Whatever you do, don't start in Freeport. EC is one of the most painful zones to level from 5-10 if you can't get an orc group (usually full). Things get better once you can go Dervs -> Oasis, but until then it really sucks trying to find pumas and scarabs (which are stretched few and far between) while constantly getting jumped by Air Elementals and Mummies.
I'd recommend Faydwer for newbies, Butcherblock being one of my favorite zones in particular. The continent in general is pretty well split up into level-appropriate groups with numerous camps for all levels, and the dungeon progression through Crushbone -> Unrest -> Mistmoore is great training for serious grouping (as well as a ton of fun).
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