2 month Europe Backpacking Trip, Advice Please!!

Cheese and hard sausage, whether from a local farmer's market or the cheese and meat counters at a larger supermarket, travel well and are great to have for picnics or snacking. Splurge a few times for pastries at a cafe in Vienna, Budapest, etc.

In Barcelona this past Novemver, we spent a lot more time at Sagrada Familia than we expected - more and more plain windows are being replaced with stained glass, and as the sun rose in the sky, the colors inside the church kept changing. There are so many interesting details, you could be there a while, especially if you do a tower climb.

This may go without saying, but if you find yourselves with your packs on a metro or crowded city bus or tram (as in Rome), move them around to the front and so you can keep an eye on them and also not whack any fellow passengers. Great that you have a good amount of time and are scheduling several days in each location!

I did a similar trip after I graduated from college - I backpacked around Europe for 2 months using a 2-month unlimited Eurail pass (for maximum flexibility - since I didn't book any hostels ahead of time!). I would strongly recommend giving yourselves some flexibility with your schedule... You know where you'll start and where you'll finish, but you can't possibly predict where you'll want to spend more time, and where you'll want to spend less time. I found that I could book hostels as late as the day I would arrive, and in the bigger cities, there would always be availability. That's part of the fun of backpacking, is having that flexibility to move at your own pace, and even change your itinerary if you decide to!

My biggest piece of advice is to get outside of those big cities you listed. Honestly, some of my favorite experiences were in smaller places- like small towns near Nice on the French Riviera, small German towns in the Black Forest, and hill towns in Tuscany. Sure, there are lots of famous sites in those cities, and you don't want to miss those - but day-trips, if not some overnight trips to smaller places, are really memorable and worthwhile. If you'd like, I'm happy to recommend some day-trips or small fun places that would fit into your itinerary!

As far as planning goes, I loved booking on Hostelworld and Hostelbookers - I found the reviews on both of those websites to be very reliable and accurate. I used Let's Go Europe as my overall travel book - it has good coverage of all of the major cities.

You're going to need a very comfortable backpack. Don't splurge on that!! Get a large backpack, but don't STUFF it before you leave. I brought a microfiber towel (which dries very quickly) so I didn't have to rent towels at hostels, I packed some laundry pods so I could wash clothes in the sink, I packed a mini flashlight and small scissors, and some very comfy flats for walking around. I packed too many books (2-3 books) and ended up swapping them for new ones every couple weeks at the hostels.

Also, if you can, get out of the hostels at least once or twice. You can rent apartments for Airbnb for pretty cheap (depending on city and neighborhood!) and you'll love that extra privacy, and having your own kitchen. I'd also recommend staying at a B&B/pension at least once - or at least a very small hostel. The hosts at those types of places are SO kind and will give you all kinds of recommendations for their city.

Hi,

You have it right. For the short trips, buy the point to point tickets. Save the Pass for the long rides and the night train, say Amsterdam-Berlin. Don't rule out that option. A sleeperette (Ruhesessel) seat on the CNL night train is still cheaper than staying in a hostel dorm room with five other roomates.

I'll just comment on the eating: since you'll be in Vienna and Berlin, don't forget the university cafaterias (die Mensas) for good cheap hot food. I've done this in the last few years. The hostels (HI hostels) serve dinner, Do you have to be a guest at that hostel to eat there? No, just buy a meal ticket at the Reception, 6-7 Euro.

Train from Zadar to Venice takes about 20 hours; a ferry to Ancona, Italy, or flight to Rome would be simpler, then work your way north through Italy. Nice-Barcelona and Barcelona-Paris TGV trains limit the number of places for railpass travelers (available to reserve starting 3 months ahead and could sell out weeks ahead) so I recommend firming up that end of the trip plan in advance. For reservation info with a railpass, see http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/reservations and also a price list on the downloadable version.

Now that you have an outline of big cities, you need to fill in more small towns, which can be cheaper, friendlier, walkable, better preserved, more relaxing, etc. You may not have heard of many great towns before starting your research, so guidebooks and Rick's online resources can help you identify favorites. A 10-day flexipass would be a good value for the route you list above at roughly $825 per person in 1st class, or the 15-day version at $1080 gives you 5 more days of coverage at a lower rate per day.

