More than a Backpack: Europe Sampler

18 cities. 11 countries. 1 month.

Yes, it’s doable. Oh, and did I mention I did all this for €3000? That’s including everything—airfare (from the Philippines!), food and lodging, visa and even the cab to and from the airport.

Goals

I only had two things in mind: One is to take the train all over Europe. And two, to sight see. This trip was just a sampler and I was travelling with the assumption that I will be going back to the places I liked.

The plan

I started my plan by listing down specific places I wanted to visit, be it a landmark or a city, and ranking them according to which places I want to prioritize. Then I mapped them all out and checked the train schedules to go from one city to another. Taking into consideration the accessibility of the places, their priority and if a one or two day visit is feasible, I finalized my route. When I started planning this trip a year before, the plan was to only visit 11 cities and spend two weeks in one of those cities afterwards. But when I was there, the spontaneous side of me pulled me to 7 more cities. And I’m glad I did it.

Why Eurail?

Amsterdam Central Station

I took the 30 day continuous Eurail pass, which was perfect since I was travelling all the time for a period of 28 days. Plus,I love trains… I wanted to ride the fast trains and regional trains; I wanted to try sleeping on a couchette, and I wanted to see the views from the train. Eurail and Interail passes have discounts for those under 26 and since I was 24 during that time, I was able to save a lot of money.

Going on a budget

How did I go on a budget? Well, I did a hell lot of research and budgeting. I allotted a certain budget for food, transportation, sightseeing, souvenirs, accommodation, and for unforeseen expenses. Since I’m 48 kilos, a girl and I eat like a bird, I did not have any problem with food. As a student, I also got discounts and free entrances in plenty of attractions. Staying in hostels really helped me save on accommodation and booking ahead online (even just a few hours before) cuts the cost as well. Using public transportation (most cities have day passes that are of good value) and walking are also economical; moreover, they are a good way to experience and see the city.

Saving time

Since we were travelling to so many places, planning our time was essential. Taking night trains were like sleeping in one city and waking up to another one. It’s a time saver and you get to save on accommodation as well. Using a GPS (I thank my android smart phone for this) or asking for directions also saves a lot of time. Getting lost is part of the adventure but being lost all the time can get you nowhere as well.

Being open-minded

While I was planning the trip, I read a lot of forums saying that it is not a good idea to travel to so many places in Europe in just a short amount of time because you won’t really be able to feel the culture. But the moment I got off the plane and every time I get off the train to a new city, I just wonder, how can you not feel the culture? From the way people walk and talk… the food they sell and don’t sell… the architectures around the city… it’s everywhere. You just need to be open-minded. True, I have barely scratched the surface of each place I visited but then again, my goal was only to sight-see. This was just a sampler and I will be back for more.