How to Make the Most of a "Backpacking Alone" Experience in Europe
Pack light., Trains/Buses Schedules: Find the information by yourself!, Accommodation: No camping when traveling alone!, Talk to people!
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Pack light.
Carry only what you need on a day to day basis.
Carry a smaller bag instead of a large backpack.
Space may be limited on trains, airplanes, buses and ferries for your backpack.
Very tall or heavy backpacks can cause serious back pain to the weary traveler.
Limit your supplies to just a few necessity items Things you shouldn't forget about:
1.
A proper outfit for visiting churches & sweaters if you're going to take ferry/travel by night (no matter how hot the countries you're going to visit are supposed to be)
2.
A towel, loads of socks and underwear (you will find wash machine in some hostels but you will probably have to wear the same clothes more than once).
3.
Your phone, you bank phone number, a print of your documents, a camera, a fork & knives (even on places where there is a common kitchen).
Things you can go without: your laptop (there are some in almost all hostels, and if not you will always find a Cyber cafe), ipod & books (but it's just a matter of choice), food, hair straightener/heater (you may not be able to use them), fancy shoes (but you don't need real "walking shoes" either if you're staying in the cities, too much clothes.
A lot of people hand wash their clothes while traveling, so if you're taking more than 5 t-shirts, you're already over-packing. -
Step 2: Trains/Buses Schedules: Find the information by yourself!
You may want to plan ahead or not,which cities you're going to visit, but in both cases you will need to have as much information as possible on your trains/ferry/bus.
One thing you have to keep in mind is that all the clerks at train/bus stations don't speak English (almost none of them if you go in Eastern Europe).
Another thing you have to know is that you can't rely on the scheduled time you are supposed to arrive to know where to hop off the trains (trains are often late!).
So, before purchasing a ticket a the train station/going to catch your train, you would have to write down:
1.the train number ;
2. the accurate schedule
3.the stops before yours on the train route.
You will find all this information by a very simple search on the route planner Webpage (http://hafas.bene-system.com/bin/query.exe/en?L=profi&).
Safety tip:
You can go on night trains alone, but before hoping in the train, especially if you go in the Balkans/eastern Europe, try to find other young travelers to share a train compartment with, or some travelers who are stopping in your city's destination (even if you have buy a seat with a number, people usually don't care about it on those trains and it's a lot more safer!) , Well, you can do it technically, but you'd rather avoid it because you're quite unlikely to meet people there and it's no fun when traveling alone to be far from the city center (campsite usually are) if you want to go out at night etc..
Check your hostel before booking.
Make sure that it has a washing machine & common kitchen if you need them, reviews about the hostels to know about the atmosphere (don't go to a party hostel if you're not into that), so that you will be much more likely to find cool people to talk/go out with.
Don't go to really cheap hostels: (unless you don't have any other choices) you may find yourself in a dorm with people who are not even travelers but homeless residents or people you wouldn't feel really comfortable with.
Safety tip:
Remember something: it's not because the dorm was empty when you arrive that it will still be when you come back, so don't leave your bag without a locker or your money in display just because the dorm is empty! , Last but not least, one of the best parts of backpacking alone is that the experience is a lot more "intense" than when traveling with people you know, and that you will get to talk with so many more people.
You can easily talk to any solo traveler in their group.
Tip:
One thing that is great to do when traveling solo is to only partially plan your trip (with your first destinations), and then decide on where to go next by asking the other travelers on their experiences/advices.
When meeting fellow backpackers, they will almost always talk to you about a country/city you wouldn't have planned to visit! -
Step 3: Accommodation: No camping when traveling alone!
-
Step 4: Talk to people!
Detailed Guide
Carry only what you need on a day to day basis.
Carry a smaller bag instead of a large backpack.
Space may be limited on trains, airplanes, buses and ferries for your backpack.
Very tall or heavy backpacks can cause serious back pain to the weary traveler.
Limit your supplies to just a few necessity items Things you shouldn't forget about:
1.
A proper outfit for visiting churches & sweaters if you're going to take ferry/travel by night (no matter how hot the countries you're going to visit are supposed to be)
2.
A towel, loads of socks and underwear (you will find wash machine in some hostels but you will probably have to wear the same clothes more than once).
3.
Your phone, you bank phone number, a print of your documents, a camera, a fork & knives (even on places where there is a common kitchen).
Things you can go without: your laptop (there are some in almost all hostels, and if not you will always find a Cyber cafe), ipod & books (but it's just a matter of choice), food, hair straightener/heater (you may not be able to use them), fancy shoes (but you don't need real "walking shoes" either if you're staying in the cities, too much clothes.
A lot of people hand wash their clothes while traveling, so if you're taking more than 5 t-shirts, you're already over-packing.
You may want to plan ahead or not,which cities you're going to visit, but in both cases you will need to have as much information as possible on your trains/ferry/bus.
One thing you have to keep in mind is that all the clerks at train/bus stations don't speak English (almost none of them if you go in Eastern Europe).
Another thing you have to know is that you can't rely on the scheduled time you are supposed to arrive to know where to hop off the trains (trains are often late!).
So, before purchasing a ticket a the train station/going to catch your train, you would have to write down:
1.the train number ;
2. the accurate schedule
3.the stops before yours on the train route.
You will find all this information by a very simple search on the route planner Webpage (http://hafas.bene-system.com/bin/query.exe/en?L=profi&).
Safety tip:
You can go on night trains alone, but before hoping in the train, especially if you go in the Balkans/eastern Europe, try to find other young travelers to share a train compartment with, or some travelers who are stopping in your city's destination (even if you have buy a seat with a number, people usually don't care about it on those trains and it's a lot more safer!) , Well, you can do it technically, but you'd rather avoid it because you're quite unlikely to meet people there and it's no fun when traveling alone to be far from the city center (campsite usually are) if you want to go out at night etc..
Check your hostel before booking.
Make sure that it has a washing machine & common kitchen if you need them, reviews about the hostels to know about the atmosphere (don't go to a party hostel if you're not into that), so that you will be much more likely to find cool people to talk/go out with.
Don't go to really cheap hostels: (unless you don't have any other choices) you may find yourself in a dorm with people who are not even travelers but homeless residents or people you wouldn't feel really comfortable with.
Safety tip:
Remember something: it's not because the dorm was empty when you arrive that it will still be when you come back, so don't leave your bag without a locker or your money in display just because the dorm is empty! , Last but not least, one of the best parts of backpacking alone is that the experience is a lot more "intense" than when traveling with people you know, and that you will get to talk with so many more people.
You can easily talk to any solo traveler in their group.
Tip:
One thing that is great to do when traveling solo is to only partially plan your trip (with your first destinations), and then decide on where to go next by asking the other travelers on their experiences/advices.
When meeting fellow backpackers, they will almost always talk to you about a country/city you wouldn't have planned to visit!
About the Author
Lisa Moore
Committed to making pet care accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: