Cross-continent road trip or backpacking in Europe?

[Talamasca]

My buddy and I are going on vacation next year, most likely in September for about two weeks. We've been talking about a cross-Canada/US road trip but after looking at the numbers, it looks like we could also backpack in Europe for around the same amount of money. To be honest, I am perfectly fine with either option but I think I'll let him decide. I haven't gotten a chance to tell him about the Europe option yet. He hasn't travelled that much so it would all be new and exciting for him regardless. He has mentioned he'd love to see Europe in past conversations. Some basic pros and cons I've come up with:

Road Trip:
- Great way to see your own country (and the US too); a rite of passage for any traveller
- See wacky things like the world's biggest kielbasa!
- A LOT of driving required
- Possibly long stretches of boredom in between A & B

Europe
- It's Europe! World-famous sights and cities, etc. The world's biggest kielbasa vs. the Parthenon. What would you prefer?
- Possible excessive culture shock for my friend.
- Costs of travel can quickly escalate (that croissant costs how much?!?) and aren't as predictable as they are here.

So any thoughts and advice from you guys? :D

[Liko]

Personally I would visit Europe over a cross country road trip. Having been to Europe just recently, the experience was wonderful. Depending on what countries you visit in Europe, the culture shock will be minimal. A good guide book should alleviate any fears. Europe has some of the most beautiful cities/architecture and sites in the world. The only downside to backpacking through Europe would be the costs. The dollar the way it is, it will cost a small fortune for two weeks. But that might change in a year.

As for cross country, I believe Canada has some of the most beautiful landscapes. Mountains and endless forests during the fall are amazing. Money wise, it should be the same as you'd expect at home. Probably cheaper in the states for some stuff. Like you said before, driving for that many hours could be the downfall of your trip. Also, gas prices may change by next year.

[HighFlyer]

For me, one of the main reasons I love to travel is to experience other cultures and way of life..... so I would choose Europe without question.

[manixc]

Europe.

You can potential visit a lot of places in Europe (consider the density of cities over there) when compared to a cross-Canada trip. More bangs for the bucks.

Food-wise, if you shop at supermarkets in Europe, it can be kept under control. And if you book at a hotel/hostel with free breakfast, you can load up on that. You can even take night train instead of staying in a hotel. A lot of cities has museum passes and unless you are in Art, you can skip many museums. A lot of sights are free or do not cost a lot.
If you are both under 26, then you can get discount with the ISIC card.

The only thing with Europe is the upfront cost (i.e. airlines/rail pass).

[Talamasca]

Good advice everyone! I'll sell my friend on the Europe idea, which shouldn't be too hard. Now to find a cheap flight, plan a trip with minimal backtracking and have all the transportation connections work out. Good thing we've got almost a year.

Food-wise, if you shop at supermarkets in Europe, it can be kept under control. And if you book at a hotel/hostel with free breakfast, you can load up on that. You can even take night train instead of staying in a hotel. A lot of cities has museum passes and unless you are in Art, you can skip many museums.

Thanks for the tips! We are into art though so we'll definitely be hitting up the museums. Money is always a concern. With the global economy being the way that it is, it'll be impossible to know what things will be like a year from now but what can you do? :)

[Aristophanes]

Having relocated to Germany (hopefully) permanently, I definitely recommend Europe.

Since you're going in September, it'll be less crowded.
There's the perception that everything is expensive in Europe. Some things, yes. But you'll find that accommodation is probably the most expensive item (other than your flight) - as a previous member has already mentioned.

As for food, I find it's at par or even cheaper than in Canada. I once tried to see how little I can spend for fun. €2 (or $3) for a big baguette, cold cuts, and 3-pack juice. Try spending that at No Frills!

If you go through Germany by train, there are regional tickets that are very cheap. Check deutsche bahn for promotions. Since you have a timeline, you can book in advance for cheaper tickets - cuz in September...well, it's Oktoberfest so the trains around Bavaria are usually sold out.

Lots of other members here can tell you a lot more about other countries. PM me if you have questions about Germany.

[Pete_Coach]

Besides, two weeks driving across Canada will be just that....driving. It is a big Country and folks way underestimate the distance as well as the timing. If you want to see Canada, besides just the yellow lines on the highway, you will need more time.
That is not to say that you should not see Canada and it's cultural differences. I'll tell you what, the folks in Newfoundland or on the shores of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are culturally way different than those in Toronto or the Prairies or the West Coast. i mean, just the West Coast alone you can see 3 0r 4 different cultures just between Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
I love Europe, so old, so interesting, so varied but, I love Canada too, so big, so clean, so varied as well.

[manixc]

Talamasca: just don't try to rush and see everything, and don't do only the big cities. Try to visit some smaller ones as well.

Have fun planning because that's half the fun.

Aristophanes: do pricemark (sp?) or aldi still exist? I remember shopping exclusively there as a student.

