The original backpacking trail…
Travelers have been backpacking Europe for centuries — and with good reason. There’s enough variety to keep you occupied for months. It’s easy to get around. The continent may be full of tourists, but you’ll still find undiscovered gems.
…with a 21st century twist
Eastern Europe was long considered too hard, too dangerous, or just off-limits to travelers. No longer. The scramble to find “the next Prague” is in full swing. You’ll have no trouble making backpacker friends in Budapest, Belgrade or Istanbul. Meanwhile, Romania, Bulgaria, and (if it’s safe) Ukraine are just waiting for someone to notice how incredible they are.
Foodie heaven
Pasta. Pizza. Paella. Bulgarian salads (yes, really). Turkish kebabs. Coffee. Gelato. Even if your budget means you’re cooking for yourself, you’ll have access to the freshest ingredients imaginable. Just save a few euros for a splurge here and there.
Backpacking Europe: Top experiences
- Getting off the beaten path and experiencing village life in remote corners of Romania and Bulgaria
- Watching the sun set over Prague Castle
- Hiking between tiny villages in Italy’s Cinque Terre
- Taking a break from churches to explore Barcelona’s weird and wonderful architecture
- Witnessing a hundred hot air balloons soaring over the canyons in Turkey’s Cappadoccia
Know before you go
Budget
Bear with me here: You do not need to blow your life savings to have a great trip backpacking Europe.
Yes, it can be very expensive to travel here. But it doesn’t have to be. By mixing in some Couchsurfing, self-catering, taking slow trains, and not visiting expensive museums, I was able to spend 5 months on the continent for under $3,000 (roughly $20/day).
Three important cost-saving tips:
- Travel in off-peak seasons. It is possible to stay in central Venice for $20. It’s just not possible in July.
- Visit small towns in addition to big cities. Mantova (in Italy) is every bit as beautiful as Milan, but much cheaper.
- Slow down. Don’t try to cover the continent in two weeks. Don’t even try to cover one country in two weeks. If you don’t have much time, consider exploring one region really thoroughly rather than Eurail-ing from Paris to Istanbul.
The below distinctions are a little geographically arbitrary, but convenient for the sake of understanding costs.
Scandinavia, the UK, Germany, and France are tough on a budget. I wouldn’t try to travel there on less than $40 a day — $50+ a day would be better.
The Mediterranean (Portugal, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Greece) is doable on the cheap. Prices for food, transportation, wine, and many activities can be surprisingly low, but accommodation can get pricey. You can keep costs under $30 a day, but $40 would be much more comfortable.
Central Europe (Czech, Austria, Hungary) and Turkey are the middle ground. Standards are similar to Western Europe, but prices are closer to the East. I had no trouble keeping daily costs in the $15-$20 range.
Eastern Europe (the Balkans, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria) is cheap. But it’s also much harder. These countries aren’t built up for backpackers yet. They can be immensely rewarding countries to travel in, but I wouldn’t recommend them if it’s your first backpacking trip. If you can tolerate a little discomfort and confusion, you can easily travel here for $15 a day.
Accommodation:
Accommodation is the biggest barrier to budget travel while backpacking Europe, but it’s not a dealbreaker. If you do your research, plan in advance, and choose your destinations wisely, you can keep costs fairly low.
I highly recommend CouchSurfing in Western Europe. It saved me thousands of dollars on hostels, and I’m still close friends with several of my hosts.
Otherwise, expect to pay $20+ for a dorm bed. If you have a travel buddy, it can be cheaper to stay in a small guesthouse — in Barcelona I got a two-person room for $30.
In Central Europe, dorms are in the $5-$10 range and usually very nice.
In Eastern Europe, you’ll rarely pay more than $8 for a dorm — but you won’t find many traditional hostels. Instead, you’ll find locals who shoved six dorm beds into the spare room of their flat. Since you’re sharing the family’s house, you’ll get a very up-close look at how people live. These can be awesome places to stay, or they can be miserable, smelly and cramped.
The exception is Bulgaria — the Hostel Mostel chain has everything backpackers need.
Even in the most remote parts of the East, you can find accommodation on hostelworld.com.
Food:
Don’t worry — you can get a good taste of most countries’ cuisine without spending a fortune while backpacking Europe.
Breakfast is usually light. Hostels will often provide it. If you need to buy it, cafes will sell you a pastry and a coffee for about $1.50.
It’s easy to self-cater or picnic for lunch and dinner. There are deli meats, cheeses, veggies, fruits, and fresh-baked breads available everywhere. Most hostels have a kitchen, and if you’re Couchsurfing you can often use your host’s. My grocery budget was about $10 a week.