As teachers, my husband and I backpacked Europe every summer for many years. We would give up our apartment, put everything into storage, and take off! You're going to have a great time!
Just some general things that we learned...
Take about 6 days worth of clothes, all interchangeable.
Take one pair of good, broken-in walking shoes and one pair or sandals. That's all you'll need.
Schedule a 1/2 day for laundry every 10 days or so.
Don't bring "big" toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, etc.) - buy very small versions of those things when you get there. You can always replenish when you run out and any kind of liquid is VERY heavy in a backpack.
If you are taking guide books, instead of taking the whole book, tear out the pages of the places you'll be visiting. Books are heavy and take up a lot of space.
Bring one waterproof jacket that can be worn in both cold and rainy conditions - make sure it has a hood.
Look into alternative forms of lodging...couchsurfing, airbnb, hostels, and backpacker hotels. We always found that the tourist office in many towns can recommend different kinds of places to stay such as farms and even in people's barns - that was an adventure! Lots of people across Europe rent out rooms in their homes - fantastic! We met the best people and had the most "authentic" experiences when we were open to non-traditional lodging options.
It's worth it to spend time researching which train and bus stations have left-luggage so you have somewhere to put your backpacks during the times you will be in between lodging.
If you eat outside at a cafe, you'll often pay more than if you eat inside.
Lots of universities rent out dorm rooms during the summer months to create revenue out of what would otherwise be empty space.
As you buy souvenirs, mail them home. Over two months you can accumulate a lot of stuff that you don't want to carry around with you. It's worth the $$$.
When you have your backpacks, avoid using subway systems and buses during rush hour...it's really difficult to squeeze yourself in and out when you are pressed against a sea of humanity.
Italy used to have a "kilometrico" (sp?) rail ticket that used mileage instead of days...as you traveled, miles would be deducted from the total amount you bought...not sure if that still exists but it was almost always a better deal than any other kind of rail pass.
Those are the things that immediately come to mind! Hope it helps!

Krystal,

It's great that you're getting such an early start on planning, as that will help you work out all the "fine details". I'm sure your trip will be one of the most memorable experiences you've ever had!

If this is your first trip to Europe, I'd recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door, as that provides a lot of good information on "how" to travel well in Europe. Use the country or city-specific Guidebooks to plan sightseeing, transportation, etc.

Could you clarify whether your budget is $7K for both of you? Does that include airfares and Rail Pass?

Regarding transportation between some of the places you listed, some routes will be better using budget airlines (ie: Nice to Barcelona). It's a good idea to book well in advance with those, in order to get the best prices. However, tickets are usually non-refundable and non-changeable once booked, so choose your dates carefully. Also, read their Terms & Conditions carefully, especially relating to luggage rules. When planning transportation, keep in mind that each change of location will usually require at least half a day and sometimes more, so you won't have a full four days (or whatever) in each of the places you'll be visiting.

Using a Rail Pass will be beneficial in some cases, however there are some "limitations". For example.....

• With many of the premium (high speed) trains such as the Le Freccce in Italy or TGV in France have compulsory reservations, which you'll have to pay separately for. France limits the number of Passholder reservations, so this may affect which trains you can use (if the quota is used for a particular train, you'll either have to buy regular tickets or choose another train). Reservations are specific to train, date and departure time and you can ONLY use the train specified on your reservation. If you don't have a valid reservation on trains in Italy (even with a Rail Pass), you'll face hefty fines which will be collected on the spot!
• Rail Passes can not be used on some trains, such as the new high speed Italo trains in Italy, the Circumvesuviana (Naples) and others.

For lodgings you might have a look at the HI Hostels website. They have properties all over Europe, sometimes more than one in some cities. They're clean and well managed and I've found the facilities are fairly consistent from one property to another. Hostels often provide a good breakfast, so that takes care of one meal each day. HI Hostels do get some school groups at times, so can be busy. Having an HI membership will provide cheaper rates and preferred booking. There are also some excellent independent Hostels. Some Hostels also have a few private rooms (usually two separate beds), but you'll likely have to book those well in advance. You might also consider using a few budget hotels (listings in the Guidebooks), as they're often not much more than a Hostel private room and it's nice to have some privacy at times.

When staying in Hostels, you'll need to pack something like a micro-fibre towel (towels are usually not provided), soap and also a small but good quality Padlock for Lockers (don't use the cheap TSA luggage locks for that). Something like Flip-Flops are useful if there are shared showers. Hostels usually provide a sleep sack with the cost of the bed, or for a small charge.

