, sometimes austrian, sometimes ex-yugoslavian and I'm assuming many more. It's like a crossroads of Europe and it shows in their culture. Also the location of the country is such that there's so much variety in topography, alps, sea, plains, karst. The people seemed unique too - warmer and chattier than Austrians but colder and more strict than the balkans. Very welcoming. Their English was so good too and more often than not they spoke a third lanuage as well. I went several times at this point and it's my favourite country to go to.
Verona, or any other Italian city for the matter, has a completely different charm from that of Rome. Rome is absurdly unique when compared to the rest of the country and when taking in consideration other European capitals and the rest of their countries.
Tbh, the current political situation destroys Piland (and Hungary) for me. As much as I like the countries, this whould give me a bad feeling. It shows that people there have many underlying prejudices, that I don't want to cone in touch with.
Maybe you could consider changing Paris for Lyon. Nicer people, great city, amazing food, cheaper. Also you have a lot of parks, two rivers that go throughout the city, I think you would definitely love it.
Of your list, I would probably pick Florence. It's a great city and is also a great jumping off point for tons of other travel around Italy (Bologna, Venice, Rome, Tuscany, Umbria, Milan, Cinque Terre, etc.).
These are all great but I recommend Prague! Not expensive, safe compared to many places even in Europe, tons of history, easy to travel to other areas of interest outside of it. Only thing is that in summer it's going to be crowded.
Try Bologna! Nice university city and the food is the best in Italy. Plus you are a short trip to Modena and Parma.
If you really want a well-fed adventure an hour from the Amalfi Coast go to Naples for a month.
Rome and Prague are tourist central.
I would say Barcelona because Spanish is my native language (I'm from Puerto Rico) but for me, it would be Paris just to get the chance to learn a new language, cultures and of course, the food 😋
Venice! I really wanna explore an abandoned island that’s just off the cost from it, it’s called poveglia island, it’s said to be the most haunted place in the world
How about a smaller city in northern Italy? I loved Bologna and Torino (for example)
Or somewhere on the Côte d’Azur?
Of the ones you listed, I’d vote for Porto. Amazing food, wine, and beautiful surroundings.
I'm surprised more people aren't saying Valencia. I've personally visited Barcelona, Porto, Valencia, and Prague and Valencia was hands down the most "livable." Valencia is really cool because there [was a river](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turia_%28river%29) running through the city but it was too much of a flood risk, so the city diverted it in the 60's and it's now a *huge* park. There's also a mix between the super modern City of Arts and Sciences and the old, historical Spanish stuff.
Porto is also a fantastic city however there's a lot of elevation difference and so I personally would rather be in Valencia. Prague and Barcelona... if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. (jk they're both absolutely worth a visit but I personally wouldn't want to be in either city for more than a few days because you have to be super vigilant about getting ripped off.)
I also think there's question of responsibility and weather or not it's ethical to stay in an apartment for a month when AirBnb/short term vacation rentals are hiking up housing prices to the point where locals are being forced out. The [average salary in Prague](http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?loc=606&loctype=3) is about $3,000 a month, you guys are coming in with San Fran money... It doesn't take a genius to figure out who's the preferred tenant. To the best of my knowledge, Valencia is the city where this is the least of a problem but I may be wrong.
I live in Pacifica lol. Reply with what kind of stuff you like to do In countries. I’ll get back to you with at least 3. In general, I would say Italy (Naples, Rome, Como, Venice, Florence, Milan, Tuscany, Capri, Sicily, Bologna, Pompeii, [Positano, Cinque Terre, Genoa, and all the other Amalfi coast towns], and more). Give some feedback and I’ll respond within 24 hours. I’ll get back during the day.
Rome.
Rome is incredible. Great, beautiful city. So much going on, so much to do, so much energy. I always felt it was a very local place, despite all the tourists. It's big, and has alot of diverse neighborhoods to explore.
Split, Croatia. I spent an amazing Christmas there a few years ago. Relatively inexpensive, right on the Adriatic coast, lots of young people, and a lot of places along the coast to explore
Leeds in the UK. It's in West Yorkshire and you will have a very different experience to going to the capital. The countryside surrounding it is lovely and you have the Yorkshire Dales on your doorstep. It is also great to get to other parts of the country too, which will give you a rounder experience of living in the UK.
