Backpacking through Europe?
I'm really interested in backpacking through Europe in the summer. I've always wanted to do it, and I'm starting to really get serious about it and plan what countries I'm going to. So I know I have a lot of questions, but if you could just answer even one of them that would be awesome... First off, I was thinking about going for three to four weeks. Is that too short? How many countries could I visit in that time? I've never been to Europe, so it's all new to me. Would you suggest visiting a few countries and spending a lot of time in each one, or doing less time in more countries? What should I expect about hostels? Do they have air-conditioning? I don't know how I'll make it in the summer without AC...I guess if I leave the windows open it won't be too bad... Do people actually bring a backpack, or do some people just bring suitcases? Do you carry your backpack with you everywhere, or pretty much drop it off in the hostels and go? Are the hostels safe or should I worry about things being stolen? Here's the countries I'm thinking about going to. I know there's no way I can go to them all, so if you could just tell me from your experience which ones you would recommend, that would be great! Also, if you could say how long I should stay there, that'd be awesome too. England Ireland France Switzerland Italy Greece Germany Belgium Luxembourg Spain Scotland The Netherlands Thanks! I really appreciate it!
How much is my backpacking through europe trip going to cost me?
Ive been trying to research about how much it is going to cost me and 2 of my friends to go next summer to backpack through europe. We plan on going for around 30 days. I feel like ive done enough research, but any tips would be much appreciated. Also, is 30 days enough to go to all the countries we have listed? We were planning on staying a few days in each country and going around clockwise hitting the countries we want by the unlimited 30day Eurail pass. Starting from Madrid, Spain, and then ending in Madrid. Any helpful suggestions??? also...is this a realistic amount? and how much should we bring for spending money (tours, touristy stuff, ext), Our Trip to Europe Costs: Flight- $905 (kayak.com) Train passes- Most of Europe- $625 Britain (England, Whales, and Scotland)- $199 *4 Day Pass (its$ 159 for a 3 day trip) Paris to London (Both Ways)- $76 Ferry Passes- Britain to Ireland- $39 Ireland to France-$85 *optional trip to Malta- $175 Hostels- About $500 (Estimate high because we will sleep on trains a lot) TOTAL (Without spending/food money)- $2429 (If we go to Malta)- $2604 Food- We will just use spending money to go to a supermarket and get cheap foods/bring some food (Ex. Pop Tarts)/Go out to eat occasionally when we feel like it. -We could survive for a month off a $60 in cheap food. -Then factor how often we can go out to eat, by seeing how much spending money we have. Good Idea to have multiple ways of making transactions: Cash- It’s a quick and easy way to make transactions. We should have a healthy amount of money in cash. Debit/ATM- Should have one to use ATMS, so we do not have excessive amounts of cash on us. Credit Card- We should have one just for emergencies. I can get one, and at least if something comes up I can charge it and have people pay me back. Countries- 1. Spain 2. France 3. England 4. Ireland 5. Italy 6. Greece 7. Germany 8. Netherlands 9. Switzerland 10. Romania If we feel like it- The Others. Malta
How much would it cost me to backpack across Europe on a Schengen Visa?
From my plans for travelling europe, I think I'll be able to cover most of it in 6 trips of 1 month each...So depending on how much ground you want to cover you decide the duration...Also the first trip I intend to make which is approximately 35 days with major time being spent in France and Scandinavia(for northern lights), which are the most expensive regions to travel not just in Europe but in the world...After a lot of deliberation the budget comes out to be slightly over 5 lakhs for 2 people(relying on Airbnb, travelling in off season etc.) ...major expense being travel...If you intend to backpack... I think it can be brought down even lower...I hope someone who has already done that will be able to provide a better answer...All the best :)
How much would backpacking across Europe cost?
In the summer of 2009, I will be graduating from high school and I would like to grab a fiend and go backpacking across Europe. I seen a website that said that $40 would be spent about average a day. I think that my friend and I would be there for about a month but that doesnt seem right to me. I would like to visit England, France, Italy, Germany, Amsterdam, and probably Greece. On average, how much do you think it would cost? Is it difficult to move around Europe if you've never been there before?
How much might a 15-17 day backpacking trip to Europe from India cost? Is there anyone from India who has done it and can help me picture a rough idea about the total budget?