If you're planning to travel with any electronic devices (phones, etc.) you'll need to check on whether they can be used in Europe (different voltage), but you will need Plug Adaptors.

Good luck with your planning!

I don't have a lot to add to this other than you might want to start your trip in May rather than June and begin in Italy, where it will be getting hot and filled with tourists by summer. Then go to Spain, and afterwards move north. This lets you move with the seasons and avoids the stifling heat and the summer crowds a bit.

The train between Amsterdam and Berlin is only 6 hours, so no need to go with a night train. I like seeing the landscape when I travel through Europe, watching how things change when you go across borders.

Thanks everyone who has replied so far for the info! I think it's great to get some solid information from people who have experienced this rather than just trying to find outdated info on the net. So thanks!

And Ken, we are saving $7,000 CAD each, not all together.

The trains and Eurail pass are something I have been trying to find out more about, I'm not really sure what the best option is. I know we don't want to for go the pass and buy all point to point, just purely for the ease of access. It's our first trip together like this. I will have to do some more looking to figure out the best routes between places.

Krystal,

Regarding your transportation, the best option might be a combination of a Rail Pass, P-P tickets and budget airlines in a few cases. You might find it helpful to have a look at THIS website as it should be able to provide you with a reasonably clear estimate on which approach to use between each of your destinations.

Were you planning to take a night train from Amsterdam to Berlin? As someone else mentioned, that's an easy and pleasant trip to do in the day time, where you can enjoy the scenery. For the trip from Rome to Nice, you could do that by budget air. EasyJet currently offers daily flights on that route, with current prices as low as €37.49 PP. Another option would be to travel by train and stop in the Cinque Terre for a few days (it breaks-up what would be a long rail journey), before continuing to Nice. When travelling by rail, you'll need to know the names of the stations you'll be using since many cities in Europe have more than one station (Paris has about six).

Are the places you mentioned and the order of travel more or less "definite" at this point? Your budget of $7K each, should be adequate (IMO), especially as you're planning to travel inexpensively.

Thanks again for the input.

Men, the list of places is pretty much what we don't want to miss. We had to think hard about what to put in and what to cut. The route is less solid. I've put it together in the most logical way I could, however, I haven't done extensive travelling in Europe at all and so things like ferries and low budget airline options could change the route. That's partly why I'm on the quest for more info.

There are some places that are quite a distance from each other. Originally we had Paris after London but we thought instead we could fly to Amsterdam and save having to take the Eurostar or similar twice, since the eurail pass doesn't really cover that one.

So yeah, any input you have regarding better, easier or faster routes would be great

Krystal,

Your route looks quite reasonable in the order you've listed. There are many possibilities but it looks good. A few thoughts.....

• Edmonton to London - which airline are you planning to use?
• London to Amsterdam - you could certainly travel via EuroStar just for the experience of travelling under the channel, but it's not a big deal really - about 20 minutes in a tunnel. If you want information on booking the EuroStar, have a look at the excellent Man In Seat 61 website. A quicker and more efficient method would be budget airline. EasyJet offers daily flights from four airports in London (Gatwick, Luton, Southend, Stansted). Flight time is about 2H:15M and LGW has the most flight choices.
• Amsterdam to Berlin - very easy by train, about 6 hours from Amsterdam Central to Berlin Hbf.
• Berlin to Prague - also very easy by train and a pleasant trip, about 4H:45M on a direct train from Berlin Hbf to Praha hl.n.
• Prague to Vienna - again about 4H:45M by direct train from Praha hl.n to Wien Miedling.
• Vienna to Budapest - about 3H from Wien Westbahnhof to Budapest-Keleti via direct train. I don't know the stations in Vienna, but one of the others will be able to provide details on the stations there.
• Budapest to Zadar - this link is a bit problematic. There seems to be several solutions in varying price ranges, but using EuroBusWays seems to be about the quickest and easiest, and you won't be able to use your Rail Pass. You'll have to contact them, and I'd suggest booking WELL in advance.
• Zadar to Venice - a bit of a challenge, and will take a bit of time. One method would be to use Bus Croatia from Zadar to Rijeka, Bus from there to Trieste Centrale and then train from there to Venice (about 2H:15M using direct train). In that area, you could also look at GoOpti as they may offer transportation that will work for you.
• Venice to Florence - very easy via Freccia high speed train. You'll only have to buy the reservations (~€10 PP) if using your Rail Pass.
• Florence to Rome - again very easy via Freccia train. Again, just purchase the reservations which will be specific to a particular train, date and departure time.
• Rome to Nice - if you'd prefer not to make an intermediate stop (ie: Cinque Terre), that will be an 8-10 hour trip by train, with two or three changes. You could also consider budget airline on that route. EasyJet appears to offer daily flights, with flight time 1H:15M (I didn't check other carriers). You could also check Vueling.
• Nice to Barcelona - travel by train on that route will be about 9 - 17 hours. Budget air would save a lot of time and again EasyJet has one flight in the evenings with a flight time of 1H:15M, and again check Vueling as well.
• Barcelona to Paris - using high speed train on that route is the method I'd choose. There are direct TGV trains from Barcelona Sants to Paris Gare de Lyon with a travel time of 6H:36M. I doubt that budget air would be any/much faster, when all is considered. Again you'd have to pay separately for reservations.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

