I thought while I had the opportunity provide a few tips to anyone looking to spend time backpacking through Europe with the hope that it will make things easier, after all why should other traveller’s have to make the mistakes I already have.
Research is key: For me I was amazed at how large Europe actually is. Not only is it large, there is a huge amount to do, my advice, unless you have along time accept defeat now, you wont see everything. Therefore you need to investigate the countries and decide before you get there what the places are of interest to you are If you must see the Coliseum put it at the top of your list. Bare in mind that you can also make changes to your itinerary once you’re in the country of interest. For example Rome had huge significance for me and I planned to see a lot; after 4 days of the Coliseum, St Peters Cathedral, Basilica’s, Vatican City, and of course Ancient Roman Ruins I was quite literally ‘ruined out’ and didn’t want to see anymore old buildings, and therefore quite happy to leave Rome for other parts of Italy.Insurance: travel insurance, what a fantastic invention, I flew into Frankfurt, Germany to find that they had lost my bag during my connection in America. Subsequently my trip to Rome and four day spent sight seeing was spent in shorts because I had nothing else (I will add that it was also the middle of winter). Ultimately it wasn’t a problem because when the insurance came through they paid out the original price for items without problems. Also, if the worst happens and you have a medical emergency they will ensure that everything is covered and you are well looked after. The insurance is expensive and you hope you never need it . . . but its comforting to know its there just in case.
Be prepared for anything: The key here is to be flexible and learn to expect to adapt. It’s the Boy Scout motto and it defiantly applies to travelling, At all times I carry a multi purpose knife, duct tape, zip-lock bags and cable ties. If anything this type of travel will teach you to ‘think outside the square’. My bag is now held together with cable ties, and after skiing in France my ski gloves are covered in duct tape - just to name a few examples.
Be respectful: After Rome I arrived by train in a tiny Italian town, it was late at night and pouring with rain. Not being able to speak a word of Italian a kind a local gentleman (who couldn’t speak a word of English) realised my predicament he took me to the hostel and then to the nearest bar. As a thank you for his help I bought down a bottle of wine and invited him to join me. I ended up drinking with this gentleman and the bar owner until the early hours of the morning. It is still one of my favourite memories of the trip so far. Moral of the story, listen to your mum - say please and thank you, a lot especially when you cant speak the local language. No body likes loud obnoxious people especially when they obviously don’t belong.
Be organized: You don’t have a lot, but make sure that you think about how you pack, if your travelling a long way put your heaviest items at the top of the pack, this will help you balance better when walking. Put items you use a lot in accessible items, its extremely frustrating having to unpack just to find your passport at the bottom of the bag. Before leaving, print all documents you may need, flight details, accommodation bookings etc. Mistakes are made by these companies and often being able to show the original details will make your life easier and save you money.Invest in Euro rail passes, they are available for all sorts of different countries, combinations, lengths etc. but basically they give you the opportunity to travel for an entire day, as many trains as you wish. They will save you money and provide you the ability to book tickets at the last minute without paying premiums.
Also, pack light, you will be carrying all this gear around with you, you must be able to carry your pack or you will have problems.
Be careful: Don’t trust anyone; I always carry anything of value on me, even in hostels. I would love to allow my fellow tourists the respect of trust. However I can’t afford to have my passport, train tickets or even my ipod stolen. Unfortunately therefore I assume – everyone is out to steal from me.
Also, when you’re a tourist some locals will attempt to take advantage of you. This seemed extremely prevalent in Rome and Paris. They see a potential customer and will try to sell you something – if you like it or not. You obviously have more money than them because you can afford a holiday (no matter how small you budget). Besides that you are probably carrying a great big sign on your back saying ‘I don’t belong here’. There are two key groups to be wary of, anybody who approaches you with string in their hands or locals asking if you speak English – ignore them, it’s often extremely hard to do, however integral or else you will be broke in a day. They target you and are often outside key tourist attractions like the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower.
Expense – cut costs by . . . doing everything you can, food is probably the easiest – go to the supermarket, buy ingredients to make sandwiches during the day (this is where the knife on your multi tool comes in handy). Most hostels will allow you to bring food in or even cook meals there if you ask. An example of how expensive Europe is would have to be Paris – it cost 2.80 Euro just for a can of Coke. Go to the supermarket and stock up, this will also save you time and you will be able to see sights in a day.It may be a little scary and unnerving but use the public transport, all in all its efficient and not to expensive. Be aware things like the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower in Paris all cost money to experience, don’t be disillusioned you will spend money.
Final tip: learn the language; At a minimum learn the basics and have a phrase book handy at all times – If you’re planning a long trip spend the time and money to get some lessons before leaving your country. I didn’t and it’s probably the biggest mistake I made, I thought I would be able to bluff my way through most things. However when doing something like booking a train ticket to Paris you must get the right ticket and train for that matter, or else things can go very wrong for you. (Trust me on this one). If you’re travelling all over this part of Europe learn French, it seems to be widely understood. The residence of countries such as Holland and Germany they take great pride in speaking English well so you won’t have as many problems, the French however take pride in their language and expect you to at least attempt to speak the language.I hope that this guide is of some help to you and saves a few headaches during your trip abroad. There will always be issues with this type of travelling, but if you relax, learn how to ‘roll with the punches’ and improvise you will have an experience you will savour for the rest of your life.
