Backpacking Tips     

Transportation when Backpacking Around Europe

One of the big considerations when backpacking around Europe is how to get around. There are several alternatives depending on which countries you would like to see. Most backpackers hope to wander through as many as possible, but this is greatly dependant on the amount of time and money available.  One of the most common ways to see Europe is to get a Euro Rail pass based on which package is more applicable to your itinerary.  There are many different options that give you a certain number of days to travel in a certain period of time. This allows you to see eighteen European countries. One of the options is a regional pass which allows the backpacker to see a certain area, or nearby country, in a short time. Whichever alternative is chosen traveling by rail is a comfortable way to see Europe.

If you're going to travel between England and France you should use the Channel Tunnel. Known around the world as the Chunnel, you can travel by train in a mere twenty minutes. Of the thirty miles of area to cover twenty-four miles is under the water.  This unique underwater connection finally opened in 1994. It had been proposed and refused ten times starting in 1802. It is a remarkable accomplishment and worth seeing if that is where your backpacking journey leads you.

Another interesting way to get between places is by ferry. There are over one thousand four hundred ferry connections in Europe. That means that just about any place that is on a coastline will have a ferry you can take. Most of these are short crossings but not all. Many of them will be connected to hotel or other accommodation deals. But you can buy tickets at the ferry port with no problems. This is another unique way of getting around and a ferry trip, unless the weather is bad and the sea is rolling, will be a lovely adventure.

That leaves buses and hitchhiking as your last alternatives for getting around on your backpacking journey. Buses are safe and will take you anywhere in Europe that you want to go. They are relatively inexpensive and give you the advantage of nighttime travel. That means you can sight see by day and sleep on the bus while going to your next destination, at night. This can save you accommodation costs.  Hitchhiking is a more common way of getting around in Europe. But it does have dangers with it. Never put your backpack in someone's trunk or even in the back seat if you are sitting in the front. It is far too easy for the driver to take off while you are getting out of the car leaving you with nothing. It happens rarely but you do not want to become a statistic.

With so many options on how to travel around Europe on your backpacking adventure you'll be able to use a combination of these alternatives to make your trip all the more interesting.