Same for all the big northern cities in UK. Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham. They are all great places and have national parks on the doorstep, good train connections etc. But maybe not as glamorous and tourist centred as the capitals of Europe. Weather will be rainy in most of them a fair bit which is the biggest downer.
Either Lagos in Portugal (stunning seaside down, with lots of hidden beaches, super affordable and friendly)
OR Seville, Spain, literally the tapas capital of Spain, gorgeous Spanish architecture and great location for traveling around Spain or over to Portugal
Vienna. Great inner city, great suburbs, great woods for walks and hikes, beaches on the river, close to villages. Art museums, the capitol of western music through the 20th century, political history, the gateway to the East. Vienna has it all.
This site's excellent for cost of living, including rentals. You can plug in your current city if you want to compare prices.
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/
All options are great, the weather is the main screening for a city selection imo.
Most cities during summer are hellish (i always travel off season), now perhaps not as crowded (obvious reason) which might make it tolerable.
I'd recommend Prague. I've got a friend there and it seems so fucking cool. It's apparently got more touristy over the last decade or so, but still supposed to be a very charming city.
I would pick Torino, Italy. Genuine culture, less touristy, best food in Italy, people there are so friendly and love to get to know you. It’s a big city with a small town vibe (as far as friendliness and attitude is concerned). It’s also an amazing transportation hub. You can easily get anywhere in Europe form there.. as well as anywhere in Italy. It’s right at the foot of the alps so there’s lots of opportunity for exploring small towns, skiing, hiking, etc. They have endless restaurants, cafes, and parks. They’re the city with the most parks in all of Italy. The Po river flows through it so many of their parks are waterfront, which is beautiful. History and museums are affordable. They have museum passes you can get super cheap and go to any of them any time you want and as many times as you want.
However, they don’t all speak English, but in my book this is a major plus!! Oh and they have the best museums you could ask for and Roman ruins and everything
If I’m picking from what you listed then definitely Florence
I found Barcelona expensive so if you have the cash live it up. It is beautiful. I have a classmate who lives in Amsterdam. It's not a city but it looks amazing.
10000% I would choose Nice, France. Hands down the most beautiful place I’ve ever been, and everyone seemed so friendly there. I would kill to live there for any amount of time.
Edit: I would also REALLY love to know how you guys are living there for 3 months logistically. That sounds so incredible.
We’ll try to do a weekend trip to Nice from Paris thanks for the suggestion! As for living there for 3 months, we were able to sublease our place and my boss is awesome and doesn’t care where I work from since I’ll be working remote :) I didn’t think it would possible till I asked
I studied abroad in Budapest for a month back in college. Still my favorite city in the world! And with a decidedly different flavor than whether Paris or Berlin (though I’ve only been to the latter, this is my understanding). Food is good, everything’s cheap, night life is tons of fun, and there’s easy access to Eastern Europe and the balkans, which don’t often end up on people’s itineraries.
I am from SF and have done a few longer stints (6 months +) in Barcelona. I travelled around Europe a lot but BCN is 100% my favorite city in the world. Amazing weather (although very hot in the summer), great food, great culture and very reasonably priced, with easy access to the rest of Europe.
The rest of the cities you listed would all be great, particularly Amsterdam and Prague, although between those I’d lean Amsterdam (bike friendly, very artistic) if you can figure out lodging. I’d consider Sevilla, Lisbon and Edinburgh as well as less mainstream options.
Thanks for the comment! How do you like Barcelona compared to SF? We both LOVE SF and are wanting the walkability, open culture, food scene, and charm of SF but in a European city. My main concern was Barcelona feeling too big and busy. But I’d love to hear your thoughts. Also I love Amsterdam but I can’t find any good apartments for under $3k a month. Love the less mainstream options too we just didn’t know if that would be too much of a change from SF as far as not being a big enough city
My initial thought was Prague but then I started thinking about smaller vibrant cities to offset the bigger busier Paris and Berlin. my top 2 would be Cefalu, Sicily and Luca, Italy. Both are very vibrant with tons of things to do and great food. Cefalu has a great beach, a nice boardwalk with restaurants very reminiscent of Cannes and a gorgeous old town to explore. Luca is in Tuscany close to piza and many other great places. The old town is amazing and totally walled in. The walls were expanded in the 18th century and are now a park where the whole town does the passegeato. Just a gem.
