'backpacking' around Europe

[N.C]

I know this isn't a bike tour but i know you guys have a wealth of experience/ knowledge

Me and my friend were looking at travelling round europe in a few months. And we have a good idea of were we want to go

2 nights in frankfurt
2 nights in munich
2 nights in zurich
Milan* still pondering
Barcelona 2 Nights
Madrid 2 Nights
Paris 2 nights

I just wanted to know if anyone had experiences of staying in any hostels around or in these cities and how the general standards are/will I be raped and killed.

We reckon (not including spending money) it will come to about 700 if we stay at hostels we looked at, which look good on the website but they can be very misleading.

Anyway, any help/advice you can offer big or small will be very helpful!!

Cheers
Nick!

[Shay HTFC]

I've never been, but have heard that Frankfurt is not the place to go as a student backpacking around. It is just a big financial district without any flair or soul.

Personally, I would swap Frankfurt with Berlin which is immense (with very cheap hostels), or if thats too far north east, maybe somewhere like Koln (Cologne), or Amsterdam on your way back.

How are you getting around? If possible, keep your options open. Don't go around booking hostels for x amount of nights 2 weeks in advance. A couple of years back I did the interrail around Europe and we would just rock up to a new city and just find a hostel there and then by ringing a few places we had numbers for or talking to some of the people trying to flog you rooms at the station. There will always be spaces in these European cities.

I would also swap Milan with Rome, but thats only because I have heard Milan is a bit too fashiony and not really the place for young students to be stumbling around.

Finally, I am deadly jealous. My interrail trip (also with just 1 mate) was the best thing I have ever done. If you and your mate get on well then it will be class. Don't get too worked up with what you do and just go with the flow, or else you might end up squabbling.

As for being raped / killed - don't worry about that shite. Just be aware of whats going on and enjoy yourself. It is only Western Europe - in most cases those cities are far more civilised and safe than British cities.

Me and my mate slept in Rome station (and numerous other random platforms across the continent), we wandered around Belgrade in the night, got escorted off the train at the Serbian border by armed police, we had beers in a random blokes house in the Czech Republic as well as other random things, all of which just added to the whole trip.
What I am trying to say is, don't worry about anything. You can tell if something is dodgy just by reading people - don't be overly naive, but don't be scared of everyone. Just go with the flow and take things as they happen. Don't plan too far in advance and get stressed about things not going as you thought they would. If you miss a train, so what, you will arrive 1 hour late and have to check in late etc. Its no big deal.
You might meet some really cool people who say they are off to Monaco the next day and ask if you want to come, so just go with them and re-adjust the rest of the trip. Treat it as an adventure where you have a basic idea of what you want to do, but you are free to change your plans at short notice.

The people who have detailed itinerarys and get stressed thinking about where they will have breakfast in 3 days time are invariably the ones who end up squabbling and not enjoying it because they are not enjoying the moment, but instead worrying about the future.
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Full Motorbike License - GS500E '95

[Itchy]

Europe on 700 for a month, not if you go to Germany or France things are quite expensive there, SouthernEurope definately Turkey definately but north Western Europe no.

Infact you could probably fly out to SEA backpack around and come back with change, as my biketour cost me under 20 a day andthat wasusing shed loads of petrol.

IIRC

If time isn't an issue you can get from Moscow to Irkutsk for £72 3rd class sleeper (takes 8 days) then for £42 get to either UB or Beijing. The Russian visa will be £30 + LOI at £15.

The Mongol visa is $15, the China visa will be $30. Takes a week by train though.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[N.C]

Cheers for the replies

We are planning on doing interrail and thanks for the advice on the cities!! we shall probably change those two cities to your advice.

And the 700 wasnt including spending money, we was going to allow 2-300 for that!

[Clanger]

Join YHA.org and you can use get the use of most hostels abroad, for massively cheap discounts. Often such places have grounds where you can pitch a tent, or use tents already pitched (to make things cheaper).

Travellerspoint, Thorn Tree (Lonely Planet) are good sources of information for all travellers. They have forums, hints and tips, online accommodation bookings, photographs of places you might be heading to etc.

Barcelona does have hostels (Kabul backpackers hostel, Plaza Real off Las Rambles), but it also has campsites. www.campingbarcelona.com

But if you are up for it, there is also Couchsurfing.com - which you can join and see if someone is up for putting you up for a couple of nights.
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[Shay HTFC]

If you have the unlimited rail journeys interrail then distances don't matter. Hit Berlin for sure if you want a bit of culture / history / nightlife all wrapped up into one city.

Use the trains to your advantage!
One thing we did was to sometimes get a train at say 11pm that arrived at some place in the middle of nowehere at maybe 4am, then get on a train returning to where you started arriving sometime in the morning. You save on a night of hostelling and it is a sure fire way you know you won't be wandering around a city at night not knowing what to do and having to taxi about. Its also quite a good laugh and an interesting experience. Maybe not for everyone though.

You can get overnight trains (that are normal trains that just happen to run late although you may have to change mid journey onto an early morning train) so you can set off from one city in the evening and arrive in the morning at the next place so you don't miss a day faffing around on the trains. We went from Prague to Bonn overnight for free on the interrail and it was class. The German train system is excellent!


My single best piece of advice though is to get the Thomas Cook Railway map of Europe and the Timetable book that is often sold alongside. You can get them off Amazon and they are extremely useful! The map also highlights scenic rail journeys if looking at amazing scenery is your thing.
Also get some sort of lonely planet guide book that lists loads of hostels and camp sites so you always have numbers to ring when you arrive in a new place.

Man, I am so jealous of you. Interrail is the single best thing I have ever done. You've got me all excited about doing backpacking now!

I will reiterate the hostel bit. You sound like you like to plan (which is no bad thing) judging by your first post, but you will have no trouble finding hostels upon arrival in a new city. There is loads of tourist help about. I would recommend this as it may well lead to stress if you have every hostel booked in advance and your circumstances change (maybe you really enjoy a certain city and want to stay an extra day for example).

edit: Although I know that different things matter to different people. A friend of mine for example couldn't just turn up and book a hostel - she would have to have it pre booked, because the worry and stress of not knowing 100% that everything will be ok would stress her out more than the rush and effort required to get there on time. So whatever sort of person you are, just take it easy and enjoy yourselves! Try not to get stressed about trivial things which will no doubt come up.
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Full Motorbike License - GS500E '95

[N.C]

Thanks for the excellent reply, youve got me all excited about the trip too!

Im definately fine with being a big more lax with where we go/stay!
Hopefully i can persuade my friend to be the same way.

Definately think interrail is the way to go.
Our revised plan looks like this

[Clanger]

Another way to do the hostels, is to book the next at the one you are in. Some hostels have noticeboards where you can find out recommendations, and often let you use their phone to book ahead. That way you are not tied to your original plan if you decide you want to stay longer than the designated time you've set aside.
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[Clanger]

https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/

This looks like a must see - if you are in the neighbourhood.
____________________
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[N.C]

Thats wicked! wasn't that in james may's toy stories?

[Clanger]

Dunno, I saw it on Merton's Europe trip...but have seen it before, somewhere.
____________________
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[ms51ves3]