Backpacking Europe?

Question

I have saved a lump of cash for this trip but does anyone know of any tips to making it last. Discount cards I can get, cheap travel, all of the usual.

I having been looking at the WWOOF organisations, does anyone have any experiences with this?

Things to see, must do... I want to know as much as you have to tell!

Answer 1

I have Been packpacking first time in 1976 and visited just about all the European countries. The cost steers very much where to travel. .

Travelling is not that expensive if you buy an eurailpass for youth. It covers Austria 3, Belgium 3, Denmark 3 , Finland 3, France 2, Germany, 3 Greece 2, Holland 2, Hungary 1, Italy 2, Luxembourg 3, Norway 4, Portugal 1, Republic of Ireland 3, Romania 0 , Spain 2, Sweden 3 and Switzerland 4.

You can also extend your trip to Czeck 1 and Slovakia 0, Estonia 1, Poland 1 you have to buy the train tickets (boat for Estonia), but prices of them are very reasonable and living cost make it up. I would recommend Prague (old city and center price level 3 all other 1). Other Cities definately worth seeing are: Berlin, Porto (take a tour in port cellar) and Barcelona maybe also Paris, Cologne, Amsterdam, Delft (Holland), Annecy (France), Berlin, Copenhagen, Tampere.


I have number behind each giving idea of price level there this correspons the price level on regular towns not historic city centers etc...

4 - much higher than states
3 - somewhat higher than states
2 - states level
1 - below states
0 - way below

The same list for ability to get along with locals in English and find chat companion in PUBs among locals (not fellow tourists) 4 very easy 0 slight chance. Getting along with hotels and torist professionals is usually easy in all the countries.

Austria 3, Belgium 2, Denmark 3 , Finland 4, France 1, Germany3, Greece 1, Holland 4, Hungary 1, Italy 2, Luxembourg 4, Norway 3, Portugal 1, Romania 0 , Spain 2, Sweden 3 and Switzerland 3. Czeck 1 and Slovakia 0, Estonia 1.

So if you are low on budget go east if high west and north, very easy. My son has backpacked with 15 dollat budget a day for accommodatoin, food and even travel in slovakia (where eurailpass does not cover)

Budjet tips:

1. Stay the hostels, you will find them there www.HIhostels.com, saves a bundle over hotels.
2. Visit and see historical centers, but do not drink or eat anything there, few blocks of busstops can halve the price.
3. Spend some nights on train traveling, get more covered (one night covers cross Europe East-West) an save on accommodation.
4. Buy food at supermarkets, do not eat in restaurants more than necessary, my son even used to have a cooker with hi´m. A noodle lunch is around 1 dollar anywhere if you can make hot water.
5. If you want to eat or drink in a restaurant check the prices from menu and order from there so you know what to pay (even if you dont always exactly know what you ordered, goes mainly for 1 and 0 on the last list) Usually the cheapest eating out is pizzas and stuff.
6. Best budjet months to travel are June and September, the entire Europe is still warm, but prices (and flights from USA) much cheaper than July-August.

I would not use long ferry trips they add to cost, railpass is free once you bought it, so take trains. Ferries Demark-Sweden-Finland-Estonia giving you 50 % discount on Eurail pass so they become reasonable.

Have a good trip and always ask your fellow travellers for hints, they are plenty in trains. You would no imagine how easy it is to travel a month for way under 1000 dollars (exl. flight and eurailpass) if you follow even some of these hints.

If flying use ryanair.com, the cheapest airlline in Europe, be sure to book and pay about 6 months prior your trip, you get incredible prices. i.e. Three hour flight from London Stanstead to Tampere, Finland or Palermo Sicily for 50 dollars one-way. One good Ryanair destination to get you to beatiful and bugety Slovanian Adrian coast is Trieste in Italy 15 miles from the border.

Answer 2

To do this properly, this is a huge organising task.

The components are:

transport
accommodation
food

coupled with what you want to see and do

I'd suggest you use a Eurail Pass for travelling and sometimes sleeping.

Freshen up in a hostel / cheap hotels every now and again - use cheaperthanhotels which has live stand by rates across Europe where you can sort by price and dig deep into the results to observe free offers like breakfast and amenities etc

Couple this with the advice here and many of the youth organisations and you'll start to build a picture.

Tourism Rankings has a directory of official Tourism sites for most of the European countries and I've provided some sample links below

Answer 3

Try using the youth hostels association. In the UK, some of the hostel are old manisons and stuff- luxury surroundings with bargain prices.

Check out STA travel as well.

Depends when you're travelling and what you enjoy with regards to where to go/see etc.

Britain, of course, is always better in summer- unless you're fond of rain! Try and check out some coastlines (each 'end'- Scotland / Devon etc) and if you do Scotland, Edinburghs a must (inc Mary Kings close, a C17th street that was blocked off after the plague and now open, fully preserved and a ghost tour!).

York, London and Bath are key historical sites in England.

Italy would be my other 'must' for Europe. Even the smallest village is beautiful with great food and wine! But, of course, Rome is a must, as is Pompeii.

Similarly, Greece is great if you're willing to go off the beaten track. I arrived in Athens at 2am one morning, got the bus down to Pireaus ferry port and a slow ferry over to an island. It was practically empty so I spent dawn and the morning dozing on the top deck, sailing across the Aegean sea. Brilliant!

Have a fantastic time, take a phrase book and ALWAYS attempt the language, you will be instantly liked much more than those who assume everyone can speak English!

Answer 4

if you want cheap travel from country to country use eurolines bus companies as they are cheap and not too bad. you always find someone to talk to aswell ive backpacked in europe 2 times now for several months each time. You will love it. camping is not too bad in europe and is reasonablely priced. lonely planet europe guide was quite well resaerched i found (i was backpacking and camping) . have a good time

Answer 5

i have no experience with the so named organizations, however i do know that if you backpack, it can be more expensive than planning a trip to a certain location or a few certain locations. check online for cheap, local hotels and such. and eat in!

Answer 6

Try this web site its full of everything you need to know.
have a fantastic time

http://www.backpackingeurope.com/