Around January or February I plan to visit: London Paris Bruges Amsterdam Berlin Prague Vienna Venice Florence Milan Zurich I want to travel for about 2 months, do you guys think I can make it while spending $15k at the most?
hey. i traveled Europe by hitchhiking a few years back. it was awesome. i think you should be able to do well under $15k (my hitchhiking trip through France, Italy, Slovenia, Czech Rep, Poland, Germany etc cost me less than $500 by the way--and it lasted about a month) depending on what means of transportation you are planning to use and where you plan on staying the nights. i have no idea what the youth hostels cost these days though. if it was a summer trip i'd recommend campings, and at least in Italy there are good-quality camping sites right in the middle of the city. you gotta do your homework, check the trains, buses and see what's the best way to go. and some cities could have a place to stay for backpackers. places like that sometimes don't even ask rent, just whatever you can afford. there should be places like that all around most Europe.
As I did say.. Yes! I am certain. You can travel to even very much more, special, and fantastic places with $15,000. Be aware, Venice is very expensive. It is my opinion, the greatest of Germany is Bavaria (close to Vienna)... Munich, Nuremberg, and Füssen. Maybe think of this when you travel South. Again, good luck.
For transportation I will use trains by getting a eurail pass. I would almost certainly stay in hostels everywhere I go. @Koryssa Yes I heard that about Venice and am considering not going there. I want to see as much of Europe as I can so I will definitely look into those places. I only posted this again cause I now have the places I want to visit set and a general idea of when I want to go. If I could stay in Europe for a year traveling around with that budget I would.The only thing I am stuck on now is what clothes to bring. And thanks for your advice from before, I have already started using some of it.
It is good to know this. You are welcome, an E-Mail any time, it is fine. Eurail Pass is very wise. Train travel in Europe is safe, so clean - excellent with any Class. My favourite to travel is Deutsche Bahn. From Warsaw to Berlin, 2 American, 2 British boys were close to my seat. Complaining of seat quality! HA! Maybe they would enjoy to travel on Russian Railways for 7 days time.
I have one more question and it's probably a dumb one. Do I only pack as much as I can fit in my backpack or can I bring a duffle bag also that I can leave in the hostel during the day?
I lived in Europe for 3 years and absolutely loved it! Spend so much time mountain bike riding and traveling that 3 years went by fast!
i agree with Perilless here. one thing i have learned during my own travels is to bring only the things that are most essential. bare necessities. traveling like this it's most important to be able to be mobile.
Yeah I understand what you guys are saying. I was thinking 2 pairs of pants, 4 shirts, 4 boxers, and 5 pairs of socks. Along with basic toiletries. But do I only pack that stuff in my backpack or is it common for backpackers to bring a duffle as well?
Yes, in your backpack. Please, do not. Yes, and no. People who do often travel will not, they will learn this is bad experience. I do not, and have only 1 time in many years, to Oymyakon. It is more weight, difficult to carry, busy area with a large crowd (Metro Station) for example, a bad experience. Practice to pack your Backpack, repeat... you learn to make, save much space. You will need a Daysack, not a Duffle Bag. Drawstring bag is my favourite choice.
Hmmmm, I know most of those cities and I would avoid being in a city when backpacking: all cities are noisy, the people more in a hurry, the air is polluted, the water and soil are polluted, you cant just lay down everywhere to sleep or even take a piss or you have to pay, not many chances to find wild food, medical herbes, clean water to swim or fruits to eat...then there is a lot of violence in those places, especially in January and February there is often a smog situation where the air is really toxic... I have made so much more and better experiances with country people and places in europe when backpacking...
I agree with midgardsun. The idea of travelling around cities doesnt appeal to me at all, other than for the history I guess. You should check out Wwoofing in some of those countries, its a great way to live cheaply in the countryside, learn something and meet the locals.
oh come on, it's not that polluted. you're grossly exaggerating. and he's going in the peak wintertime, so unless he's a polar bear i would not advise him to lie down on the ground anyway. living off the land in the middle of the winter in Europe? wild food? the only wild food i can imagine him finding is going fishing. and when it comes to violence you really can find that everywhere not just the big cities. if i would make any suggestions at all, it would be to postpone the trip till summer. Europe is cold during the winter and it's very uncomfortable being outside, you won't get the same enjoyment out of it as you would if you went in the summertime. backpacking is all about being in the outdoors, and if it's physically not possible to do that what's the whole point.
Indeed thats what I meant to say that late summer/early autumn would be better because of all the free food everywhere
I am planning to visit the U.K in January from America. When I reach the U.K , I am planning to travel to other places like the OP, to observe different people, cultures and lifestyle. I am in a low budget, but never thought about hitchhiking, plus I'm a female so its going to be risky. Any ideas about getting around for a female like me. What if you don't have 15k?
it should be even easier for a female. girls tend to get picked up a lot faster than guys, although in some places it really doesn't show much difference. one advice i can give, and i learned that on my hitchhiking trips, is not to go into the cars that offer you a ride by themselves. those drivers tend to have an ulterior motive. they see you walking aside the road and figure out you're going to be hitchhiking and they stop on their own and offer to take you, and in the middle of the journey you'll find their hand making its way to your thigh, or worse. and i always carried a knife with me. so, that's another thing, i suggest you keep some means of self-protection with you, whether a knife, mace, a pen....and if you have, a cell phone, so you can always call 911 when needed.
I looked up the temperatures and it doesn't seem too get bitterly cold there. As long as its not below 20 degrees fahrenheit consistently it should not be a problem. Just means no shorts (which I didn't plan on bringing anyway) and always having a jacket.
yes it does frequently get very cold especially in northern, cental and northeastern europe. Even in Spain and Italy you can see snow storms in winter.
njlax, if you do travel for 2+ more months time, you can acclimatize to cold. I suffer this heat problem, in Volgograd, 95+ Degrees Fahrenheit. 7 days time, and no problem. Myself, I do not think Europe ever is cold. However, if you do not like cold this much, summer time... yes, maybe is better for you! I wish you the best luck with this decision, and take care. Best wishes.