Eating out is affordable. In Italy, I got pizza for $6, a six-course dinner with wine for $14, and a three-course lunch for $8. If you’re backpacking, it will be tough to eat out every meal, but you can definitely work in the occasional restaurant. Just be careful about service and cover charges — they’re often not listed on the menu.
My biggest weakness was gelato. It’s about $2 for two scoops.
Alcohol is a major budget-buster for many backpackers. I’m not saying don’t try the wine in Italy or the beer in Czech. Just don’t be the person who had to go home early because they drank too much.
Activities:
There are an immense array of ways to spend your time while backpacking Europe. Better yet, you almost never need to pay a tour company or guide.
In the cities, you’ll probably spend most of your time visiting museums and historical sites or just walking around. Check for free walking tours (with a tip to the guide) if you want to learn more about the city.
The museums can be quite pricey — a student pass will cut costs in half. It’s also incredible how much famous artwork you can see for free in churches. Rome, in particular, is a great place to see Michelangelo paintings for free.
Historical sites can add up fast. Often, the difference between a 15 euro ticket and a free stroll around the outside of the site is that you can get 3 meters closer to an ancient column.
In the evenings, there is usually some form of free entertainment. Free concerts abound. Some theaters stage free performances. Cultural centers can tell you what’s on, or ask around.
Outside of the cities, some of the most popular adventures involve hiking, going to the beach, or visiting farms and vineyards. All of these can be done independently, and you can usually get to trailheads or rural tourism hotspots on public transport.
Transportation
Western/Central Europe
Getting around Western and Central Europe is super-easy. Most backpackers travel by train. It’s fast, comfortable, and affordable.
Eurail passes are popular, but they’re not always the cheapest option. If you’re aiming to cover a lot of ground in a short trip, they’re definitely worth looking at — although flights with carriers like Ryan Air may be cheaper.
If you have a lot of time, are sticking to one or two countries, or are on a really tight budget, you’d be better off buying point-to-point tickets as you go. You can buy short-haul tickets the day you travel. In Italy, a 4-hour train ride costs about $15.
Coach buses supplement trains in some places. If you’re traveling overnight, they can be much cheaper. In Turkey, they are the main form of transportation and they run like clockwork.
Eastern Europe
Getting around the far east is much more difficult. It involves a combination of (extremely) slow trains, minibuses, and coach buses.
The main problem with buses and minibuses is a total lack of information. Even on major routes, there may be only one bus a day and no one seems to know where it leaves from. Or the bus might drop you off in the middle of nowhere with no warning. Little, if any, English is spoken.
In Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia, there is a functional but not luxurious rail system. Tickets are in the $0.25 per hour range, but a trip that would’ve taken an hour in Italy takes four in Romania.
The Soviet rail system is actually great — once you figure it out. You’ll need basic Russian language skills and the ability to read Cyrillic. A “platzkart” is a sleeper berth in an open carriage — the best option for women alone, since you are guaranteed not to be locked in a tiny room with creepy men. Buy your tickets as far in advance as possible.
Safety
Backpacking Europe is very safe.
In terms of street crime, most European cities are safer than my home city of Washington, DC. Barcelona, Rome, Florence, Athens, and other busy cities are infamous for pickpocketing, so keep your wallet and passport somewhere inaccessible.
There is very little to worry about on the tout/scam front. Watch out for carpet scammers in Turkey. And you know those 3 euro Ray Bans aren’t actually Ray Bans, right?
Ukraine and Turkey have both experienced political issues since I was there. See the specific country pages for more information.
For women alone
You are unlikely to experience more than the occasional hassle traveling alone as a woman and backpacking Europe.
European women tend not to wear shorts. No one will bat an eye if you do, but you will stick out as a tourist. Skirts of any length are fine. Churches will expect you to cover your shoulders (wrapping a scarf around your upper arms is fine). In more rural areas, people are more conservative.
In the Mediterranean countries, you will get plenty of ‘ciao bella”s and ‘oh my god”s. Just ignore it and keep walking. Similarly, in the far east, I got several marriage proposals from (usually very drunk) strangers. Again, it’s best not to engage.
There are times when the harassment gets a little more threatening. I have several friends who had a miserable time in Naples, with men following them around or groping them. At bars or clubs, men are often a little more forward. Don’t go clubbing alone, don’t accept drinks from strangers, and have a plan to get back to your accommodation.
Turkey is harder as a woman alone. You will get a lot more male attention. The street harassment can be incessant, even in Istanbul. You’ll get stared at if you eat alone at a restaurant. The clientele of most tea stalls is men-only. Don’t let that stop you from going — just be prepared and bring a sense of humor.
You’ll likely feel more comfortable in Turkey if you cover to your elbows and knees. If you want to visit mosques, bring a scarf to cover your hair.
Ready to get started?
Check out the country guides and posts from:
Western Europe: Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Spain
Eastern Europe: Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria
