Tom’s Super Guide To Planning A Trip Backpacking Through Europe
Welcome To The Complete Guide To Planning A European Backpacking Trip
There is so much information out there on the internet, and I personally think a lot of it is complete junk. I want the resource articles on this website to be useful, informative, helpful, and most importantly, NOT junk!
With this guide I want you to have a few ‘aha’ moments or maybe a few ‘that’s a good idea’ moments. I want this to be a valuable resource for other backpackers like myself, or for fledgling backpackers who may be about to start on their very own journey to Europe.
In this guide I’m going to share everything I wish I knew before heading off on my first adventure. Having backpacked Europe a number of times (and currently living there) I like to think I have a few good pointers that can help you get started.
Because of all of the above, this article is going to be really long, so I will be breaking it down into manageable chunks. Read the whole thing if you’ve got the time, I’ve drawn from and poured as much of my own personal experiences and lessons learned into it as I can. If you are after some specific tips or information in particular, use the links below to jump around the article.
Let’s get on with it.
Map of Europe
Arranging Passport & Visas
Money & Papers
Travel Insurance
Cost
Routes
Sample Europe Itineraries
Packing List
Europe Tours
Europe Pictures
Backpacking Advice
Item & Gear Recommendations
A Simple Map of Europe
I thought it might be a good idea to start with a map of Europe. Any decent Europe backpacking guide would be remiss without actually showing you a map of Europe. So here it is!
Open the map in a new window to make it nice and big!
Welcome to Europe. It’s the world’s 6th largest continent and consists of 47 countries (as well as other assorted dependencies, islands and territories). Phew. That’s enough facts for now I think.
So, my first recommendation is to familiarize yourself with this continent! Not only will this build up the anticipation of the trip to come, it’s also a great way to avoid homework and other dull activities. Might I also suggest getting a globe for your room (I have one that is also a lamp and lights up from the inside, it’s AWESOME, so get one of those).
Arranging Your Passport and Visas
Passport
In the planning phase and whilst ticking off your ‘backpacking in Europe checklist’, please don’t forget to organize your passport and the appropriate visas for the countries your are visiting (more on visas in a moment). Don’t leave it to the last minute. Don’t leave it to the last minute. Let me repeat that. Please don’t leave it to the last minute!
There is nothing worse than thinking you have more than enough time to sort and obtain your passport, only to realize the processing time (according to the post office clerk) ‘may take 6-8 weeks, it really depends…’, and you’re sitting there thinking, ‘but I leave in 4 weeks!’.
Then you’re biting and gnashing your nails leading up to the flight date, only to receive it 3 days before you go. IT’S NEEDLESS STRESS, I tell you.
Let me tell you a quick story, when I had to renew my Australian passport, I ran into some troubles due to the fact that I had lost my previous passport (that’s a tale we won’t get into right now) and neither of my parents were born in Australia (my dad is English and my mother is Dutch).
So even though I have an Australian birth certificate and had previously had an Australian passport, there was some obscure government ruling that still applied to me where I had to prove extra things and obtain all sorts of paperwork from my parents because I was applying for a ‘new passport’ instead of ‘renewing my passport’.
The point of this story is to make you go and arrange your passport immediately, because you just have no idea what complications may come up. Give yourself a good 3 months to sort it out, if not more. Enough said on the matter I think. Onwards!
Useful links:
I know I said I was done with passports, but one more final note of importance. If either of your parents are born in a European country, I highly suggest looking into getting a passport from their country. You may well be applicable for one, and it can make travelling Europe a LOT easier, especially if they are from a country within the EU (European Union).
The US and Australian government allow dual citizenship, so you are legally able to hold two passports (I know this is true, as I have two passports myself).
Visas For Europe
It helps knowing which countries you plan on visiting of course, and US and Australian citizens are often entitled to 30 or 60 days into various European countries without even requiring a visa. So if you are planning a short trip to one country, do a bit of research and see if a visa is even required. For most backpackers however, there is the Schengen Visa.
The Schengen Visa lets you into 25 European countries (including ALL of Western Europe), allowing you a total stay of 90 days in the applicable Schengen countries.
Here is a complete List of the Schengen Countries
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Let me say this however, there is one very popular tourist destination that is not currently on the Schengen Visa, and that is Croatia. So if you plan on going to Croatia, you need to look into whether or not you need to arrange a visa, as having the Schengen Visa will not help you. Citizens of the US, Canada or Australia are not required to have a visa and can stay in Croatia up to 90 days, for example.
But get this, I met a friend backpacking, and he was travelling on an Indian passport with a Schengen Visa. He met a few Australian guys, and they all decided to pop on over to Croatia together. They were on a ferry, and got to the passport checkpoint, and Croatian customs said to him:
‘Oh, you are not allowed into Croatia. You are here illegally’.
So he had to stay on the ferry and go BACK out of Croatia, all because he didn’t realize that his Schengen Visa didn’t cover Croatia. So have a good peruse of the Schengen country list, and if you plan on visiting countries in Europe that are not on the list, you need to investigate whether your passport will allow you to enter that country with or without a visa. Don’t end up stuck on a ferry!