I travelled on a 8 day trip to France, Germany, Belgium and Netherlands. Honestly I had a budget of somewhere around 1.25 lakhs for the entire trip. But believe me it depends from person to person. below is the itinerary and the expenditure of my trip.Visa Cost: 7500 RsInsurance cost: approx 1000 Rsbooked my flight tickets on 16th May for the departure on 18th May. Delhi to brussels to Delhi for 32500 Rs/-stayed for 2 nights in Amsterdam at hansbrinker Hostel. 6 Bed mixed Dorm for 22 Euros. for 2 nights 44 Euros.Stayed for a night in Cologne at Hostel downtown. 6 Bed mixed Dorm for 28 Euros.Stayed at 2 nights in Meininger Hotels in Brussels. 6 Bed mixed dorm for 17 euros a night. for 2 nights 34 euros.Stayed in Paris for a night for 21 Euros.total cost of stay: 127 Euros ( 9200 Rs)Inter Country Travel: See this depends on the country you are visiting and how far it is. Like I started my trip from Amsterdam to Cologne to Brussels to Paris to Brussels. I had an option of taking either a bus, or a flight or a train. Bus being the cheapest took me approximately 3–3.5 hours to reach the destination and the average price was 15 euros for a ride. I spent around 85 Euros for entire travel on Bus. I would suggest download Flixbus app as well as Goeuro App for cheaper deals.Total Inter country Travel: 85 Euros Approx (6200) rsIntercity Travel: you always have an option of taking a tram or a bus or a metro. I personally took a day pass in Amsterdam for Tram. It costed me around 7.5 Euros but was worth it. Per me average cost would have been 12–13 euros.total travelling cost: 100 Euros ( 7200 Rs)Total Cost= Travelling+ stay+ Flight+intercity travel+visa+ insurance= Approx 70KPlease note: Every good Hostel you opt for has free walking tours and believe they are totally worth it. Specially to know about the history and walk across to some really old and good bars for breaks.Shopping, Eating, and Drinks are something which can vary from person to person. Average Cost for a glass of Beer was around 1.5 Euros. Breakfast was 5 Euros/some hostels do provide free breakfast. Lunch- Dinner was roughly 8–10 Euros.My personal opinion- avoid Indian food in Europe. pathetic treatment is what you would end up getting and trust me you wont even want to comment on the food quality. try local cuisines and do your research on he foods and drink as well.My total trip Costed me around 94k including the Ola ride from Delhi airport to Noida during Peak hours :P
If I went on a postgraduate backpacking trip through Europe, what would be the opportunity costs?
"Opportunity costs" doesn't make sense in this context. Are you asking "what will it cost", that depends on where you are coming from and what countries you want to travel to.
Cost to backpack across europe alone?
Ken has the right idea. Sleeping on trains, and travelling overnight is a good way to save on the price of a hotel. Friends of ours have done the eurail pass thing too and loved it. http://www.eurail.com/ Sept/Oct is a good time to travel-temps a little cooler, not as many tourists about, some things are a little cheaper cos it's not peak season. Most places you can find a hostel for under 30 euros. We rarely pay more than 20 euros, and if you travel a little east then you can get some brand new nice hostels for about 12 euros or less depending. There's normally plenty of hostels, so I wouldn't sweat pre-booking or anything. A main meal at most restaurants is between 8 and 10 euros. Museums are about 8 to 10 euros. Many cities offer a tourist card where you pay one price and either get a discount on tourist attractions or you get free entry into a whole list of museums etc.... Budget depends on what you like to do, and how rough you want to rough it. If you are on a tight budget then avoid England, Florence and Milan in Italy, and any of the nordic places. Switzerland and Norway esp. Have a great time. Happy Trails.
How can one plan for a backpacking trip to Europe with a budget under $1000?
I've managed to do this for over a month for this budget with the following tips: Biggest cash hoggers in order: Accommodation, transport and food. And, of course, beer and parties. Hacking the first 2 is enough for an excellent 30d adventure in Europe for $1k.Use www.couchsurfing.com and www.globalfreeloaders.com to stay at other like-minded people's homes for free. This will save you literally 1000€+ during a month. It's free accommodation on a pro bono basis. A good profile is a must, and hosting people at home before leaving for your own trip helps. Announce on FB a rough plan and let all your EU friends know you're coming. Chances are, you'll get more couch invites when they know you're coming.Start from the West (France, Spain, Benelux, UK, Germany) with as many pre-scheduled Couch Surfing -hosted free nights as you can. Head towards Southern / Eastern Europe where not having free nights with CS hosts hurts you the least, w/ cheap hostel & camping prices.Hitchhike as much as you can. It's very safe when you're street smart and know what you're doing. This will easily save you $200-$300 per week, or $1k+ a month.Trains are expensive, and the Interrail monthly multi-country pass isn't what it used to be. Check it out, but don't let it eat over half of your budget. Prefer hitchhiking and busses. Interrail: The rail adventure awaits!When possible, overnight on trains and airports rather than hotels. It's cheaper and doesn't cost you time. Check out The Guide to Sleeping in Airports which will save you $50-100 per night.Bring a cheap tent or tarp (max $50) and do (wild) camping as much as you can. I've done this a lot, it's also an excellent way to experience the Spanish and Italian countryside. Wild camping is free and especially legit in Scotland and the Nordics (Norway, Sweden and Finland).Enjoy, and let me know if you're heading up to Finland, I'd be happy to host!
Should I take my skateboard while backpacking Europe?
Well, it really depends on where you are going in Europe... There are some places where skateboarding is forbidden like Principality of Monaco and Vatican City, but also in places where it is not expressly forbidden it can be really hard to use it, because of the European streets, for example some streets are this way: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampietrini Moreover many of them are quite narrow and really crowded (especially the ones of the main cities) so that it is very very hard to do what you would like to do...