Done this multiple times in multiple places.
Tips:
If you are renting a car. (Highly suggested) Ensure you Visa covers the insurance.
Stay in a bit busier, centrally located city. What I find is that if you can only head in one direction, you keep having to go further to see something new.
One month is a minimum. AirBnB etc., the price of the apartment drops quite a bit with a one month rent. Potentially with VRBO or other apartment rental places you can negotiate a bit. Ask the owner a question, mention you want to stay for a month and innocently ask the question of how much would they charge. Usually they will respond with a lower rate. If renting an apartment, go with a place with lots of reviews.
Go to a place that is walkable. Paris is the best walking city that I have ever been to. For Spain I would say Barcelona. Be careful about weather. Northern Europe is soggy in the winter but great in the summer. Southern Europe is Brutally hot in the summer, but great in the shoulder seasons. If you are driving, understand the driving rules! They are different from North America. (No right turn on red light, many restricted driving locations. Memorize the traffic signs and what they mean)
On month is not enough!
Take a basic language course before you go. If you want to get to know the natives, at least try to speak their language, they are much friendlier.
Oh, get a local SIM card for your phone, put your phone plan on hold if you can and get WhatsApp. All countries other than North America use WhatsApp for communication.
Have fun!
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