A lake on one of the Dalmatian Islands in Croatia.
Money & Papers
Accessing Cash in Europe
You’re going to need a way to access money overseas. I would recommend a card that has Visa or MasterCard access – with either one of those you will not have trouble getting money out anywhere in Europe.
A big problem is that a lot of banks will give you cards with this access, but will charge you ridiculous fees just to get money out.
- They will charge you foreign currency conversion fees.
- They will charge you cash advance fees.
- They will charge you international transaction fees.
It’s pretty absurd and annoying. If you live in Australia, I have a perfect solution for you. I’ve been using this credit card for every trip I’ve been on since I was 18. I have no affiliation whatsoever with this company or this card, it’s just a fantastic product for travelling so I’m recommending it here.
It’s a 28 Degrees MasterCard, there is no annual fee, no cash advance fees and no foreign currency fees. I guess where they make money is that you get charged about 18-20% interest as soon as you withdraw the funds. HOWEVER, used sensibly, this card will save you a bucket load in conversion fees and cash advance fees. The card itself will convert currency at the global MasterCard rate (which is always going to better then your local bank).
If you endeavor to logon and pay off your card via Internet Banking at least once every two weeks, it is one of the cheapest ways to travel and access money back home in my opinion.
It may be a credit card, but I’m not recommending it for you to spend money you don’t have. It’s purely a means of access for me, and not a way of drowning myself in debt, and I suggest you treat it the same way!
If 28 Degrees ever remove these great travelling features off the card, I will be removing this recommendation off my website.
If you don’t live in Australia, you’re going to need to do a little research of companies in your country and what they can offer you in terms of accessing cash abroad. If you can get it, you want something that will not charge you cash advance fees or foreign currency fees, give you an exchange rate based on a standard Visa or MasterCard rate, and preferably one that has no annual fees as well.
A bit hard to find? You betcha!
Papers & ID
You will need a passport of course; we’ve covered that off already. But apart from a passport, what are some other useful papers and ID cards to bring along with you on a backpacking trip to Europe?
I have two words for you: Student ID
If you have a valid Student ID card, then DO NOT LEAVE IT AT HOME. You will get discounts on everything in Europe, from museums to cinemas to train tickets. Bringing along your Student ID is an absolute must (I didn’t have one on my last trip since I’m not a student anymore. I hate missing out on all those student savings!).
Other papers that will come in handy:
- If you have booked any flights, print out the tickets and confirmations and store them in a safe place. It saves you having to do it later at an Internet Café.
- Bring along a small book and write down the hotline number for losing your bank card. Put in the emergency travel insurance phone number as well (more on travel insurance in a moment). Put in your passport number. Then fill it with anything else you deem important!
A final note on papers and ID, it’s always a good idea to leave behind photocopies of your passport and ID with family or friends back home. Trust me, losing your passport is an absolute pain, having a safe photocopy of it may well come in handy at some point.
Travel Insurance For Backpacking Europe
I’ve used a couple of different travel insurance companies, but have never needed to claim anything (thankfully). So I cannot really take you through the claims process and tell you exactly which company is amazing and perfect, because I haven’t done it myself. I can tell you that if you lose something, report it to the police (and get a receipt for that) as soon as possible if you can. Having a police report for your losses will ALWAYS HELP in an insurance claim.
Photo from a flight in Europe.
- Read the fine print.
- Ensure you are covered completely for emergency medical and transport.
- Check the excesses. How much will you need to pay if you actually make a claim? How much will they cover PER personal item lost? Will you need to specifically add your new Canon Camera or MacBook as a specifically covered item to ensure it is covered appropriately. You need to know the answers to these questions.
- Check online for promotional codes to get possible discounts. I knocked 10% off my latest travel insurance purchase just by Googling a promotional code. Never hurts to try!
Shop around, get a few different quotes, read various reviews, ask friends and family.
Backpacking Europe Cost
So how much does it cost to backpack through europe? Well, it’s a pretty common question, and obviously, it can have a lot of different and varying answers. Let me see if I can help you based on my own experience.
If you are wanting to set a budget and get a rough idea of cost and how much money you will need to bring, there are a few things you need to know about your own trip. How long are you going for? Are you happy to stay in hostels in large mixed dormitories or do you want your own room? Are you happy with cooking your own meals, or do you want to eat out every night? Do you mind flying with the budget airlines and catching buses?
I pretty much pin down costs to four main categories: sleeping, eating, drinking, and transport. Those four things will set you back the most, I absolutely guarantee it. Since this site and this article is about backpacking specifically, I am going to make some assumptions about you:
You don’t want to stay in five star hotels, you would love to eat out – but will do so sparingly and at local haunts (not at Michelin star restaurants), and you are more than happy to pre-drink and socialize at the hostel prior to going out on the town.
Am I right? I hope so, because that’s what I’m about to base these cost estimates on!
On average, a bed in a hostel dorm will set you back about 20 Euros a night (will normally range from 15 – 30 Euros).
