My 6 Step Guide to Planning a Trip in 2025

Nomadic Matt posing for a photo in historic Prague, Czechia

Backpacking Europe is one in every of my favourite issues to do as a traveler. There isn’t a 12 months I don’t criss-cross the continent (besides 2020 when nobody was crossing Europe).

In the course of the summer season, hostels burst with life, the Mediterranean sparkles, streets fill with folks consuming wine and having fun with the day, and the late evening setting solar results in lengthy wondrous days. Winter brings Christmas markets, snowboarding, fewer crowds, and decrease costs! And Spring and Fall convey the correct mix of individuals, temperatures, and costs that make these two my favourite seasons to journey Europe.

Since beginning this web site in 2008, I’ve written rather a lot of posts on Europe. I go to Europe a number of occasions a 12 months, have been everywhere in the continent, lived there on a number of events, and I’ve even run excursions there.

With a lot content material on the weblog, I needed to create a useful resource web page that may make it easier to plan your backpacking journey to Europe with ease. That approach you don’t miss something! On this publish, you’ll discover all my finest assets on planning a backpacking or finances journey to Europe, together with vacation spot guides, transportation suggestions, lodging info, methods to satisfy folks, and a lot extra!

So, with out additional ado, right here’s all the pieces you possibly can ever need to find out about backpacking Europe:

 

Step 1: Plan Your Backpacking Europe Journey

Nomadic Matt walking towards a castle in the Loire Valley, FranceNomadic Matt walking towards a castle in the Loire Valley, France
How to Plan a Trip: A Month-By-Month Guide – This publish breaks down the planning course of by month, making it tremendous straightforward to plan your journey to Europe. Simply observe the steps and also you’ll be in your approach!

How Not to Feel Overwhelmed While Planning – Planning the right journey to Europe might be daunting and overwhelming. I’ve been there and I perceive, however I can let you know from years of expertise that the extra you intend your journey, the extra anxiousness you’ll face.

How to Save for Your Trip – Is cash stopping you from taking the journey of your desires? Right here is my checklist of straightforward methods to chop down in your each day bills so it can save you cash to backpack Europe.

How to Find a Cheap Flight – Attending to Europe might be half the problem. Fortunately, there are a ton of flight offers to the continent now if you recognize when and the way to search for them. This text will present you the way to all the time get an inexpensive flight to Europe.

How to Earn Points for Free Flights and Hotel Stays – Free journey is my favourite sort of journey! This publish exhibits you eight methods I take advantage of to recover from 1,000,000 frequent flier factors. These will get you out of your home quicker, cheaper, and in consolation!

How to (Legally) Stay in Europe for More Than 90 Days – Yearly, hundreds of vacationers marvel how they’ll keep in Europe for greater than 90 days, which is the restrict within the Schengen Zone. The excellent news is that there are a couple of other ways to remain. On this publish, I share what you are able to do to remain legally past 90 days and on the continent on the whole.

How to Avoid Paying Bank Fees – It’s best to by no means need to pay any financial institution charges if you are accessing your cash in Europe! Right here is my recommendation on the way to keep away from financial institution charges as your backpacking Europe.

Is Europe Safe to Visit? – Right here is how to make sure you keep protected whereas touring throughout the continent.
 

Step 2: Get Your Gear for Backpacking Europe

A bunch of hiking gear in an empty fieldA bunch of hiking gear in an empty field
How to Pick the Best Backpack – It’s essential to select a high quality backpack on your journey because it’s going to get crushed up as you journey! This information to selecting the best journey backpack will make it easier to decide the perfect pack on your journey.

What to Pack for Your Trip – What do you have to pack in your journey? Nicely, there is no such thing as a one proper reply, however this checklist provides you with place to start out. It’s what I tackle my journeys with me (although you’ll have to make some differences due to the season, I’m certain!).

The Ultimate Packing List for Female Travelers – On this publish, Kristin Addis shares her packing insights for girls, with the intention to journey nearly anyplace with out spending a fortune on gear.

