Help me plan my first trip to Europe!
May 25, 2010 6:57 PM Subscribe
I am heading to Europe on Sunday, specifically Spain, France and Italy. I will be backpacking and it will be my first time doing this sort of thing. My bag is packed with the basics, but what extra things should I bring? I'm looking for some kernels of wisdom that only previous trips can give.
Always remember that they're civilized Western countries, and you can buy nearly anything you need. Given that, here's a couple of random thoughts...
Guidebooks are heavy and have tons of info on places you aren't going, or general background. If you photocopy the pages for where you are going, it weighs a lot less and takes up less space. Plus you can just throw them away once you leave a place. Or you can just sponge off someone else's: half the people at any given hostel have Lonely Planet.
Sometimes your lock doesn't fit on the locker at the hostel. This sucks. If you have two locks that have different hasp sizes, it can help. Like one Master lock and one luggage lock. Combo locks are good because you can't lose the key. Combo locks are bad because you need to see the dial to open it. It's a toss-up.
Don't leave your stuff in the bathroom, even if it's private / connected to the room. The cleaning people may still throw out your toiletries and/or send your towel to the laundry.
posted by smackfu at 7:37 PM on May 25, 2010
Guidebooks are heavy and have tons of info on places you aren't going, or general background. If you photocopy the pages for where you are going, it weighs a lot less and takes up less space. Plus you can just throw them away once you leave a place. Or you can just sponge off someone else's: half the people at any given hostel have Lonely Planet.
Sometimes your lock doesn't fit on the locker at the hostel. This sucks. If you have two locks that have different hasp sizes, it can help. Like one Master lock and one luggage lock. Combo locks are good because you can't lose the key. Combo locks are bad because you need to see the dial to open it. It's a toss-up.
Don't leave your stuff in the bathroom, even if it's private / connected to the room. The cleaning people may still throw out your toiletries and/or send your towel to the laundry.
posted by smackfu at 7:37 PM on May 25, 2010
Other than 40 pounds of camera equipment, the only thing I ALWAYS take with me on every trip is this knife. It's really thin and light, and I use it endlessly for cutting sausage, apples, cheese, bread, and stabbing. Well, not so much stabbing. But I do highly recommend taking a knife for picnics. Swiss Army knives are nice (corkscrew!) but they have so many different tools; they're too heavy for the use you get.
Oh, and yes, take half of what you think you need, and you're still taking too much. Bring two shirts, a few pairs of underwear, a few pairs of socks, and that's it. Wash anything you wear that day, and hang it up to dry. It should be ready tomorrow. Bring your own detergent in a little ziplock bag and a clothes line (preferably with suction cups and also hooks on the ends). Make sure all the clothes you bring are of the wash and wear hiking variety, not cotton T shirts and flannel boxers or what have you.
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, France (and probably Spain and Italy) sells really good wine in supermarkets, for maybe 5-7 euros. Drink lots! I wish I were going with you.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:57 PM on May 25, 2010
Oh, and yes, take half of what you think you need, and you're still taking too much. Bring two shirts, a few pairs of underwear, a few pairs of socks, and that's it. Wash anything you wear that day, and hang it up to dry. It should be ready tomorrow. Bring your own detergent in a little ziplock bag and a clothes line (preferably with suction cups and also hooks on the ends). Make sure all the clothes you bring are of the wash and wear hiking variety, not cotton T shirts and flannel boxers or what have you.
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, France (and probably Spain and Italy) sells really good wine in supermarkets, for maybe 5-7 euros. Drink lots! I wish I were going with you.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:57 PM on May 25, 2010
Rechargeable batteries save hassle and money - if you've got one of those nifty multi-country adapters and plan on taking tons of photos, that is.
posted by Devika at 8:14 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by Devika at 8:14 PM on May 25, 2010
One of the best things I took travelling was a camping towel. I can't remember the brand name but it was made of a thin chamois type material with an anti-bacterial treatment. More absorbant than a regular towel and able to be packed wet without getting smelly, it was about the size of a paperback when folded up. I used it as a bath towel, pillow, blanket and picnic rug
posted by Wantok at 8:36 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by Wantok at 8:36 PM on May 25, 2010
A money belt for your passport and any cash you don't want to risk losing from your wallet. I nearly lost it all to some gypsies in Rome. Had zero problems in Spain or France, but that backpack makes you a mark.
posted by bardic at 8:42 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by bardic at 8:42 PM on May 25, 2010
The only thing I'm always sure to bring on a trip is a bunch of plastic bags in various sizes, useful for isolating smelly or damp laundry, staying dry in rainstorms (if you use giant garbage bags), keeping sausage grease from soaking through all your clean clothes, etc.