If you’re happy eating and cooking at the hostel with food from the local fresh food or supermarket, you can definitely get by on 10 Euros a day for food. Bearing in mind this is on the cheaper end of things, no salmon steaks for you! If you would like to eat out every now and then, perhaps set yourself a budget of 20 Euros a day for food.
The cost of drinks is of course very dependent on the person, some people do not drink at all, and others (Australians seem to have a reputation for this) will drink a lot. Lucky for you, alcohol is relatively cheap in most European countries. Your budget on this, I will leave entirely up to you.
As for transport and tickets for museums and other assorted ‘expenses’ that will just show up (trust me, there will be a few of them) – it’s always a good idea to budget for these as well. A decent museum will generally set you back 6 – 10 Euros. A flight within Europe booked in advance with EasyJet or RyanAir will cost you anywhere from 30 to 80 Euros. Buses will be cheaper then trains, but trains are a lot more comfortable to travel in, so keep that in mind.
For a more comprehensive and in-depth look at the costs involved, have a read of my article:
The Average Cost of Backpacking Across Europe: An Indepth Look At My 2 Month Trip
Backpacking Europe Routes
So what route should I take, where should I go, what should I DO, Tom?
This is the advice I give you. Sit down, and write down every country you want to visit in Europe. List them in order of importance, and listen up, list them in the order of importance FOR YOU PERSONALLY. Don’t put them in an order that you feel is ‘expected’ of you and your trip to Europe.
If you harbor a secret love for German beer and beer is important to YOU, but your friend keeps telling you how amazing Italy was. Guess what? Germany goes above Italy in the order of importance. It doesn’t matter if friends or family or even society might see your reasoning as ‘trivial’. Who cares?
I’ll probably say this throughout the article until I sound like a broken record, but when you backpack you backpack for yourself. You don’t travel for anybody else but you. Keep this in mind at all times.
So using this new little list of European countries that are sorted in order of importance will help you come up with some excellent Europe backpacking trips. So how long are you going for? Using your ‘countries in order of importance list’, print out a map of Europe and start drawing squiggly black lines and writing things like ‘2 weeks in Germany’ or ‘at least 3 weeks in France’. This will help you formulate your thoughts, and already you will probably find you are developing a loose Europe backpacking route in your mind.
The other alternative is that you can just fly into London or Paris and wing it – (in Australian that means make it up as you go along). I did that on my first backpacking adventure when I was 18. I went for 10 months in total, and winging it was definitely fun.
Winging it does have its pros and cons.
Pro: You meet some awesome people who are going to this amazing town in Czech Republic that has the best beer and food hall ever. Of course you can go with them as you don’t have any solid plans.
Con: You really want to get to Paris for a festival. Flights are extremely expensive, but you know for a fact that if you had booked in advance a few weeks ago it would have been more than half the price.
Let’s do another one, and these ones come from my own personal backpack story bank:
Pro: We were hitchhiking outside a small French city heading towards Toulouse, we got picked up by a cool guy who was more than happy to give us a lift the whole way there. It turns out it’s France Day, and Toulouse is going mental with celebrations. There is no possible way we are going to get accommodation, but through the course of 3 hours driving with this guy, we become friends, and he offers to take us out in Toulouse and give us a place to sleep for the night.
Con: We hitchhike into Perpignan, only getting a lift relatively late at night. There is only one hostel there and it is completely booked out. We have to stay up all night with our backpacks in the local town square trying not to fall asleep so some unsavory characters don’t rob us blind.
Winging it opens yourself up to loads of new opportunities, but then again you may get caught out a few times as well. So that’s why I’m now more of a fan of loosely based plans that are open for interpretation.
What I mean here is that I might already KNOW of a festival in Paris or Amsterdam that I want to get to, so I will book the flight in advance and lock in that date for flying from ‘X’ airport. Then I will leave my plans open and meander my way from point A to B going where I please with the knowledge that I need to reach that airport for that flight on that date.
If you plan on travelling in the peak season (which is during the summer months in Europe), then it’s also a good idea to book in advance for hostels as well. Cities like Barcelona and Amsterdam are notorious for completely booking out (I’ve had to stay up all night at the Amsterdam train station once before because I didn’t book in advance), so you are better off locking in your dates when planning to visit those cities.
So when planning your European backpacking route, think about how you want to travel.
Do you want to book everything in advance, or just roll with it and see where you end up? There is no right or wrong way to do it, just do whatever feels comfortable and exciting for you!
Backpacking Europe Itinerary (Samples)
Alright then, let me give you a real live sample itinerary for backpacking Europe. These are just for fun, and of course you can use them if you like, but trust me, you’ll have way more fun picking your own countries to visit and making up your own travel plans.
My little sample itineraries won’t tell you how long to stay in one place, that’s completely up to you. Two days as a minimum in each spot (unless you’re positive it’s a stop-over) is always a good way to go. You might want to stay a lot longer in the capital cities where there is a lot to see.
Backpacking Itinerary 1: North Europe – Fly into and out of Amsterdam
Amsterdam: There is a lot more to Amsterdam then the Red Light District and the coffee shops, so make sure you have time to explore this amazing city of canals and all it has to offer.
Berlin: With its absolutely fascinating history, do a walking tour and try and see a few of the 183 museums available. And of course you’ll have to walk the Berlin Wall and see some of the amazing artwork.
Dresden, Germany
Nuremburg: A good city to see if you haven’t been to Europe before. The old city is wondrous and so European, with a castle overlooking it atop the hill. I enjoyed the museum at the Castle, with suits of armor and old weaponry.
Prague: People often either hate or love Prague. Many people feel it has been completely overrun with tourists and ‘stag’ parties and the like – which they believe has destroyed the city. It’s definitely worth seeing however, and it’s always good to make your own opinions about places whilst backpacking. It has a big castle of course, and lots of other things to see.
Cesky Krumlov: This is quite an enchanting city, and there is a lot to do for backpackers. From water sports to the pub crawl down the river, you will meet lots of people and have heaps of fun.
Vienna: A fantastic city to explore, full of romantic history and brilliant architecture (and of course awesome night life). Lots of decent hostels and camp sites here too!
Salzburg: This city is where they filmed ‘The Sound Of Music’, and is also the birthplace of Mozart. Lots of Baroque architecture, all in all it’s a very beautiful European city.
Munich: Most people will know it as the city of Oktoberfest. I had a blast in Munich when I was there (try the Augustiner beer, I think it’s one of my favorite beers in the whole world, definitely better then Paulaner and the rest!)
Some flowers and the Eiffel Tower.
Paris: The city of love. It can be an amazing experience, but it’s one of the more expensive locations for backpackers. The food and the wine are stellar, and there are some world class museums (The Louvre, Museum D’Orsay etc). Make sure you have a picnic as the sun sets in front of the Eiffel Tower; you’ll get a dazzling light show (we did it a few days running, and it’s a fantastic cheap night out). Don’t worry; you certainly won’t get bored in Paris.
Bruges: Seen the film In Bruges? This quirky little city in Belgium is so much fun to walk around. Get lost in the magical city of Bruges with all its cafes, pubs, museums and restaurants.
Amsterdam: And you’re back in Amsterdam.
Here are another few quick itineraries you could consider doing.
Backpacking Itinerary 2: South Europe – France and Spain – Fly into and out of Paris
Paris, Lyon, Nice (possible side trips to: Monaco, Cannes and St Tropez), Marseille, Montpellier, Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, San Sebastian, Bordeaux, and back to Paris.
Backpacking Itinerary 3: East Europe – Fly into and out of Prague
Prague, Bratislava, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Split (island hop through the Croatian Islands to Dubrovnik), Belgrade, Budapest, Krakow, Warsaw (then either back to Prague or head up to Latvia/Estonia).
But those were just for fun! As I said before, it’s much better if you make up your own rough itinerary. There are so many amazing places to see in Europe, from Croatia to the Greek Islands to Slovenia and Italy – you certainly have a lot of options.
Backpacking Europe Packing List
When it comes to a Europe backpacking list, number one on the list for me is always a decent stockpile of clean underwear. I’m more than happy to wear the same shirt for a while, and I’ll wear the same pants until I simply have to wash them due to the fact that they are covered in gross food stains. However I simply can’t do without lots of clean jocks! That’s just me though.
I’m going to assume that you know how to pack your own clothes, although I will stipulate that if you’re going for longer than the summer months in Europe you will need a decent jacket. Winter backpacking in Europe will even require a beanie, a scarf and some gloves too!
Bring along a comfortable pair of pants for long train or bus trips. Don’t forget your favorite pair of jeans. Ensure you have shoes that are comfortable when walking for long periods of time. Bring along a pair of flip-flops (in Australia we call them thongs, but this is often awkward for non Australians). I tend to use them in the showers – which is generally good practice especially in large hostels.
A decent money belt is also pretty useful. I know they’re a bit cheesy, strapped around your waist the way they are. I don’t wear mine all of the time when travelling, as a lot of hostels will have lockers. But it’s a good way to keep all of your important items in one safe place (although if you have two different bank cards with you I suggest storing them in different places in case you lose one) especially on night buses or trains.
Here are a few more items that you may not have thought of bringing along that have proved extremely valuable for my trips:
- A small torch (excellent for leaving dormitory rooms early in the morning to catch that pesky flight and not waking everyone else up in the room).
- Anti-fungal cream. I know, I know, it’s gross. But it can happen that you start getting some weird rash on your arm or leg. As soon as you see it, WHAM IT with the anti-fungal cream. Normally solves the problem.
- BPA Free Water Bottle. I found it pretty useful having my own decent water bottle. Most of the water throughout Europe is drinkable, and having your own sturdy bottle is definitely the way to go.
- Journal. If you enjoy recording your experiences, writing in a Journal regularly is a fantastic thing to do. Imagine how fun it will be in 20 years when you dig it up out of that musty old box that’s been sitting in the back of the cupboard. Memories!
All in all, Europe isn’t exactly ‘behind the times’, so if you do happen to forget to bring anything with you it will certainly be possible to buy it over there.
Please just don’t forget your passport and your means of cash access.
