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Backpacking Europe :
From the beauty of Paris to the smoky coffee shops in Amsterdam, to the Oktoberfest, to the beaches of Greece, there are so many things to see in Europe. You are free to arrange your time or suggest activities. Whether you are backpacking in Europe for a few months, or spending a few weeks of vacation in Europe.Travel Guide Backpacking Europe
The mainland has beautiful beaches, historic buildings, amazing wines and wonderful people. Each country is very different from another country.
When I was backpacking in Europe in 2006, I went to Europe for the first time. Since then, I have been visiting for a year, organizing trips across the African continent, and even wrote a book about traveling in Europe. I fell in love with Europe.
I wrote this “European Travel Guide” in Europe to help you travel better when you travel. I know how complicated it is to figure out rail passes, find hotels, walk around and find the best things.
The guide will provide you with an overview of traveling in Europe, and I have compiled many travel guides for each country on the continent so that you can travel better, longer, and smarter.
So sit down and enjoy this guide to hiking in Europe!
1. Amsterdam
Other sights and activities in EuropeAmsterdam
In addition to cafes and red lights, the city has more things. I like Amsterdam very much. I stayed here for a short time in 2006. Cobblestone and brick streets surround the beautiful canal. Amsterdam has a vibrant art and music atmosphere, and friendly locals are always ready to help you. Make sure to get out of the city center and enter Jordaan and Oost through its excellent outdoor cafes.
2. Barcelona
Barcelona is a city that operates around the clock and can compete for the title of “the city that never sleeps” for New York. Prepare dinners and late night parties until dawn. Barcelona knows how to get off the bus. In addition to delicious food and vibrant nightlife, there are beautiful beaches, Gaudí’s architecture and history dating back to Roman times.
3. Berlin
Trendy and trendy Berlin is a vibrant destination. It is one of the most affordable capitals in Europe, with a vibrant music and art scene and a growing gastronomy movement. There are a lot of cheap Middle Eastern food. Don’t forget to visit the History Museum, it is one of the best museums in the world.
4. Oktoberfest
The Oktoberfest is a must-see for anyone travelling to Germany or nearby at the end of September. There are people from all over the world, there is a lot of beer, excitement, music and wild entertainment. Watching thousands of people singing, toasting and partying together makes you feel good in the world. (Or maybe just beer?)
5. London
Experience British culture in diverse London. The museum here is the best museum in the world (free), there is a lot of food in the city, and the bar culture is also great. Head to Brick Lane and visit some amazing Sunday food markets. Compared to London, I prefer Paris, but London is full of fantasy and fun. Look at these pints-London is not a cheap destination.
6. Scandinavia
My favorite region in Europe is Scandinavia. The quality of life here is high, the people are beautiful and friendly, and the town is clean and has a long history. Of course, this area of Europe is not cheap, but there are many ways to reduce expenses. Don’t be scared by high prices. For me, the highlights include Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gotland, the Norwegian fjords and Finnish Lapland.
7. Prague
Prague is a beautiful city with a fascinating history. This is a cheap destination, and people will love bars on weekends, cheap beer and delicious food. This is one of the most beautiful and picturesque towns I have ever seen.
8. French Riviera
Play in the sun, cook with a famous chef, and sail (or see) the mega yacht. You can pretend that you are living a noble life. Nice is good, and Monaco is just a short walk away.
9. Interlaken
Located in the beautiful mountains of Switzerland, Interlaken is a recreational place for hiking, hot chocolate and outdoor sports. It is a good choice for all the cities and museums you keep seeing. Interlaken is also a popular destination for backpackers and other young travelers.
10. Rome
This thriving historic city has incredible food and nightlife. In addition, Rome has a small street to walk around (you can’t walk two feet if you don’t walk through the ruins), and Rome is the dream of history lovers. Visit the Trastevere area and taste the “native” Rome and the refrigerated bar. This is my favorite town area.
11. Cinque Terre
The Cinque Terre is my favorite area of Italy. These five beautiful cliffside towns are located in warm waters, near magnificent olive groves and vineyards. You will find wonderful and arduous hikes in these hills. If you encounter a real challenge, please follow the No. 8 trail. Or just walk along the coast to complete it easily.
