Backpacking in Europe
Why wander into the distance when the good is so close?, says an old travel proverb. And that means that many European backpackers, before they start their world tour, should also look for the highlights in their own region. Especially German backpackers like to go out into the wide world, but backpacking in Europe has its own charm. In Europe you experience things during backpacking that you can’t find anywhere else. And this does not only refer to the cultural and geographical diversity, but also to the travel itself.
If you want to travel from the cool North of Europe in Sweden or Finland, for example, to the warm countries of Southern Europe, perhaps to the Greek islands or Spain, then you may have forgotten your passport at home. Thanks to the Schengen Agreement, which guarantees you unrestricted freedom to travel without border controls, nobody will be disturbed. This also applies, of course, if you want to travel from Eastern Europe, which has now extended into the deepest Romanian Carpathians, to the centre of the Atlantic Ocean, to the Azores, which belong to Portugal.
Over more than 10 180 000km², from the Bosporus at the Asian border to the rough Atlantic in Portugal, the European continent stretches from east to west. You can do backpacking in the arctic regions of northern Norway or travel almost to the tropical-warm African mainland near Gibraltar. In Western Europe, take a look at the visitor highlights in France, England, Ireland or the Benelux countries while backpacking with the Interrail Ticket or hitchhiking. Popular backpacker countries in Central Europe are Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia and Hungary. In Northern Europe you will find a good tourist infrastructure but hardly any people.
Lapland, the deep Norwegian fjords or the dazzling northern lights in Sweden are just a few of the backpacker highlights in the region. But Eastern Europe also has its charms. The countries Belarus, the Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldavia or Bulgaria can partly still come up with hardly touristically developed landscapes. Backpacking is still a real adventure there. More tourism awaits you in Southern Europe. At least in Italy, Malta, San Marino, Portugal, Spain and Turkey. While in Albania or Montenegro you will meet fewer travellers again.
You can get to know the 4000 m high Alps or explore the Rhine and Danube delta. In the north as well as in the south and also in the west countless islands await you, among them Iceland, Malta, the Canary Islands or Cyprus. During your backpacking trip through Europe you can swim not only in the Black Sea, but also in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
Cultural diversity in Europe
As you travel through Europe, you’ll encounter a host of cultural diversity. You can enjoy the relaxed laissez-faire in France and its culinary specialities as well as the somewhat cooler mentality of the northern Europeans. In each region you will encounter ancient customs and traditions, which often cross borders. In secluded villages in the Alps or in villages far from the business metropolises in Poland, Ukraine or other countries, people still live according to old traditions as they did a hundred years ago. On your backpacker journey across the European continent you will also be confronted with countless languages. Have you ever heard of Rhaeto-Romanic?
In the great old cultural centres of Paris, Vienna, Rome, Berlin and Moscow, masterpieces of architecture, painting and many other disciplines await you. In a huge museum like the Louvre in Paris, you get an overall impression of European art culture. Some inner cities in Europe are even complete open-air museums in their own right.
Backpacker Information
As a Europe Backpacker you should put some highlights on your visitor agenda. This definitely includes a visit to the Alhambra in Madrid or a cruise through the canals of Amsterdam. Enjoy the funky life on the Spanish coast and venture a trip to the cult metropolis Barcelona. In Greece the island hopping from Mykonos to Lesbos, Corfu or even further to Malta is worthwhile. In Italy not only the Alps, the dreamlike Mediterranean coasts, old cities like Pisa and Rome attract, but also the Cinque Terre National Park. You should visit the fairytale castle Neuschwanstein in Bavaria as well as the Plitvice National Park in Croatia or the mystical Stonehenge in England.
Travelling in Europe is easier than anywhere else in the world. You benefit from an optimal transport network, which you can use by bus, train, plane, ship or on foot. The travel costs for your Europe Backpacking Tour vary completely from country to country. While in Central Europe it can be quite cost-intensive, as a backpacker in Albania or Romania you probably spend much less on transport, food and accommodation.