For a more comprehensive article and information on the items you really should bring with you on a backpacking trip, checkout my backpacking essentials article.
Backpacking Europe Tours
There are two big boys of travel tours throughout Europe and they are Contiki and Busabout.
There are differences between what the two companies offer, which I will explain in more detail in a moment. I’ve done one small Busabout tour, which was on a boat that was island hopping in Croatia. It was fun, and I made a few great friends that I am still in touch with – but from what I saw and heard there, people have very mixed experiences.
It can be worth doing, and if you plan on travelling solo and are finding this a bit daunting, doing a guided tour like this can definitely ease you into the travelling experience.
Contiki and Busabout differ slightly in the sense that Contiki offer complete guided tours. They organize everything for you, from accommodation to itineraries to places to eat. It’s a real hand holding guided travel experience, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, that’s just what it is.
Busabout has similar guided tours, but they also offer something else which they call the ‘Hop On Hop Off Loops’. These ‘Loops’ are more open ended and give you more freedom to stay in one place for longer. You choose when to go on to the next destination within the Loop and there are Busabout buses leaving on set days. The premise seems neat, and I have a friend, Sarah, who gave me her thoughts after using Busabout to travel Europe:
As you can see, she touted the main benefits as flexibility of travel and meeting new people and friends.
On a personal note, I tend not to do these types of tours, as I enjoy travelling by myself and leaving things a little more open ended then what these tours offer. Hostels are definitely a great place to meet new people as well, so don’t feel you need to be on a Contiki or Busabout trip just to make friends! That’s just me though, and I can certainly see the appeal for these tours as a solo traveler.
Contiki is also notorious for a lot of heavy drinking and a lot of time spent on the bus – many people claim it is not ‘real’ travelling. As for me, who cares? What IS real travelling? There are too many ways to define that, and everyone will define it a little differently.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, you do not travel for anyone else but yourself. If Contiki or Busabout sounds like your sort of thing, then go nuts!
Backpacking Through Europe Pictures
Check out some of the pictures in the Europe Backpacking Gallery from some of my own backpacking adventures, most of the photos were taken by my lovely girlfriend Trudy (she’s much better with cameras then I am). This should give you a thirst and hunger to get out there and explore Europe.
There is nothing better than discovering a new city for yourself – quirks and all.
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Travelling Advice Backpacking In Europe
First Time Backpacking Advice
Travelling Europe for your first time can be a little bit daunting, and I remember before I left for my first time, I wanted all the advice I could get.
Now this might sound a little silly, but just remember that wherever you go in the world, whatever new countries you visit, the people you meet are STILL people just like back home – you will meet amazing and fantastic people, people who will be more than happy to help you, and yes, some annoying and rude people too.
They might have a slightly different view on life (like the Spanish siesta, or the Dutchman’s ‘tell it how it is’ attitude) – but there are going to be wonderful people in every country you visit. I remember visiting a new country when I first travelled, and having this sense that everyone and everything would be completely different. It’s a comforting fact when you discover that no matter where you are in the world, people still have hopes and dreams and want to meet new people – and in my opinion are mostly kind.
I’m not sure where I was going with those last two paragraphs, but I hope I got what I was trying to say across. Some more advice I would give is:
- Have respect for other beliefs and cultures.
- Introduce yourself to everyone in the common room at every hostel (you will get used to answering and asking what I call ‘The Big Five’. The Big Five is, ‘What is your name? Where are you from? Where did you just come from? How long are you staying? Where are you going?’
- Keep a Journal or an online blog. It makes for fun reading in years to come and is a good way to formulate thoughts on things you have seen.
Backpacking Advice For Women
A lot of female backpackers I meet travel with a friend. Three or four can be a crowd, but backpacking in a pair can be very rewarding – and you can look out for each other and keep each other entertained.
When at a Hostel, if everyone goes out on the town it’s important for you to stay with the group and not get lost, especially if you’ve had a few drinks. Most groups I’ve gone out with will always make sure people are not left behind and are being looked after. Don’t leave your drink unattended at bars.
A lot of hostels I’ve stayed at will have female only dormitories, so if you are a solo traveler and feel more comfortable sleeping in a dorm with other females, this is certainly an option.
Always try to arrive in cities during the daytime, and if you ever feel you are being followed or threatened, duck into the closest shop and talk to the clerk or ask if you can use their phone to call the police.
Using simple common sense can go a long way to enhancing your backpacking experience. You will learn little lessons along the way, and before you know it you will be sharing travel tips and secrets with other backpackers.
I remember catching a bus from Paris to Barcelona once, and a girl on the bus was a little creeped out by one the people on the bus. He kept asking her to have a drink with him and was giving her lots of unwanted attention. Because we were due to arrive in Barcelona early in the morning, she asked if it would be okay if we walked with her when we arrived.
This is a great way to handle a situation like that, talk to some other travelers and ASK for help. If it’s your safety that feels threatened, there is no room for embarrassment.
Another point to make is to trust your instincts. You were born with instincts and most of the time they work pretty well, so trust them!
I had my girlfriend Trudy look over and contribute to this piece of the article, and it has her seal of approval.
