How to Have a Hassle-Free Backpacking Trip Through Europe

For many people, backpacking through Europe is something of a rite of passage—your first post-college, solo travel experience before settling into a 9-to-5 job. That being said, a European walkabout can be appealing at any age, with plenty on the continent to charm even the most discerning travelers. While traveling in Europe is notoriously easier than navigating other parts of the world, exploring a new place can still be stressful. Here are few ways to ensure that your backpacking adventure is (relatively) hassle-free.

Get Tech Savvy

While travel offers you the chance to blissfully disconnect from devices, there are times when a little technology can go a long way. There are tons of apps, digital guidebooks, and itineraries to help you get around in Europe, but some of the most helpful are:

• City Mapper is a trip planner incorporating a diversity of transportation options (including bike shares);

• Google Translate can interpret street signs and menus via camera; and

• GoEuro searches air, bus, and train routes, and organizes them by the cheapest, smartest, and fastest option.

For the culture-conscious, there are also apps like Spotted By Locals, offering locally-crafted destination guides, and for budget-conscious foodies, The Fork identifies the best eateries in a given destination (and offers discounts!).

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Figuring out how to get around a new place can be one of most daunting parts of trip planning. Fortunately, there are several options in Europe.

Bargain airlines—from pioneers like EasyJet and RyanAir to newer arrivals like Norwegian, AirBaltic, and Air Berlin—are prevalent in Europe. While economy carriers do offer inconceivably low prices, these providers can sometimes bring added hassle. Airlines may fly into secondary airports, like putting you at the Gatwick airport instead of Heathrow in London, which can be problematic if you have other connecting flights to catch or pre-arranged transportation to your accommodation. Super budget airlines can also make for an uncomfortable experience (tight seats, charging for every little thing, etc.), but the flights are usually short, so the pros can outweigh the cons.

Depending on your itinerary, riding the rails can be your best bet for getting around Europe. The continent boasts some of the most spectacular train journeys on the planet, like the route between Locarno and Domodossola on the Centovalli Railway, offering riders an eyeful of the Alps. You can opt for either single country tickets like the Interrail One Country Pass, allowing eight days of travel within a one-month period, or multi-country options like the Interrail Global Pass.

Want a little more help putting together a European train journey? RailEurope is a one-stop trip planner that weeds through the routes, schedules, and rates for more than 50 of the continent’s train companies.

And last but not least, there’s always a good old-fashioned road trip. Driving can sometimes be the best way to navigate rural areas, but can also add another layer of stress and planning to your trip. Most major American car rental companies also operate in Europe, but aren’t always the cheapest option. Rates from continental companies like Europcar, or country-specific rental companies, like Dooley Car Rentals in Ireland for instance, are often more affordable. Many car rental companies in Europe (even the companies based in America) only offer cars with manual transmissions, so if you don’t know how to drive a stick, you may want to book a train ticket instead.

Stray from the Well-trodden Tourist Trail

Europe is filled with iconic landmarks well-worth visiting, but overlooked cities and off-the-radar countries often have fewer crowds, bargain prices, and (sometimes) offer more authentic travel experiences. Instead of the Alps, consider the ancient Peaks of the Balkans Trail, or skip the popular Mediterranean beaches of Majorca and head for Black Sea beaches on the Bulgarian Riviera instead.

Grocery Shop

From quintessential fish and chips to perfectly-perfectly portioned Spanish tapas to wine-infused Coq A Vin, the diversity and caliber of European cuisine make it exceedingly difficult to resist the temptation to dine out the entire time you’re there.

But even with an abundance of sumptuous fare available, grocery shopping has multiple benefits. Buying your own food and making your own meals can stretch your backpacking budget, and having snacks on hand for extended train rides or prolonged station waits is always a good idea. Late night or early morning arrivals—especially on smaller towns or on weekends—can also make it hard to find a place to grab a quick bite.

To pinch a few more pennies, keep an eye out for a bargain-priced market (like Aldi, Lidl, or Tesco) or seek out the mom-and-pop style corner stores.

Seasonal Savoir-Faire

With a staggering diversity of landscapes and climes, Europe is both a viable and inviting destination any time of year. However, when timing your trip, there are some things to consider.