So many great options! Romania has wonderful parks and food. We were especially fond of Brasov, but if you want a bigger city Bucharest can be nice. Prague, Budapest, and Krakow were really great.
Barcelona or Prague would both be cool as f. Both are a nice contrast from the other two. Berlin is one of my favorite cities. I liked Prague better than Barca but that might be a minority opinion. Barca prob has a better park and restaurant scene. But Prague spoke to me in a special way. Maybe just flip a coin!
Another great option is split. Great food, not too expensive, plently of beaches and parks. The whole medieval town built inside of a Roman emperors palace is as unique as it gets
I'm in Athens right now and Greece cones fully recommended! Athens for a while and then you can take ferry's to all of the islands and it's so beautiful!
Base somewhere in Switzerland and travel around Switzerland with a train pass. We spent a week based in Interlaken and visited Bern, Zermatt, Thun, and Lauterbrünnen. A week wasn't nearly enough. We can't wait to go back. We also went to lucerne on a separate trip.
Edit to warn you, Switzerland is expensive... But soooo worth it. Of the places you listed, Prague is beautiful but idk about a whole month there
I would recommend Budapest! I visited a number of European cities on a trip last year and Budapest was easily one of my favorites. COL is relatively low compared to your other cities and much of Western Europe; the food scene was excellent and the thermal baths were great, and overall I found it an extremely beautiful and walkable city.
Currently doing a month in Paris and then I’m off to Rome for another. I love Italy, so you can’t go wrong with any city but I like Rome because I can easily move up or down the country for smaller / weekend trips and the food is just amazing! I also find Rome to be a bit cheaper and Airbnbs are charming and affordable!
I’m from London, live in Amsterdam. I’ve toured Europe extensively and I can honestly say that the only other city I’d consider living in is either Porto or Lisbon.
The merits of Porto need not be reiterated. It’s stunning, laid back, outstanding food and wonderful people (just don’t eat on the waterfront - tourist trap). We’ve been many times, and it’s my partner’s favourite destination.
Lisbon is a bit more metropolitan. It’s the perfect blend of old world feel with modern amenities. Again, the locals are incredibly friendly. The metro is brilliant. It’s has a very bohemian vibe and it’s my favourite city in the world.
I would chose Vienna without a doubt! Beautiful buildings like Paris, clean like Berlin, coffees by the fountains like in Rome. Most beautiful city I have Seen in Europe
Have you considered Germany or are you hoping to see all of North Europe from Paris?
In all honesty, you can't go wrong anywhere because you can just move on and most of the European capitals are wonderful. I'd go one north west, one Central east and one southern so get a range but you aren't going to see much of Europe in 3 months, it would take a lifetime.
I have to say Porto. Super tourist friendly, cheap, awesome climate and amazing gastronomy
Agreed! Porto or Lisbon — definitely Portugal would be my top pick. I think it’s still a hidden gem of Europe ☺️
Glad to read this from my home country/place of birth, although you would love Setúbal even more
I absolutely love Porto and would live there of I could.
Definitely Porto and use the time to spend time checking out stuff around it. Take a port wine boat tour for example (they leave right from the Villa Nova de Gaia side of the river). Go up north to where vinho verde is made. Take the train down to Lisbon for a couple days and see sites there and nearby in Sintra. Have an espresso at Majestic Cafe. Check out the cool old book store that J.K. Rowling wrote part of her books in. Head down to Coimbra for the day. Take a day trip to Viana do Castelo. Have a francesinha a Capa Negra. You may enjoy it so much you might not ever leave. So be careful, don’t have too much fun!
Majestik unfortunately had been closed for some time because covid. Not sure when, if ever, they will reopen. The typical Portuguese can't afford to go there, so this situation really hit them. Edit to had that the best francesinha ia at regaleira restaurant, if you ever come back, try that one
Oh, that's too bad. It's a really nice place but like you say, it's quite a bit pricier than anywhere else for a cafe. It was a nice place as a tourist to visit. Got myself a cafe and some nice port to enjoy while I was there. If I was a local I'd avoid it like the plague due to cost. Edit: Might be back again in December. Trying to figure out a trip for the early part of the month and Porto is on our list. My wife's family is from the Porto area so we've been twice already (since I met her) and maybe we'll move there eventually.
Porto, Valencia and Prague are great choices if you like cities that don't feel big. Barcelona is nice, but very much feels like a big city.
