Has anyone ever Back Packed thru Europe?

Question

I want to Back Pack thru Europe and tips on this would be great...

Answer 1

It is a lot more expenssive than it seems! I spent 6 months studying in london, traveled on the weekends. be ready for something like 50-80 U.S. dollars a day, not including transportation and accomodation.

Stay in hostels and take night trains, so you can sleep there and save a night of paying for a hotel/hostel.

I love London it's awesome, but if you're on a budget i'd stay out of the UK, you can always go back, but the exchange rate sucks. Try looking at less expensive but still awesome places.

maybe you can go to vienna, but stay there for a day or two then go to budapest, where it's a little cheaper. Croatia is like the poor mans greek isles. If you like to ski or like the mountains try Andorra, its right between spain and france and is pretty cheap and beautiful.

Just know that going to europe is a great experience in itself no matter where you go. and UK, itally, greece etc. is where everybody wants to go (AND DOES!) so it drives the cost of travel high.

Also, you'll probably want to go out. try to avoid cover charges, usually those are the tourist traps anyway. drink as much as you can before hand at your hostel, it saves a lot of cash when you're paying 3-4 euros a drink (and thats cheap) that adds up in american dollars realy quick. Also, try to avoid late night munching too much, that will rake up your budget real quick

The drugs are awesome in europe, but make sure you know what your getting before you pay, or you could end up with an empty wadded up plastic bag instead of mary jane.

try to walk, taxis are expensive in most places, and a 35 minute walk is not much worse than a 15 minute cab ride, and saves you dollars. walking around people watching is the best way to experience a city anyway

WATCH OUT FOR THE EXCHANGE RATE!!!

Answer 2

While traveling with a good friend is great, it is also good to back-pack alone, so if you want to travel and can not find the right person, just start out alone.
Often you meet someone who does the same kind of trip, or you see that traveling alone is the right thing for you.

But whether you travel alone, with a friend or as part of a bigger group, these tips will work.

Travel light, take one bag only, and try to keep it light enough to lift it over your head, (as if to put it in an overhead luggage rack in the train,) because you will have to walk with it a lot more than you expect and it will feel heavy soon.

If you travel alone, go to hostels, best places to meet people, you save a fair bit of money too.
Taking a tent is only useful if you go in the height of summer when all hotels and hostels are booked solid, a tent, sleeping bag, mattress, cooking equipment and so on are rather bulky and might well be heavy.
Hostels mostly have kitchens for the guests to use. Safes money over eating out.

Select a few countries you want to see, places that have a meaning for you, those you have always wanted to see or places that you might have family history. Places where you have always heard stories about.

Get some travel guides, I prefer Lonely Planet, and read about the countries you might want to go and see if they seem as nice now you read about them.

Try to travel early in summer or after the schools have started again, in most of Europe May/June or September/October are the best times, but if you want to go to Norway or Sweden, late June is the best time.

Europe gets more expensive when you travel north and west, but Switzerland you is expensive too.
Eastern Europe, the former communist countries, is cheaper, but the tourist infrastructure is improving fast. And most of the younger people speak English.

Whatever you do, be careful, act like you would do in the big town near where you live.
Enjoy thinking about the travels, planning and dreaming, and save up as much as you can, it will be more expensive than you think.

Answer 3

Choose a good travel buddy..Look into a Eurail pass which will give you unlimited train travel to most European countries. We loved staying @ camp sites, some on the beach (Grande Motte, France has beautiful camp sites on the sea). We stayed @ some hostels which are designed for backpackers..but usually have curfews & some are kind of run down..but really affordable. You'll find that inn owners approach back packers @ train stations & will offer deals @ small, affordable inns (in Italy"pensions" much better than hostels). Foders has many guides.. "europe on $ 20.- a day.)

My Girlfriend & I went twice @ 17 & 18 and you'll meet so many other back packers who will advise on good places to visit. You'll never be bored & if you're young & a good camper, you can travel Europe very affordably. Now..10yrs later, I prefer hotels but back then just winging it was fun.

Answer 4

Yup
I did a few years back - you'll love it and the advice given here is really good quality.

You might also want to check out this page:

http://europe4vacations.com/europe-and-european/backpacking/backpacking-europe.html

Hope you enjoy your trip - you certainly wont ever forget it once you do