French flings, kissing in Croatian castles: FJ readers share their summer romance stories

“One blurry selfie on his rooftop is the only evidence I have of our encounter.”

Around six years ago, I set off for a month backpacking around Spain and Portugal before spending a semester studying in Paris. As one does, I spent a lot of time in the lead-up dreaming about all the beautiful European men I assumed I’d meet and fall in love with.

Sadly for me, this never quite eventuated. But I have heard stories from plenty of people who’ve been swept away in a Mamma Mia-esque holiday romance. Whether it was a night of dancing that turned into a whirlwind fling, or a chance encounter that blossomed into a proper relationship, we want to hear from those who’ve had a summer fling abroad. And naturally, we want to know all the details.

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The women we surveyed spared no details, telling us about the spontaneous nights that (for a few readers) led to months-long situationships across multiple continents. For others, the romance of the holiday fling needed to stay exactly where they found it – on holiday.

Lucy*, 25

I was having coffee in Paris and my mum went to the bathroom. I was sitting by a window with no glass. I saw a cute French guy walking by, and we both made eye contact. A minute later, he came back and asked for my Instagram in French. I had zero idea what he said. He used Google Translate to ask me out and I gave him my Instagram.

We went on a date two days later and we basically used Google Translate throughout the whole date as he spoke no English. We later went from Montmartre to the Eiffel Tower and literally kissed there. At the time, I’d only kissed one guy, so I was really nervous. But he basically French kissed the hell out of me. Whenever people accuse me of lying, I show them a picture of both of us at the Eiffel Tower.

Mia*, 26

I was in Europe for several months. While I was in Porto, I matched with a local guy and we went on one date to a local wine bar. We canoodled in the back of his car, expecting to never see each other again. After some messaging back and forth, we spent a week together a month later in Portugal. I haven’t seen him in a year, but he still frequently messages me, asking to go on holidays in Portugal with him. Although I didn’t fall in love with this man, I give massive respect to anyone who can survive a long-distance relationship.

Lena*, 27

I was in Slovenia at Butik music festival. I had just left the dance stage to have a little sit-down outside, and my friend came to join me and she said, ‘Look over there’. This man in a bandana was giving his friend a massage. My friend said that I must go over. So I did, and he offered to give me a massage… and then we kissed and danced for the rest of the festival together.

After the festival, he said he would really like to see me again. I’m an English girl from London, he’s a Melbourne-based boy who was on month two of his year-long sabbatical. He said I should meet him in Albania, but I said to come to London instead and stay with me. He did and we had four amazing days together.

Four months passed, and I said to him, I really want to get away over Christmas. He was in Central America, so we decided to meet in Columbia and spend a month together over Christmas and New Year. As the trip was coming to an end and I was going home, and he was continuing to travel, we decided that in two months I’d come to Japan with him. We spent a month travelling in a van in Japan.

In four months, I’ve planned to move out to Melbourne to be with him – it’s still not definitely going to happen, as who know what could happen, but I think we both have faith.

Peyton*, 25

I met this guy at an abandoned castle-turned-club during Sail Croatia (romantic right?) and we spent a week meeting every day when we were on land, exploring islands of Croatia. It was fun, I thought he was so sweet and kind. We decided to spend extra time together exploring Split and extended our stay. He was concerned it would just be a Europe fling, and made it very clear to me he wanted more.

Looking back, he needed this validation all the time. He asked me questions daily, trying to ensure that we’d last past Europe. He was living in Sydney, me in Melbourne but about to move to Sydney anyway. I was convinced I’d found someone so lovely and fun. Looking back, I was the one who was fun, and he was just insecure.

We kept in touch for a few months, then just as I was about to move to Sydney, he said he “never even wanted a relationship” and ended it. Two years later, he swiped up on an Instagram story of mine at one of those Five by Flynn Fashion Week after-parties (obviously I was still living in Sydney) asking to catch up. Against all my friends’ desperate calls to stop me, I met with him for coffee, realised he was so boring and average and left happy with myself, despite the heartbreak he caused two years prior. Boys suck.

Ariana*, 35

On a night out in Barcelona, I made friends with an American guy who was helping me look for my friend who I’d lost at a party in the suburbs. I was getting worried, my phone was on two per cent battery. This guy was such an angel, he spoke fluent Spanish and English and helped me track my friend down at the party. Then he hit on me haha. We went back to his place and I had maybe the best sex of my entire life. The next morning, we smoked weed together (something I never do), and he gave me a tour of his neighbourhood and showed me all the fun, local spots. It was like out of a movie.

We didn’t exchange numbers or socials, but I remember his full name, I saw it on a letter in his room. I tracked him down on Facebook years ago and sent a friend request that he never accepted, lol. Probably for the best. I took one blurry selfie on his rooftop and that’s the only evidence I have of our encounter.

For more summer romance stories, try this.