January 2009 is going to be our first time backpacking. There are three girls going. We are looking for any tips about everything! We're totally unexperienced and just looking to have an unreal time.
general travel tips
hostel/hotel information
money suggestions
what kind of back packs to get
packing tips
what countries or cities to be sure to include
weather
...
basically we would totally appreciate your help with everything! thanks so much!!
peace!
Check out this past thread, I think it will have some helpful info.
http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm?topic=8626
To get you started:1. Planning a trip like this takes much work but it can be fun. 2. Weather: January weather in 90% of Europe will be cold, it's a northern climate. 3. Budget: Costs for two people sharing a double room have been estimated by the Rick Steves organization at a rock bottom (their words) of about $100+ per person per day, not including the cost of airfare to Europe and not including the cost of transportation within Europe. For people paid in Canadian or US dollars, something that costs €100 actually costs you €100 x 1.6 = $160.
Start off at the local library reviewing good guide books and travelogue DVDs on the countries that interest you (you can see what guidebooks you like and then go to the bookstore and buy the most up-to-date copy you can find).
For budget hotels, B&Bs, guesthouses Rick Steves (naturally), Frommer's, etc. For backpacking on the cheap suggest Rough Guide, Let's Go or Lonely Planet. Determine your budget so you know how much you can spend on lodging/food/transportation/sightseeing.
With 3 of you, sometimes an apartment stay can be just as cheap as sharing a hotel (and you get perks like a kitchen or washer/dryer). You may not necessarily have to book an apartment for an entire week - especially off season.
Check hostelworld.com or BUG online for hostel reviews (you can book direct through MOST hostels and avoid the booking fee). Before you book, read what other travelers have to say about cleanliness, security, location and whether it is a party hostel or more mellow. (cont'd)
For back packs, get one that is as light as possible. Get fitted at REI or a similar outdoor sporting goods store.
Don't overpack! You need to be mobile.
Don't try to cram 20 cities into a 20 day trip. Plan on going back at some point, but to really enjoy a place, you generally need about 3 days at minimum (you have to take into account the time that gets eaten up travelling to each city, how far you are going, how long it takes to check-in/check-out of lodging, etc.). It's not a race...
A few tips:
For research, start with guidebooks aimed at your budget demographic. For backpacking, I assume you on the cheaper end of the spectrum. Let's Go and The Rough Guide are probably your ideal sources, perhaps supplemented by Lonely Planet and maybe Rick Steves. These last two sources are aimed more at the middle market, however. Fodor's and Frommer's are more for people with more spare money than time (funny how the two are usually inversely proportional to each other!).
Check out
http://www.eurotrip.com
There is quite a bit of information - from hostel reviews, to a packing list (for a month, I think), flight and train info. Its a good place to check out.
Also - I agree - you should be checking out as many guidebooks and travel videos as possible so you get a sense for what you will want to do.
Also check out Budget Travel - they have tips for city-savers such as museum passes, etc. for some of the larger cities such as Paris, London, Amsterdam, etc.
Here's another website you can check out. Cecilia has a ton of information on a plethora of subjects. I used quite a bit of it for my recent trip.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~cile/
Also - if you haven't seen it, the "Smart Traveler's Passport" has all kinds of tips - from packing tips, to hotel tips, to cruise info - all from travelers. If you can find it at the library, its worth a read. I try to read it before every vacation - I often forget how much I've forgotten!
Good luck!!! Keep us p
Megan, my son has backpacked for up to 7 months at a time - lucky man. He hardly takes anything with him, buying extreme weather clothes at markets as he needs them, then exchanging/selling as the seasons/location changes. He has hiked to Everest base camp, helped dig the truck from deep snowed mountain passes in Central Asia, and worn the local style of clothes in the hot Middle East and Egypt. He keeps a regular blog so that friends and family can keep up to date. Souveniers etc, he mails home as required. Go to a good store to have a backpack fitted. Weather covers and safety protection overlays can also be bought. The whole world awaits you and your friends. What lucky girls you are. Pat
Megan - Just to make sure everyone is on the same page. Hiking around with a pack on your pack for a lot (or most) of the time will mean different equipment from having a pack on for a short jaunt from the train staion to the hostel.
If you anticipate hauling pack around a lot, you will need a real backpack. It should have a frame. You should go to an outdoor gear store and have someone that knows what they are doing fit you. Then try on several to find one comfortable for you. You will also need to get a pair of good hiking boots and good socks. Carrying around that extra weight of the back pack is hard on your feet.
IF you won't be hiking around with a backpack on you can get by with a convertable bag. If will be lighter and more suitcase like. BUT it won't work well for wearing around all day. For that you need a real back pack with a frame.
Megan,
Congrats on your first big travel adventure! Not sure where in Canada you are, but if you are close to a major city, I would suggest going to MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) to be fitted for packs. They really know their stuff and having a pack that fits properly can make a huge difference to both your physical and mental health.
Rick's packing list is pretty great, but as women you will have a few needs other than those mentioned. Check out the Graffiti wall and the Travel Tips sections for good packing ideas. It's been said thousands of times before, but take half the stuff and twice the money. You will regret taking too much stuff, especially when your home is on your back.
As far as where to go, it is so personal it's hard to advise on. One of my best friends did a mid-winter trip and stayed largely in Southern Spain to avoid the rain, but personally I would invest in good rain gear and warm clothes and just go where ever. Feel free to PM me if you want.
Just one word of caution/preparation. When my daughter and I took our 27 day trip to Europe, we saw lots of young people backpacking. The one thing we saw most often, in the afternoons/evenings, was that all those backpackers were exhausted. A few of the girls were nearly in tears.
I would suggest that you load up those backpacks and take a day-long (like 8 hour)hike to see if it will really work for you. Don't underestimate how much heavier they feel after 5 hours than they feel at first. If you do this early enough, and you have plenty of time before January, you will be able to make any adjustments and change your gym workouts to accommodate those packs.
'With that said, have a fantastic trip! Wish I was going, too!
In addition to what has already been said, I'd add.
Plan to limit your daily travel time. If you are taking trains you can judge by the schedules when you will depart one place and arrive at the next. Add up to two hours on each end to comfortably get out of your lodging, to the train station, on the train, off the train, to your lodging and settled in.
I try to limit travel to three hours in one day (plus the time at each end) and don't go over a max of four hours. I also limit the number of travel days in my trip so I have time to enjoy myself.
Start at your arrival airport, plan little hops with as little backtracking as possible toward your departure airport. Buy an open jaw ticket.
