The Highs and Lows of Backpacking in Europe
We can’t believe it’s already been six weeks of hostel–jumping, flying, (a little bit of crying) and exploring 16 cities…what a whirlwind. After months of planning, we somehow backpacked around Europe (U.K., Ireland, Germany and Croatia) without any mental breakdowns or missed flights. Each day seemed like a week; our only focus was to absorb each city and be present in every moment. A five mile sea kayaking trip? Okay! Traveling to the Cliffs of Moher even when you can’t breathe (because you’ve caught the worst cold of your life)? Can’t miss that! The highs and lows of backpacking meant pushing ourselves to physical limits, but without regrets. Panoramic views and new friendships also come with tired feet, skipped meals and hours of transportation.
During our last semester of college, we spent weeks meticulously planning how we were going to make backpacking in Europe a reality. But like anything with traveling, there were things we couldn’t predict that made our trip more memorable (both the good and bad). And with that, here’s our list of backpacking highs and lows:
The Highs of Backpacking
- Going from city to city was exhilarating – Since we only stayed in one city for a few days, it challenged us to say yes to every experience.
- There was never a dull moment backpacking in Europe – If we weren’t touring a museum, we were planning our next flight (or writing for the blog). Living in the now instead of “for the weekend” made us appreciate our surroundings so much more.
- We got fit quick – Six weeks of lugging around suitcases and walking 5+ miles a day is by far the best workout plan. Suddenly our pants were looser and our legs were stronger without even really trying, woohoo!
- A stronger friendship – Traveling is 100% the truest test of friendship. While we have our Lucy and Ethel moments, Caroline and I always have a blast seeing new places together. This six-week venture was no different. We compromised and worked together; but most importantly, we never took ourselves too seriously.
The Lows of Backpacking
- Sickness – Constant travel means being surrounded by people everywhere-hostel dorms, airplanes, bars, etc.-so it’s no surprise that we caught terrible colds. In the course of two weeks we visited pharmacies in Ireland, England and Germany searching for miracle drugs (which we found!).
- Physical exhaustion – With almost no down time, naps became a must. When you only have 48 hours in a new place, it’s hard to justify a quick snooze, but it was physically impossible to pack in more activities without giving ourselves a break.
- Long bus rides are uncomfortable (but cheap!) – Your legs are either cramping up, someone is on their phone or you just can’t get to sleep. While they’re sometimes the best way to get from city to city, it can be a drag to sit in one place for 5+hours.
- Luggage restrictions – Budget backpacking means budget flights. We found sketchy airline tickets for under $100 to most places. But like all things that seem too good to be true, there was a catch: A fee if your bag went over the carry-on size and weight. So yes, there were many times where we threw on extra layers so our bags passed the test.
*So that’s a wrap on our mini trip backpacking in Europe! See all the beautiful places we visited here.