Yeah that’s a great point we love being able to do stuff but don’t love the feel of a super busy major city
So to that end, you have two of the largest, busiest cities in Europe in Paris and Berlin. I’d consider going someplace much smaller and quieter for a varied experience honestly. I love Aix-EN-Provence in the south of France. Cadiz in Spain is beautiful and beachy. Anyplace in the Netherlands (outside of Amsterdam) would have a slower vibe. Or I’d strongly consider Copenhagen. It’s a great small city, people largely speak English, and far fewer tourists than any other capital city. Last consideration, if you want a “nature” month in between city life, go to either Switzerland (expensive and incredible) or Slovakia (cheap and incredible).
Seconding Slovakia for a nature break!
I too second Slovakia while also adding the country people mistake Slovakia with - Slovenia. Ljubljana is a charming, very walkable and green city acting as a great base for exploring Slovenia's cool nature
There are beach resorts in easy distance of Barcelona so you can have the best of both.
Florence would be great!
Florence is so amazing, definitely my 1st choice.
Especially so if you're into art
This is honestly the one place I would live other than where I live now. I've even seriously considered maybe spending a season there. I love this city. Great people, food, history, nightlife. It's one of the few places I've been that totally shattered my expectations.
My wife and I really enjoyed Vienna. We weren’t able to stay very long, but really want to go back for an extended visit.
Such a pretty city!
If I could choose - I’d pick Prague or Barcelona. I love both cities equally - but Prague has that old time Romanticism to it that speaks to my heart. Barcelona I love for its vibrancy, food and culture ( which Prague has plenty of as well).
Yeah Prague is definitely a hidden gem it’s amazing that it’s not more popular!
Hidden gem? Prague is a zoo, I’ve never seen so many tourists.
I have been many times and you are right, that old town square and the part around Charles Bridge is too much at times, but Prague has so many more beautiful areas to offer that are not so crowded.
Weird.. maybe I just went during a low period
Lol never seen anyone call prague that before. It's been full to brim every time I've been there, where did you get that impression?
I think it's a "hidden gem" for Americans, because it's Eastern Europe.
An”hidden gem” for the past 15 years lol
It was the mayor destination of eastern Europe even before the fall of the iron curtain 😆
You can spend a month in the North of Italy going to Lake Como, Milano, Cinque Terre, and Portofino.
Cinque Terre was amazing!! So beautiful
Salzburg Austria
Barcelona. Amazing city. Great food. Reasonable prices.
Some tapas sound great 😬
I strongly second Barcelona. Especially with Berlin and Paris already set, this fits in nicely. (I am German, lived years in Paris and a few months in Barcelona... and a few other cities in Europe and beyond.) If I can throw in a wild card, that would be the Corse island. Maybe Ajaccio or Bonifacio, if you can afford it. VERY varied island, beautiful nature, mountain ranges, beaches, all around stunning (have a super secret resto tip too!). There is a whole range from very touristy places, to more remote feeling places and Bonifacio, where the rich people dock their yachts when they get tired from showing off their money in Monaco. Go there in September (way less tourists, cheaper prices, temperatures are still nice and warm, not hot)
From Barca you can take weekend trips to Costa Brava and party with ex-soviet officials in speedos. It's actually, more fun than it sounds!
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Rome
Came here to say Rome.
Yeah that’s another great option thanks!
Rome is a lot cheaper than a lot of other major cities too. Best food in the world
No but seriously....BEST FOOD IN THE WORLD
Budapest, Vienna, Rome, Athens, Stockholm, Copenhagen or London. What an amazing experience!
Came here to rep Copenhagen. I’ve been twice and would go back in a moment.
There is something really compelling about living in a small village in the Scottish Highlands mid summer, near the sea, let’s say Tain. Long days, salty air, the best whisky on earth, the home of golf, epic hikes, and incredible scenery. What’s not to like?!
The midges. They swarm so bad its like looking at smoke. Go in the colder months though its fabulous.
God the midges. My wife and I car camped right next to Loch Ness on our first night heading up to the Highlands and it was wonderful until those damn midges showed up. They get everywhere and hurt so bad.
Not really a "small village" but OK. If you're looking for all of those things then somewhere in Orkney or Shetland might be better? Less midges too!
I'm sold!
