I'm trying to plan a last-minute trip -- for four weeks in late January/February -- not an ideal time to travel, but it's hard to time heartbreak with good weather and I very much need to get away.
This will be my fifth trip to Europe, and my second solo trip (I'm a young woman). I've previously visited Berlin, Dresden, Salzburg, Vienna, Venice, Florence, Rome, Paris (twice, once solo), Amsterdam (solo), Lisbon, Barcelona, Tarragona, Montserrat, Geneva, Lausanne, and Luxembourg City. I've enjoyed aspects of all of these cities, but the ones I've loved the most (and the most comprehensively) would be Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Venice, Lisbon, and Barcelona. Luxembourg City was dull; Geneva lovely, but too sanitized, expensive, and quiet; Amsterdam's party culture was exhausting and hard to avoid (traveling solo = lots of invitations to do drugs with total strangers) even in the daylight, though I enjoyed the early mornings and the outer rings of the city. I live in a major US city, and am used to traveling solo in the US. I love walkable cities, art, architecture that are welcoming to solo female travelers. I'm not into clubbing or parties. When I traveled solo previously, I ate at cafes every meal, and divided my time between art museums and exploring on foot.
Given the winter weather and short notice... I was hoping to come here for advice on an itinerary. I'd most like to see more of Spain (Madrid, Toledo, Sevilla, Granada, Zaragoza); France (Arles, Annecy); Italy (Verona, Milan, Siena, Ravenna most of all); go deeper into Eastern Europe (Budapest and Prague); perhaps a Brussels/Bruges/London/Edinburgh/Dublin trip.
With 3-4 weeks, I was considering these (open to ideas):
Madrid (edited to add: 6 days, day trip to Toledo, possibly Segovia or El Escorial)
Granada (2 days?)
Sevilla (3-4 days?)
Zaragoza (2 days?)
Fly elsewhere... either
Brussels (3-4 days) and Bruges (1-2 days), then London (5-6 days), then Dublin (3-4 days)
Or else, substitute Prague (4 days?) and Budapest (5 days?)
This post feels rather aimless -- a reflection on its author at the moment. Any guidance on good February destinations, tips for traveling solo with a broken heart, etc., appreciated.