Hostel Backpacking Advice
When you backpack Europe, two things are certain. You are going to LOVE some hostels, and you are going to HATE some hostels. It’s a given. I’ve yet to meet a backpacker who either loved every hostel or hated every hostel. Staying in hostels can be a mixed bag (same as hotels too of course).
Some good advice would be to simply TALK to other backpackers. Where they just in Berlin, and you’re about to go to Berlin? Where did they stay, what did they do that was good? And of course, be prepared to share your own experiences with other backpackers too.
The Backpacker Grapevine is an overflowing fruit of abundant information, so get involved and help yourself to it!
The reviews on the online backpacking websites (hostelworld.com or hostelbookers.com are the two biggest at the moment) are also generally a good indicator, but take the reviews with a grain of salt. Some people will be MUCH more picky then you might be, and will leave a bad review for a hostel that you would have found perfectly acceptable and perhaps have met some great people.
There are a couple of hostel ‘types’. There are party hostels, where you may find it quite difficult to sleep if you don’t plan on partying. There are more ‘relaxing’ hostels, where if you are looking to party you may get a little bit bored. It all depends on what you’re after of course. You’ll learn to pick the party hostels and the quiet hostels online based on location and the reviews, but there’s always room for surprises (that’s what makes backpacking fun!).
For more specific hostel advice and tips, check out my two posts:
What Are Hostels Like In Europe And Loads Of Hot How To Hostel Tips
Are Hostels Safe: A Few Tips For Staying In Hostels In Europe And Hostel Security
For more general and various hot tips for backpacking in Europe, take a look at:
The Big List of Awesome Backpacking Tips & Tricks.
A friendly game of beer pong in a hostel in Valencia, Spain.
Backpacking Europe Item and Gear Recommendations
Lonely Planet Guidebooks – These guys are the 300 pound gorilla in the room when it comes to guidebooks. They are pretty big for their breeches, BUT I do like their books and I’ll tell you why. It’s not really for hostel recommendations as they can be quickly dated and I get those from other travelers and online mostly, it’s actually to get a feel for a new country that I may be visiting or about to visit.
Lonely planet books have great summaries and introductions for countries and are a good read when you’re on the bus or train. If you can pick one up at a cheap secondhand store that’s always a good option as they can be pretty expensive brand new. Just make sure it’s not so dated that it still refers to currencies other than the Euro.
If you’re traveling with a laptop or the like, and will have regular access to Wifi it’s debatable whether you even need a traditional guidebook anymore with the feast of online resources that are available.
Kathmandu Backpacks – I brought a Kathmandu backpack when I was 18, and it’s still going strong today. There is not a single thing wrong with it. I absolutely love it! So I’m a bit of a fan of that brand in particular when it comes to backpacks (it’s an Australian brand though). I’ll be honest here and say that I haven’t tried any other brands, but the bonus and the point I’m making is that I’ve never needed to.
For a comprehensive guide on my personal recommendations of what to bring Backpacking to Europe, check out:
10 Backpacking Essentials: A Hot List of the Top Ten Essentials For Backpacking Europe
HostelWorld.com or HostelBookers.com?
These are the two big sites for booking hostels online. So which one should you choose to use?
I personally use HostelWorld.com, however this is ONLY because I don’t pay booking fees for some strange reason. I’ve never questioned why, but I think it has something to do with the fact my account is so old with them, and I had once applied a ‘gold membership’ ID status that I obtained from a fellow backpacker – it seems this is still applying to my account (even though it shouldn’t).
A lot of fellow travelers have advised me that they use HostelBookers.com and it’s great as well. It also has no booking fees, so if I was just starting out I would sign up for both and begin searching on BOTH of them to see if they are offering the same hostel listings in each city and place.
It’s no secret that HostelBookers is number two to the bigger HostelWorld, but if you can book the same hostels on each site and not pay a booking fee at HostelBookers there is certainly an appeal to that.
I have heard that the listings are generally more comprehensive on HostelWorld – I’m going to test this out at some point and write a big article on it!
The End of Tom’s Super Guide To Planning A Europe Backpacking Trip
(until the next update!)
This post is a monster at over 7000 words (maybe I should have written an eBook or something? Oh well 
).
I truly hope it’s helped you plan your upcoming adventure backpacking in Europe, if you have any questions at all about the guide please don’t hesitate to ask. I’m always wanting to add to and improve my articles, so if you have any further planning tips or notes that you think should be added in, then please leave a comment here or send me an email at tom [at] activebackpacker.com.
Safe travels!
A friendly dog on the beach in San Sebastian, Spain.
23 Responses to “Tom’s Super Guide To Planning A Trip Backpacking Through Europe”
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Another great article Tom! Your writing is fantastic. Another tip for female travellers (solo or not) is to try to behave like a local, don’t look scared or worried, put on your tough face and strut down the street! This seemed to work for me on the streets of New York and East London late at night! Men are less likely to hassle you if they don’t think you’re a clueless tourist!
Hi Ashleigh, great tip there. It’s normally a good idea to try and look like a local, but it can be hard when you’ve got your big backpack on haha! Being confident in yourself whilst backpacking would definitely help avoid a lot of problems I think.
