Tips for Backpacking Europe
Jun 27 '00
Backpacking around Europe is very popular and can be a very exciting and enriching experience. However, a backpacking trip is not to be taken lightly and a good deal of planning should be done. Here is some advice I have to offer:
1. Make your plans in advance and try to work out a rough itinerary before you leave. The earlier you reserve things, the cheaper you are likely to pay. And though it might be exciting to wake up one morning and say "I think I want to travel to Rome today" that can present some problems with lodging. Especially during the summer when the great European cities are loaded with tourists. It can be tough to find lodging, especially if you arrive in a very unfamiliar city.
2. Pack lightly. Figure out exactly what you need to get by on and pack nothing more. Carrying that backpack around can be tiring. Do not pack five pairs of shoes, there is no need for that. You should not have much trouble finding laundrymats, so you can wash the few clothes that you bring.
3. Be prepared to live a little rougher. For those accustomed to a plush American lifestyle, the European backpacking tour can be rough. Even in the big cities, you are likely to end up in a hotel room without its own personal bathroom. Water quality might not always be great. Be prepared to possibly sleep on trains and have to go a day or two without showering. Be prepared to be stuck in sutuations where you don't know the language. As long as you can accept that this lifestyle is ok for a few weeks, you should be ok.
4. Travel together, but meet new people. I spent a while travelling alone. And it had its benefits, I was able to do what I wanted when I wanted. But I met people along the way, so I was rarely alone. I met some people in Austria and spent the next week travelling with them. Seing sights and eating at rests. alone is not that much fun. Its not too hard to meet other American tourists when backpacking. You will see hundreds of them on the trains, at the sights, in the hostels, etc... The more exciting, though challenging task is to meet the locals. By doing that you will really get to experience and feel the local culture.
5. Be sure to venture away from the big tourist sights. Of course a trip to Rome must contain a visit to the Coleseum and the Vatican. Likewise a trip to Paris without walking along the Seine and seeing the Louvre is not complete. But make time to get away from those places and see other things. Eat at hard to find local places that are not crowded with tourists. Make time to stop at some small villages and towns as you travel in between the big cities. That will really clue you in to the varied lifestyles that the numerous European cultures enjoy.
6. Experience Europe. Similar to my last point, experience the local culture. Though you might thirst for a taste of home and want to eat at a McDonald's, do not do that. You can do that anywhere in the US. Instead, make sure that you do things that you would not otherwise do at home.
7. Be smart. The world can be a dangerous place, even in places that might seem completely safe. I was jumped on the streets of Talinn, Estonia at a time when I was feeling completely safe and secure. It was a horrifying experience, but it woke me up and made me a lot less naive. Use street smarts. Don't go out at night alone and don't be a showy American.
Of course there is a lot more advice that I could offer. But these are some important points that I learned from my travels. And of courses, the most important advice I can offer is to have fun!
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
mrosenbe
|
|
Member: Matt R.
Location: Philly Area, PA
Reviews written: 170
Trusted by: 24 members
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.