For backpacking/hosteling in particular, I used to carry one of those chain locks for bikes -- it was heavy, but I used it for everything from locking my backpack to posts/beds in places without lockers, to hanging my sandals out of hotel windows for much-needed airing, to securing a train compartment for a bit of privacy on an overnight trip. It's the combination of security and cord-like characteristics that makes it so useful, so if you decide not to get an entire chain lock, a length of light cord is also worth thinking about -- it's one of those things that's just handy to have around.
Have a fantastic time!
posted by TheLittlestRobot at 8:45 PM on May 25, 2010
For backpacking/hosteling in particular, I used to carry one of those chain locks for bikes -- it was heavy, but I used it for everything from locking my backpack to posts/beds in places without lockers, to hanging my sandals out of hotel windows for much-needed airing, to securing a train compartment for a bit of privacy on an overnight trip. It's the combination of security and cord-like characteristics that makes it so useful, so if you decide not to get an entire chain lock, a length of light cord is also worth thinking about -- it's one of those things that's just handy to have around.
Have a fantastic time!
posted by TheLittlestRobot at 8:45 PM on May 25, 2010
Noting! In fact take out 2/3rds of the stuff you have! If this is your first time doing something like this, I'm absolutely positive you have too much stuff, even without seeing your gear.
Go on an over nighter - even to like, the next big, awesome city near you - figure out what's really essential. Bring a change of underwear, a change of socks, a toothbrush - you're golden!
Besides, you want room for all the crazy loot you're going to plunder! No room: no loot!
posted by alex_skazat at 9:09 PM on May 25, 2010
Go on an over nighter - even to like, the next big, awesome city near you - figure out what's really essential. Bring a change of underwear, a change of socks, a toothbrush - you're golden!
Besides, you want room for all the crazy loot you're going to plunder! No room: no loot!
posted by alex_skazat at 9:09 PM on May 25, 2010
-use your digital camera as a computer. snap pictures of your passport, plane information, and any other info you see along the way, like train information. use the zoom function to navigate.
-in hostels, you may want to keep certain valuables on your person at night. you should bring a sleep sack, which is like a very light, one-layered sleeping bag. They're cheap or easy to make (those instructions are fine, but silk is much lighter and better). The sleep sack keeps you warm, can serve as a blanket on trains, protects you a bit from bedbugs, and most importantly, you can dump all your valuables into the foot of it and you'll be perfectly safe. Same thing if you're using a sleeping bag instead.
-if you provide more info about your itinerary and interests, we can help you more. have fun!
posted by acidic at 9:23 PM on May 25, 2010
-in hostels, you may want to keep certain valuables on your person at night. you should bring a sleep sack, which is like a very light, one-layered sleeping bag. They're cheap or easy to make (those instructions are fine, but silk is much lighter and better). The sleep sack keeps you warm, can serve as a blanket on trains, protects you a bit from bedbugs, and most importantly, you can dump all your valuables into the foot of it and you'll be perfectly safe. Same thing if you're using a sleeping bag instead.
-if you provide more info about your itinerary and interests, we can help you more. have fun!
posted by acidic at 9:23 PM on May 25, 2010
The only real thing I tend to want and not have is basic first-aid kit items, like painkillers, Band-Aids, and other OTC drugs.
Navigating the drugstores in foreign countries can be a pain, and last I recall, it seems that in Europe and Asia it is very hard if not impossible to find 24-hour drug stores, or convenience stores selling drugs. I keep a small batch of useful medicines (Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Benadryl, heartburn medication) in a small tin padded with a tissue, and it is extremely useful and extremely annoying when I found that I have forgotten it.
posted by that girl at 9:26 PM on May 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Navigating the drugstores in foreign countries can be a pain, and last I recall, it seems that in Europe and Asia it is very hard if not impossible to find 24-hour drug stores, or convenience stores selling drugs. I keep a small batch of useful medicines (Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Benadryl, heartburn medication) in a small tin padded with a tissue, and it is extremely useful and extremely annoying when I found that I have forgotten it.
posted by that girl at 9:26 PM on May 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
@that girl, re: pharmacies - there's almost not a villa small enough to not have a pharmacy.