How to Buy Good Travel Insurance – Journey insurance coverage is without doubt one of the most essential stuff you’ll want on your journey. You wouldn’t have a automobile with out automobile insurance coverage or a house with out residence insurance coverage, and you may’t have a visit with out journey insurance coverage!

The Best eSIM for Traveling Europe – Getting access to cellular information when you journey can’t solely preserve you protected if there may be an emergency, nevertheless it ensures you may ebook lodging, flights, and actions on the go. This publish breaks down the perfect eSIMs for vacationers in Europe, serving to you keep related on a finances.

Are These The Best Clothes for Travelers? – Unbound Merino make sturdy, trendy, and reasonably priced journey garments. I convey them with me each time I go to Europe. On this publish, I clarify why I feel it’s best to examine them out on your subsequent journey.
 

Step 3: The way to Get Wonderful Lodging in Europe

A set of bunk beds in a hostel dorm roomA set of bunk beds in a hostel dorm room
How to Find Cheap Accommodation – In case you are seeking to keep someplace moreover a lodge or a hostel, this text lists all of the kinds of locations the place you may relaxation your head in Europe — from couches to farms and even monasteries!

How to Find a Good Hostel – This text options my finest tips about the way to discover an reasonably priced, clear, and enjoyable hostel the place you may meet quite a lot of superb folks.

The Best Hostels in Europe – It is a checklist of European hostels that I’d undoubtedly use once more if I’ve the possibility. Hope this helps along with your subsequent European backpacking journey!

How to Become a Housesitter – It is a how-to information to house-sitting, an exquisite alternative that means that you can keep in a location hire free in alternate for watching somebody’s home.

The Best Website for House Swaps: My HomeExchange Review – HomeExchange is a community that facilitates swapping properties with one other particular person or household. It’s an incredible platform if you wish to deepen your travels, join with locals, and get monetary savings.

For extra finances lodging options, check out my hostel hub page. It has all my favourite hostels round Europe!

In case you’d somewhat keep in motels, this page has all my favorite hotels in Europe.

And, to seek out out the place to remain in every metropolis, visit my list of the best neighborhoods in Europe!
 

Step 4: Get Round Europe on the Low-cost

Nomadic Matt hiking in Iceland while hitchhiking aroundNomadic Matt hiking in Iceland while hitchhiking around
7 Cheap Ways to Travel Across Europe – Touring round Europe can nonetheless be pretty costly. Listed below are seven methods to backpack Europe with out breaking the financial institution.

The Ultimate Guide to Saving Money with Eurail Passes – Everybody touring to Europe wonders if they’ll get monetary savings by shopping for a rail move or if it’s cheaper to purchase tickets as they go. This detailed publish outlines all the pieces it’s good to find out about shopping for a rail move!

In case you’re planning to take the practice however don’t need to use the Eurail Go, take a look at Trainline. It’s the web site I take advantage of to seek out routes and purchase practice tickets once I journey Europe. it’s tremendous straightforward to make use of!

Europe can also be an incredible vacation spot for highway journeys. International locations like Iceland, Scotland, Eire, Portugal, and Norway are all superb locations to discover by automobile.

In case you’re planning to drive round Europe, use Discover Cars to seek out the perfect rental costs. They search rental firms massive and small to seek out you the perfect offers.

You should utilize the widget under to get a quote. It’s quick and free:

 

Step 5: Save Cash Whereas Backpacking Europe

a bunch of colorful Euro billsa bunch of colorful Euro bills
Costs differ wildly in Europe. That implies that the way you get monetary savings in a single nation won’t apply in a neighboring vacation spot. To make sure you don’t break the financial institution throughout your journey, listed below are a couple of posts that may assist preserve your finances in tact:

How to Save Money on Food – Whereas touring Europe, meals usually turns into a serious expense. Listed below are some suggestions for saving cash on meals so you continue to can afford a pleasant meal out now and again.

How to Use the Sharing Economy to Save Money – The rise of the sharing financial system has made backpacking Europe a lot simpler and cheaper. This publish lists all my favourite ridesharing, home sharing, native assembly web sites so you may get off the vacationer path and expertise day-to-day life with locals!