12. Krakow
Krakow looks like a postcard from the Middle Ages. Even more beautiful than Prague! This is a trendy, young city because it is the education center of Poland. You have many college students here. Most travelers come here for gatherings (vodka is cheap), but in addition to the bars, try to enjoy the history and food of the city. Auschwitz concentration camp is also nearby.
13. Budapest
Budapest is the coolest nightlife in all of Europe. These bars are built in abandoned buildings and grounds, and feature art installations and stylish decorations. These places are great, interesting, and a great place to meet the locals. People of all ages gather here. If you skip these bars, you will miss one of the most unique things in the city.
14. Cornwall
The best part of England is outside London. Unfortunately, not many people leave London. Head west to the Cornwall region, for cheaper prices, friendly locals, more natural beauty, hiking, rolling hills, small towns, and overall what you think of “traditional England”.
15. Camino
El Camino de Santiago (Camino de Santiago) is an ancient pilgrimage route that stretches from France to the whole of Spain. This is an 800-mile trail that winds through incredible terrain and usually takes more than a month. Of course, if you don’t have time, you can just browse some of them.
16. La Tomatina
My favorite festival so far is this huge food battle, which is held on the last Wednesday of August in Bunol, Spain. In about an hour, everyone threw tomatoes at each other, and tomato juice sank on the street. Then everyone went to the river, cleaned, and then went to the town square to drink some sangria and music.
17. Romania
Not many people visit Romania, but it is a country off the beaten track in Eastern Europe, where there are unknown medieval towns, beautiful Black Sea beaches and incredible hiking tours-all of which are very low prices. I spent 30 dollars here every day and discovered this country without any people from Central and Western Europe!
18. Islay
Whisky has a long history in Islay. It has been made here since the 16th century-first in the backyard and then the large winery in the 19th century. Over the years, whiskey on the island has become a specialty and has been used to flavor many other mixed flavors on the mainland. My trip here is really amazing, although you don’t like whiskey, there are tons of hiking trails through this beautiful island.
19. Iceland
Iceland is a magical country. You will find majestic waterfalls and hot springs everywhere all over the world, with unobstructed views. Whale watching in summer and northern lights in winter. The time to visit is really good!
Recommended budget for backpacking
The price of a trip to Europe varies depending on the distance you travel north, east, south or west.
If you stick to the budget accommodation, food, and excursions listed here, and ignore all my money-saving tips, you will need about US$65 a day in Western Europe, US$40 a day in Eastern Europe, and about US$40 a day in Scandinavia It costs $90. These figures reflect a traveler who lives in a hotel, does not prepare meals, mainly eats cheap food, drinks, and visits many attractions. This is a typical backpacker budget. You won’t have a good time, but you won’t want it either.
However, by obtaining travel cards and train passes, avoiding theft, and sometimes surfing on the sofa and cooking, you can be much cheaper.
In Western Europe, you can spend $40 to $50 per day. In Eastern Europe, which is already very cheap, by implementing my recommendations, your daily travel expenses will be about US$30. In Scandinavia, there are few ways to save, and the cheapest is around $60 a day.
In a super cheap place, if you have to use Couchsurfing every day (or even camping), cook, don’t drink, and don’t see any attractions, then it’s only $30 per day in Western Europe and $15 per day in Eastern Europe. Scandinavian Navia is at $45. This will require you to take a train, bus or hitchhiking anywhere, avoid most museums, and limit the frequency of outings.
Generally, the recommended daily budget in Europe is 35-65 Euro/40-70 USD.
European travel expenses
Accommodation-If you are looking for low-cost accommodation in Europe, you will be lucky! Accommodation prices vary. With my help, you can find the ideal place to stay and stay at the right price. The cost of the dormitory is between USD 15-35 (EUR 18-40) per night, depending on the size of the room and the popularity of the hotel. I live in a 6-bed dormitory in Berlin and the price is 13 euros ($15), while in Paris it costs 30 euros ($34). A room in Paris is expensive, and a cheap room in Athens has the lowest price. Campsites cost 8-14 Euros (9-16 USD) per person per night.
