Hi all,
When I graduate college next year (August 2027), I'd love to travel in Europe for \~3-4 weeks before starting work full time. For context I'm male and I'll be 23 at by the time I graduate. I currently live in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in Vancouver BC. I travelled to Europe once in the past, when I visited Rome, Florence, and Pienza (it was incredible and the food was extraordinary for me!).
Since I'm in college and worked a couple of internships, I'm trying to reduce my budget as much as possible - maybe like $7-8k maximum. But I view this as a golden opportunity to have fun with friends, satisfy my longstanding passion for European history (especially 19th-20th century European history), and experience different cultures/vibes before going into full time employment. My friends and I don't particularly love clubbing and nightlife, but do have a good time at a welcoming pub or the occasional block party (especially with the world cup happening in Toronto). I also enjoy going to museums and walking through historical sites.
I'm aiming to visit 4-5 cities during this time. I've created a list of cities I'd be interested in visiting, and I'd love to get your thoughts on which ones you'd recommend for someone like me.
I know these cities are known to be the more expensive European cities (hopefully still cheaper than Toronto, Ontario or Vancouver, BC), but tips on how to travel in western/central Europe on a budget would be greatly appreciated.
I also didn't travel that often growing up, so I would prefer destinations more "convenient" for travel, where there are a decent number of tourists, relatively safe, and where I can resort to English if I ever get really lost.
I’m also east asian (my family is from Korea), and concerned about potentially encountering racism. Are there any cities that are specifically more nptorious for their racism than others?