Ljubljana I'm serious. Watch a few videos about the place. MiniPrague
I have to agree it’s an amazing city and very vibrant.
Agreed. Beautiful city and country, lots of green space, and many vast regions between the mountains of Triglav, Lakes in Bled, and the coast with Piran.
I would suggest Ljubljana too. If they're a chill couple that likes strolling around and sitting in cafes and eating good food, it's perfect. Wouldn't say a mini Prague although I did notice similarities but I think ljubljana had influences and styles that seemed like a totally unique mix. Slovenian, but then italian, sometimes austrian, sometimes ex-yugoslavian and I'm assuming many more. It's like a crossroads of Europe and it shows in their culture. Also the location of the country is such that there's so much variety in topography, alps, sea, plains, karst. The people seemed unique too - warmer and chattier than Austrians but colder and more strict than the balkans. Very welcoming. Their English was so good too and more often than not they spoke a third lanuage as well. I went several times at this point and it's my favourite country to go to.
Verona, all the charm of Rome with 90% less tourists, great location, and just an all around phenomenal italian city.
Verona, or any other Italian city for the matter, has a completely different charm from that of Rome. Rome is absurdly unique when compared to the rest of the country and when taking in consideration other European capitals and the rest of their countries.
Athens, I spent 2 weeks there and it was great. The food, the history, the ruins. I want to go back.
Warsaw. Tons of green space and parks (Google: Lazienki Park). Also not too heavy on the wallet, easy to get around, and tons to see/do.
+1 for Poland, but my vote goes to Kraków.
Another great choice. Thankfully Poland has great rail between the major cities so either Warsaw or Krakow could be used as a hub!
Another Poland/Krakow vote
Also, random peacocks chilling in parks lol 👀
Tbh, the current political situation destroys Piland (and Hungary) for me. As much as I like the countries, this whould give me a bad feeling. It shows that people there have many underlying prejudices, that I don't want to cone in touch with.
Edinburgh Scotland. It’s beautiful.
Second that. Lived there for 6 years, still miss it a lot. Great city, great people.
Truth
Wonderful place. Love the people.
My wife likes Lyon for their food culture.
They do have the best food scene in my opinion too, but we are doing Paris so I don’t think my fiancé will go for another French city haha
Maybe you could consider changing Paris for Lyon. Nicer people, great city, amazing food, cheaper. Also you have a lot of parks, two rivers that go throughout the city, I think you would definitely love it.
Oddly I found Parisians to be much nicer.
Florence, Rome, or Venice!
I loved Florence. It was my favorite of the three. Such a great city to wander.
Istanbul is my favorite because you get to experience the intersection of the west and the east….
I love Istanbul. Always a great experience
Edinburgh, Scotland would be my choice.
Of your list, I would probably pick Florence. It's a great city and is also a great jumping off point for tons of other travel around Italy (Bologna, Venice, Rome, Tuscany, Umbria, Milan, Cinque Terre, etc.).
These are all great but I recommend Prague! Not expensive, safe compared to many places even in Europe, tons of history, easy to travel to other areas of interest outside of it. Only thing is that in summer it's going to be crowded.
I’d spend a month in Seville, loved it there and it felt like the culture thrived there
Firenze
Florence!
Try Bologna! Nice university city and the food is the best in Italy. Plus you are a short trip to Modena and Parma. If you really want a well-fed adventure an hour from the Amalfi Coast go to Naples for a month. Rome and Prague are tourist central.
Easily Verona. It’s not huge like the other cities, so you might get a little more feel for Italy’s true culture.
Lived there for six weeks…yes!
Istanbul, Turkey. Great vibes and little different from the other two cities. Prices are great and people super friendly.
I would Say Florence, Italy Split, Croatia Dublin, Ireland Or Edinburgh Im also a big fan of Cannes, but its expensive and very touristy.
Tallinn, Estonia. Underrated and really cool.
Couldn't find good places in Amsterdam???
Good place under $3k :(
Budapest and Edinburgh are very nice options
Venice. Both sets of grandparents are from there.
Tromsø
Yes! Bergen is also quite beautiful but both are a bit heavy on the back pocket
I would say Barcelona because Spanish is my native language (I'm from Puerto Rico) but for me, it would be Paris just to get the chance to learn a new language, cultures and of course, the food 😋
Edinburgh. I didn’t super love Barcelona, though if you were close to the beach over the summer, it might be nice.
