drakevalen
me and my best friend are planning to have a backpacking trip across europe russia and japan we plan on starting from london or ireland hitting up france italy germany amsterdam greece then going on to moscow and then heading into tokyo. So do any of you have any advice? We are very new to this.
Answer
First get yourself a good guidebook.
For Europe it will safe you money, in Russia it is more important as it will have information on things like visa, whether and how to report to the police, (if still needed.)
In Japan it will safe you money again and might help you with language problems.
(I have been in Japan, 15 years ago, and except for one out of the way hostel, everybody I met spoke English.)
The Lonely Planet series are very good guidebooks for the kind of travels you plan.
Make sure you have the right edition, with info on all the places you want to go in Russia.
Sit down with your friend and talk about the practical side of traveling, what kind of transport, hostels or campgear, how much money per day (average,) and how much for the more expensive countries.
Take a map (print one out from the www,) and point out all places you want to go, and if the are far apart, how do you travel from one to the other.
I saw that you have Amsterdam and Greece next to each other in your list, that is not the most logical way to travel as far as I can see.
You might need to fly between several of the destinations, and if you book early your ticket will be cheap but you can not change your plans much that way, if you buy last minute tickets it can be dear.
For Russia it might be even more important to have your plans before you get in, as the system there is still rather strict on where tourists go, and two young men together may be more than the locals officials are happy with.
Also talk about what you expect to do when you are in a town, if the one wants to do all museums and sights while the other just wants to drink your trip will not last past the first week.
But if you can get it going it will be the best thing you have ever done.
When you are ready to go, pack little, one or two spare jeans, a couple of T-shirts and a sweater, a handful of underwear, towel, toothbrush and deo and you are ready to go.
You will carry your stuff more often than you expect, and a backpack gets heavy.
If you add camping gear you will not want to walk distances anymore, unless you really bite down on weight.
Whatever you decide, travel and enjoy it.
First get yourself a good guidebook.
For Europe it will safe you money, in Russia it is more important as it will have information on things like visa, whether and how to report to the police, (if still needed.)
In Japan it will safe you money again and might help you with language problems.
(I have been in Japan, 15 years ago, and except for one out of the way hostel, everybody I met spoke English.)
The Lonely Planet series are very good guidebooks for the kind of travels you plan.
Make sure you have the right edition, with info on all the places you want to go in Russia.
Sit down with your friend and talk about the practical side of traveling, what kind of transport, hostels or campgear, how much money per day (average,) and how much for the more expensive countries.
Take a map (print one out from the www,) and point out all places you want to go, and if the are far apart, how do you travel from one to the other.
I saw that you have Amsterdam and Greece next to each other in your list, that is not the most logical way to travel as far as I can see.
You might need to fly between several of the destinations, and if you book early your ticket will be cheap but you can not change your plans much that way, if you buy last minute tickets it can be dear.
For Russia it might be even more important to have your plans before you get in, as the system there is still rather strict on where tourists go, and two young men together may be more than the locals officials are happy with.
Also talk about what you expect to do when you are in a town, if the one wants to do all museums and sights while the other just wants to drink your trip will not last past the first week.
But if you can get it going it will be the best thing you have ever done.
When you are ready to go, pack little, one or two spare jeans, a couple of T-shirts and a sweater, a handful of underwear, towel, toothbrush and deo and you are ready to go.
You will carry your stuff more often than you expect, and a backpack gets heavy.
If you add camping gear you will not want to walk distances anymore, unless you really bite down on weight.
Whatever you decide, travel and enjoy it.
backpacking in europe?
Justin G
So i've got three weeks to backpack around Europe.my goal is to experience as much as possible. My goal countries are Italy, France, UK, and Ireland. I'm east-bound and then will get a ticket back to the east coast. If possible, I'd like to visit Spain, Germany and Switzerland, but I know 3 weeks isn't fully doable so I'm not hinging my experience on visiting those countries. This will be my first time and I've been doing a lot of research, but nothing I've read so far caters exactly to what I'm looking for which is specialized info for my trip. So here goes:
1. What is the best way to travel between these cluster of countries and what is the best country route (where should I start and end)?
2. How I do factor my travel with hostels and what are usual rates for a decent one?
3. What are some budgets to expect depending on what I do?
I hope I'm not asking too much! I'm hoping someone who was in my position will answer or point me in the right direction for these questions. Thanks!
I'm also not looking for suggestions outside of the countries I've specified as I'm running on a relatively small time line and I want to put these countries first on my list.
