Preparing for your first backpacking holiday (or trip), can be a considerably nerve-wrecking experience. Just thinking about being on the road with nothing but the bag on your back is worrying enough, without considering that everything you need must be planned and packed before hand and must fit easily into a single rucksack.
When one of my closest, and least well-travelled, friends told me that she was heading off on a backpacking trip across Europe, my heart skipped a beat. She hardly has the wherewithal to pack a lunch for work, let alone a rucksack to last two months of travelling around in Europe. I decided to advise her on packing, and a number of other things just to make life easier, and keep stress to a minimum.
European health insurance:
First, it’s best to start with the basics, which, in this case, went surprisingly well. One of the first items to consider is an absolute necessity that backpacking newbies from the UK often forget – a European Health Insurance Card or EHIC. These lovely little cards deem you eligible for free or discounted treatment at many hospitals within the EU. If you’re a UK citizen, your passport alone does not entitle you to this, and although it is possible to apply for a Provisional Replacement Certificate it’s best to have your EHIC with you in your purse or wallet. That’s not to say that you’ll definitely end up in hospital, but the last time I forgot my EHIC card I ended up in a German hospital after being electrocuted!
The term “better safe than sorry” really does apply here. It just so happened that when I asked my friend if she had her EHIC already, she looked at me like I was talking Spanish (no, she hasn’t studied languages before her trip…). If you already have an EHIC then double-check the expiry date as they’re only valid for five years at a time.
InterRail pass:
The next item on the list of “must haves” is another little card for your wallet – the InterRail Pass. When I asked my friend if she had her InterRail Pass she was surprisingly acquainted with such an item (which was a relief) but she hadn’t yet purchased one. The InterRail Pass is designed with backpackers in mind, as it allows you travel within 30 different European countries at an affordable price. There is one disadvantage of the InterRail pass, which doesn’t apply to us all, which is that it can only be used by European citizens. The good news is however, Eurail passes are available for all, and allow you to travel within 23 different countries.
Both InterRail and Eurail passes have the option to travel within just one country, if you’re thinking of just exploring one.
Accommodation:
After calming my friend and assuring her that there was enough time to order and receive an InterRail card before her departure we moved on to accommodation. In my opinion, unless you know exactly where you’ll be and when on your backpacking trip (not really the idea of backpacking), I wouldn’t recommend booking ahead that often. Backpacking has a tendency to turn on you, and leave you stranded in Holland when you’re supposed to be checking into your Austrian hostel. In my opinion, it’s best to have a printed list of the locations of a couple of different hostels in as many of the major cities you intend to visit as possible. This way you can book ahead if you’re sure you’ll be in the right place at the right time, and if not just keep it on hand for last-minute arrivals. There are a number of hostel databases online which are worth checking out for the best lists.
If you’re way out of schedule and can’t find a hostel in the area you’re stranded in, pop in an internet café to find hostels located nearby or chat to pub and bar owners to see if they can recommend any popular hostels. On your “hostel list” make sure you check out reviews to see which hostel best suits your trip, while some are for partying, others are for recuperating so have a read on which you want to visit.
Packing up:
One of the hardest aspects of backpacking is the latter part of the word – packing. When it comes to arranging and organising your possessions it’s best to remember that you’re going away to travel so think practical rather than fashionable. Take only necessary items: clothes, notebooks for writing, reading material, soap and shampoo, one towel and then no more than two luxury items. In terms of clothes it really is best to pack as few as you can so think of versatile clothing that can double-up as day and nightwear.
In regards to electrical items it really is advisable just to take a single, cheap, emergency phone. iPhones, tablets and other such expensive gadgets really don’t belong on a backpacking trip and should be left at home if possible. Aside from the fact that you’ll want to escape the digital world for a while, you don’t want to your beloved gadgets to get stolen either. One electrical necessity however, is a decent camera, that way you can share your experiences with your loved ones and even start a travel blog.
Getting to the airport:
Next up is travel arrangements, thankfully as aeroplane technology has improved, you can now find cheap flights to European destinations really easily. Once your flights are booked, you need to decide on the best way to get to the airport.
One of the less utilised travel options which can save a fair bit of money is to forget about booking an early morning taxi and use a long stay car park. For example, if you’re travelling from somewhere in the south of England, by driving yourself to the airport where flights are the cheapest and booking a stay with a Heathrow airport parking company, you can leave your car for a long-term stay, safe in the knowledge that it’s insured and under 24-hour surveillance, rather than on your drive at the mercy of any thief who has the wherewithal to notice that you haven’t been home in a few weeks. Your car’s also waiting for you upon your return, allowing your journey back home to be efficient.
It took some convincing but after a while I gave my friend enough points to make her realise it really is the safest and one of the cheapest options for travel, especially since an InterRail pass does not apply in your own country of origin.
Written by Stephanie Staszko
(Featured image: Thuymido)
