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Here Are Some Helpful Words of Advice For Backpacking Europe Or Any Other Country
By Alessandra S. Llewellyn | October 21, 2009
These are some useful tips I think will help you for back packing Europe, and for that matter, the rest of the World:
1. Figure out everything you’ll need while on your trip then reduce that amount by at least half! A common mistake is travelers taking too much stuff with them. Remember to enjoy your vacation instead of carrying around heavy luggage in areas you don’t know. One key thing to remember is as you travel you will find memorabilia that you will want to purchase, and this takes up precious cargo space.
2. As weird as it sounds, bringing a GOOD towel, such as a camping towel can really make your vacation a lot more tolerable. While traveling Europe for the first time I figured a normal beach towel would suffice, needless to say, it did not. Camping towels can be purchased luckily and are quite similar to the “sham wow”. They are great because they are anti-bacterial, absorb a lot of water and dry quite quickly. This was a major improvement to my second trip to Europe.
3. Take advantage of accommodation deals on websites. If you are the type of personality that can travel around and book your accommodations with short notice (I know some people like to know far in advance they have a place to stay every night), you can really save a lot of money on hotels. The later you book generally the better deal you receive. You don’t want to be stuck at the last minute and suddenly find a Paris hotel all booked up.
4. If you want to have an experience that is a lot more unique than the hotel experience stay in hostels. They offer a great place to meet travelers like you who could become great friends with you, even if it’s just for a few days. The memories you can create from staying in hostels cannot be understated.
5. Using the EU rail pass is a great way to travel throughout Europe. Once you’re aboard you’ll save a quite a bit of money. To top it off using the trains throughout Europe is a great way to travel. Be sure to make sure you purchase your tickets before you leave in order to save even more money. Though it takes some research to figure out what pass best suits your needs, it’s a great buy.
6. Another option to look at for your travel needs is discounter airlines that are located in Europe such as Ryan Air or Easy Jet. Due to these airlines not serving all places in Europe they are great to use in order to supplement the EU rail pass. It’s quite common to find flights for $50 and it’s possible to get from locations that are quite far apart quite quickly.
7. When you’re traveling, especially for long periods of time, it’s very important to register with your embassy to let them know what countries you’ll be in. The reason is just for peace of mind in case of disaster or other events that could leave you stuck in a remote country. By doing so the embassy can account for your and have a rough idea of where you are. Though the odds are quite small that disaster could strike, it’s better to be safe than sorry when traveling abroad and to be prepared just by chance disaster does strike.
Alessandra S. Llewellyn was born in Switzerland and raised in Paris. She has traveled all over the world with her family and loves to see new places and meet new people. She loves to write about her travels and will sometimes review hostels in Paris for some travel magazines and websites.
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