Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with europe and backpacking

I'm going to try doing GLASTONBURY 2010. Difficulty: Never been to Europe, have no idea where to begin, kind of dumb. Help me make this beautiful dream a reality.

Senor Cardgage — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:35:05 -0800

I'm going to try doing GLASTONBURY 2010. Difficulty: Never been to Europe, have no idea where to begin, kind of dumb. Help me make this beautiful dream a reality. I am a hardcore US music festival junkie. I try to hit up most of the major ones (and quite a few of the minor ones) every year. As next year is the 40th Glasto, I have decided to make a run at it.

This is a daunting prospect for me as I:

• Am 35 and have never been to Europe at all
• Havent yet got a passport
• Am sure there are a million details I have no idea about that I dont want to get dogpiled with when I'm two weeks from the festival

So, basically, where would one begin with trying to get their head around this kind of undertaking?

Further, how much time/expense/difficulty would it be for me to decide to hop on to the main continent for a few days and rail around a bit?

I am also looking for people with GLASTO-SPECIFIC knowledge and not just general Euro-Trip info.

Anyhoo, forgive my ignorance on this topic. I know I set the goalposts a bit broad, but all I can think to do to start is to throw myself blindly in to the water and learnt to swim from there.

Thanks!

P.S. I should mention that I travel pretty spartan and am not reliant on posh accommodations. A backpack and a hostel seem like they would be fine, but again, Ive never had that experience either.

Help? :)

Farewell gift for a traveler?

pixxie — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 03:45:21 -0800

I have a 20-something friend who's leaving on the 22nd of this month, he plans on traveling for a whole year throughout Europe and South America. I want to get him something that is useful/meaningful for the journey, any ideas? For example: A watch? A Compass? (good or bad?)

Advice on my trip to Italy

Rustbeard — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:48:17 -0800

So I'm going to Italy for a class and then I'm planing on traveling around for a little while afterwords in the month of August. I'll probably stay mainly in Italy, but I would like to go to Greece and maybe visit my cousins in France. I've never done something like this so I really could use some help with my trip. Is there some guide for people for backpacking in Europe? What are just some overall recommendations on traveling like this? What type of bag and what to bring. How do I go about getting a euro pass? Or is it better to just rent a car? Should I go to hostels? If so how should I be prepared for that, I've never stayed at a hostel? what do people generally do about cell phones when traveling abroad?
How do people generally book hotels and other things if they can't speak the language?
I'll probably be bringing my netbook since my class recommends to bring a laptop, anything I should know about converters and stuff like that?
Is it better to get Euros here in the US at a bank or somewhere else?
Also I don't speak another language but will try to learn some Italian before I go.
Aslo some recommendations on where to go and what to see would be great. I'm more into nature and ruins, as well as food. Not really into clubs and touristy areas, crowds in general.
Sorry for the mass of questions. I'm a bit of an introvert and never really planned a trip like this for myself. And I will probably be doing this by myself so I'm a little nervous about it.
Just some general advice and recommendations would be really great.

Help me get from Santiago to Serbia.

acidic — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:03:06 -0800

What's the cheapest or best way to get from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, to Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia? Optional: a detour through the Netherlands. I'm backpacking through Spain this summer and ending up in Santiago de Compostela or thereabouts. From there I have the option to go to the Netherlands for a month and then Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia etc for a little less than a month, then flying out of Prague, or going straight to central/eastern Europe and spending a bit more time there. Wherever I go I'll be WWOOFing for part of the time but also camping and couchsurfing in larger cities. I'm interested in:
- The best way to get out of Santiago, and
- Thoughts on spending a month in the Netherlands-- how expensive is it? For a young female traveling solo how does it compare to central/eastern Europe? Would it be worth it to skip the Netherlands and spend almost 2 months in Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia and other surrounding countries? Eventually I need to end up in Prague, although I don't plan to spend much time there at all.

Any additional advice regarding any of my destinations would be appreciated as well, of course! Previous threads about Dubrovnik and Ljubljana are what convinced me to head to that part of the world in the first place.

Making hostel reservations is what this question is about.

theiconoclast31 — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 13:54:21 -0800

I'm going to Europe in December/January. How do I make hostel reservations? I'll be traveling with one friend for about a week, and then by myself for another week and a half. My ideal hostel is warm, safe, and my stuff won't get stolen. We're not too afraid of roughing it, but we're going in the winter. So how (much) should we plan?

When should we book? My dad says that hostels might get filled now, but we'd like to wait until we're on the road (for the sake of flexibility).
For the backpacking MeFites, how did you plan your trip? What do you wish you had done differently?
What are some good forums or websites with hostel reviews and travel tips? I've already read the threads regarding travel guides.
What are some alternatives to hostels and hotels?

Answers need not be specific to Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland, but that's where I'll be going. Thanks!

Backpacks, Shoes and More for 3 Month Eurail Trip in European Winter!

atmosphere — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:12:32 -0800

Four part backpacking question: backpacks, international shipping, shoes, and more travel orientated places to ask such questions. I am going to be traveling Europe (mostly Western countries) on a 3 Eurail pass from October to January. I am planning on balancing time in big cities, smaller towns and then some villages, but will not be doing any camping or extensive hiking - mostly train travel and hosteling. I am in the stage of getting kitted out for this winter backpacking trek and need advice in the following areas:

Backpacks - I have decided that since I don't want to spend a huge amount on the contents of the backpack and as a bonus can travel light (which is the number one travel tip of all time), I am going to limit myself to a 55L backpack. I know the best backpack will be the one that fits me best and that the best way to achieve this is to go in to outdoorsy stores and talk to the shop assistant and try on as many as I can etc, but I am wondering if people have any standout models in the general 45-65L range they want to suggest. Something to keep in mind though is that I live in New Zealand - we have most big brands here, but for instance I have not yet found a place that stocks Eagle Creek, a brand I hear mentioned often. Any other important advice about backpacks is also appreciated, e.g. things you hated or loved about your backpack or important (but not obvious) information you want to share.

Shoes - I am in the early stages of looking at shoes, but I know a lot less about it than I do about backpacks. I don't know what brands to be looking for, what makes a good shoe for my sort of backpacking trip etc. All I really know is I would like it if the shoe was waterproof (due to winterness, but feel free to convince me otherwise) and was not too huge and chunky and obvious (although I am exploring the option of taking a second pair of less touristy shoes). Tell me all about what shoes I need!

International Shipping - New Zealand isn't cheap for this sort of stuff, and with the awesome exchange rate with the American dollar, I am looking at buying online once I have established my top choices (e.g. trying shoes/backpacks on here first) Can anyone recommend good websites for shopping online for outdoor gear that provide shipping to New Zealand (possibly at costs that won't negate the savings of shopping online)?

Other places to ask - Whilst I love the high standard of the askmefi community, I realize it is not the most travel orientated place and there might be better places to ask such questions. Any good backpacking forums/communities where the info is generally reliable as it is here?

Thank you to anyone who has taken time to read all (or part) of this mammothly oversized post, and thanks to any and all help you can give me hive mind!

Gear for Three Months of Backpacking in Europe during Winter

atmosphere — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 23:03:40 -0800

BackpackingFilter: Travelling around Europe from mid October to mid Janruary - help me pick the right gear to take. I am in the early stages of planning a trip to Europe for three months in what will be winter over there. Already on my mind a lot is what gear (mostly thinking along the lines of clothing here) I will need, and what I won't, how many of each etc. I will be hostelling not camping.

Achieving a balance in travel-practicality and style is also something I am thinking about, because while I need to be well equipped, I want to stand out as little as possible when I am roaming the streets of small towns - I know I will anyway, but fully blown hiking boots and a gortex outfit is probably unnecessary.

Cost is also an issue, I don't want to spend the whole trip's budget on getting kitted out - and I probably don't need to.

The areas that I probably need the most guidance in are:

Shoes - comfortable for lots of walking, possibly waterproof, generally good shoes for traveling Europe during winter?

Jacket - how much waterproof, windproof, and warmth will it need to provide, and how do I find the right one?

I am thinking at this stage I will rely on thermal underwear, another layer of thermals maybe, simple pants and tshirt, jersey/sweater, jacket and sturdy, broken in walking shoes.

Lastly (sorry for this being so long) is it as impractical as I think to take a big woolen trench coat (romanticized idea), and/or a change of clothes+shoes for going out in the evening to bars/restaurants/where ever without looking completely like a traveler in their own world?

Any and all help to do with the gear needed to travel Europe in winter is appreciated, helpful websites and resources and anecdotes all welcome. Thanks guys.

How do I get off the urban circuit with a Eurail pass and a backpack?

ontic — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:57:19 -0800

Backpacking through Europe: Help me find places other than big cities to explore using my Eurail pass. A little background may be helpful. I'm from the US, just finishing up a semester teaching abroad in London where I've done the big city thing quite thoroughly. Long ago I bought a Eurail pass for a trip around Europe after the semester was over. Originally, that trip was supposed to be Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Rome, etc. I still want to see a few of those, but I'd also like to find non-urban places and smaller towns accessible by my Eurail pass, ideally with cheap, hostel-like lodging nearby. My Eurail pass is the "any 15 days in 2 months for all of Europe" variety.

As an example, I'd like to see the Alps, but would love to stay in a hostel outside of urban areas. Yet I have no idea how to find such places.

(Also, I'm doing this for all of May, so about four weeks, and if anyone wants to meet up anywhere, drop me a line!)

Can I bring a sleeping bag on my European hostelling trip?

fugitivefromchaingang — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:17:50 -0800

Can I bring a sleeping bag on my European hostelling trip? My sister and I are going to Europe for a month and will be backpacking/staying in hostels for a good part of the time. Neither of us have ever been to Europe before. Our friends who have done the hostelling thing have brought sleeping bags with them to sleep in. However, in the book my mom bought us about hostelling, it says not to bring a sleeping bag because some hostels don't allow them. (Apparently they're worried about people camping outside and then bringing in bugs and other outdoor critters.) The book recommends getting a "sleepsack" or just bringing sheets instead.