It is very possible to travel with a rail pass in every country without paying supplements & reservation fees. Sometimes it's a matter of taking a different time or route. Sometimes its taking regional trains vs, high speed - which we don't mind as we love to see the small towns along the way and often stop in them - the high speed trains skip a lot of stops. Check out various routes between places on bahn.de - check the box for a rail pass and it will tell you which trains REQUIRE or suggest reservation and/or supplement

Go digital! Plan in your budget for international data when wifi is not available - access to maps and transportation schedules (bahn.de) is priceless. E-books, iThings, digital tour books, translator programs, city metro & bus routes are all easy to use in digital form and really lighten the load in the backpack. I carry an android phone & a net book (don't have a pad thing and have never had an iThing!) Phoning home via google voice over wifi - free! There are tons of maps, tour guides & programs that can be used off-line once setup. Even RS has many Kindle e-guides. Menu decoder - don't go to dinner without one! You'll want to try the local fare - but sometimes you really need to know what it is.

The suggestion to start south and work your way north is a good one. Europe can experience very cold weather - even in May. We spent a very cold, rainy day in Ulm, Germany last May - about 35F - needless to say we spent most of the day in our hotel room.

Some sights - even in the "shoulder season" still have long lines or sell out. If you have some "must sees" plan ahead for tickets.

Pack light weight clothing that dries quickly (quick wash out in the sink at night - dry by morning) - blue jeans weigh a lot and take for ever to dry, layers work well for the season.

I brought "picnic" supplies with me - a supply of paper plates - the small ones, napkins, plastic knives, forks & spoons - just a few we would wipe them & re-use, a small paring knife (purchase upon arrival), a couple of the "rum-runners" bags - much lighter for carrying wine, a cork screw, a good supply of ziploc bags in various sizes and 2 glass wine glasses - I hate drinking wine out of plastic and they actually traveled very well - they were smaller and a little heavier. We picniced well - I could even make Sangria on the fly!

I am just planning a two month trip myself for 2016 - we did a month last year and were not ready to come home.

Doing as much research ahead of time makes things go so much nicer. Spend a LOT of time now looking at the maps of the cities you will visit. Become familiar with the names of the major streets & areas and where the sights are in relation to your hostel and train station. When you then land in a new city you will not be so overwhelmed with figuring out where to go. I actually write out metro info or walking directions on a small paper to refer to as we walk - walking with purpose and direction you will not be so much a target for pick-pockets nor scammers. Standing on a corner being and looking confused will make you stand out.

We try to book hotel near train stations - makes it easier for arriving & departing - generally can walk there and no need to haul pack or suitcase on subway or bus.

I guess that's what I got!

Have a great time!

Ken, that break down you did is amazing! Very helpful. Thanks a million! We haven't decided which airline we will use to get to London. I think we are just waiting till it s a little closer and buying the cheapest ticket we can.

Christi, thanks for your input as well. Great suggestions. Did you mostly stay in hotels? Or hostels as well?

One thing I'm worried about a bit is whether we should be trying to book hostels in advance, I know plans change but hostels are easily cancelled or changed as well. I just don't want to end up having to keep blowing the budget because we are getting into places with out somewhere to stay and end up having to stay somewhere expensive, or spending all our time wandering around strange city looking for somewhere to stay. I was thinking to book at least the first few and then as we go along book the next few, etc. But I also know from looking on Hotelworld and Hotel bookers that lots of the good, cheaper places get filled up quickly...sometimes a month in advance.

