Here I give you all information needed for Backpacking in Europe from preparation and tips to detailed guides. Being born and raised in Germany I traveled a lot in Europe over the years and highly recommend you to do so, too.
If you are planning to stay longer in a certain country I recommend learning the local lingo beforehand. Use this guide to plan your own backpacking trip:
1) Why Europe?
Europe is a great continent which offers so much variety in a comparably small area: here you can travel to more than 50 countries – each with their own culture, cuisine and mentality. Beside that you can find different languages, landscapes, food and music by only traveling for a few hours!
Basically traveling Europe is easier than you might think. The infrastructure on the old continent is great for travelers, providing a variety of modern and cheap transport as well as accommodation options.
2) Language & Communication
Nevertheless I recommend always to learn some basic phrases as some people may find it offensive to start speaking in English right away.
If you happen to spend more than just a few days in a specific country you should consider a language course (see below) – Spanish and French for example are languages which are also widely spoken outside of Europe. Use the chance to spice up your stay and speak the local lingo, it‘s fun and enriches your travel experience!
I recommend using the online language courses from Babbel – its in an easy and inexpensive way. You can even try it for free. You can learn at your own pace. 3 years ago I started learning Spanish with them and got along quite well with the locals after only 1 month of learning.
3) Money
Credit Cards are the way to go in Europe as almost all Banks, Hotels, Restaurants and sometimes even smaller stores accept them. Make sure to have always a fallback option (a second credit card / a debit card) with you in case you loose your card or your card gets skimmed.
Speaking about the currency you can pay with € in all countries which are within the Eurozone, currently about 19 countries in Europe. The other countries have their own currency which means you should exchange money or withdrawal money at a local bank.
4) Travel Insurance
When you plan to be abroad for a while I highly recommend getting a travel insurance to ensure emergency medical and evacuation assistance and 24/7 support when you need it most.
I used the travel insurance from WorldNomads several times – they offer a great package for independent travelers. You can buy, claim and extend it easily online with the link provided here.
- WorldNomads – Travel Insurance for independent and active travelers (extension possible)
5) Safety
In general Europe is a very safe place for travelers. But crime happens all over the world – in Europe you are more likely to get scammed or pick-pocketed if you don‘t follow some safety rules, especially at tourist hot spots like Paris, Rome or Barcelona.
Sometimes just a few simple tips can improve your safety and make your travel experience more enjoyable.Please follow the instructions given in the following article to travel more safely:
6) Transport & Luggage
As said Europa has probably the best transportation infrastructure for travelers in the world. Especially in the western countries you can always choose between bus/car, train and plane.
Air – as Europe is a highly competitive market you can find extremely cheap airfare, mostly flying is not only the most convenient but also cheapest way to cover longer distances.
Rail – within Europe trains are modern, fast and mostly also very comfortable to travel with.
Bus – though I don‘t recommend using buses for long journeys as they are mostly not as comfortable, it is a cheap option to travel within a country by bus especially in the big countries like Germany (here FlixBus is a great option).
What to pack
Regarding your luggage: try to pack light, a 44-70l backpack is totally enough for your trip. You can find my travel gear and gadget in these lists including outdoor:
- Packing List for Trekking & Camping
- Packing List City Breaks
- Travel Bags, Travel Backpacks, Travel Gadgets and Items
7) Accommodation
In Europe you can find high class Hotels as well as super modern and even luxurious Hostels. I mostly use Booking, which is a great search engine to find good Hotels, Hostels and B&B‘s all over Europe with a lot of customer reviews, you can also find special deals and discounts there.
In this Guide I included Hostel/Hotel recommendations for all the Destinations featured within the Guide section. If you need recommendations also for other destinations in Europe which are not featured you should checkout the page „Best Hostels and Hotels“ where I feature top rated and totally recommendable accommodation options for countries all over the world.
8) My Travel Guides
If you want to discover the best of Europe these guides will give you some great recommendations for restaurants, activities, tours and hostels.
Travel Guides Books
If you want to come well prepared the following are great additional resources with in-depth info for your time in Europe – not only for backpacking in europe but also for independent travelers with more budget:
The latest edition of the best selling travel guide for Europe in the U.S. for a reason. After 30 years of exploring Europe, Rick considers this travel skills handbook his life’s work. He shares his favorite off-the-beaten-path towns, trails, and natural wonders. Available also as Kindle eBook!
buy it on Amazon >>
These maps highlight choice destinations throughout Europe, from Lisbon to Warsaw, Bergen to Crete, in a colorful, easy-to-use format on high-quality paper that lasts over many trips. Great for travel planning!
buy it on Amazon >>
The guide book from Lonely Planet is the resource not only for travelers on a budget as they always come with great recommendations and detailed destination maps. Highlights and itineraries show you the simplest way to tailor your trip to your own personal needs and interests. Available as Kindle eBook!
buy it on Amazon >>
A great book for Europe Newbies! “…It is geared toward those who travel alone, those who want to save money, enjoy adventures and spontaneity, those who want to keep touristy activities to a minimum and engage with the local culture. …” Available as Kindle eBook!
buy it on Amazon >>
This phrasebook covers: 15 languages with mini-dictionaries // Handy pronunciation guide throughout // Easy coloured-tab navigation // Useful phrases. Languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish Swedish and Turkish.
buy it on Amazon >>
As mentioned above Rick Steves is a -if not THE- resource for traveling Europe. As host and writer of the popular public television series Rick Steves' Europe, and best-selling author of 40 European travel books, he encourages Americans to travel as “temporary locals.” Most are available as Kindle eBook!
buy it on Amazon >>
Beside Rick Steves the Lonely Planet guide books are perfect for budget travelers as well as independent travelers. Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet. Most are available as Kindle eBook!
buy it on Amazon >>
More about Backpacking in Europe?
I wrote this guide for you based on my experience traveling the continent since more than 20 years – if you have any questions feel free to comment below. If you found this guide to be useful it would be awesome if you could share it or if you would link to it from your website!
Disclaimer: This post contains Affiliate Links for services and products I’m using on my travels – therefore I can highly recommend using them. By using this links you won’t pay any additional fees!
