Middle-aged equivalent of 1990s backpacking trip through Eastern Europe?

We have traveled to 83 foreign countries and lived in two.

When I was younger, foreign travel was on a serious budget, using Frommer's guide, staying in two star B&Bs or small hotels, eating two meals a day, etc.
As we aged, we still watch our budget, but still love nice B&Bs or nice 3 or 4 star hotels.

Now in our late 70s we like taking group tours where everything is take care of by the tour company. We love Gate 1 Travel, which has great low prices.

In my younger days, I did stay in some very bargain places. I remember one night in Athens, Greece in 1985, I stayed in a run down hotel cost per night was around $10. After one night, discovering rodents in my bathroom, I moved to a descent hotel for $40 a night.
I imagine you now don't have to backpack, or stay in seedy hostels.

Eastern Europe is relatively inexpensive compared to Western Europe, so enjoy.

My main question is "What does 'equivalent' mean?" What is it about your 1990s backpacking trip through Eastern Europe that you are trying to capture?

Inquiring minds want to know: What was the suggestion from the NYTimes, and what made that not "click" with you? That way, we can all make "different" suggestions and also understand what you are NOT wanting to do.

How fun your submission was selected. Does it require (but I would guess NOT, unless the NYTimes is funding your trip) your doing some sort of an article (or interview for such) after your return?

Europe is a big area, so are there parts you have not yet visited that you might want to now, or are there parts that especially "call to you." And, do you really mean backpacking, or are you up for some more comfort along the way? What time of year? Soooo many questions.................

Walk the Camiño francés, circa 1/2 of it. Takes a bit more than a month for most folks.

Do Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Burgos.

When we became empty nesters, we pushed our kid out the car at college and walked Pamplona to Santiago de Compostela. (We skipped the typical first three days since my wife had to get back to a conference so it was either trimming the beginning or the end.)

You walk, you meet people, you contemplate, you see a country at the right pace-- walking it. Everyone is just a bit nicer on the Camino. Hopefully you'll be enriched yourself. We were. They say a third are walking for the religious pilgrimage, a third spiritual and third, well, just didn't want to select the other two choices. We fell into the latter two categories I suppose.

Good luck whatever you choose.

Happy travels!

Just be careful of pubs called the Slaughtered Lamb, stay off the moors and on the road.

My DH and I are past middle-age (I'm 62) but I still kind of get what you mean. We are also taking a two week trip in September - but we did our first three month trip to Europe in 1980 when we got married. So yes, a lot has changed in that time. We've gone from "poor college students" to seniors with some disposable income. We have more money, but less physical stamina and a dollop more "caution" than we had 45 years ago.

While we're not going to go full on "backpacking" our toned down version of that is to have the first part of our trip booked out and then plan to wing it a bit from there. We are going to Italy on this trip and want to dig a little deeper (we have ZERO interest in going back to Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, etc. Been there/done that/got the t-shirts.) Many of our best experiences in recent trips have been those places we arranged to visit once we got there - we met up with someone who invited us along or a local told us about an "off the beaten path" place we ought to see. Or we just get an idea on the spur of the moment and follow through. If your trip is too structured ahead of time, it takes away the sense of adventure and spontaneity.

Of course the biggest advantage for this kind of travel - besides having the financial means to pull it off - is the ability to book online as you go which wasn't a thing back in the day. (There is a whole other thread on here somewhere where I was hung out to dry for even suggesting such a thing, but it has worked very well for me in the past - both traveling with a partner or solo.) We can find last minute deals almost everywhere we go - I have yet to ever be stranded without accommodations - but as I pointed out before, these usually aren't the top tourist spots. And if for some reason the place we're looking at didn't have any rooms or transportation available, then we'd just go to Plan B. That is part of the fun and part of the adventure.

This style of travel isn't for everyone - I get that. Some people prefer the strictly organized trip with every hour accounted for, and they'd have an anxiety attack if they had to do it this way!

Heather, I do agree that it would be helpful if you were to let us know what the NYT's suggestion was. Do you mind sharing it?

Is your submission what you provided in the quotes? It is unclear. What was the NYT suggestion?
We are in our 70s and headed for Romania in July for three weeks, only one week of which we have booked. Is that pertinent to your post?

