Hi, I'm Miruna.

A normal job and a long list

I work full time. No sabbatical, no "I quit my job to travel" story. My annual leave is limited, so I put money aside for travel every month and plan around public holidays, long weekends and the odd few weeks of working remotely.

That's been enough for 55+ countries so far. The goal is every country, eventually.

I was afraid to go alone

For a long time I didn't travel solo because I was scared to. But nobody around me wanted to travel, or they didn't want to go where I wanted to go. So I mostly stayed home and kept a list of places instead.

Just after Covid I finally booked my first solo trip, around the Balkans. That trip changed how I travel. Nothing dramatic happened: I took buses, met people in hostels, got lost a few times and was fine. I came home knowing I could do it.

Most of my trips so far have been on my own. These days some are with my partner or with friends too.

Solo or not

Solo travel is still close to my heart, because it's not that scary. You just go on your own terms, and you start small. A long weekend in a city near home, somewhere with easy public transport and a well-reviewed place to sleep, is plenty for a first trip. Then you go a bit further the next time.

If you've been waiting for someone to come with you, start where I started: Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria and Croatia are cheap, easy to get around and a good first step.

But you don't have to go alone to travel more. Most of what I write works whether you're on your own, with a partner or with a group of friends: what things really cost, how to stretch your leave, and what's worth it.

What you get here

• Real budgets. What I actually spent on beds, food and transport, not what a brochure says.
• Leave hacks. How I turn public holidays and long weekends into bigger trips, and when I work remotely to stay a bit longer.
• Real opinions. What I liked and what I didn't. If a place disappointed me, I'll tell you.
• Safety tips. The things I actually do as a woman travelling alone, without the fear-mongering.

Browse by topic: Solo travel, Budget travel and Leave & holidays.

Or have a look at the destinations and start with my tips for travelling Europe on a budget.

A few more things about me

I love cats and will stop to pet every street cat I meet, in every country. I hate pineapple, on pizza and everywhere else.

How this site pays for itself

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you book through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only link to things I'd use myself. More about that.

Questions, corrections or a place I should go next? Email me at hello@travelshecan.com.