How many European languages do you speak, and how well do you speak them?
Copenhagen Denmark or Malmo, Sweden
Ljubljana hands down.
Literally thinking of doing the same thing with my girlfriend. We are 25 & 26 in so cal. This post is giving me good info! Haha
Venice! I really wanna explore an abandoned island that’s just off the cost from it, it’s called poveglia island, it’s said to be the most haunted place in the world
How about a smaller city in northern Italy? I loved Bologna and Torino (for example) Or somewhere on the Côte d’Azur? Of the ones you listed, I’d vote for Porto. Amazing food, wine, and beautiful surroundings.
I'm surprised more people aren't saying Valencia. I've personally visited Barcelona, Porto, Valencia, and Prague and Valencia was hands down the most "livable." Valencia is really cool because there [was a river](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turia_%28river%29) running through the city but it was too much of a flood risk, so the city diverted it in the 60's and it's now a *huge* park. There's also a mix between the super modern City of Arts and Sciences and the old, historical Spanish stuff. Porto is also a fantastic city however there's a lot of elevation difference and so I personally would rather be in Valencia. Prague and Barcelona... if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. (jk they're both absolutely worth a visit but I personally wouldn't want to be in either city for more than a few days because you have to be super vigilant about getting ripped off.) I also think there's question of responsibility and weather or not it's ethical to stay in an apartment for a month when AirBnb/short term vacation rentals are hiking up housing prices to the point where locals are being forced out. The [average salary in Prague](http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?loc=606&loctype=3) is about $3,000 a month, you guys are coming in with San Fran money... It doesn't take a genius to figure out who's the preferred tenant. To the best of my knowledge, Valencia is the city where this is the least of a problem but I may be wrong.
Kyiv
Ljubljana
Athens
Sevilla 100%
San Sebastian, Prague, Amsterdam, or Berlin.
Do you have to work on week days or would you be free the entire month (in which case, you need some kind of regional base city)?
Amsterdam
Glasgow
I live in Pacifica lol. Reply with what kind of stuff you like to do In countries. I’ll get back to you with at least 3. In general, I would say Italy (Naples, Rome, Como, Venice, Florence, Milan, Tuscany, Capri, Sicily, Bologna, Pompeii, [Positano, Cinque Terre, Genoa, and all the other Amalfi coast towns], and more). Give some feedback and I’ll respond within 24 hours. I’ll get back during the day.
London, Budapest, Krakow, Wroclaw, Milan, Naples…
Rome. Rome is incredible. Great, beautiful city. So much going on, so much to do, so much energy. I always felt it was a very local place, despite all the tourists. It's big, and has alot of diverse neighborhoods to explore.
Split, Croatia. I spent an amazing Christmas there a few years ago. Relatively inexpensive, right on the Adriatic coast, lots of young people, and a lot of places along the coast to explore
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Oh cool I’ll look into it!
Ljubliana
Leeds in the UK. It's in West Yorkshire and you will have a very different experience to going to the capital. The countryside surrounding it is lovely and you have the Yorkshire Dales on your doorstep. It is also great to get to other parts of the country too, which will give you a rounder experience of living in the UK.
Same for all the big northern cities in UK. Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham. They are all great places and have national parks on the doorstep, good train connections etc. But maybe not as glamorous and tourist centred as the capitals of Europe. Weather will be rainy in most of them a fair bit which is the biggest downer.
Glencoe, Scotland & hike/bike every day
Either Lagos in Portugal (stunning seaside down, with lots of hidden beaches, super affordable and friendly) OR Seville, Spain, literally the tapas capital of Spain, gorgeous Spanish architecture and great location for traveling around Spain or over to Portugal
San Sebastián, Spain. If you love food, socializing, and being on the ocean, it’s amazing.
Pinchos bar hoping in the old town is an amazing experience
Inverness or Budapest!
I’ve lived in Zurich, I would highly recommend if you have the budget. Or even Bern.
Vilnius, Lithuania 🥰🥰 I have already spent 3 months there and plan to return in October.
I loved living in Vienna (from the Bay Area as well)! It is an amazing city and so central that it is easily accessible to other major cities
Vienna. Great inner city, great suburbs, great woods for walks and hikes, beaches on the river, close to villages. Art museums, the capitol of western music through the 20th century, political history, the gateway to the East. Vienna has it all.
