Backpacking Adventures: Europe Part I

2. Pre-Departure

Before we get to specific destinations, we'll start with the pre-departure phase. This is because a well-thought-out plan (or lack thereof) can significantly impact the trip. However, it's not always necessary to have a detailed plan. They say that preparation is the key to success. While that's true, it can vary when it comes to travel. You want a general idea of what to do and where to go, but having flexibility can be crucial.

You may find places you want to stay longer. Or, on the flip side, places you can't wait to leave. Most of the locations we'll discuss in this book are major tourist destinations, which means they're relatively safe in terms of enjoyment. For example, you may not enjoy everything in Paris. But overall, you'll probably enjoy the city. Still, it's a good idea to plan your trip with some flexibility if you're going for an extended period of time.

Structure

This book will be split into two different sections. The first, which spans from London to the end of Rome, will be focused on a trip that I completed in the summer of 2019. The stories feature myself and my brother Josh when we backpacked around Europe. We were lucky enough to travel before the COVID-19 pandemic spread throughout the world. There are loads of people who had similar types of trips planned for 2020 but couldn't go due to the pandemic. As we've moved on from the pandemic, hopefully those people traveled as they were once supposed to.

The second part of the book will be about a trip I completed after high school in the summer of 2017. This was a graduation trip that I completed with eight of my friends I attended high school with. It starts from Ios and will conclude at the end of Barcelona.

Planning

This brings us to the next part of the chapter, planning. Sometimes the most difficult part of planning a trip is deciding which places to visit. This can be especially true if you're traveling with others, as you all have to agree on the locations. When my brother and I backpacked Europe, most of the planning was dedicated to selecting where to go.

This is why you must FIRST decide what kind of trip you're looking for. If you want to see major cities and iconic landmarks, Europe is perfect. You can travel from city to city inexpensively and see spectacular sites along the way. Some of the most incredible attractions in the world are located in Europe, and on a global scale, they aren't too far apart.

Once I have decided on an area of the world, I split my planning into two categories: external and internal.

The external plan details where you want to travel and for how long. For example, a list showing your travel schedule could look like this:

Days 1-4 in London

Days 5-7 in Dublin

Days 8-10 in Edinburgh

This type of schedule is a good idea if you only have a month or so. In Europe especially, there are so many great places to see! It makes sense to create a rigid external plan. This doesn't mean you need to book every flight and accommodation in advance, but creating a general itinerary like the one listed above will keep you on track. As the trip progresses, you can adjust the itinerary when needed.

I also like to put my "top hits" (the places I want to see most) first on the external plan. When I backpacked around Europe, I knew I wanted to travel to London, Rome, and Barcelona. These were almost non-negotiable locations for me. I recommend putting your non-negotiable stops on your external plan FIRST and then figuring out how they fit. This is perfect in Europe because travel is easily accessible. You'll always find a way to go where you want. Create your external plan, and make sure your top locations fit all nice and snuggly.

This type of external plan is less important if you have time. When you're traveling for three months or more, you'll have opportunities to improvise. If you're solo traveling, you can always abruptly decide where to go next. You can even choose your next destination on the fly.