Is it dangerous to travel/backpack alone as a 18-year-old girl?
As an 18 year old girl you are in more danger than an older male traveller for two reasons:The perception you are a weaker target for scamming;The extra interest you will receive from men in that country because you are young and female.The first can be mitigated by following the readily available advice in the first place, and experience after that. For instance, rule one would be: never be hurried. A lot of scams are achieved simply by railroading a tourist. Always take your time when purchasing any service. And get to know the currency quickly. The second problem won't be so new to you. I presume you already have experience batting away unwelcome male attention in a firm but safe way. When you are travelling it's not difficult to gauge how much worse it will be by reading up about how woman in that country are considered. In other words this is not an extra problem - only a problem with an extra dimension. In Asian countries, and I know Thailand best, women are treated differently, but as equals. You won't find many "new men" but the women can take care of themselves, and get respect. I think it's safe for you to travel in most countries when you are careful. There is little extra risk but travel in Asia as you would in your home country with extra vigilance.
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 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!
Ideas for week long hiking/camping trip?
if you narrow your search down to a specific state there is a great app that can locate a state park with camping and hiking. The Pocket Ranger App can help you plan a trip by filtering each park by activities that it has. A great feature of the pro version of Pocket Ranger is that it can GPS your location without needing cell service. So when you are hiking you can never get lost! Have a great trip