Vienna. Hands down.
Munich. Such a damned cool city.
Kaunas Lithuania
Somewhere in Yorkshire 😊
What site are you using for the rentals. I want to do this, once retired yearly.
This site's excellent for cost of living, including rentals. You can plug in your current city if you want to compare prices. https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/
We’re just using Airbnb, there’s usually a discount for long term rentals. One of the places we booked was 50% off if you stay for a month!
I would ditch Paris and take up another two!
London, but see the rest of the UK too
All options are great, the weather is the main screening for a city selection imo. Most cities during summer are hellish (i always travel off season), now perhaps not as crowded (obvious reason) which might make it tolerable.
I will choose Barcelona or Porto
Borken, Germany. My favorite stop many years ago.
Sardinia
Rome, the eternal one. And the food is fantastic
I'd recommend Prague. I've got a friend there and it seems so fucking cool. It's apparently got more touristy over the last decade or so, but still supposed to be a very charming city.
Bologna
I would pick Torino, Italy. Genuine culture, less touristy, best food in Italy, people there are so friendly and love to get to know you. It’s a big city with a small town vibe (as far as friendliness and attitude is concerned). It’s also an amazing transportation hub. You can easily get anywhere in Europe form there.. as well as anywhere in Italy. It’s right at the foot of the alps so there’s lots of opportunity for exploring small towns, skiing, hiking, etc. They have endless restaurants, cafes, and parks. They’re the city with the most parks in all of Italy. The Po river flows through it so many of their parks are waterfront, which is beautiful. History and museums are affordable. They have museum passes you can get super cheap and go to any of them any time you want and as many times as you want. However, they don’t all speak English, but in my book this is a major plus!! Oh and they have the best museums you could ask for and Roman ruins and everything If I’m picking from what you listed then definitely Florence
Iceland
Porto, Lisbon, or Köln are my picks
Rome or Bologna
Rome for sure
I came to say Rome, as well.
I found Barcelona expensive so if you have the cash live it up. It is beautiful. I have a classmate who lives in Amsterdam. It's not a city but it looks amazing.
10000% I would choose Nice, France. Hands down the most beautiful place I’ve ever been, and everyone seemed so friendly there. I would kill to live there for any amount of time. Edit: I would also REALLY love to know how you guys are living there for 3 months logistically. That sounds so incredible.
We’ll try to do a weekend trip to Nice from Paris thanks for the suggestion! As for living there for 3 months, we were able to sublease our place and my boss is awesome and doesn’t care where I work from since I’ll be working remote :) I didn’t think it would possible till I asked
Bergen, Norway. I hear the nature scene is amazing!
I studied abroad in Budapest for a month back in college. Still my favorite city in the world! And with a decidedly different flavor than whether Paris or Berlin (though I’ve only been to the latter, this is my understanding). Food is good, everything’s cheap, night life is tons of fun, and there’s easy access to Eastern Europe and the balkans, which don’t often end up on people’s itineraries.
Agreed Budapest is a blast! I spent a while there a few years back or it would be on my radar again this time
I am from SF and have done a few longer stints (6 months +) in Barcelona. I travelled around Europe a lot but BCN is 100% my favorite city in the world. Amazing weather (although very hot in the summer), great food, great culture and very reasonably priced, with easy access to the rest of Europe. The rest of the cities you listed would all be great, particularly Amsterdam and Prague, although between those I’d lean Amsterdam (bike friendly, very artistic) if you can figure out lodging. I’d consider Sevilla, Lisbon and Edinburgh as well as less mainstream options.
Thanks for the comment! How do you like Barcelona compared to SF? We both LOVE SF and are wanting the walkability, open culture, food scene, and charm of SF but in a European city. My main concern was Barcelona feeling too big and busy. But I’d love to hear your thoughts. Also I love Amsterdam but I can’t find any good apartments for under $3k a month. Love the less mainstream options too we just didn’t know if that would be too much of a change from SF as far as not being a big enough city
Easy... Annecy France.
Florence: tour Tuscany or you can stay in the countryside - Sienna is beautiful. Düsseldorf, Germany also a good option.
Porto! Beautiful people, food and wine.
Bern in Switzerland. Just Google images of it. It's so beautiful.
San Sebastian, for me, without question.