Heather, I found your article online and saw they suggested Rwanda. I can understand why you are here on this forum. Rwanda?

If you are only going for two weeks, just pick a country, decide your entry and exit and have at it. You mentioned national parks, museums and cultural events. I would suggest France or Spain.

OK. I didn't want to bias your recommendations, but here is a link to the NYT piece: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/t-magazine/summer-travel-getaway-guide.html?unlocked_article_code=1.OE8.2PcA.N1idBa2WabC-&smid=url-share

It isn't so much the location (Rwanda) that I felt like was a miss, but that they recommended a level of luxury travel that is not of interest to me. In fairness, I suspect my budget maximum ($10,000 for two people) is what they focused on. But I know that half of that can be gobbled up by flights!

A reply above asked what I'm looking for... and I've given that a lot of thought. In addition to what I described above, I'm also looking for an experience that includes connecting with both locals and fellow travelers, the flexibility to follow our interests on a whim, and a budget that doesn't make us feel too much like the wealthy Americans. To that end, the person who recommended a pilgrimage might be getting the closest to what I'm hoping for...

Im lost.
Date?
Length of time?
Where?

We are middle aged sans kids, and I don't feel like our travel has changed dramatically from that first backpacking trip. We ditched the backpack, and we stay longer in closer-together places. Our budget has actually not gone up that much--we do splash out for premium economy now. The best part about getting older (aside from the money), is knowing how to get what you want--finding better accommodations and that kind of thing.
With only two weeks, why not just grab the best airfare you can find and see where serendipity takes you!
It might be fun to relive that trip of your youth, but I'd lean toward broadening your horizons and go somewhere you have never been. I would pick one country and delve into its small towns--with overtourism so much in the zeitgeist, riding through countryside on a bus sounds very appealing.

There are other caminos besides the famous one in Spain. I recently saw a post on here about one in Germany. Last summer I checked into a hotel in Drogheda, Ireland, and the clerk asked if I was there for the "camino." Huh? Turns out, there is a Boyne Valley Camino. 25km. There are loads of walking holidays, particularly in the UK and Ireland. You can do them on your own or with support (e.g., luggage transfer). You used the word "pilgrimage," but a walking holiday doesn't have to be a spiritual journey, and it sure doesn't have to hundreds of miles. Best of luck to you in your search.

One other idea: canal boat. There is a British TV show you can catch on Amazon called "Great Canal Journeys" to get a taste. They sample canal journeys in the UK, France, Italy -- all over really. They rent a boat and go.

And I'll also mention my friends who just got back from a trip in Belgium and the Netherlands. A friend of theirs owns a canal boat and they slowly travelled through the Low Countries and they would occasional hop a train for a side trip. They managed to make the trip without ever seeing a major site. That's the type of travelers they are. A couple years ago, they sailed from Cleveland to the Bahamas over several months.

Anyway, tell what you pick in the end!

"Just be careful of pubs called the Slaughtered Lamb" - I made that mistake. Stayed in the Lamb until closing time and staggered back to my B&B in the dark.

I used to be a werewolf but I'm alright NOWOOOOOOOOOOO....

I was the entire article. It is the usual. All the answers were slotted out to suggestions by tour guides and have nothing to do with budget or backpacking. They are references for places that are expensive. Big places to stay and experiences. They are all controlled adventures.
These sorts of travel articles are mostly same same. Your 1990s backpack trip would not even make the radar. RS hippie trail book would not rate. These writers would have you fly direct to India and stay in a $400 night palace enjoying private yoga lessons on the veranda and having a celebrity chef cook up some vindaloo served with ice cold gin and tonics.
Not to say there is anything wrong with it, but it seems to miss the point of your desire.

If you haven't, go to Japan. It will re-fire that new travel excitement and is endlessly educational. And I think the people, in a world full of wonderful people, might be the best.

There are Camino routes all through Europe, because people walked out of their homes and headed to Santiago. Many of them follow old trade routes or Roman roads. Would like to do Germany, but the lack of infrastructure puts me off.

Anyway, I was going to suggest the Camino too, perhaps the Portuguese coastal switching to central routes for a nice 2 week walk. The Camino Frances has more of a Camino vibe to it though. Easy to plan, you don't need a tour group.