If you need something heavier than aspirin though, bring it. I couldn't even get aleve OTC. Places in France and Italy speak no English. They'll look at you oddly. The French will sneer, the Italians will show no shame in helping. Hope you're ready!
posted by alex_skazat at 9:29 PM on May 25, 2010
If you need something heavier than aspirin though, bring it. I couldn't even get aleve OTC. Places in France and Italy speak no English. They'll look at you oddly. The French will sneer, the Italians will show no shame in helping. Hope you're ready!
posted by alex_skazat at 9:29 PM on May 25, 2010
Get a really small compass. It will help navigating in a new city more than anything else. Also, your profile suggests that you are a guy so I would suggest a small bottle of talcum powder. It gets hot in Europe in the summer and you will be walking more than you ever have before. Your nether regions will appreciate a small splash every morning.
posted by nestor_makhno at 9:44 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by nestor_makhno at 9:44 PM on May 25, 2010
I backpacked around SE Asia for two months, and by the end I came up with three rules of backpacking.
1. Pack light.
2. Pack light.
3. PACK LIGHT!
Take minimal clothing and buy more along the way. You'll want to anyway. When your souvenir collection gets large enough, head to the nearest post office and mail it to yourself or a friend back home. Repeat as necessary.
Get one of those ultra thin travel towels. A cotton towel is surprisingly heavy and sometimes it won't be completely dry when you pack it, making it even heavier.
The pack you put on the morning may feel light, but after 8 or 10 or 12 hours with it on your back it will magically double its weight. Pack light.
posted by zardoz at 9:47 PM on May 25, 2010
1. Pack light.
2. Pack light.
3. PACK LIGHT!
Take minimal clothing and buy more along the way. You'll want to anyway. When your souvenir collection gets large enough, head to the nearest post office and mail it to yourself or a friend back home. Repeat as necessary.
Get one of those ultra thin travel towels. A cotton towel is surprisingly heavy and sometimes it won't be completely dry when you pack it, making it even heavier.
The pack you put on the morning may feel light, but after 8 or 10 or 12 hours with it on your back it will magically double its weight. Pack light.
posted by zardoz at 9:47 PM on May 25, 2010
Plan on doing laundry - you can even drop most of your stuff off at a fluff/fold place in a mall in larger cities and pick it up the next day. If you have one of those giant backpacks, prepare for it to not fit into lockers, train compartments, and other places you will be.
posted by mdonley at 12:35 AM on May 26, 2010
posted by mdonley at 12:35 AM on May 26, 2010
Do laundry while you take a shower/find a quiet restroom! Dry it as best you can at night! Laundry is pricey! Get some clothes that are made of sports-like material (quick to dry) or wool (don't need to wash all that much). Dark underwear, dude.
posted by alex_skazat at 1:05 AM on May 26, 2010
posted by alex_skazat at 1:05 AM on May 26, 2010
alex_skazat: I know pretty much everywhere has a pharmacy, it's more whether or not it's open at 1am when you wake up in the middle of the night with a splitting headache or need a bandage after accidentally slicing your foot on some mystery piece of glass on the hostel floor.
The pharmacies open late around here are only open until 9, so if you find yourself needing something after 9 you are completely out of luck.
posted by that girl at 1:23 AM on May 26, 2010
The pharmacies open late around here are only open until 9, so if you find yourself needing something after 9 you are completely out of luck.
posted by that girl at 1:23 AM on May 26, 2010
A portable clothesline is very useful. Like this. Packs up tiny, saves lots of money on launderettes. A torch is also very useful.
posted by handee at 1:53 AM on May 26, 2010
posted by handee at 1:53 AM on May 26, 2010
A small head torch particularly so, for hands-free stumbling in the dark.
posted by penguin pie at 2:36 AM on May 26, 2010
posted by penguin pie at 2:36 AM on May 26, 2010
I always find these threads funny. Everyone says 'pack light, but this is quite handy...' and if you followed everyone's advice, you'd have a towel and a knife and a clothesline and talcum powder and a portable pharmacy and a compass and a sleep sack and two different padlocks and so on.
You know what? You're going to be in situations where you don't have the perfect tool and won't be able to fix it like you would at home. You know what else? You'll be totally fine. It may mean some interesting charades with a pharmacist in Genoa, or improvising a clothesline out of an extension cord and two bunk beds, but you'll get it done. I'd say worry less about what you're packing and just accept that part of the joy of backpacking lies in the fact that you have (at least temporarily) abandoned the comforts and the confines of everyday life. The price of exploring the world may be a damp towel or an improvised knife. And that's fine.
posted by twirlypen at 2:38 AM on May 26, 2010
You know what? You're going to be in situations where you don't have the perfect tool and won't be able to fix it like you would at home. You know what else? You'll be totally fine. It may mean some interesting charades with a pharmacist in Genoa, or improvising a clothesline out of an extension cord and two bunk beds, but you'll get it done. I'd say worry less about what you're packing and just accept that part of the joy of backpacking lies in the fact that you have (at least temporarily) abandoned the comforts and the confines of everyday life. The price of exploring the world may be a damp towel or an improvised knife. And that's fine.
posted by twirlypen at 2:38 AM on May 26, 2010
1) A bandana-- for eating outdoors fancily and practically (lay out the bread, cheese, tomato, etc. that you just bought at an outdoor market or even supermarket...this will save you lots of money as well, while feeling festive at the same time.) Or for anything else you need a piece of fabric for. I used mine constantly (sadly it's been so long that I can't remember more examples...sigh!) Maybe bring two...they weigh nothing.
2) If you have a sarong (thin piece of fabric, typically used as a skirt), take that instead of a towel. They are extremely light, dry incredibly quickly, and can be used for a million things. Plus, it is easy to wash in a sink, and then wring out and tie to the outside of your pack. Take it the beach, tie it into a bag to carry other objects, use it to wear over your bathing suit, etc. (Maybe bring two...again, they weight nothing, and squash down to nothing.) A towel is a ridiculous object to cart around when you are travelling like this.
3) Seriously, pack as lightly as humanly possible. Backpacks are often huge! Definitely don't fill it up. There's just no reason to. Or if at some point you realize that you have taken too much, consider just popping into a post office and mailing a bunch of stuff back home (if you have the money of course.) Backpacking is just so much more fun when you are not weighed down like a pack mule and don't always have to plan ways to immediately jettison your pack as soon as you get to a new town. You can be more spontaneous. Have fun!
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 4:43 AM on May 26, 2010
2) If you have a sarong (thin piece of fabric, typically used as a skirt), take that instead of a towel. They are extremely light, dry incredibly quickly, and can be used for a million things. Plus, it is easy to wash in a sink, and then wring out and tie to the outside of your pack. Take it the beach, tie it into a bag to carry other objects, use it to wear over your bathing suit, etc. (Maybe bring two...again, they weight nothing, and squash down to nothing.) A towel is a ridiculous object to cart around when you are travelling like this.
3) Seriously, pack as lightly as humanly possible. Backpacks are often huge! Definitely don't fill it up. There's just no reason to. Or if at some point you realize that you have taken too much, consider just popping into a post office and mailing a bunch of stuff back home (if you have the money of course.) Backpacking is just so much more fun when you are not weighed down like a pack mule and don't always have to plan ways to immediately jettison your pack as soon as you get to a new town. You can be more spontaneous. Have fun!
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 4:43 AM on May 26, 2010
accidentally slicing your foot on some mystery piece of glass on the hostel floor.
But of course you are bringing flip-flops for showers and such...
You know what? You're going to be in situations where you don't have the perfect tool and won't be able to fix it like you would at home. You know what else? You'll be totally fine.
In the end, this.
I do have some advice, however: Get in the habit of packing your things a certain way and always pack that way. It will be quicker and easier to see if you've forgotten something. The bonus for travelling light, ie 3 shirts instead of 5, is that it will be instantly obvious when one is missing.
Even more important, when you are buying tickets, changing money, going through immigration, etc before you move on to the next thing, stop and take the time to put everything away where you normally carry it. It's when you shove things into your pocket and are on the next thing in your mind/on your list before you've properly finished the first thing that mistakes happen.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:32 AM on May 26, 2010
But of course you are bringing flip-flops for showers and such...
You know what? You're going to be in situations where you don't have the perfect tool and won't be able to fix it like you would at home. You know what else? You'll be totally fine.
In the end, this.
I do have some advice, however: Get in the habit of packing your things a certain way and always pack that way. It will be quicker and easier to see if you've forgotten something. The bonus for travelling light, ie 3 shirts instead of 5, is that it will be instantly obvious when one is missing.
Even more important, when you are buying tickets, changing money, going through immigration, etc before you move on to the next thing, stop and take the time to put everything away where you normally carry it. It's when you shove things into your pocket and are on the next thing in your mind/on your list before you've properly finished the first thing that mistakes happen.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:32 AM on May 26, 2010
you should also pack a few ziplocs, which are incidentally great places for your socks or whatever. when your toothpaste explodes or you buy too much cheese you'll be happy.
posted by acidic at 6:37 AM on May 26, 2010
posted by acidic at 6:37 AM on May 26, 2010
One extra you might not have thought of:
Sunglasses
You'll be outside a lot!
posted by 2bucksplus at 6:38 AM on May 26, 2010
Sunglasses
You'll be outside a lot!
posted by 2bucksplus at 6:38 AM on May 26, 2010
I also always take an eyemask and earplus - dorms/hotel rooms are always light and noisey so these help. Also great if you are trying to sleep on trains or buses.
And oddly - little post it notes are really useful. If you have a guidebook with lots of different maps of cities etc on different pages - I found tagging the pages I was using all the time made it much easier than always flicking through the book to find the page I wanted.
posted by smudge at 9:39 AM on May 26, 2010
And oddly - little post it notes are really useful. If you have a guidebook with lots of different maps of cities etc on different pages - I found tagging the pages I was using all the time made it much easier than always flicking through the book to find the page I wanted.
posted by smudge at 9:39 AM on May 26, 2010
You are not traveling to the wilds of PNG. You are traveling to western europe! Anything you that, upon arrival, you realize has been forgotten, can be easily and inexpensively bought.
The sarong, as mentioned above, is the greatest thing known to man. It's a beach towel, bath towel, sun shade, tablecloth, pillowcase, gunnysack, and unisex multifunction garment all in one.
It may mean some interesting charades with a pharmacist in Genoa
Oh, to have a video of the time my friend Jez caught VD from some random tourist hookup and was forced to do a spastic hand-claw-clasping crabdance in the farmàcia when his repeated cries of "cangrejos!" had no effect other than amused confusion.
posted by elizardbits at 11:11 AM on May 26, 2010
The sarong, as mentioned above, is the greatest thing known to man. It's a beach towel, bath towel, sun shade, tablecloth, pillowcase, gunnysack, and unisex multifunction garment all in one.
It may mean some interesting charades with a pharmacist in Genoa
Oh, to have a video of the time my friend Jez caught VD from some random tourist hookup and was forced to do a spastic hand-claw-clasping crabdance in the farmàcia when his repeated cries of "cangrejos!" had no effect other than amused confusion.
posted by elizardbits at 11:11 AM on May 26, 2010
If you are the kind of traveler who collects lots of paper, you might want to bring some kind of folder or plastic binder along. It could also be where you keep copies of your itinerary and tickets. I usually have two, one for papers I won't need again until the trip is over and one for things that are coming up. On my last trip, I ripped out only the pages I needed from the guidebook, taped them together and stuck them in the folder.
I'm another one who brings 3-4 sizes of ziplocs along, from tiny to huge. They take up very little room and weigh nothing, but they are so handy.
posted by soelo at 3:02 PM on May 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm another one who brings 3-4 sizes of ziplocs along, from tiny to huge. They take up very little room and weigh nothing, but they are so handy.
posted by soelo at 3:02 PM on May 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
It's far better to bring too little than too much.
Sounds great! Have fun!
posted by mixer at 7:36 PM on May 25, 2010