Picking the Right Backpack
Having a correctly fitted backpack is extremely important, since you'll be lugging around about 50 pounds of extra weight. Backpacks aren't fitted based on a person's height, but rather their torso length. Therefore, a tall person with a small torso would be better suited with a smaller pack and visa versa. To measure your torso, have a friend measure the length from the vertebrae that sticks out furthest of your neck to a place on your spine that is equally high as the top of your hip bone. This is your torso length, so be sure that the backpack you choose has your length within its range. If you're confused by the measurement of your torso, take a look at the diagram below.
(1).jpg)
Packing
Packing for a backpacking trip to Europe can be very tricky. Be aware that you will likely have to do laundry at some point during the trip, although you don't want to be dealing with this too often. At the same time though, you don't want to bring too many clothes, since you'll be carrying them around a lot. Another reason not to pack too much, is that you will likely want to buy items while in Europe, and if your pack is already full you won't have any room. You can mail items back to the U.S., but this takes time and costs money.
Fortunately, most hostels have an area where you can lock your backpack while you go about your day. Make sure to bring a lock as many of these areas even have lockers where you can put your pack.
College Backpacking recommends bringing enough clothes to last roughly a week and a half to two weeks. You'll be better off if you aren't afraid to wear pants or shorts more than one time before laundering. Make sure you bring a comfortable pair of walking shoes, because you'll be doing a lot of it. Don't bring a lot of dress shoes, in fact we'd recommend bringing only one pair, since you need to dress nicely to get into many of the religious sites like St. Peter's in Vatican City. Makeup and items like hair dryers and straighteners can also take up a lot of space, so if you're traveling with a friend or group try to just bring one of each and share.
Below is a list of items that you should be sure to bring:
- Photocopies of important documents like birth certificate, passport, license, etc.
- An umbrella or rain jacket
- Passport
- ATM Card
- Fast dry towel
- Pair of flip flops (for the showers)
- Travel sized laundry detergent and dryer sheets
- Security wallet to defend from pickpockets
- Travel Alarm Clock
- Pillow Case (some hostels don't provide these and some prefer to have their own anyway)
- Comfortable Shoes
- Voltage Converter (if you are planning on bringing electronics that need to recharge)
- Water Bottle (you'll be doing a lot more walking than you think)
Safety
Pick pockets are rampant in many areas of Europe, and they prey on unsuspecting backpackers. College Backpacking highly recommends bringing some type of security wallet that will hold your ATM card, passport, and other essential items. If you don't have one you either have to leave those important items with strangers at the hostels or take on a much higher risk of having it stolen. Always try to travel in groups and be aware of the surrounding area. The tourist spots are typically safer areas, but much like American cities, European cities have their bad areas as well.
Female backpackers should also take note that European males take signs from females a lot differently than typical Americans. Making eye contact with an Italian male is practically an invitation for them to come over and try to seduce you. This is seen in many other areas besides Italy as well, so just be aware of your actions.
Culture
There are many differences between the cultures of Europe and America, and many of these are things that Americans take for granted. In Europe it is extremely rare that you will find free refills on soft drinks, so be aware when you buy a drink that you need to drink it slowly or will have to purchase another. It should also be mentioned that they often won't give you tap water at restaurants and you will be forced to purchase bottled water if you choose to drink water.
Tipping is another cultural difference between the two continents. While many Americans tip their waitresses, bartenders, or servers, this is not commonly practiced in Europe. Many backpackers wouldn't feel much like tipping anyway, once they realize how slow the service is in Europe. If you plan to eat at a sit down restaurant, expect it to take at least an hour. Europeans take their time while eating, and they often perceive it as rude if the server comes around frequently.
The way that Europeans write their date, time, and measurements are also different from that of Americans. The time is always seen in military time, so 8:00 PM is 20:00 in Europe. Their dates are often written with the day preceding the month and year, rather than the month first. In America June, 12, 2008 is 6/12/2008 but in Europe this will be written as 12/6/2008. If you are planning on taking the trains while backpacking Europe, it is EXTREMELY important that you remember the differences in the time and date.
You may wonder why we say it is EXTREMELY important, since you will likely have purchased a Eurail or similar pass, which allows unlimited travel throughout the designated countries. Well contrary to common belief, having this pass doesn't mean that every train you take is free within that time frame. Almost every train in Europe will charge you a reservation fee which can vary from a few Euros to almost 100 Euros. Trains in Italy are often on the expensive side, so be aware.
If you plan on taking the train that goes underneath the English Channel connecting London with Paris and Brussels, this train is NOT included in the Eurail passes. This train is called a Eurostar train and costs roughly $150, although there is a discount if you have an active Eurail Pass.
Hostels
Hostel stays are often another source of questions and concern when it comes to first time backpackers. Many wonder what type of people they will have to stay with, how many people, and what standard of living conditions are provided. Well the living conditions vary considerably, although if you book them through a reputable site with pictures and reviews you will be fine.
Most hostels will be full of English speaking peoples whether they're from the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K., etc. You'll find that most groups are relatively small and they are very open to meeting new people. It's not uncommon to meet a couple of your roommates, realize you have similar agendas, and spend the day seeing the sights together. Just realize that most backpackers are in the same situation as you. They don't know anybody either, they are in a foreign location, they're worried about their stuff being stolen, etc.
Most hostels will offer single rooms if you absolutely do not want to have anybody else in your room. It's more expensive and College Backpacking believes that these rooms cause one to miss out on meeting a lot of very interesting people. Regardless you can have your own room, or in some cases 30 or 40 people in the same room. Many hostels will also offer single sex rooms if you don't want to have the opposite sex in your room.
Planning Your Trip
When planning your backpacking trip to Europe, be sure to allow some free time in your schedule. A lot of first time backpackers plan something for everyday of their trip. College Backpacking recommends leaving some time as free time, which will allow you to spend some extra time in a destination that you particularly enjoy. On my own first trip, my friend and I had allotted one day in Munich, but we ended up meeting such great people and having such a great time that we ended up staying for three. If we had only stayed one day, we would've missed out on some of the best times of the trip.
College Backpacking also recommends planning at least one low key destination on your trip, with the middle point being the ideal time. Often backpackers will want to cram as many destinations into as little time as possible (we're guilty as well). Hitting destinations like London, Paris, Berlin, and Rome in a few days means that you have to be up first thing in the morning and be on the move all day to see most of the sites. If you're taking a three week trip, this can get rather exhausting and leave you with little time to relax and soak in the experience you're having. Therefore, try to schedule a low key destination like Cinque Terre or Interlaken around the middle of the trip. These types of destinations allow you to relax and revamp for the busy second half of your trip.
Another thing to consider when planning your backpacking trip is sleeper trains. If you are going to be taking a 6 hour or more train from destination to the next, you may want to consider waiting until the evening and reserving a spot in a sleeper car. This will help save you money since you won't be paying for a train ticket and hostel, but more importantly it will save time. Rather than wasting valuable daylight on a train, take a night train and wake up ready to explore the new destination.