[Aristophanes]

Talamasca: just don't try to rush and see everything, and don't do only the big cities. Try to visit some smaller ones as well.

Have fun planning because that's half the fun.

Aristophanes: do pricemark (sp?) or aldi still exist? I remember shopping exclusively there as a student.

Couldn't agree more on the small cities. Actually - pretty much where there aren't that many foreign tourists. My favourite place in southern Germany is Lindau. There are a lot of German tourists, but rarely any tourists from abroad.

Haven't seen Pricemark. Aldi is still huge, as always. I still like shopping there. You just can't go wrong with 3 frozen pizzas for €1.99 (or $3 CAD)! For the OP, Aldi's are usually sparsely located so go to REWE and buy JA! (no name) products. Quality's awesome and cheap.

[heymikey]

With only 2 weeks, I don't think it's possible to do a cross-continent trip. And yeah, I agree with everyone that you should do Europe instead.

[habsfan93]

That's really funny, my gf and I were asking ourselves a very similar question. We were planning to take off for the entire summer of 2010 and either backpack through Europe for 3 months or do a backcountry camping road-trip throughout Canada for 3 months, hitting all the natural wonders of our country.

In the end, we chose Canada, because we are the kind of people who favour nature over history/culture, and as a result, thought Canada would be a more rewarding experience. Alas, after further thinking it through, we realized that to do everything we really want to do, even 3 months is not enough - we would probably need 4-6 months, and so we are going to split it up into multiple 3 weeks vacations over the course of life, hitting one region at a time (i.e. Atlantic Canada for 3 weeks, then the next year or the year after, do the Pacific Coast, etc.).

And for the record, if you were to drive non-stop, you could make it from ocean to ocean in about 2.5 days. It commonly can be done in about 5 days if you are driving 10-12 hours a day. I've done the drive from Toronto to Prince George myself, through the US, took about 4-5 days of driving 8-10 hours a day.

[l69norm]

I would do Europe first if you can afford it. It's easier to do and you'll have more fun when you are young - lots of walking and stairs

For Europe, try the following book:
http://www.ricksteves.com/home.htm
and
http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=11&id=20

"Europe Through The Back Door" gives a different travel philosophy (low $)
"Europe 101" is a layman's guide to art and museums
We used the old "2-22 days in Europe" guide book which I think is now called "Best of Europe 2009".

For US/Can driving tours in Sept, try to plan it around the fall colors for the various areas you plan to visit.

[b166er1337]

Couldn't agree more on the small cities. Actually - pretty much where there aren't that many foreign tourists. My favourite place in southern Germany is Lindau. There are a lot of German tourists, but rarely any tourists from abroad.

Haven't seen Pricemark. Aldi is still huge, as always. I still like shopping there. You just can't go wrong with 3 frozen pizzas for €1.99 (or $3 CAD)! For the OP, Aldi's are usually sparsely located so go to REWE and buy JA! (no name) products. Quality's awesome and cheap.

Lindau is definitely fabulous.

To the OP, 2 weeks is too short for a cross-continent trip. But you also lived in Europe before, 2 weeks is pretty short too.

[hjello]

I backpacked Europe about 15 years ago for 10 weeks. It was by far the best experience and I often look back on that trip with great memories and it seems (sort of!) like yesterday.

Also if you drive around Canada/USA you will be spending ALL the time with your friend, and I think it is harder to meet people.

For some reason riding the rails in Europe and staying in hostels you will meet some interesting people and really open yourself up to great experiences.

Just one day from that 10 week trip so many years ago:
We met a couple guys on a train in Amsterdam one day and the next day we ran into them again (a total fluke!) they were with 2 English buddies who were part of a 20 man Hillbilly Band and they were trying to get gigs in Amsterdam dropping their demo tape off to local bars... so we joined them going from bar to bar dropping off the tape talking to bar managers and drinking. Good times. A few years later one of them paid us a visit in Toronto.

Of course the museums, architecture, history and culture are wonderful to soak in!

Enjoy.. I wish I was going

[Talamasca]

To the OP, 2 weeks is too short for a cross-continent trip. But you also lived in Europe before, 2 weeks is pretty short too.

Unfortunately, that's all work will give me. Living and travelling in Europe was one of the best experiences of my life so to share that in a small way with a friend and see things through his eyes with a fresh perspective would be really cool.

Also if you drive around Canada/USA you will be spending ALL the time with your friend, and I think it is harder to meet people.

For some reason riding the rails in Europe and staying in hostels you will meet some interesting people and really open yourself up to great experiences.

Excellent point!

I'd like to see Bavaria in particular. It looks like a beautiful region and we could arrange our trip so that we were there during Oktoberfest.

[boyoflondon]

Lets look at it this way.

200 years of history vs centuries of history that is around every corner?

I think it is safe to say that Europe would be a wiser choice if you are up to seeing new places full of history.