Once again, thanks all who have replied =) Much appreciated.

Krysal,

A few thoughts on airlines......

• Air Transat - likely the cheapest prices but they tend to only service some routes in the summer, so not sure if they'll have flights from Edmonton in May/June. They tend to only have flights once a week on some routes, so if your travel schedule is flexible that might work for you. I'd suggest paying extra for premium economy (or whatever they call it), as you'll be a bit more comfortable which is a bonus on a long flight. They've completely revamped their cabins recently, and I'd like to try them again but have difficulty making my desired travel dates fit their schedule. They do offer flights to both London and Paris (I used them in the past).
• Air Canada - they provide the greatest number of flights each day and lots of choices, but unfortunately some of them have one change in a variety of airports - Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and even Newark I believe. Prices will be a bit higher, but at least you'll have more choices. They appear to have one direct flight to London (using an arbitrary date of 2015 May 12), departing YEG at 19:45 and arriving at LHR at 11:25 the following morning, and that's the one I'd suggest booking (if it fits your budget). LHR isn't my favourite airport, but that's the only choice with AC. I didn't check the schedules for the new AC branch, Air Rouge. One nice thing about AC is their Star Alliance connections, as if they don't operate flights to particular destinations, one of their partner airlines does. They have good flight options to both of the cities you'll be using for arrival and departure, so certainly something to consider. I'm using AC again this year, as they had the connections and timing that fit my Itinerary.
• KLM - I didnt' check but likely about the same price as AC. Unfortunately their flights are more of a hassle as there could be one or several changes in places like Minneapolis and possibly Amsterdam as well (KLM flights often fly to Amsterdam first and then passengers are put on connecting flights - I've done that in the past).
• Canadian Affair - I believe they use Air Transat, but may only operate seasonally (cheap flights though - I couldn't check as schedules for May / June 2015 aren't posted yet). They don't operate from Paris, but they do offer flights to London Gatwick.

You'll have to start price shopping towards the beginning of the new year, when they have schedules posted on the websites.

Cheers!

I have to disagree with Ken (yikes, I can't believe I even think that) . . . about train vs. plane between London and Amsterdam. The train takes about 5 hours, but the stations are in the city, so they are easy and cheap to get to. You only need to be at the train station 30-45 minutes before departure. If you fly, you will have to check your backpacks, which means both a long trip to the airport and an early arrival for check-in and security, then waiting for luggage on arrival and a train ride to Amsterdam.

It looks like you have taken travel time into account, and your 4 days each for 13 destinations is full days. Bravo! Sounds great.

In Florence, the Archi Rossi hostel is excellent. They have coin-op washers and dryers (detergent provided), 2 free (and excellent) morning walking tours, great location. If you want to splurge there on a double room, you will have to book in advance, they fill up quickly. Use their website directly.

Lastly, take a look at Lonely Planet's travel forums, Thorntree. That site is more geared to backpackers.

Back Packing these days means that you are traveling with nothing but carry-on luggage which happen to be back packs. I guess I back pack most every summer trip to Europe. Smile! Its all good. Since you want to do a lot of your own grocery shopping you might consider cooking those groceries. For that it might be best to rent an apartment. When you start thinking about Budapest let me know and I can give you some ideas for those 4 days.

Have a blast.

Just to clarify my comment about flying and checking luggage. While most transatlantic flights do not impose a weight restriction, most European flights do. While the "regular" airlines may be somewhat liberal in practice (and you can't rely on that), the budget airlines are very strict. In any event, if your carry-on weighs more than 8 kg, you must plan to check a bag.

Awesome itinerary. Do make time for Europe's villages and countryside.

Consider this small improvement to your original plan: Go A'dam > Paris > Berlin and fly home from Barcelona. This will save you the long ride to Paris. (Paris > Berlin is 2 hours longer than A'dam > Berlin, but (1) you can fly and (2) there is a night train and (3) it's already pretty long either way.)

@Chani,

Thanks for the thoughts about train travel on the London - Amsterdam route. I should have included the rail option, just for comparison. You're right that travel by rail should certainly be considered, especially as that's well under my tipping point for the rail vs air decision.