Backpacking Europe is one in every of my favourite issues to do as a traveler. There isn’t a yr I don’t criss-cross the continent (besides 2020 when nobody was crossing Europe).
In the course of the summer time, hostels burst with life, the Mediterranean sparkles, streets fill with individuals ingesting wine and having fun with the day, and the late evening setting solar results in lengthy wondrous days. Winter brings Christmas markets, snowboarding, fewer crowds, and decrease costs! And Spring and Fall deliver the right combination of individuals, temperatures, and costs that make these two my favourite seasons to journey Europe.
Since beginning this web site in 2008, I’ve written rather a lot of posts on Europe. I go to Europe a number of occasions a yr, have been all around the continent, lived there on a number of events, and I’ve even run excursions there.
With a lot content material on the weblog, I wished to create a useful resource web page that may show you how to plan your backpacking journey to Europe with ease. That manner you don’t miss something! On this put up, you’ll discover all my finest sources on planning a backpacking or price range journey to Europe, together with vacation spot guides, transportation ideas, lodging info, methods to fulfill individuals, and a lot extra!
So, with out additional ado, right here’s every part you may ever need to learn about backpacking Europe:
Step 1: Plan Your Backpacking Europe Journey
Methods to Plan a Journey: A Month-By-Month Information – This put up breaks down the planning course of by month, making it tremendous simple to plan your journey to Europe. Simply observe the steps and also you’ll be in your manner!
How To not Really feel Overwhelmed Whereas Planning – Planning the proper journey to Europe will be daunting and overwhelming. I’ve been there and I perceive, however I can inform you from years of expertise that the extra you intend your journey, the extra anxiousness you’ll face.
Methods to Save for Your Journey – Is cash stopping you from taking the journey of your desires? Right here is my checklist of simple methods to chop down in your day by day bills so it can save you cash to backpack Europe.
Methods to Discover a Low cost Flight – Attending to Europe will be half the problem. Fortunately, there are a ton of flight offers to the continent now if you already know when and the way to search for them. This text will present you the way to at all times get an affordable flight to Europe.
Methods to Earn Factors for Free Flights and Resort Stays – Free journey is my favourite form of journey! This put up exhibits you eight methods I take advantage of to recover from one million frequent flier factors. These will get you out of your home sooner, cheaper, and in consolation!
Methods to (Legally) Keep in Europe for Extra Than 90 Days – Yearly, 1000’s of vacationers marvel how they’ll keep in Europe for greater than 90 days, which is the restrict within the Schengen Zone. The excellent news is that there are a number of alternative ways to remain. On this put up, I share what you are able to do to remain legally past 90 days and on the continent on the whole.
Methods to Keep away from Paying Financial institution Charges – It’s best to by no means should pay any financial institution charges while you’re accessing your cash in Europe! Right here is my recommendation on the way to keep away from financial institution charges as your backpacking Europe.
Is Europe Protected to Go to? – Right here is how to make sure you keep secure whereas touring throughout the continent.
Step 2: Get Your Gear for Backpacking Europe
Methods to Decide the Greatest Backpack – It’s essential to choose a high quality backpack in your journey because it’s going to get overwhelmed up as you journey! This information to choosing the proper journey backpack will show you how to decide one of the best pack in your journey.
What to Pack for Your Journey – What do you have to pack in your journey? Properly, there isn’t any one proper reply, however this checklist gives you an excellent place to begin. It’s what I tackle my journeys with me (although you’ll must make some differences due to the season, I’m certain!).
The Final Packing Listing for Feminine Vacationers – On this put up, Kristin Addis shares her packing insights for ladies, so to journey nearly anyplace with out spending a fortune on gear.
Methods to Purchase Good Journey Insurance coverage – Journey insurance coverage is likely one of the most essential belongings you’ll want in your journey. You wouldn’t have a automobile with out automobile insurance coverage or a house with out residence insurance coverage, and you’ll’t have a visit with out journey insurance coverage!
The Greatest eSIM for Touring Europe – Gaining access to cellular information whilst you journey cannot solely maintain you secure if there’s an emergency, but it surely ensures you possibly can e book lodging, flights, and actions on the go. This put up breaks down one of the best eSIMs for vacationers in Europe, serving to you keep linked on a price range.
Are These The Greatest Garments for Vacationers? – Unbound Merino make sturdy, fashionable, and inexpensive journey garments. I deliver them with me each time I go to Europe. On this put up, I clarify why I feel it’s best to verify them out in your subsequent journey.
Step 3: Methods to Get Wonderful Lodging in Europe
Methods to Discover Low cost Lodging – If you’re trying to keep someplace apart from a lodge or a hostel, this text lists all of the forms of locations the place you possibly can relaxation your head in Europe — from couches to farms and even monasteries!
Methods to Discover a Good Hostel – This text options my finest recommendations on the way to discover an inexpensive, clear, and enjoyable hostel the place you possibly can meet a whole lot of superb individuals.
The Greatest Hostels in Europe – This can be a checklist of European hostels that I might positively use once more if I’ve the possibility. Hope this helps along with your subsequent European backpacking journey!
Methods to Grow to be a Housesitter – This can be a how-to information to house-sitting, a beautiful alternative that permits you to keep in a location hire free in trade for watching somebody’s home.
The Greatest Web site for Home Swaps: My HomeExchange Overview – HomeExchange is a community that facilitates swapping properties with one other particular person or household. It’s an incredible platform if you wish to deepen your travels, join with locals, and lower your expenses.
For extra price range lodging strategies, take a look at my hostel hub web page. It has all my favourite hostels round Europe!
For those who’d relatively keep in motels, this web page has all my favourite motels in Europe.