61 Tips to Make You the Savviest Traveler – These 61 journey suggestions will make it easier to develop into an knowledgeable traveler who will get round Europe cheaper, higher, longer, and smarter!

14 Major Travel Scams to Avoid – Shedding cash to a preventable journey rip-off sucks. Be taught what scams to look out for in Europe and save your self a possible headache!
 

Step 6: Discover Out What to See and Do in Europe

Nomadic Matt posing for a photo near the massive and ancient Roman Colosseum in Rome, ItalyNomadic Matt posing for a photo near the massive and ancient Roman Colosseum in Rome, Italy
What do you do whereas backpacking Europe? LOTS! Listed below are all my complete finances journey guides for locations round Europe with suggestions and recommendation on issues to do and see, methods to save cash, and typical prices for every of them. You’ll discover country-specific suggestions in addition to a bunch of cities listed as properly.

Moreover, listed below are a couple of of my favourite firms in Europe. These are the comoanies I take advantage of once I’m in search of issues to do, meals excursions, strolling excursions, and extra!

Walks – Walks affords in-depth historical past, meals, and cultural excursions in cities world wide (particularly Europe). Its small-group excursions supply unique behind-the-scenes entry different firms can’t get and use actually unimaginable and educated guides. I can’t suggest them sufficient.

Devour – Devour has all types of fantastic meals excursions round Europe. In case you’re a foodie who needs to study extra in regards to the historical past and tradition behind every dish, these excursions are the perfect on the continent. I take them each likelihood I get.

GetYourGuide – Get Your Information is a big on-line market for excursions and excursions. The positioning has tons of tour choices in cities all world wide, together with cooking lessons, strolling excursions, road artwork classes, and extra! It’s useful resource to seek for particular excursions in any vacation spot.

For an entire overview of Europe in a single easy-to-read publish, you can check out this free guide. It covers all of the fundamentals, together with methods to save cash, issues to see and do, when to go, and extra!

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This large useful resource checklist will make it easier to plan your journey to Europe in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step sample so that you gained’t get misplaced, overspend, or stress out about your upcoming dream journey. Europe is one in every of my favourite areas of the world (which is why I spend a lot time there). There’s a lot selection in meals, tradition, and language, in addition to a lot historical past. I really like the continent and hope you employ these tricks to plan your final backpacking journey in Europe!

 

Get Your In-Depth Finances Information to Europe!

Get Your In-Depth Budget Guide to Europe!Get Your In-Depth Budget Guide to Europe!

My detailed 200+ web page guidebook is made for finances vacationers such as you! It cuts out the fluff present in different guides and will get straight to the sensible info it’s good to journey whereas in Europe. It has urged itineraries, budgets, methods to save cash, on and off the crushed path issues to see and do, non-touristy eating places, markets, bars, security suggestions, and way more! Click here to learn more and get your copy today.

E book Your Journey to Europe: Logistical Ideas and Methods

E book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner to discover a low-cost flight. They’re my favourite search engine as a result of they search web sites and airways across the globe so that you all the time know no stone is left unturned!

E book Your Lodging
You may ebook your hostel with Hostelworld as they’ve the largest stock and finest offers. If you wish to keep someplace aside from a hostel, use Booking.com as they constantly return the most affordable charges for guesthouses and low-cost motels.

For options on the place to remain throughout your journey, here are my favorite hostels in Europe!

Don’t Overlook Journey Insurance coverage
Journey insurance coverage will shield you in opposition to sickness, harm, theft, and cancellations. It’s complete safety in case something goes improper. I by no means go on a visit with out it as I’ve had to make use of it many occasions previously. My favourite firms that provide the perfect service and worth are:

On the lookout for the Greatest Corporations to Save Cash With?
Try my resource page for the perfect firms to make use of if you journey. I checklist all those I take advantage of to save cash once I’m on the highway. They may prevent cash if you journey too.

Need Extra Info on Europe?
You should definitely go to my robust destination guide to Europe for much more planning suggestions!

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