Backpacking Family

Need lots more info from you to be able to help. When are you going. Do you have a budget. What do you really want to see, historical sites, cathedrals, big city, small towns, etc. Time of year you will go will determine how you can wing it. Narrow it down to country you want to see. Is it practical to go from Ireland to Poland and all in between in six weeks? You will have many people who can help.

As for winging it, if you will only consider private rooms in a hostel, be aware that they tend to book up well in advance unless you are traveling in the off season. They also tend to cost about as much as a budget hotel in some places. The pros to hosteling are that you will have access to a kitchen and laundry facilities. Read reviews of any hostel you consider on hostelworld.com to see what others have to say about the noise levels, safety, cleanliness, etc. so you know what to expect. Some hostels attract partiers or noisy school groups. As for seeing everything from Galway to Krakow, be realistic about what you can really cover in 6 weeks. If this trip isn't going to happen until next summer, you have plenty of time to compile a list with your son of all the places on your "wish list" and then start Googling distances and transit options so you can get a true sense of how long it will take to get from Point A to Point B via train, bus, plane, etc. And keep in mind every time you change locations you lose a certain amount of time on each end as you pack up, check out, get to the station/airport, are in transit, arrive and find your way to your next hostel, get unpacked, etc. This lost time can be anywhere from 1/2 a day to a full day. If you are winging accommodations as you travel, you may also lose some time as you call around or search the internet for your next hostel or hotel. Usually a good rule of thumb would be to devote 1 week per country and expect to only hit a few areas in that week. Will you be renting a car sometimes? If not, you may want to try and base yourself in cities or larger towns where you can join up with some day tour operators to get out into the countryside.

Michelle, As someone else mentioned, it would help to have further information on your trip, such as when this will be taking place and what kind of budget you're working with. It's a logical assumption that you'll be travelling during the school holidays in July and August. If that's the case, it's PEAK season so I'd recommend pre-booking accommodations. Travel by train is the best method in most cases, but budget flights are also a good option. You won't be able to determine the transportation method until you have a list of destinations. As Ceidleh mentioned, don't try to fit too much into a relatively short six week time frame. One of the most important factors to consider is the travel time between locations. You won't be able to see it all, so as Rick often says "assume you will return". If you haven't travelled in Europe before, my first suggestion is for both of you to read Europe Through The Back Door. That provides a LOT of good information on "how" to travel in Europe. Use the country-specific Guidebooks to plan sightseeing once you have the locations finalized. Hostels are a good choice in some cases, but the cost for a private room is often close to that of a budget Hotel. The RS Guidebooks have good listings for Hotels in various price ranges. You might find it helpful to have a look at the HI Hostels website. They have properties all over the world, and I've found the facilities are fairly consistent from one location to the next. They're well run and NOT party Hostels. Having a membership will provide preferred rates and booking over non-members. Keep in mind that if you can't get a private room, you may be in separate Dorm rooms so be prepared for "communal living". Most Dorms are segregated by gender, but I've found a few that are co-ed. Good luck with your planning!

You can read reviews on hostels, avoid the ones that talk about partying and pick the ones that are clean and quiet. You may prefer budget hotels with two beds, they cost the same as a private room in a hostel. Search tripadvisor.com, you can search budget hotels and/or b&b's for each city. Train travel is nice, whether it's the best option depends on where you are going. For long legs, a plane is the better/cheaper option. For shorter legs, trains are great (or bus in Spain/Portugal/Ireland). I find I'm renting a car more because it lets me get to places that would be difficult otherwise, and I can squeeze in intermediate stops without wasting a day. The bad thing is I have to drive. I usually plan a trip to know options and a not-written-in-stone itinerary. Make sure to ask your son what he's interested in and include some of those things. On the ground, play it by ear. Don't drive yourself crazy to meet a schedule. When things go wrong, laugh about it - those are the things your son will remember 30 years from now anyway.