During peak summer tourism season, some of the continent’s most popular attractions can become clogged with sightseers and sun worshippers. Meanwhile, seasonal extremes make some corners of the continent far more challenging to visit at certain times of the year. For example, while winter in Scandinavia brings stunning holiday markets, cross-country ski tours and unsurpassed vistas of the Northern Lights, it also brings seasonal closures of some attractions and accommodations.

Don’t Forget About the Freebies

Europe can be pricey—especially in the most romanticized cities and at the more iconic attractions. Stretch out that travel budget by taking advantage of anything that doesn’t come with a price tag, like London’s renowned museums, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, or Rome’s Trevi Fountain. Or, craft your own aesthetically pleasing and locally-inspired walking (or running) tour with the free app Pretty Streets.

In Dublin, the so-called ‘city of a thousand welcomes,’ visitors can take advantage of one of the continent’s best freebies—the chance to be taken out for a pint (or a cup of tea) by a local ambassador. It’s worth doing a little digging around to see if there’s anything like that offered in any of the places you plan on visiting.

Go Old School

Whether it’s a dead battery, a frozen smartphone, or an incompatible charger, we have all experienced a technology fail. While gadgets, electronic devices, and travel-oriented apps are convenient, sometimes there is no match for an old-fashioned guidebook or paper map. Also, in thickly-populated urban centers, pickpockets can be enticed by tablets or smartphones, but it’s highly unlikely anyone will snatch your dog-eared guidebook or creased paper map. If you don’t want to carry the whole book around, tear out the pages you’ll need for the day and leave the rest at your hotel or hostel.

Seek Out Creative Places to Crash

Thinking outside the box can offer both bargain rates and singular overnights. While Europe is loaded with grand hotels, alternative options like homestays and hostels offer a more immersive experience (and are often more affordable). Or get creative and book a more eccentric Airbnb rentals, like a houseboat in Amsterdam or your own British castle.

Visa Nitty Gritty

For Americans visiting Europe, particularly the EU, the visa process is virtually painless. For now, Americans headed to European Union countries don’t need a visa for visits less than 90 days. In some countries outside the EU, Americans are allowed to stay even longer without a visa. (In Georgia, for example, an entry visa is not required for visits less than 365 days.)

Although visa regulations are not likely to change anytime soon, the European Union Parliament did recently vote to reinstate visa requirements for Americans traveling to Europe. The best source for up-to-date, country-specific visa information is the State Department’s international travel website.

Also be sure to keep tabs on the expiration date on your passport, especially if you’re traveling to one of the 25 countries in the Schengen Area, which require your passport to be valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure date.

Plan to be Stationary for a While

With all the options in Europe right at your fingertips, it’s tempting to overload your itinerary with ambitious country-hopping. While exploring new sights, sounds and experiences is certainly exhilarating; it can also be exhausting. After a few days in transit, you may find that your trips feels like a flurry of planes, trains, buses, and taxis. Plan a little extra time to be sedentary and recharge from the road, even if it is just an extra day to do laundry in the sink.

Pack Smart

Think light and portable—especially if your trip entails shuffling between modes of public transport. While you can pick typically pick-up forgotten items in Europe, consider at least bringing a few essentials: a headlamp for hands-free navigation (or waking up in the top bunk at a bargain hostel), earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones for overnight hauls, and multi-purpose soap for emergencies.

Take Care of Your Electronics

Most importantly, while many electronic devices these days are dual voltage (which means they’ll be fine in American 110-volt outlets or in European 220-volt outlets), you will need a two-prong adapter for outlets in Great Britain and Ireland, and a different three-prong adapter for outlets on the rest of the continent. This website is a great resource for knowing what adapters you’ll need in any country you might be visiting. Solar chargers are always good backup for electronic snafus, or if you’re using your phone to get around throughout the day.

If your electronics are not dual voltage, or you just want to be safe, you’ll need a converter, too. You can pick one up at an electronics store or at a store like Target before you go.

There you have it—our best tips and tricks for a hassle-free backpacking trip through Europe. With a little bit of planning and preparation, it really can be the trip of a lifetime you always hoped it would be.

Originally written by RootsRated for Craghoppers.

Featured image provided by Cristiano Medeiros Dalbem