Backpacking through Europe

Have you thought about walking one of the pilgrimage routes, like Santiago del Compestelo? These pilgrimage routes go all through Europe, not just through Spain. I know walking this is quite popular in Germany. There are other places you can visit or walk to also, like Lourdes or Fatima in Portugal.

Sure, we did pretty much that 2 years ago when we were both 30. Backpacked a bit circle around Europe for 27 days. Wasn't particularly relaxing as we had a lot of ground to cover and we stayed in cities and ventured out of town to see things, but it was pretty much a low key, play by ear, low cost adventure. We stayed out of hotels and slept at B&Bs and hostels. Took trains to major hub points and only flew once on Europe to get from Prague to Venice as it was faster and cheaper then the train. Research in the guide books and websites to see what accommodations you can find in the places you want to go. Don't look for hotels specifically, but realize that smaller European 'hotels' can be quite charming.

Wow, a walking pilgrimage would be amazing. However, I am disabled with my right leg and doubt a trip like that would be realistic. Maybe on a bike. But I am in physical therapy now, so that might be something to shoot for. Talk about a goal!! Where can I get more information about walks like these?

Jon, for a month trip, about how much to you suppose you spent, not counting airfare to and from home?

http://www.santiago-compostela.net/ This is the route that goes through Spain......This next one is the route that goes through Switzerland http://www.jakobsweg.ch/en/way-james.html and this next seems to be a good source too http://www.walkingwithawareness.com/pilgrimagelinks.htm Using Google, I found this website that seems to list sacred sites all over the world. Guess you can pick your country and then do more research on the ones that look interesting to you and that match your travel plans and abilities.....http://www.sacredsites.com/europe/index.html

As for what to "aim for money wise", start research now about average costs as only you know what "bare miniumums" you can realistically survive on. Ask yourself a few questions 1st such as: Can you sleep in a 6 or 12 bunk co-ed hostel dorm with a shared hall bath, or do you need more privacy such as a single ensuite room (this affects your lodging budget)? Plan ahead for holidays (Easter) & festivals that will cause a spike in lodging and transportation prices during your trip. Do you plan to cook most of your own meals, get takeout, or have a periodic splurge on a nice restaurant lunch or dinner (this affects your food budget)? How many countries do you intend to visit, and within each country, how many overnight stops will you make and how far apart are the countries and the overnight stops from each other (this affects your transportation budget)? At each stop, what excursions or activities do you think you will do? Museums, theater, concerts, guided tours, all have varying admission fees (be realistic as this is a primary reason you travel to Europe). Once you decide where you want to visit, research whether you need a rail pass, bus pass, short haul European flights and if point to point tickets will be most cost effective (a pass is not always most cost effective depending on where you are going). Take a look at websites of European grocery & drug store chains so you have some idea of what it will cost to buy basic things like milk, muesli, toothpaste or laundry detergent. As a general guideline, aim for at least 100 Euro per day (not including airfares). You could spend less or more depending on your personal interests, needs and what country you are travelling to, but 100 Euro should cover a hostel or simple B&B, 3 meals a day, public transit, admission fees and a few incidentals.

Jenn, you might want to read the Guidebook "Europe Through The Back Door" before getting too far in your planning. That will provide you with good information for travelling in Europe, and possible Itineraries. The country-specific Guidebooks will provide more detailed information on Hotels, restaurants, transportation, etc. ¶ Regarding the money situation, the "ballpark figure" is about US$100 per day, NOT including airfares and Railpass (if used). That should cover Hotels, meals, local transportation and sightseeing. ¶ Could you elaborate on a few points: How long are you planning to travel for, are there any cities (aside from Rome) that you want to visit? Good luck with your planning!