Answer
Prices depend on exactly where you're starting from, when you go (prices vary a lot), how long you stay, where you go in Spain, how you get around, the kind of places you stay in and what you see/do/eat. People who backpack generally can get by for $100 per day staying in cheap hostels and carefully watching their budget (not including airfare). However, if you stay in hotels, it will cost you more. I usually spend 100 to 150 euro a night for a hotel just for myself.
Here are some resources that can help you plan and check options and current prices for your trip (expect prices in the future to rise):
http://www.kayak.com/ - airfares & hotels; the explore function is useful for finding the less expensive places to fly into from your starting point.
http://www.skyscanner.it/ - particularly good for budget flights within Europe, but you can also use everywhere as a destination to do something like the explore option on Kayak. You may not need the airfares, but you can compare to the cost of the trains to get around. this one may be more useful for you.
http://www.seat61.com/ - a great train site with details about railpasses. It can be cheaper to buy individual tickets than passes. This site will tell you how to determine whether you're better off with a railpass or individual tickets or some combination for your trip. It also details how to use the pass and what to avoid to get the best use out of a pass. Most high speed, international and night trains require reservations and will require you to pay a supplement when you use a railpass. You need to be aware that a railpass is almost always more expensive for trains here in some places like Italy and Spain.
http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/ - Spanish train schedules and prices.
.
http://www.venere.com/ - hotels/B&Bs - prices for the same hotel can vary hugely depending on the season and what local events are going on.
http://www.hostelbookers.com/ - hostels.
http://www.monasterystays.com/ - monasteries & convents that offer accommodations
You can also look into camping or couch surfing as cheaper alternatives for accommodations.
http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.ht⦠- festivals, exhibitions and events
http://www.backpackeurope.com/ - information & advice
For sightseeing prices: check the websites for entrance fees for the museums & galleries you're interested in. I spend anywhere between nothing and 40 euro a day depending on exactly what I go to see when out exploring. For food, I spend around 25 to 50 euro for a meal, but you can eat for less. A pizza is 8 to 13 euro and a panino or wrap is around 3 to 6.50 euro in many places. You can often get food at festivals at a relatively low price. You can also shop in the markets and put some meals together for yourselves.When I travel, I like to try the local specialties and the good restaurants.
Prices depend on exactly where you're starting from, when you go (prices vary a lot), how long you stay, where you go in Spain, how you get around, the kind of places you stay in and what you see/do/eat. People who backpack generally can get by for $100 per day staying in cheap hostels and carefully watching their budget (not including airfare). However, if you stay in hotels, it will cost you more. I usually spend 100 to 150 euro a night for a hotel just for myself.
Here are some resources that can help you plan and check options and current prices for your trip (expect prices in the future to rise):
http://www.kayak.com/ - airfares & hotels; the explore function is useful for finding the less expensive places to fly into from your starting point.
http://www.skyscanner.it/ - particularly good for budget flights within Europe, but you can also use everywhere as a destination to do something like the explore option on Kayak. You may not need the airfares, but you can compare to the cost of the trains to get around. this one may be more useful for you.
http://www.seat61.com/ - a great train site with details about railpasses. It can be cheaper to buy individual tickets than passes. This site will tell you how to determine whether you're better off with a railpass or individual tickets or some combination for your trip. It also details how to use the pass and what to avoid to get the best use out of a pass. Most high speed, international and night trains require reservations and will require you to pay a supplement when you use a railpass. You need to be aware that a railpass is almost always more expensive for trains here in some places like Italy and Spain.
http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/ - Spanish train schedules and prices.
.
http://www.venere.com/ - hotels/B&Bs - prices for the same hotel can vary hugely depending on the season and what local events are going on.
http://www.hostelbookers.com/ - hostels.
http://www.monasterystays.com/ - monasteries & convents that offer accommodations
You can also look into camping or couch surfing as cheaper alternatives for accommodations.
http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.ht⦠- festivals, exhibitions and events
http://www.backpackeurope.com/ - information & advice
For sightseeing prices: check the websites for entrance fees for the museums & galleries you're interested in. I spend anywhere between nothing and 40 euro a day depending on exactly what I go to see when out exploring. For food, I spend around 25 to 50 euro for a meal, but you can eat for less. A pizza is 8 to 13 euro and a panino or wrap is around 3 to 6.50 euro in many places. You can often get food at festivals at a relatively low price. You can also shop in the markets and put some meals together for yourselves.When I travel, I like to try the local specialties and the good restaurants.
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Title Post: backpacking across europe?
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Rating: 95% based on 981 ratings. 4,6 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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