In Eastern Europe, depending on the size of the dormitory and the popularity of the hostel, the cost of a hostel dormitory is 5-14 Euros (6-17 USD) per night. The farther you go east, the cheaper it is. It is estimated that each private room can pay 25-53 Euros (30-60 USD) per night and can accommodate two people.
In Scandinavia, dormitory dormitories cost between 22 and 42 euros (25 to 48 US dollars), while private rooms cost between 70 and 85 euros (79 to 96 US dollars). Prices for budget hotel rooms start at around 60 Euros (68 USD).
Most hotels offer free linen, free Wi-Fi, and many hotels offer free breakfast, but it is important to check the exact facilities on a particular website. A double room in a two-star hotel starts at 27 Euros (31 USD) per night. These hotels are equipped with facilities such as breakfast, private bathroom and Wi-Fi. Airbnb is also available throughout Europe. You can find shared rooms that start at around 10 Euros ($11) per night, and the entire house (including studios) starts at around 24 Euros ($27).
Food-Finding a place to eat within your budget is easier than you think. Throughout Western Europe, you will find small shops where you can buy sandwiches, pizzas or sausages for 4 to 7 euros. You will find these shops most often appear in train stations, bus stations and main pedestrian areas. These small sandwich shops offer cheap food options, allowing you to eat anywhere from 9 to 15 euros (10 to 17 dollars) a day. Restaurant meals for main meals and drinks cost 13-25 Euros (15-28 USD). Food in the east is much cheaper than food in the west. Even if you eat a full meal, your daily income is only 9 Euros (10 U.S. dollars). You can prepare your own food for about 65 Euros (74 USD) per week.
You can make money by buying food from discount supermarkets such as Profi, Lidl, Aldi and Penny Market.
If you are eating out, please enjoy it at lunch time and get a prix fixe menu (two- or three-course menu). The restaurant offers this set menu at lunch, and the price is between 10-20 euros (11-23 US dollars), which is much cheaper than a regular dinner menu! You can also get an affordable lunch at the outdoor market. So many European cities have huge fresh food markets throughout the city.
If you want to save a lot of money on meals, go to a market, buy some cheese, wine, bread, meat or anything else, and then go for a picnic in the park. (Or get a sandwich later!) You will find that the locals do the same, and this is one of the cheapest ways to really taste local food.
Activities-Wine tours will be your most expensive activity, about 90 Euros (102 US dollars) per day. The cost of climbing the Eiffel Tower is 7-17 Euros (8-19 US dollars), and the cost of visiting the Palace of Versailles and the gardens is 25 Euros (28 US dollars). The cost of the Tower of London is approximately 28 Euros (32 U.S. dollars). Cycling trips and river cruises cost between 24-40 euros (27-45 US dollars). Most museums and tour groups start at around 14 euros / 16 dollars (of course it is cheaper in the east). The cost of a full-day tour is between 35-100 Euros (40-114 USD). Prices vary from country to country, so it is difficult to give a reasonable overall cost. For more details, see Country/Region Information.
Where to live in Europe
Looking for the best hostel in Europe? Check out this list of favorites (for more information on favorite favorites, please visit our city and country-specific guide for more options):
Hostel Rosemary (Prague, Czech Republic)
Don Moustache Hostel (Barcelona, Spain)
Tallinn Backpackers (Tallinn, Estonia)
Design Hostel P182 (Berlin, Germany)
Wombats (Vienna, Austria)
Locanda Otello (Rome, Italy)
Gallery Hostel (Porto, Portugal)
Copenhagen Downtown Hostel (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Generator Hostel (Dublin, Ireland)
Ambiente Hostel & Rooms (Lisbon, Portugal)
Nadia Hotel (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
FACTORY Hostel (Kiev, Ukraine)
Unique Hotel (Stockholm, Sweden)
Dorell Hotel (Tallinn, Estonia)
Hyde Park Hostel (Bratislava, Slovakia)
Hostel Mostel (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Kabul Party Hostel (Barcelona, Spain)
Kismet Dao (Brasov, Romania)
Hostel Archi Rossi (Florence, Italy)
Snuffel Hostel (Bruges, Belgium) Lorf Hostel&Apartments (Krakow, Poland) Acteon Hotel (Ios, Greece)
Travel guide to Europe: tips to save money
The guides for each country have more specific information, but here are some general tips to help you travel through Europe on a budget:
- Picnic: This continent has many small shops where you can prepare sandwiches or ingredients to make your own. Shop for food, eat out, and watch the city go by. It is a much more enjoyable and economical way to eat.
