Backpacking in Europe

[sleep deprived]

I'm looking to take a month off and travel to Europe. I will likely be taking the back-packing route. I will be travelling alone though. As a women travelling alone, what places would you recommend I go and ones that I should avoid. I'm a little apprehensive about travelling alone, especially since even in Ottawa I attract strange guys..so in a foriegn country....!!

[gleberental]

I'm looking to take a month off and travel to Europe. I will likely be taking the back-packing route. I will be travelling alone though. As a women travelling alone, what places would you recommend I go and ones that I should avoid. I'm a little apprehensive about travelling alone, especially since even in Ottawa I attract strange guys..so in a foriegn country....!!

dear sleep deprived,

although i cannot comment on being a woman traveling alone (being a guy), my partner and i did backpack for 5 months through the mediterranean and eastern europe in 2004, so i would be pleased to offer any pointers.

i applaud your intention to head out into the world, and encourage you to JUST DO IT (i wish i had done it when i was young, that backpack felt a lot heavier at 36 than it would have at 19!)
i think that as long as you keep your wits about you you shouldn't get hassled.

one idea if you are feeling tentative about going is to check out some of the semi-guided tours, such as bus-about (http://www.busabout.com)
...although i cannot comment from personal experience with this company (we took local transport) it's a sound concept, they run buses for travelers between various destinations in europe, but unlike a more formal tour like Contiki, you're not handcuffed to a particular itinerary... you get the comfort and familiarity of traveling with other backpackers like yourself, and you get assistance from the tour staff, but at the same time if you decide you want to stay somewhere for a few days, you don't have to worry about missing the bus, there'll be another one along soon.
...i can say that we did take a short tour in scotland with an affiliated company (http://www.haggisadventures.com), and it was good, although maybe skewed a little too much to the younger sensibility than an old fart like me is inclined to.

now, all of that being said, i also think that you should also try going independent too.
i think too many travelers make the mistake of only traveling on tours, staying in hostels, and generally keeping the company only of other travelers like themselves.
i found that some of the most interesting (and sometimes frustrating) times that we had were when we went off the beaten track, traveled on local buses and trains, stayed in little mom & pop pensiones, shopped in local shops and markets (sometimes seemed to take twice as long as normal).

but you'll also find that you'll start meet people along the way. i always wondered how to meet people, but we did keep meeting other travelers... on buses, in hostels, sleeping on the ferry floor!... and soon you may start traveling together, sharing meals and accomodations.

anyhoo, let me know if i can be of any more help... also i live in ottawa too, with my partner and our baby boy (our backpacking days are over, at least a little while!) so you could meet us or call us.

cheers,
michael

p.s. please don't think me a "strange guy" ;)

[markreda]

I went on a 2 month backpacking trip across Europe in 2002.

The following is a post I made on RFD a few years ago.
If you have any further questions just pm me.
---------------------------------------------------------

There is soooo much to mention.

If you want an ADVENTURE, stay away from organized tours.
When you join a tour like Contiki you can't stay in a city longer if you like it, and you'll probably spend half the trip sitting on a bus.
It takes 2 days to travel from London to Rome.

You don't need a tour to get around Europe, you just need a rail pass, a map, a guide book (like Europe On A Shoestring), and maybe a friend.

Get a Eurail pass. They have all kinds of options. But they aren't cheap. Prices start at $700. Flights are very cheap in Europe. I flew from Paris to London for $30CDN with Easyjet.com or Ryanair.com

Make sure you buy a good backpack! DO NOT SKIMP-OUT ON YOUR BACKPACK! I totally recomend Mountain Equipment Co-Op (in Toronto). They offer like 30 packs to choose from, and they will fit the pack to fit you properly (if you ask). The right packs will have a 'main pack' (for clothes and stuff) and a 'Day pack' (for everything you need when you're sight-seeing) I picked a decent pack for $130. Believe me when I say, YOU NEED THE PROPER BACKPACK. Don't even waste your time going to luggage stores looking for a backpack, they're s***. You need a place that SPECIALIZES in backpacks, like Mountain Equipment Co-Op.

I totally recomend staying in Hostels. www.Hostels.com has some good resources or Hostel International (HI). I found HI hostel's to be very sterile and not much fun. Many of the private hostels are very cool, have their own pubs and a very cool crowd.

