That may be excessive, but we take a lot of photo and video. Most travelers will just need something simple like a thumb drive for storage. As someone who works online I consider this a travel essential for Europe. Sailing in the Mediterranean? I travel with both a one piece and a two piece bathing suit. Cameron prefers prAna mens swim trunks which are always high quality. See them on Amazon. No matter the season a rain jacket is always an essential for traveling to Europe and the rest of the world. We both have rain jackets made by Kathmandu. They are lightweight, durable, packable, waterproof, and windproof.
A Nice Outfit I would suggest bringing a chic black dress for the ladies and a nice dress shirt and pants for the men. Most Europeans are pretty stylish, especially in the cities. Check Prices Here ExOfficio Underwear These underwear are well known for their Quick-drying, lightweight, and odor resistant technology. A good pair of high quality yoga pants , quick dry shirt, and at least one sports bra for the ladies is ideal.
My favorite hiking shoes are the Merrell Moab Ventilators for women and men. One of the best packable down jackets is one of the most versatile travel items on the market.
What not to bring to Europe
It gets really cold especially in the winter so they are perfect for both men and women. Check Prices Here Accessories for Europe Makeup This one is for the ladies, and I wanted to make note of it for anyone still wondering what to pack for a trip to Europe. My first trip to Europe was almost a year long so I made sure I had enough mascara, eyeliner, and face powder to get me through that year without spending a fortune for my favorite brand. My favorite travel pillow is the Cabeau Evolution Pillow , but we break down more of our favorite travel pillows here.
Our favorite water bottle to travel with is the Lifestraw Go since it filters out bacteria. Here are our reviews on the best travel water bottles. Check Prices Here Packing cubes Packing cubes are great for any backpack or suitcase. They keep all of your clothes and toiletries organized.
Backpacking Europe Travel Guide Things to Do, Costs, & More
Check Prices Here Small Purse or Passport Holder For the women, I suggest traveling with a theft-proof purse that is black and stylish to hold belongings. Cameron has a great passport wallet that holds his passport and credit cards so he never leaves it anywhere. Check Prices Here Ear Plugs These are small but essential travel necessities for Europe as they can be crucial to your sleep.
Make sure you get out of the center into the Jordaan and Oost with their wonderful outdoor cafes. Be prepared for late-night dinners and parties til dawn. Barcelona knows how to get down. Besides a great food and nightlife scene, there is a wonderful beach, Gaudi architecture, and history dating back to Roman times.
Hip and trendy Berlin is an energetic destination. There is a ton of cheap Middle Eastern food. Oktoberfest is a must for anyone going to or near Germany at the end of September. There are people from all over the world, lots of beer, excitement, music, and wild fun. Watching thousands of people sing together, toast and party atmosphere make you feel good about the world. Get a taste of English culture in diverse London. The museums here are some of the best in the world and free , plus the city offers great food, and the pub culture is wonderful.
Head to Brick Lane for some amazing Sunday food markets. I prefer Paris to London, but there is something sophisticated and fun about London.
Backpacking Europe Travel Guide
Just watch those pints — London is not a cheap destination. My favorite region in Europe is Scandinavia. The quality of life here is high, the people beautiful and friendly, the cities clean and historic. True, this area of Europe is not cheap, but there are plenty of ways to reduce your expenses. Prague is a beautiful city with amazing history.
Have fun in the sun, hob nob with the rich and famous, and sail or gaze at gigantic yachts. You can pretend to live the high life for a little bit. Nice is nice and Monaco is just a skip away. Located in the beautiful mountains of Switzerland, Interlaken is a great place to unwind with some good hikes, hot chocolate, and outdoor sports.
Interlaken is also a popular party destination for backpackers and other young travelers. This thriving historical city has amazing food and nightlife. Cinque Terre is my favorite part of Italy. These five beautiful cliff side towns are perched near warm waters and beautiful olive and grape groves. For a real challenge, take trail 8. Or just walk the coastline for something less difficult. Krakow looks like it stepped out of a medieval postcard. You have a lot of university students here.
Auschwitz concentration camp is also close by. The coolest nightlife in all of Europe is found in Budapest. These bars are built in abandoned buildings and lots and feature funky art installations and decor. They are amazing, fun, and great places to meet locals. People of all ages flock here. If you skip these bars, you miss out on one of most unique things about the city.
The best part of England is outside London, and, unfortunately, not a lot of people leave London. It is an km trail that winds through some incredible terrain, usually taking over a month to complete. By far my favorite festival, this giant food fight happens during the last Wednesday of August in Bunol, Spain. For about an hour, everyone throws tomatoes at each other and the streets become ankle deep in tomato juice. Afterward, everyone walks down to the river, cleans off, and then heads to the town square for sangria and music. Not a lot of people visit Romania but this is off the beaten path country in Eastern Europe has undiscovered medieval towns, gorgeous beaches on the Black Sea, and incredible hiking — all at dirt cheap prices.
Whisky has a long history on Islay. Over the years, whisky from the island came to be considered a specialty and was used to flavor a lot of other blends on the mainland. Iceland is a magical country. With whale watching in the summer and the northern lights in the winter, there really is no bad time to visit! For more information on specific countries, check out these guides! Accommodation pricing varies, and with my help, you can find the perfect place to stay, for the right price. A room in Paris will cost on the higher end and a room in cheaper Athens will cost on the lower end.
The further east you go, the cheaper it gets. These hotels come with amenities like breakfast, private bathrooms, and WiFi. Airbnb is also available throughout Europe. Food — Finding places to eat within your budget is easier than you think. Throughout Western Europe, you can find small shops where you can get sandwiches, slices of pizza, or sausages for between EUR.
You find these shops are most often found in train stations, bus stations, and main pedestrian areas. These small sandwich shops offer cheap food alternatives that can have you eating on between EUR USD per day. Food is much cheaper in the east than in the west. You can money by shopping for food at discount supermarkets like Profi , Lidl , Aldi , and Penny Market. If you eat out, do so at lunch and get the prix-fixe menu two-course or three-course set menu. You can also get affordable lunches at outdoor markets.
So many European cities have huge fresh food markets throughout town. If you want to save big money on meals, head to one of the markets, pick up some cheese, wine, bread, meats, or anything else, and go to the park for a picnic. Or grab a sandwich for later! See country information for more details. Prices for Europe travel vary greatly depending on how far north, east, south or west your travel. This is your typical backpacker budget.
However, by getting tourist cards and rail passes, avoiding flights, occasionally couch-surfing, and cooking some meals, you can travel a lot cheaper. Th at would require you to take a train or a bus or hitchhike everywhere, skip most museums, and limit how often you go out. Individual country guides have more specific information but here are some general tips help you backpack Europe on a budget: Looking for the best hostel in Europe? Check out this list of favorites and for an even deeper selection of favorites, visit our specific city and country guides for even more options:.
Transportation around most European cities by local tram, subway, or bus is typically under 2 EUR 2. Intercity transportation varies widely. Budget Airlines — Budget airlines are so prolific that competition helps keep fares low. They also take a lot longer than trains. Each country has its own national bus service, but some lines will also take you long distances internationally.
Trains — Train travel is a great way to see Europe, albeit sometimes not the most cost effective or efficient. Intercity train prices vary wildly from country to country and depending on whether you take the slow train or a high-speed train. You may also want to consider getting a EuRail Pass , which allows travelers to explore Europe by providing a set number of stops in a specific time period.
These passes are continent-wide, country specific, or regional. BlaBlaCar is the most popular.
The Ultimate Europe Packing List • 20 Travel Essentials For Europe
Some countries will be very supportive Romania, Iceland, Germany while others may be a bit more time consuming Italy, Spain. HitchWiki is the best website for hitchhiking info. Peak season is summer time when Europe gets crazy crowded. Prices increase during this time as well. Shoulder season is spring and fall March to May and September to October, respectively. This is my favorite time to visit Europe — the weather is good, the crowds fewer, and the prices lower. Winter is from November to February.
It gets cold, even as far south as it gets like Greece. Daylight hours are shorter north, however, especially in Scandinavia. Europe is no more dangerous probably even less so than any other place in the world. I wrote a whole article about how Europe is safe to visit right now.
- The Ultimate Europe Packing List • 20 Travel Essentials For Europe.
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- Want a free Europe packing checklist?.
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- The Bizarre Experiences of Drew Bryant (Drew Bryant series Book 1).
Europe is very safe for backpacking and solo traveling but there are scams and petty crime you should watch out for. Guard your stuff in crowded places and watch out for people offering you stuff. Read about these 14 Major Tram Scams to Avoid! Always trust your gut instinct.
If a taxi driver seems shady, stop the cab and get out. If your hotel is seedier than you thought, get out of there. You have every right to remove yourself from the situation. Make copies of your personal documents, including your passport and ID. The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. These are my favorite companies to use when I travel to Europe. They are included here because they consistently find deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors.
- Get Your Bearings: And Happiness Will Follow;
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- Das große Synonymwörterbuch Deutsch-Deutsch mit 80.000 Einträgen (Große Wörterbücher 6) (German Edition).
- Yaakwdaat Aya: This is Yakutat.
- Chicas con suerte (HQN) (Spanish Edition).
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They are the ones I use the most and are always the starting points in my search for travel deals. There are a lot of backpacks to choose from. If you want something smaller or curious to know what to look for in a pack, refer to my article on how to choose the best travel backpack for more. Packing List Addendum for Solo Female travelers Kristin Addis, our solo female travel guru, wrote this list as an addition to the above:.
Fascinated by his adopted home, this is a travel book wrapped in a history book wrapped in a memoir. A Year of Living Danishly , by Helen Russell When her husband gets a job at the Lego offices in Jutland, Helen Russell decides to head to Denmark with him, freelance write, and try to figure out why the Danes are so happy. The Palace of the Snow Queen: Winter Travels in Lapland , by Barbara Sjoholm Barbara Sjoholm set off one winter to explore this arctic region — then spent two more coming back and learning about it more. Her book dives deep into the Samis, local indigenous population and their struggle to maintain their culture in the modern era.
As a lover of all things Scandinavian, it was really nice to read about an area and people of the region not often given the attention they deserve. As much as I thought I knew about this region, reading this book taught me a lot — and showed me how much I still had to learn. Well written and insightful, you should definitely pick up this book.