Hi Tom–
I just found your website randomly while searching for backpacking advice online and it’s sooo helpful! I’m going backpacking this summer for the first time and like you said, I’m trying to get all the advice I can and learn as much as I can beforehand. It is quite daunting but so exciting! I have 2 questions for you, the first one is might be really dumb:
1) If the Schengen visa is 3 months, how did you travel for 10 months?
2) Do you recommend getting a Eurail pass?
Thanks so much for your help!!
Catherine
Hi Catherine
Thanks for your comment, and I’m really glad you find the site helpful! Let me see if I can help you out with your questions.
1) I am able to travel and live within the EU (European Union) for as long as I like because as well as my Australian passport I also have a British passport (I’ve got dual citizenship). This is extremely useful for me, so if you have a parent or grandparent who was born in an EU country it’s definitely worth looking into! If you can’t get an EU passport then you have to deal with the visa process. There is an ‘ancestry visa’ for the UK that’s quite easy to get if you have a grandparent who is a British citizen – it’s a working visa that is valid for 5 years.
If you’re just going for the summer or a couple of months, then the Schengen is the way to go. Make sure you check that each country you plan on visiting is on the Schengen though, you don’t want to get caught out!
2) It depends how you want to travel – trains in Europe are very nice though, so if you’re only going for 1 – 2 months and have the money for one, then I would recommend it. Make sure you check both big train sites, being EUrail.com and RailEurope.com – make sure you get the best price you can! “Global Passes” are great if you’re only going to be spending under a week or so in each country and plan to see as much as you can. If you’re only heading over to visit one or two countries, sometimes it’s actually worth getting a country specific train pass instead of the global one. But it sounds like you’re planning a big Europe backpacking adventure (awesome!).
If you have a valid student ID, make sure you bring that along as well!
Hope this helps,
Tom.
Brilliant guide! I went backpacking around Europe two years ago with my boyfriend and had the time of my life! Loved every second. Wish this guide had been around then.
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Thanks Vicky, I appreciate it
Amazing guide!
When you said ‘complete’ guide you really weren’t kidding!
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Thanks for the kind words, Nick!
Great, detailed guide. I also found that it would be useful to scan and email photos or copies of all of your important docs (passport, credit cards, etc) to yourself and you always have an eletronic version which can ce accessed from a computer anywhere.
I’m headed out May 27th for two months and “winging” it. I will definitely take your advice and pre-book some “sleeping” and “transport”.
Thanks
Hi Simone! Thanks a lot for the comment – good advice regarding scanning/emailing copies of important docs to yourself. Both a free GMail account or a DropBox account will get the job done no problems.
May 27th is looming ever closer – I bet you’re excited! Good luck with your trip and all the best
Awesome advice, definitely the best i’ve come across!
Love your attitude towards backpacking and couldn’t agree more with how much of a personal trip it is.
In need of a bit of advice though, I’m a young Australian student in my gap year about two weeks away from flying out to Europe for a four month trip (lucky enough to have an EU passport). This is really my last chance to travel before university. But there’s a catch – this means I’m 17 for all of my trip, as I turn 18 in October. Is this going to be a major problem? I’m staying with family and friends for much of the trip (Italy-Germany-Spain-France), but will be occasionally relying on hostels as well.
Not a massive drinker but I’m certainly massive on socialising and meeting other travellers, so i’m hoping this won’t be a great disadvantage to me.
Thanks
Hi Alice
Thanks for dropping by!
You’ll be totally fine in Europe, especially if you’re spending a lot of time with family and friends. You’ll definitely be younger than the majority of people in any given hostel, but it’ll just be a point of curiosity more than anything else.
As for drinking, it will be fine in countries where the legal age for drinking beer & wine is 16 (Italy & Germany), however the legal age for drinking in Spain & France is 18. You won’t be able to go clubbing or anything like that where they are sure to check your ID.
Have fun on your trip, you’ll have loads of fun! And don’t think that this will be your last chance to travel – that’s ridiculous
You’ve got your whole life to travel and see the world – you can even try to get away between university holidays!
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Awesome guide, very helpful especially as you are from Aus (I’m from NZ). I’m heading to the UK in 2 weeks and suddenly felt very overwhelmed by everything but reading this has helped put my mind at rest. Did you do any couch surfing on any of your trips?
Thanks, Deb
Hi Deb,
It’s great to hear you’re heading off overseas on a trip!
CouchSurfing is a great way to travel Europe in conjunction with hostels if you’re planning a budget backpacking trip.
I currently host CouchSurfers every now and then in Rotterdam (where I am living at the moment).
I haven’t CouchSurfed in the UK though, so cannot give you any first hand experience there. Overall though most people have positive experiences both surfing and hosting, so it’s definitely recommended.
Good luck on your trip!
Tom.
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Awesome thanks! Might send you a couch request if I end up in Rotterdam. 1 week, 2 days to go!
Another great article!
