A friend recently asked me if I thought she should take an opportunity to backpack in Europe for a month. I answered with a resounding “Yes!” She asked me why.
I responded, “Why not?”
After I graduated from college, I decided to take a whirlwind tour through Europe with nothing but a train pass in my pocket, a backpack on my back, and minimal savings.
If you are planning to take a backpacking trip, I have a few tips for you that you may find helpful.
1) Get a good, sturdy backpack. Do not skimp on the backpack! I made this mistake and bought a cheaper backpack that did not have great support or padding. It was a little uncomfortable. You will do a lot of walking and you will get lost. Getting lost is one thing. Getting lost and walking miles in an unknown city with an uncomfortable, heavy monstrosity attached to your back is another thing entirely. You can find a good backpack at REI or other outdoor sporting stores. Online is a great place to look at backpacks and compare prices. Go into a store and try some backpacks on. Ask salespeople for advice.
2) Pack lightly. Do not overpack. Even little things add up quickly when you are carrying everything on your back. If you are planning on backpacking in Europe for one month, you will probably be able to survive with three pairs of jeans, two pairs of shorts, a few shirts, a jacket, and of course, socks and underwear. It is hard to say in general what you should pack because everyone has different ideas on what to bring. Just take this tip: if you think you might not need it – don’t bring it. You can always pick something up while you are over there. Always under-pack, but make sure you have enough clothing to keep you warm. Don’t skimp on the backpack and don’t skimp on warmth.
3) Plan your trip. One mistake I made on my two-month trip was I cris-crossed across the continent with little regard for distance and time constraints. I would look at a map and say, “I want to go there.” Then I would check my unlimited eurail pass and see if I could get there. Then I would get on a train and go there. Because of this spontaneous way of traveling, I burned a good amount of time and had some rough train rides. But, it was also a lot of fun and I met some interesting people and had some adventures. I would definitely plan my route better next time and avoid traveling from Paris to Prague then down to Italy and back to Budapest in Eastern Europe. It was kind of a crazy way to do it. Get some maps and take a little time to plan the trip.
4) Get an unlimited Eurail pass. This will allow you more options and is the most convenient pass to get.
5) Protect your passport. This is very important because it is a huge hassle to lose your passport or your wallet. You do not want to be stuck in Budapest without any form of identification or any money. Sure, you will probably end up being okay, but replacing your id’s is the last hassle you want to deal with while you are in a beautiful European city. You can buy an id holder that is basically a small cloth pouch that hangs around your neck, underneath your shirt. This is a good way to keep an eye on the important documents you need to have. I kept my passport and my train pass in the pouch, always around my neck under my shirt while I was backpacking from city to city.
6) Take the time to enjoy the cities you visit. Sit back and relax in a café. Observe the scenery, smell the air, eat the regional cuisine. Talk to the people. Ultimately, traveling is about the interesting people you meet and the different viewpoints that you come across. Cathedrals are great, but once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. I mean this partly in jest, but don’t concentrate too hard on marking off a list of tourist attractions. Sit back and take it all in.
7) Money. This is different for every person. Plane and train tickets (which may end up costing the bulk of your budget) aside, it is not unreasonable to plan on living on 20 to 30 dollars a day. If you stay in cheap hostels, you shouldn’t have to pay much more than 10 to 15 euros for the night. Buy the bulk of your food in grocery stores and avoid tourist trap eateries. When I was backpacking in Europe, I probably lived on an average of 25 dollars a day. That’s an average. Some days you will need to spend extra on a more expensive place to stay or on a souvenir that you want, or on food or travel. You will spend more than you think, so make sure you have some savings.
8) Have fun!
