Unplanned backpacking across several European countries
I'm an undergraduate student, and upon graduating from my university a year from now, I want to travel solo across Europe.
I want to be on this vacation for a month and a half. The catch is that I don't want the trip to be completely planned beforehand - for a sense of 'adventure'. Applying for a Schengen tourist visa would mean that I would have to show a detailed travel itinerary with hostels I'd plan to stay in.
Some questions:
Now I don't want to decide on hostels beforehand - I would know which countries I will visit and in what order, but I might, at some point, choose to travel to some random city and stay in a hostel there. Will the consulate be okay with such semi-unplanned travel?
I have been saving up money for such a trip since the last two years through various internships and projects - I have about 7000 USD that I'm willing to burn. Is this amount enough for such a time period? Should I consider a shorter duration? I'm willing to settle with really cheap accommodation; I don't care much about luxury.
Are there trans-Europe vehicle rental agencies that can loan me a motorbike which I can collect from point A and ride till point B, where I could return it?
Best Answer
The usual way for European students to backpack across Europe is to buy an Interrail pass and travel by train. 30 countries during one month in first class costs less than 1000€. Railways are very efficient in Europe.
Pictures about "Unplanned backpacking across several European countries"
Do people still backpack across Europe?
Thankfully, with the right knowledge, tips, and resources, backpacking through Europe can be extremely safe and fulfilling. Before you leave for your trip abroad, consider these tips and tricks to make sure your European backpacking expedition is a safe one.What is the cheapest way to backpack across Europe?
One of the top ways to save money backpacking through Europe is by Couchsurfing. You can find accommodation for free too. Sites like Couchsurfing connect locals and travelers, and many Europeans offer up their couches in exchange for cultural exchange.Is it expensive to backpack across Europe?
While your exact expenses depend on a lot of factors, here is the short answer to the question: how much do I need to budget for backpacking Europe? Backpackers should expect to spend between $40 \u2013 $70 USD/day in Eastern Europe, $70 \u2013 $100/day in Western Europe, and $150 \u2013 $200/day in the Nordic countries.What does backpacking across Europe mean?
Backpacking across Europe is a low-cost, autonomous, and touristic travel that frequently entails camping, sleeping in inexpensive hotels, and carrying all required goods in a backpack. Europe is huge, and there are so many fantastic places to visit.How to Travel Europe on $1,000 / Month
More answers regarding unplanned backpacking across several European countries
Answer 2
Reply to #2:
A basic normal hostel should cost 20...25 Euro/Night in Western Europe, plan another 10Euro/Day for food. You could probably travel at 1000Euro/month.
Reply to #3:
I don't know about any rental agencies who would rent out motorbikes in Europe. Motorbikes are for people who have to commute to work each day, or for students who need to get to school.
Either you rent a car (Europcar, Hertz, Sixt), or you take a train. Those rental agencies usually have a office at each airport or at train stations in big cities, and you should be able to get a car for a 1-way trip and drop it off in another town, but there might be a surcharge.
I don't know what you need to get an european driving permit, but if you are from India keep in mind that most of the countries drive on the other side of the road. My advice would be to take the train: it's more relaxing, gets you everywhere and it's most likely cheaper than renting a car and gets you there faster if you take the express train.
Answer 3
Your budget is more than sufficient.
Regarding the visa; I've never heard that you need to specify your intended itinerary. It is the very nature of the Schengen space that you can freely travel between all the countries that are part of it. You need to get the Schengen visa from the country that you are planning to initially enter.
I would second the opinion to use railways as the main transport vehicle. Renting a motorbike might be an option to explore the surroundings, specially in southern Europe (Corsica, Greece, Italy). But bear in mind, that in the big cities traffic can be overwhelming. But then again, it might be relaxing for you if your're used to Indian cities' traffic :).
Answer 4
To answer your specific questions:
1) even if your consulate requires such an itinerary, don't worry too much about it. Once you arrive, no one will ask you about it unless you happen to come in contact with the police (which if you stick to the law should be extremely rare). Worst case scenario: book a hostel for the whole time somewhere in Eastern Europe. make sure they have a refund policy and just cancel the stay after you get there. Then you are free to go and stay wherever you want, as long as you leave Schengen area on time.
2) You can make things as cheap or as expensive as you wish. I traveled for 6 months on 2,5 EUR a day, but let me tell you that is not easy at all. Obviously, that is extreme. But if you couchsurf and hitchhike (or buy a motorbike instead of renting one) you can cut your budget quite a lot. 7000USD is enough for 3,5 months of extremely comfortable traveling if you take care of what you do a little bit. Eastern Europe is cheaper then Western Europe though, so it also depends on where you go.
3) I'd say that buying and selling is probably far cheaper then renting. Especially renting from A and returning to B is usually quite expensive.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Krivec Ales, vectors icon, vectors icon, Stacey Gabrielle Koenitz Rozells