This was one of the most adventurous trips I have ever taken.
I have a grandfather (shout out to Nigel) who lives in a little village in Tuscany, Italy. He graciously accommodates me and my family every year. Unfortunately, that year I was unable to go at our regular time. So I went a month later on my own.
Rather than just flying there, I decided to buy an Interrail ticket and travel through France with my bicycle, stopping at Paris and Lyon along the way. I basically got to experience multiple amazing cities for the price of one ticket! I can't recommend it enough if you own a bicycle. Traveling around busy cities on a bike is so much more practical, and cheaper, than getting taxis everywhere, and safer than public transport.
I met some fantastic people from all walks of life along the way and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This also gave me a new found respect to all the travel bloggers out there. Living out of travel bags, hours of public transport in between destinations, socialising with strangers can be very draining. However, the rewards for doing so are more than worth it.
I wasn't adventurous enough to use Air BnB though. I refuse to share a bathroom with strangers!