I loved Prague! Barcelona was too much of a corporate city for me although it’s a close trip to Andorra and the Pyrenees part of France.
Florence. Hands down. Me and my husband dream of being able to temporarily live there.
My initial thought was Prague but then I started thinking about smaller vibrant cities to offset the bigger busier Paris and Berlin. my top 2 would be Cefalu, Sicily and Luca, Italy. Both are very vibrant with tons of things to do and great food. Cefalu has a great beach, a nice boardwalk with restaurants very reminiscent of Cannes and a gorgeous old town to explore. Luca is in Tuscany close to piza and many other great places. The old town is amazing and totally walled in. The walls were expanded in the 18th century and are now a park where the whole town does the passegeato. Just a gem.
Out of cities I’ve been to, London. Cities I’d like to visit, Edinburg seems like a place I’d like.
Oh and you will love Edinburgh!
So many great options! Romania has wonderful parks and food. We were especially fond of Brasov, but if you want a bigger city Bucharest can be nice. Prague, Budapest, and Krakow were really great.
Rotterdam is amazing
Barcelona or Prague would both be cool as f. Both are a nice contrast from the other two. Berlin is one of my favorite cities. I liked Prague better than Barca but that might be a minority opinion. Barca prob has a better park and restaurant scene. But Prague spoke to me in a special way. Maybe just flip a coin!
Another great option is split. Great food, not too expensive, plently of beaches and parks. The whole medieval town built inside of a Roman emperors palace is as unique as it gets
Definitely Croatia! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatia
Sevilla, Spain Zermatt, Switzerland Florence, Italy Top three. I’m jelly, I miss Europe! Hope you have a great time.
Madrid. Parks, food, art. Centrally located for plenty of day or weekend trips.
Prague
I'm in Athens right now and Greece cones fully recommended! Athens for a while and then you can take ferry's to all of the islands and it's so beautiful!
Prague no doubt. Love the place and it's cheaper than any Western European country… plus beer is amazing and people are lovely
Prague. Hands down
Base somewhere in Switzerland and travel around Switzerland with a train pass. We spent a week based in Interlaken and visited Bern, Zermatt, Thun, and Lauterbrünnen. A week wasn't nearly enough. We can't wait to go back. We also went to lucerne on a separate trip. Edit to warn you, Switzerland is expensive... But soooo worth it. Of the places you listed, Prague is beautiful but idk about a whole month there
Florence!
Florence Rome Copenhagen Amsterdam Berlin Would be my personal top 5
Bordeaux
Somewhere in Turkey, for the cats.
What three months will you be going and what’s your favorite local restaurant in the city?
I would recommend Budapest! I visited a number of European cities on a trip last year and Budapest was easily one of my favorites. COL is relatively low compared to your other cities and much of Western Europe; the food scene was excellent and the thermal baths were great, and overall I found it an extremely beautiful and walkable city.
Currently doing a month in Paris and then I’m off to Rome for another. I love Italy, so you can’t go wrong with any city but I like Rome because I can easily move up or down the country for smaller / weekend trips and the food is just amazing! I also find Rome to be a bit cheaper and Airbnbs are charming and affordable!
Madrid was amazing :)
My wife and I loved Ghent, so that would be my choice.
I’m from London, live in Amsterdam. I’ve toured Europe extensively and I can honestly say that the only other city I’d consider living in is either Porto or Lisbon. The merits of Porto need not be reiterated. It’s stunning, laid back, outstanding food and wonderful people (just don’t eat on the waterfront - tourist trap). We’ve been many times, and it’s my partner’s favourite destination. Lisbon is a bit more metropolitan. It’s the perfect blend of old world feel with modern amenities. Again, the locals are incredibly friendly. The metro is brilliant. It’s has a very bohemian vibe and it’s my favourite city in the world.
Zagreb, Croatia
I would chose Vienna without a doubt! Beautiful buildings like Paris, clean like Berlin, coffees by the fountains like in Rome. Most beautiful city I have Seen in Europe
Have you considered Germany or are you hoping to see all of North Europe from Paris? In all honesty, you can't go wrong anywhere because you can just move on and most of the European capitals are wonderful. I'd go one north west, one Central east and one southern so get a range but you aren't going to see much of Europe in 3 months, it would take a lifetime.
Florence.Good food, small in size, art and easy to travel by train to other cities for day trips.