- Couchsurf – Hostels are growing very quickly. If you don’t have friends to stay with, consider using the Couchsurfing service, which allows you to connect with places that will allow you to stay with them for free.
- Eat locally and affordably. Don’t you like to have a picnic? Okay, there are other ways to save money on food. Eat at local cafeterias, pizzerias, Maoz, Wok to Walks, outdoor street vendors, etc. Skipping restaurants and eating in the many “take out” places will allow you to sample the local cuisine at a much cheaper price.
- Camping in a garden – A very good specific camping service is Campspace, which allows you to pitch a tent in someone’s yard for free or for a small fee (around 4-10 euros). This is a new service that started in 2010, but more and more people are signing up. All garden owners have profiles that indicate the services and facilities they offer.
- Take the bus: Low cost bus companies like Flixbus can take you across the continent with little money. It’s not glamorous, but for tickets starting at 5 EUR (6 USD) you really can’t complain!
- Get a train pass – Eurail passes have saved me hundreds of dollars when I have traveled. If you travel long distances and cross many countries, that’s a lot.
- Take free city tours – one of the best things in Europe is that you can find free walking tours in all major cities. They can be a great way to see the city’s attractions, learn a bit of history, and learn to sail without spending any money.
- Plan accordingly – transportation can affect your budget. Traveling costs money. A good way to save money is to avoid traveling in strange directions. Travel in a straight line and avoid leaning back and avoid paying too much for transportation.
- Fly cheap: If you know where you’re going and a train isn’t enough, try booking your flights in advance. You can often get round-trip fares of up to 5 EUR (6 USD) from many discount airlines that serve Europe, such as Ryanair or Easyjet.
- Drink less – those 5 euro ($ 6) beers really add up. Enjoy happy hour or choose the time of the party. The hostel bars are a good place to buy cheap drinks or buy alcoholic drinks from the supermarket. Having fun on your way across the continent will destroy your bank balance in no time.
- Get a tourist card of the city – the local tourist offices issue a tourist card for all your attractions, tours and restaurants. This card offers free entry and substantial discounts on all attractions and tours in a city, free local public transport (a big plus), and discounts at select restaurants and malls. They save a lot of money. If you plan on getting a lot of sightseeing, get one of these cards.
- Have an ISIC card: To save 20-50% on the cost of admission to museums and other tourist attractions, be sure to present a valid student card. The ISIC is generally accepted in places where the foreign student card is not accepted.
- Carpooling: If you have flexible hours, use BlaBlaCar’s carpooling service and travel with locals between cities (or countries). I used this service in Switzerland and not only saved a lot of money, but also met interesting people and learned about local culture and life. The drivers are vetted and are perfectly safe (although trips sometimes don’t show up so you need to be flexible).
Travel Insurance
The most important advice I can offer is to buy good travel insurance. Travel insurance protects you against illness, injury, theft and cancellations. This is full protection in the event of a problem. I never travel without it, as I have had to use it several times in the past. You can use the widget below to find the policy that’s right for you:
Best Time to Go to Europe
There is no wrong time to visit Europe! The peak season is summer, and Europe will become crazy. Prices will also rise during this period. However, the general atmosphere and weather during this period are very good, so it is worth a visit during the peak season.
The shoulder seasons are spring and autumn (March to May and September to October respectively). It was still warm during this time, but it was not so crowded and the price was cheaper. This is my favorite time to visit Europe-sunny weather, fewer crowds, and lower prices.
Winter is from November to February. The weather is cold, even farther and farther south (such as Greece). On the other hand, the Christmas season is a fantastic season-you will find Christmas markets and festive feasts! However, the daylight saving time is shorter in the north, especially in Scandinavia.
Book Your Trip: Tips and Tricks
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