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Backpacking Europe

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Thorne Tree Travel Forums is the place to check out cost and destination, and there are many....many experience backpackers will guide you through the do & don't, so as how to travel on a shoes string.
 
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Xanis said:
I'm sure there are a few threads on this already but I had a few questions that I was hoping someone who's backpacked Europe could answer. FWIW, this trip isn't going to happen for a little while but I want to start planning now.

1) How much should I expect to spend for the whole trip? I know that this depends on a lot of things such as travel costs, food expenses, lodging, etc., but could anyone give me some rough figures, or even what they paid on their trip?
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Really depends on how you roll. Do you want to go high-budget or low-budget? I mean, if you are traveling alone, then the "youth hostels" are the only way to go. You will constantly meet new people, make friends, meet women, etc. A blast!

The price per night of YHs vary by city and country and season. In my experience, you might pay as high as 35 EUR ($53 US) per night or perhaps as low as 10 EUR per night ($15 US). If you are traveling with a friend or partner, then sometimes it is cheaper to get a 1- or 2-star double hotel room and split the cost than each paying 35 EUR at a hostel.

Let's assume an average of 25 EUR per night at a hostel ($38 US). Let's also assume 5 EUR for breakfast, 10 EUR for lunch, and 20 EUR for dinner, totaling 35 EUR per day for food ($53 US). You can save money here by limiting yourself to two meals per day or by buying more food at super markets.

So, just making the assumptions above, you are looking at about $90 US per day for lodging and food once you get there. This does not include expenses for public transportation, entrance fees, etc. (Entrance fees can be insane. I was in Basel, Switzerland this year and one ticket for their Van Goh museum cost around $50 US per person!) You are probably safe estimating about $10 US per day for day-tickets on public transport. If you are the type of person who consumes vast amounts of alcohol, soft drinks, bottled water, etc. then you may need to up those meal fees.

To get a better idea how hostel prices fluctuate by season and location, go to www.hostels.com and play with different options. For example, Paris in November vs. July.

At the end of the day, because of the shitty, weak US Dollar, you are going to be fucked just about wherever you go.

2) How do you know where to go? I'm talking about how you get to various attractions and to your hostel. Would there be Travel Information places in transportation hubs that have maps? Would a handheld GPS be useful?
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I would say a GPS is only useful if you are biking or hiking across Europe, off the beaten path. Or even if you are driving. Otherwise, not important.

I usually plan my stops in advance, before departure. I make my reservations where necessary. Before leaving, I simply use Google Maps to plot my route from train station to hotel/hostel. I call it my "travel bible." Everything I need, from basic directions to plane reservations, to confirmation emails, is in that bible. If necessary, I also familiarize myself with the basic operation of a town's public transport system, making it easy to operate upon arrival. How and where are tickets purchased? How are they validated? What is the stop closest to my hotel/hostel? (This information would be in my bible too.) In these situations, it easy to just hop off of the train, walk to the subway, and continue on my way. If I am arriving at an odd hour or very tired, I might consider using a taxi.

In situations where I suddenly alter my travel plans, I may walk into an internet cafe and do a little research, make new reservations, etc. before heading to my new destination. Remember, it does help to make hostel reservations 48 hours in advance in certain popular cities, especially during high season.

3) How important is knowing the local language? I know a very little amount of Spanish and that's about it. Would I be okay with just winging it?
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Locals greatly appreciate it when you show at least a small effort to communicate in their language. Make sure you can ask, "Hi. Do you speak English?" in the native tongue. Try to learn some basics. Once you show this minimal effort, people are usually quite happy to continue in English. And you should be okay with English in most central, western European countries. The further south and east you go, the harder it will get to get by as easily.

4) What would be the easiest and most cost-effective way to get around Europe once I'm there? I know that there are trains, planes, and buses that all run within the continent, but which would I be best off with?
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Believe it or not, Ryanair and EasyJet are very popular options. Fly around for like 1 EUR per flight and such. You just got to know how to avoid their "nickel and diming" you to death. There are strategies to this. Search the web. After this, there are options like the "Mitfahrzentrale" in Germany where for a small fee you can pay to ride with someone who is "driving that way" anyway. I am not sure whether other countries have this or not.

Following these two options, a Eurail pass is the next best thing. But just be careful as their are a lot of different types of passes and sometimes buying a certain combination of "lesser, country" passes is cheaper than buying one the "does it all" passes. I have done hours doing research into this depending on the type of trip I am planning.

The most expensive option by far is to rent a car.

5) When would be the best time to go? Ideally I'd like to to in the summertime, but the price for airline tickets is a hell of a lot higher than during other times of the year, and I don't know that I'd be too opposed with going at another time.
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You are correct that June-August is about the most expensive time to go. I would also look at April/May and September/October. The end of December is also high season due to the holidays but the first half of December should be okay as long as you don't mind the cold. Also remember that June-August is when most people travel, so expect not only more competition for hostel space but also more crowded planes and trains, etc. Then again, with more people traveling, you also meet more interesting people, but my guess is that there are always interesting people traveling to the more interesting locations, no matter the time of year.

The summer can also be a disadvantage. For example, Paris is terrible in August. Locals there have told me that May and September are the nicest months there.

6) Is there anything else I should consider or be aware of? I looked at a bunch of different websites but are there any in particular that you'd recommend?
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Check out www.ricksteves.com. Just use your street smarts and be extra careful with your valuables and money. And try your best not to dress and look and act like a tourist. Also perhaps consider trying your best not to look like an American. Sew a Canadian flag on your pack. If your gut tells you not to go down a certain street or associate with certain people, don't do it. Be extra vigilant in crowds. But really, you have nothing to worry about. I have slept in many a train station and have had no worries. In fact, I have only felt insecure once and that was at a 500-bed youth hostel in Copenhagen, Denmark, filled with gypsies. Be careful where you choose to stay the night.

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EDIT: After mulling it over a bit I've come up with a plan to make this happen. Let me know if there are any glaring flaws. 😛

- Work my ass off this upcoming summer and the summer after. save all the money I possibly can.
- Head to Europe somewhere around October. Maybe in time to get to Oktoberfest in Germany.
- Stay for a few months or until my money runs out, whichever comes first.
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I have a separate guide for the Oktoberfest:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=88292
 
Don't let my museum in Basel example scare you...I recall the Louvre costing only around 8-12 EUR per person to get in. Many museums in Germany cost closer to 5-7 EUR.
 
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