And, to seek out out the place to remain in every metropolis, go to my checklist of one of the best neighborhoods in Europe!
Step 4: Get Round Europe on the Low cost
7 Low cost Methods to Journey Throughout Europe – Touring round Europe can nonetheless be pretty costly. Listed below are seven methods to backpack Europe with out breaking the financial institution.
The Final Information to Saving Cash with Eurail Passes – Everybody touring to Europe wonders if they are going to lower your expenses by shopping for a rail go or if it’s cheaper to purchase tickets as they go. This detailed put up outlines every part you must learn about shopping for a rail go!
For those who’re planning to take the prepare however don’t need to use the Eurail Cross, take a look at Trainline. It’s the web site I take advantage of to seek out routes and purchase prepare tickets after I journey Europe. it’s tremendous simple to make use of!
Europe can be an incredible vacation spot for street journeys. Nations like Iceland, Scotland, Eire, Portugal, and Norway are all superb locations to discover by automobile.
For those who’re planning to drive round Europe, use Uncover Vehicles to seek out one of the best rental costs. They search rental corporations huge and small to seek out you one of the best offers.
You need to use the widget beneath to get a quote. It’s quick and free:
Step 5: Save Cash Whereas Backpacking Europe
Costs range wildly in Europe. That implies that the way you lower your expenses in a single nation won’t apply in a neighboring vacation spot. To make sure you don’t break the financial institution throughout your journey, listed below are a number of posts that may assist maintain your price range in tact:
Methods to Save Cash on Meals – Whereas touring Europe, meals typically turns into a significant expense. Listed below are some ideas for saving cash on meals so you continue to can afford a pleasant meal out once in a while.
Methods to Use the Sharing Economic system to Save Cash – The rise of the sharing financial system has made backpacking Europe a lot simpler and cheaper. This put up lists all my favourite ridesharing, home sharing, native assembly web sites so you may get off the vacationer path and expertise day-to-day life with locals!
61 Tricks to Make You the Savviest Traveler – These 61 journey ideas will show you how to turn out to be an skilled traveler who will get round Europe cheaper, higher, longer, and smarter!
14 Main Journey Scams to Keep away from – Dropping cash to a preventable journey rip-off sucks. Be taught what scams to look out for in Europe and save your self a possible headache!
Step 6: Discover Out What to See and Do in Europe
What do you do whereas backpacking Europe? LOTS! Listed below are all my complete price range journey guides for locations round Europe with ideas and recommendation on issues to do and see, methods to save cash, and typical prices for every of them. You’ll discover country-specific ideas in addition to a bunch of cities listed as nicely.
Moreover, listed below are a number of of my favourite corporations in Europe. These are the comoanies I take advantage of after I’m on the lookout for issues to do, meals excursions, strolling excursions, and extra!
Walks – Walks gives in-depth historical past, meals, and cultural excursions in cities world wide (particularly Europe). Its small-group excursions provide unique behind-the-scenes entry different corporations can’t get and use actually unimaginable and educated guides. I can’t suggest them sufficient.
Devour – Devour has every kind of fantastic meals excursions round Europe. For those who’re a foodie who desires to be taught extra in regards to the historical past and tradition behind every dish, these excursions are one of the best on the continent. I take them each probability I get.
GetYourGuide – Get Your Information is a large on-line market for excursions and excursions. The location has tons of tour choices in cities all world wide, together with cooking courses, strolling excursions, road artwork classes, and extra! It’s an excellent useful resource to seek for particular excursions in any vacation spot.
For an entire overview of Europe in a single easy-to-read put up, you possibly can take a look at this free information. It covers all of the fundamentals, together with methods to save cash, issues to see and do, when to go, and extra!
This large useful resource checklist will show you how to plan your journey to Europe in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step sample so that you received’t get misplaced, overspend, or stress out about your upcoming dream journey. Europe is one in every of my favourite areas of the world (which is why I spend a lot time there). There’s a lot selection in meals, tradition, and language, in addition to a lot historical past. I like the continent and hope you employ these tricks to plan your final backpacking journey in Europe!
Get Your In-Depth Funds Information to Europe!

My detailed 200+ web page guidebook is made for price range vacationers such as you! It cuts out the fluff present in different guides and will get straight to the sensible info you must journey whereas in Europe. It has advised itineraries, budgets, methods to save cash, on and off the overwhelmed path issues to see and do, non-touristy eating places, markets, bars, security ideas, and rather more! Click on right here to be taught extra and get your copy in the present day.
E-book Your Journey to Europe: Logistical Suggestions and Tips
E-book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner to discover a low-cost flight. They’re my favourite search engine as a result of they search web sites and airways across the globe so that you at all times know no stone is left unturned!
E-book Your Lodging
You possibly can e book your hostel with Hostelworld as they’ve the most important stock and finest offers. If you wish to keep someplace aside from a hostel, use Reserving.com as they persistently return the most affordable charges for guesthouses and low-cost motels.
For strategies on the place to remain throughout your journey, listed below are my favourite hostels in Europe!
Don’t Neglect Journey Insurance coverage
Journey insurance coverage will defend you in opposition to sickness, damage, theft, and cancellations. It’s complete safety in case something goes mistaken. I by no means go on a visit with out it as I’ve had to make use of it many occasions prior to now. My favourite corporations that supply one of the best service and worth are:
On the lookout for the Greatest Corporations to Save Cash With?
Try my useful resource web page for one of the best corporations to make use of whenever you journey. I checklist all those I take advantage of to save cash after I’m on the street. They are going to prevent cash whenever you journey too.
Need Extra Data on Europe?
You’ll want to go to my strong vacation spot information to Europe for much more planning ideas!