I kind of mistrust the book (it has some inaccuracies.) Can we bring sleeping bags or not? What do people recommend?

(My sister and I are Americans, a 24 y.o. guy and a 21 y.o. girl; we'll be there for most of June and some of July, and we're going to be staying in hostels in Bratislava, Vienna, Florence, Rome, and Paris.)

Paris, London, Switzerland in a week - recommendations?

Malad — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:16:20 -0800

I want to do Paris/daytrips (1-2 days), Switzerland (4-5 days), and London/daytrips (1-2 days), all late this January. I'll be traveling alone. I'd love some advice. I've done a lot of the main Paris/London touristy stuff, and also seen Nice, but I've never visited Switzerland.

Recommendations in my itinerary for great:
-hostels/B&Bs/budget hotels?
-must-see scenery?
-must-see attractions?
-must-taste restaurants/pubs/wineries/etc.?
-amazing classical music/other concerts/film festivals/etc.?
-other must-sees on your personal list, in whatever category?

Oh, and -- a great travel guide or two I should buy before I leave? Any other tips welcome too.

Thanks!

From Modena to Trondheim - on a student's budget

divabat — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 17:34:02 -0800

I'd like to go to Modena, Italy in early December to meet some friends. I'd also like to attend a student festival in Trondheim, Norway, in mid-February. What else can I do between December and February? I'm right now planning a mostly-hypothetical European trip in my head.

I'd like to go to Modena, Italy around Dec 8 - Dec 11 2006 to visit some friends.
I'd also like to attend ISFiT 2007 in Trondheim, Norway from Feb 16 - Feb 25 2007.

I have all this time in between and I'm not sure what to do with it. I'd like to participate in youth/student-oriented activities (though a music festival every week would be rather overkill). Anything creative, out-of-the-box, and international is great.

I would be departing from either Brisbane or Sydney, Australia, or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, depending on my visa situation. I have a Bangladesh passport (with Malaysian permanent residency), and I need a visa for nearly everywhere. I'm not sure if the European embassies in Australia (I'll be studying in Brisbane come July) will let me apply for a visa there, or if I have to go back to KL and get it done there instead. A Schengen visa would allow me to go to a lot of places at once, so that would be the most convenient.

(I'll be flying straight back to Brisbane, probably through Sydney.)

There is a slight possibility that I might pop over to the US for a bit in January for a meeting/some volunteer stuff (I have a US visa so that's not a problem) but it's not a priority, just a "maybe".

Questions:

1. Aus/KL -> Modena -> ????? -> Trondheim -> Brisbane. What goes in the "?????" slot? I've been to The Netherlands, Belgium (loved both places), Germany, France, and elsewhere in Italy. I've also been to Switzerland and the UK, though I'd rather not factor that into my tour because I need separate visas for those.

2. Do I get the Schengen visa from the Italian embassy (first stop) or the Norwegian embassy (longest stay, but last stop, possible sponsorship)?

3. How do I get to Modena from Rome and Trondheim from Oslo?

4. I haven't a lot of money. Really. Malaysian ringgit does not travel far, and I don't know how much Australian dollars I'll be able to earn. How do I keep within a really low budget? Are there places that would pay me to travel, or sponsor me? (I might get something for ISFiT, but I need to be accepted first).

Any ideas, thoughts, etc would be good. It would be my first fully independent trip (well, save my 2 week trip to Denver this April, which I still owe my parents money for - they bought tix) and anything helps!

Extreme budget travel in Eastern Europe

mosessis — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 05:59:10 -0800

I need practical advice for extreme budget travelling in Eastern Europe this summer. I am a young American female travelling by myself for three months this summer, mostly in Eastern Europe. I've gotten great advice from previous threads on general travel, eu ro tr av el, eastern europe, tr av el ge ar, budget travel, hitchhiking, inspirational travel literature, hospitality clubs, and guidebooks, but it's only left me wanting more. Now that I know Mefis are such intrepid travellers, I want your hardearned experience and advice.

I've travelled around the UK and Western Europe doing the hostel thing, but even that seems like a bit more expensive than it needs to be. I've been doing weekend camping trips while living in Scotland recently and plan to bring my gear with me. While I will definitely take trains and buses if necessary, I would prefer to catch rides. The longer I can make my money last, the longer I can stay. I'm planning on bussing through Western Europe on my way to Poland, Czech, Slovakia, Croatia, the Ukraine, Turkey, Greece, etc.

Any advice is welcome, but some of the specific questions I'm thinking of are: Is camping a viable option in Eastern Europe? How easy is it to find/create sites? Is it safe/easy enough to hitch over there? What's the one thing I shouldn't forget to bring if I'm planning to stay by myself at campings (right now my camp gear is my tent, bag, ground mat, led headlamp, and swiss army knife. that's it.)? Which hospitality club is best for this area? Are there any guidebooks that are good for this area, geared towards campers, or have a good bit to do outside of the cities (i.e. canoeing in Poland)? I've done a bit of research already, but I can't seem to find advice that specifically addresses my intentions (solo camping in Eastern Europe without a car) and I would really appreciate advice from people who have been there and done it.