No backpack, no organized tour. To me that's easy, as I do that often. Pick a place, or two, maybe even three, that you want to see. Then plan to get there, take a car and hit the road. With a couple weeks you can cover a lot of ground, but if you're flexible you can decide to stay for a day or two, or move on. Yes, you can do this by train, but a car is more flexible, and you can easily get to out of the way places the train doesn't go. Travel the back roads, stop when it looks interesting, don't have a set schedule. This can be a lot of fun, and you can see things at your own pace. And while it's difficult (and expensive) to get lodging in the major tourist spots on the fly, backroad inns are much more accessible.

Thanks for all the ideas! In response to some questions: We're willing to walk, take public transportation, get off the beaten path. We're probably too old for youth hostels, but would be happy with the next step up in lodging. The canal boat idea is appealing -- my parents did that a few years ago, inspired in large part by the "Great Canal Journeys" show. I have not been to Asia, so that is also intriguing.

Someone posted a reply (that now seems to have disappeared) that got me thinking about the idea that what Eastern Europe in the 1990s and Rwanda today might have in common is being newly open to western travelers. Without the infrastructure of tourism, you rely more on locals and other travelers and have, perhaps, a more "authentic" cultural experience. Except that, in the case of Rwanda, the NYT was recommending luxury travel -- which may have existed in EE in the 1990s, but was far outside my budget and not what I'm interested in now, even if I could afford it!

But it got me thinking that maybe I framed my question to the NYT wrong. How's this, instead: What is the 2025 equivalent of Eastern Europe in the 1990s and the Hippie Trail in the 1970s? Add hot water for showers and a critical mass of people who speak English -- and perhaps that's what I'm looking for! :)

Albania. The Albanian Alps to the coast. I can set you up with someone who can help you plan. Google lots of videos.

This post is like a Rorschach (ink-blot) test : many are going to search their travel memories for that place that was magical to them, and suggest it for you. I believe they (and you) are completely missing the point. It's not about a specific place.

What I see in the "inkblot" is this: what you are trying to recapture (besides youth and the thrill of "first experiences", which can't be replicated), I think it's not about a single place. It's about going to places that have not been "ruined" by the worldwide tourism machine, with crowds, crass commercialism, and you, the visitor, being bought and sold. What you seek, perhaps, is finding not really the where but the how to avoid all that. Fortunately, it's quite easy to do.

You know, eastern Europe was never really "closed" to westerners (my brother did road trips across eastern Europe in 1970); you could always go to Rwanda if you really wanted to. The "hippie trail" was always (and still is) just a trail - the places along it have always been there. It's just that now more people ARE going to such places (although admittedly some of those places ain't what they used to be). The only thing you need to do, to replicate some of that "first experience" magic, is to do exactly what people (including you!) did then in the places you are looking back upon so fondly: Go where the crowds aren't going. So get more creative in choosing your destination. The "hippie trail" only became a thing when people used their imagination - at the time, most people thought of "travel" as packaged tours ("If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium").

So maybe all you're really looking for are places that haven't been over-touristed. Places that are still authentic. Good news: That's 99% of the world.

You can lose the backpack, you can choose to stay in places that provide more comfort, and you can have magical "first experience" travels. All of that (except the youth) is waiting for you, you just need to pick a place and go.

You ask: "What is the 2025 equivalent of Eastern Europe in the 1990s and the Hippie Trail in the 1970s?"

The answer is: Pretty much any place that isn't well-known as a magnet for mega tourism. For starters, ignore anything the New York Times suggests. Ignore anything you see in popular media. Get out a map. Start looking for inspiration. There are thousands of good choices.

Can I gently push back on the post above?

Maybe there are thousands of places. But it also seems like the world is a lot smaller now, and has largely been found out. The spectacular places seem to all, or nearly all, be in the popular zeitgeist nowadays.

So a different answer might be that nowadays there are no equivalents to the Hippie Trail or Eastern Europe in the '90s. 60 years ago and 30 years ago the world was a different place. If newness is the only criterion, then I suppose one can find new. But if there are more criteria then I don't think equivalent, by most of its measures, exists.