Make sure you bring a few things....
-a sheet, and pillowcase
-towel (thin and light)
-Locker lock (dudley, master, whatever)
-Cable Bicycle lock (Kryptonite) to lock your pack to the bed if there's no locker availible.
-Luggage Locks, you will need a very good lock to lock your

I met a lot of people who got pick-pocketed robbed along the way. The only reason why they got pick-pockedted is because they were stupid enough to keep their money in their pockets. Make sure all your pack's zippers have locks (including your day pack). I had an experience in Naples, Italy where a kid was trying to unzip my pack (while I was walking) he didn't get s***, the pack was locked. But don't let that fool you because they will actually cut the bottom of the pack out.
My adivice is to keep an open eye on your stuff and be very hesitant to leave your stuff unattended if it's not locked up.
And don't leave your pack with a friend while you decide to look for a hostle, a friend lost his pack that way.
Also, bring a samsonite money belt, and keep it under your pants when traveling. Keep your passport, money, travelers cheques, keys, credit cards in the money belt.

Get travelers insurance. Call your bank to make sure you bank card works in Europe.
You will need a VISA if you decide to visit the Checz Republic ($50), and best to apply for it before you leave Canada.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A CANADIAN FLAG ON YOUR PACK AND SOME CANADA SWEATER/TSHIRTS (otherwise everyone will think you're American). Everyone loves Canadians, and that's no lie. We got a lot of love for being Canadian, especially in Amsterdam and England.

Make sure you plan your route. Most people either start in Amsterdam or London and work their way either CLOCKWISE or COUNTER CLOCKWISE across Europe.

I could go on for days......

If you have any other questions, fire away.

Don't get me wrong, my 2 month trip was the best time I ever had in my life and every day that goes by I dream of the beaches or Athens, Rome, Berlin, Viena, Salsberg.

Anyone with enough balls to go backpacking will have their whole life to reflect and enjoy their memories.

On the flight back to Toronto I was already planning out my next backpacking adventure this summer.

You will meet a ton of people along the way and even decide to go sight-seeing with them.

Make sure you bring some kind of Journal or notebook, it will come in very handy.

-If you're ever in Rome stay at the YELLOW Hostel
-If your ever in Corfu Greece stay at the PINK PALACE (you won't want to leave)
-In Viena stay at the WOMBAT
-Stay with family and friends anywhere you can! They usually treat you like gold.

You don't necessarily need a planned itineray, all you need is a list of cities/places you want to go and plan it so you don't spend too much time on the train

[markreda]

Excellent resources...
http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/eurobackpack/eurobackpack.html
http://www.backpackeurope.com/tips/index.html

[susiej]

You should also check this site out. Alot of really good information. They have everything from backpacking tips to details on every city in Europe.

www.guideforeurope.com

[markreda]

2 good guide books
-Europe on a Shoestring
-Western Europe on a Shoestring
-Fromer's guide to Europe

[ah802]

As a single female travelling (backpack style) make sure you plan ahead carefully and stick to that plan. Keep in touch with friends and family through out your journey (if not web cafe nightly). It's more than possible in hostels or back-pack hotels to meet up with other people your age and gender to travel with, but then your security gets compromised. Stick with your plans, don't go off the beaten track too far and check into Canadian consulates were possible.

I would recommend one of the europian tours, there is one that excludes drinking alchol (you can bring your own) and it's quite good value. There's also a few biking tours.... group tours are recommended for security. Why not try to link up on the web with someone else who wants to travel...

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/plan_menu.htm
http://www.hitchhikers.org/general.cgi?tmpl=faq.tmpl
http://www.digihitch.com/

[sleep deprived]

Thanks for all of the information. I'm so indecisive, I have yet to decide when I'm leaving and where I'm going!!!

[AnnaBanana]

I've backpacked a few times - my advice: No worries! Just be smart, trust your gut, and don't do anything / go anywhere you wouldn't go if you were in Ottawa.

Note that some places have female-only hostels which is sometimes nice... for example, I stayed at a CONVENT in venice - totally hilarious to be staying with nuns, in a HUGE dorm room, with a curfew! But what an experience... and you'll never feel safer!

Also, stay away from bus stations / train stations at night - in several european cities it is common for groups of men to hang out and drink in these areas, and they are not shy about shouting comments out... If you MUST arrive at night-time, just pretend like you know where you're going, walk quickly and ignore the comments!

When I went back with my husband a few years ago I received SEVERAL crude comments about my... well.. body... while my husband was holding my hand! It's easy to decipher what they're saying (even in a foreign language) because some of the more vulgar men will use hand-gestures to make things clear... That being said, you've just gotta laugh! :lol:

HAve an awesome time!
A.B.

[lanky]

Also check out http://www.couchsurfing.com/ for free places to stay. I just hosted a guy from Germany last night, it was pretty sweet and I plan to use the site for when I go to europe myself at the the end of April

[sleep deprived]

Also check out http://www.couchsurfing.com/ for free places to stay. I just hosted a guy from Germany last night, it was pretty sweet and I plan to use the site for when I go to europe myself at the the end of April

Now that's an idea, however, I don't think I would be comfortable hosting someone!! Good luck with it and let us know how it goes!