My 6 Step Guide to Planning a Trip in 2025

Backpacking Europe is considered one 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).

Through the summer time, hostels burst with life, the Mediterranean sparkles, streets fill with folks 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 carry 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 quite a bit of posts on Europe. I go to Europe a number of instances 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 can aid you plan your backpacking journey to Europe with ease. That manner you don’t miss something! On this publish, you’ll discover all my greatest sources on planning a backpacking or price range journey to Europe, together with vacation spot guides, transportation ideas, lodging data, methods to satisfy folks, and a lot extra!

So, with out additional ado, right here’s every thing you might ever need to learn about backpacking Europe:

Step 1: Plan Your Backpacking Europe Journey

The right way to Plan a Journey: A Month-By-Month Information – This publish breaks down the planning course of by month, making it tremendous straightforward to plan your journey to Europe. Simply comply with 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 nervousness you’ll face.

The right way to Save for Your Journey – Is cash stopping you from taking the journey of your goals? Right here is my listing of straightforward methods to chop down in your each day bills so it can save you cash to backpack Europe.

The right way 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 understand when and the best way to search for them. This text will present you the best way to at all times get an affordable flight to Europe.

The right way to Earn Factors for Free Flights and Lodge Stays – Free journey is my favourite form of journey! This publish reveals you eight methods I exploit to recover from 1,000,000 frequent flier factors. These will get you out of your home quicker, cheaper, and in consolation!

The right way to (Legally) Keep in Europe for Extra Than 90 Days – Yearly, 1000’s of vacationers marvel how they will 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 publish, I share what you are able to do to remain legally past 90 days and on the continent generally.

The right way to Keep away from Paying Financial institution Charges – You must by no means must pay any financial institution charges while you’re accessing your cash in Europe! Right here is my recommendation on the best way to keep away from financial institution charges as your backpacking Europe.

Is Europe Secure to Go to? – Right here is how to make sure you keep protected whereas touring throughout the continent.
 

Step 2: Get Your Gear for Backpacking Europe

The right way to Decide the Greatest Backpack – It’s necessary to select a high quality backpack to your journey because it’s going to get overwhelmed up as you journey! This information to selecting the best journey backpack will aid you decide the very best pack to your journey.

What to Pack for Your Journey – What do you have to pack in your journey? Nicely, there isn’t any one proper reply, however this listing offers you an excellent place to start out. It’s what I tackle my journeys with me (although you’ll must make some seasonal differences, I’m certain!).

The Final Packing Checklist for Feminine Vacationers – On this publish, Kristin Addis shares her packing insights for girls, so as to journey nearly wherever with out spending a fortune on gear.

The right way to Purchase Good Journey Insurance coverage – Journey insurance coverage is likely one of the most necessary belongings you’ll want to your journey. You wouldn’t have a automotive with out automotive insurance coverage or a house with out dwelling insurance coverage, and you’ll’t have a visit with out journey insurance coverage!

The Greatest eSIM for Touring Europe – Accessing cell knowledge when you journey can’t solely maintain you protected if there may be an emergency, but it surely ensures you possibly can e book lodging, flights, and actions on the go. This publish breaks down the very 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 carry them with me each time I go to Europe. On this publish, I clarify why I believe you must verify them out to your subsequent journey.
 

Step 3: The right way to Get Wonderful Lodging in Europe

The right way to Discover Low-cost Lodging – If you’re seeking to keep someplace moreover 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!

The right way to Discover a Good Hostel – This text options my greatest tips about the best way to discover an inexpensive, clear, and enjoyable hostel the place you possibly can meet plenty of superb folks.

The Greatest Hostels in Europe – This can be a listing of European hostels that I might undoubtedly use once more if I’ve the prospect. Hope this helps along with your subsequent European backpacking journey!

The right way to Develop into a Housesitter – This can be a how-to information to house-sitting, a beautiful alternative that means that you can keep in a location lease free in change for watching somebody’s home.

The Greatest Web site for Home Swaps: My HomeExchange Evaluation – HomeExchange is a community that facilitates swapping houses with one other individual or household. It’s a tremendous platform if you wish to deepen your travels, join with locals, and lower your expenses.

For extra price range lodging options, take a look at my hostel hub web page. It has all my favourite hostels round Europe!

If you happen to’d slightly keep in lodges, this web page has all my favourite lodges in Europe.

And, to seek out out the place to remain in every metropolis, go to my listing of the very 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 here 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 may lower your expenses by shopping for a rail move or if it’s cheaper to purchase tickets as they go. This detailed publish outlines every thing you should learn about shopping for a rail move!

If you happen to’re planning to take the prepare however don’t need to use the Eurail Move, take a look at Trainline. It’s the web site I exploit to seek out routes and purchase prepare tickets after I journey Europe. it’s tremendous straightforward to make use of!

Europe can also be a tremendous vacation spot for street journeys. Nations like Iceland, Scotland, Eire, Portugal, and Norway are all superb locations to discover by car.

If you happen to’re planning to drive round Europe, use Discover Cars to seek out the very best rental costs. They search rental corporations massive and small to seek out you the very best offers.

You should utilize the widget under to get a quote. It’s quick and free:

Step 5: Save Cash Whereas Backpacking Europe

Costs fluctuate wildly in Europe. That signifies that the way you lower your expenses in a single nation may not 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:

The right way to Save Cash on Meals – Whereas touring Europe, meals usually turns into a significant expense. Listed here are some ideas for saving cash on meals so you continue to can afford a pleasant meal out once in a while.

The right way 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 publish 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 aid you turn out to be an professional traveler who will get round Europe cheaper, higher, longer, and smarter!

14 Main Journey Scams to Keep away from – Shedding 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 here 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 properly.

Moreover, listed below are a number of of my favourite corporations in Europe. These are the comoanies I exploit after I’m searching for issues to do, meals excursions, strolling excursions, and extra!

Walks – Walks presents in-depth historical past, meals, and cultural excursions in cities all over the world (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 wonderful meals excursions round Europe. If you happen to’re a foodie who desires to study extra concerning the historical past and tradition behind every dish, these excursions are the very best on the continent. I take them each probability I get.

GetYourGuide – Get Your Information is a big on-line market for excursions and excursions. The location has tons of tour choices in cities all all over the world, together with cooking lessons, strolling excursions, avenue 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 publish, 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 huge useful resource listing will aid you 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 considered one 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!