Which is why I said Japan. It's a big, modern, known, safe, easy popular place, plenty of English spoken. It's nothing like the Hippy Trail, and it's certainly not like Eastern Europe in the 90's. But I think it creates many of the same feelings in first-time Western visitors, particularly older folks who want to travel comfortably with a roller bag.

What I hope David in Seattle is really saying "have you considered Cleveland Ohio?" Huh? We have some of the best German polka bands via Slovenia in the greater northeastern Ohio region and rarely is it crowded. Lake Erie is now quite swimmable too.

Oh and Cleveland used to be Silicon Valley a century ago!

Okay, here is another one: my cousins when they retired decided they were going to become "birders" (whatever that means) and they bought an RV, took it to Montana, then Banff, then Alaska, then Arizona, then Texas, stopped a bit there at the border, came back to Cleveland (as all roads do) and then went other places for several years.

They saw a lot of birds. Indeed. They say it's quite nice. (I wouldn't know though. I'm more of a dog person myself. )

Final aside: Personal favorite of ours was Peru.

Happy travels!

@Hank, with complete respect - yes, there ARE thousands of those places. And it's not THAT hard to find them. Most people are just not willing to put much (any?) effort into their travels (note all the posts on this forum like, "Yo, I'm heading to Italy next summer - where should I go?")

For the past couple of decades I have been making an effort to specifically seek out such places, and taking chances on them - places that crowds don't seem to know (or care) about, places that are NOT popular destinations for international tourism, and that even at a distance across the internet, hinted at some greatness that I might find there. Some of them are more easily found than others - many are only a tiny bit off the main tourism circuits and/or just slightly out-of-season. Others may be geographically inconvenient and may require a bit of effort to reach (but no expedition or pith helmet needed). All the places I've found take nothing more than (and usually a lot less work than) what it took to hit the "hippie trail" back in the day - I'm not into many-hours-long rides on the chicken bus anymore (been there, done that, I now prefer my comforts and the chicken bus is usually not necessary - though a rented car and a sense of adventure usually is).

It's true that in the internet age, there are no more secrets. And yes, the world is much "smaller" today (you can get literally anywhere, usually with relatively little effort, compared to a generation or two ago). But you can still find places that are, by and large, un-trampled and un-spoiled. Some of them are really easy to find (all you need to do is go a few weeks before or after the crowds are there, and look in places that have not been popularized among mass media). You absolutely can still have spectacular places pretty much to yourself (occasionally all to yourself). I find myself stumbling into them regularly - we show up, look around, my wife and I smile ear-to-ear and exchange a knowing look, then whisper "Pinch me...this is bleeping incredible! - WHY ISN'T ANYONE HERE?"  It feels magical. But one must make some effort, and maybe take a chance to find one (I've also hiked in someplace and been disappointed at what I've found -"hmm, I thought it would be bigger..."). Finding hidden gems does require some effort (researching, planning, getting there). But it's absolutely worth it (to me).

Since you like Japan (we do, too) I'll share that we find those kind of spectacular places scattered around Japan more often than I had expected (plenty of places in Japan are crowded and being loved-to-death like famous places elsewhere). But at some of them, we were the only people around for miles. Crowd-free, spectacular places DO still exist.

It's been a while since I've been to Cleveland, but I will repeat a mantra I learned long ago when visiting places that some might scoff at: There's good stuff everywhere. It just might not be obvious to everyone immediately.

We have a saying in Cleveland: "Everyplace is nice (except Pittsburgh!)"

Happy travels!

Lot of caps David in Seattle, hope I didn't touch a particular nerve?

Since there's thousands, and you go to them all the time, will you list 20 Prague/Istanbul/Bangkok equivalents languishing in unknown-ness right now? Spectacular places all three.

I'm still going to disagree. I think the world is better known now, and there's less of the major "discoveries" out there. I've surfed my whole life. 99.5% or more of the world's great waves are now known. You can probably get a similar feeling to discovering Macaronis in the 1970's, but there's precious few if any Macaronis still out there unsurfed. I think travel is similar.

David in Seattle: LOVE LOVE LOVE. Thank you for the reminder that there is still plenty of the world left to explore -- for me, at least. And that much of travel is attitude.

David in Cleveland: I actually had a delightful long weekend exploring Pittsburgh with a friend a few years ago. ;)