Just a quick question (if you don’t mind me asking) I’m looking into either using the ANZ travel card or the 28 degrees Mastercard. I want to spend my own money though. With the 28 degrees card, are you able to load your own money on there and spend that, or do you have to use it as a credit card then repay it… I hope my question makes sense! I can’t seem to find the answer to this any where else!
Cheers,
Emma
Hi Emma
Your question makes perfect sense! The 28 degrees card is in fact a credit card, so you use it and then you pay it off again – you cannot load money onto it.
How they make money off you whilst you are travelling is that cash advances (which is anytime you are drawing CASH from an ATM – which is what I do when I’m backpacking) will charge you interest from the DATE OF WITHDRAWAL.
The card is by no means FREE, but if you pay off your card in total once a week or every two weeks (just do this online whilst traveling using BPAY or something), I find that it offers better rates then many other travel related cards. The reason for this is that it does not charge you any foreign currency conversion fees or cash advance fees. You also get your money at the current rate of exchange – which can be a good or bad thing!
I don’t know to much about the ANZ travel card so not sure what will ultimately be better, but grab a piece of paper and investigate the following:
- How much is it going to cost you to load your card with money (Are they going to charge you exchange rates to do this? At the current rate, how much is this going to cost you?). The 28 degrees won’t charge you for withdrawals but WILL charge you interest from the date of withdrawals. So it really depends on how proactive you think you can be whilst on the road in terms of paying it off.
- How many times are you going to want to withdraw cash (and does it charge you a set amount for each withdrawal). If you like to withdraw smaller amounts more often rather then carrying around larger amounts then you can get pinged for multiple ‘ATM withdrawal’ fees.
I would load up the terms and conditions and features of each card in two separate windows and spend a bit of time analysing which one is going to suit my style of travel better. That’s just me though!
The real travel focused load’n'lock style cards can be great because you set the money on there and then you forget about ‘managing it’ and just use it to travel. This can be a lot easier for people who might not want to think about managing money too much whilst on the road.
It’s really down to you
Hope this helps.
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This is an absoloutely awesome guide! I’m planning on going for a backpacking holiday in France, Italy and England over the Christmas break this year! I’ve had to plan very carefully because of the limited time I will have there.
. Are there any areas in France or Italy that a solo female traveller should avoid?
I will probably be going by myself because none of my friends get six weeks off at Christmas (perks of being a teacher)
Every single piece of information in this article is really helpful.
Thanks Kate, I appreciate your kind comments
I’ve still yet to go to Italy (we are planning a trip soon), but France is definitely safe – and I’m always hearing great things about Italy. As with any place in the world use some common sense when it comes to being a woman travelling alone. Hostels are always full of other backpackers and travellers so you won’t find it hard to make a group to go out with!
I’m really looking forward to Italy myself, my girlfriends mother spent a lot of her youth in Cinque Terra so we will be checking that out. But of course with Venice, Rome, Florence the list of places we want to go is endless! I hear amazing things about the Amalfi Coast as well
Thank you SO much for this article! I’m heading out on a backpacking trip in less than two months and I’m still trying to get my final plans all set up. This really helped a lot. I’m SO excited. It’ll be my first time. I’m setting out for a month and a half and pretty much going anywhere I can. I can’t wait!
Hey Amanda! It’s fantastic to hear this little guide has helped a lot. If you need any help, let us know
Have an awesome time on your upcoming trip!
Hey Tom! When you said this was going to be a very long post, I dreaded that I would like so many other times, scan through the paragraphs and find myself at the bottom of the page before long. But your writing was excellent and I didn’t even notice that I actually read every word! I’m leaving for Europe on June 4th. I’ve backpacked in Thailand and travelled around China, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore before but those were just short individual trips lasting 3 weeks at a time at most. This Europe trip would however be for 2 months. I’ll be travelling alone and I have to say, as excited as I am, it’s also daunting! I worry that I might not find the right place to stay or figure my way around or get robbed!
I have a question though. I plan on purchasing the Eurail Global Pass for 10 days (the cheapest of the Global Passes!). I was wondering if this is a good choice given that I intend to not see as many places as possible but simply to give me the flexibility of jumping in and out of places when I feel like it. 10 travelling days within 2 months seem a little constricting but I wouldn’t want to spend too much on trains. Thanks Tom!
Hi Deejay, that’s lovely to hear that you have found the guide useful and that you’re planning a trip to Europe! With all your travel experience to Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore I’m sure you won’t have any problems in Europe
A Eurail Global pass for 10 days is certainly useful if it gives you 10 actual days of travel within a 2 month period, especially if you’re not planning on cramming as much as you possibly can into one trip (sometimes I think people who do that really miss the whole point of travelling in the first place). Remember, you can always just get a bus if you run out of train trips. Don’t feel that you have to be constricted when you travel.
Travelling alone is always a bit daunting at first, but honestly you are rarely “alone”. As soon as you reach the hostel you are staying in you will meet other backpackers and travellers. It also gives you the freedom to do the things you know that you want to do. Had enough of Churches (this is easy enough in Europe)?… No problem, you can scratch them off your list and put other things as a top priority! Travelling solo certainly has its benefits
Anyway, all the best with the trip and if you have any other questions, let me know!