Better to spend four weeks backpacking in just two countries or across several in Europe?
May 23rd, 2008
HermioneW asked:
My friend and I want to spend a few weeks backpacking through Europe. Originally, we were going to go to several different countries (England, France, Germany, etc). But now people are telling us we should just focus our time in two or three countries. We’ve never been to Europe, so we’re pretty torn. Suggestions from anyone with personal experience?
My friend and I want to spend a few weeks backpacking through Europe. Originally, we were going to go to several different countries (England, France, Germany, etc). But now people are telling us we should just focus our time in two or three countries. We’ve never been to Europe, so we’re pretty torn. Suggestions from anyone with personal experience?
Spend 8 weeks!
Yes, it is good to focus on a smaller number of countries, but you can compromise, by spending enough time in some places to get to know them, and less time in others, and just get to a couple of museums/monuments, and have lunch, and move on.
Seriously, try to spend 8 weeks! You can get a lot more done, and since the airfare is a big chunk of what you spend…do more for fewer airfares.
You know, with everything being so close (in comparison to the US) I would say go see a few countries. My deciding factor would be this: How soon (if ever) will I be back to visit some of these countries? If you know you will continually go back to Europe, then concentrate on just a couple (like doing all of the UK, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland)…but if not, get a EurRail pass and go with the flow, see what you can and have a great time.
Well, don’t underestimate how tiring this might be. I would be inclined to limit myself to one or two countries. IN my youth, lots of people did Eurorail and had huge ambitions to visit half a dozen countries, but it is too much. My little Texan wife (21) broke a Bosnian car worker’s nose for pinching her backside. The resulting train-wide punch up (tourists v Yugoslavs) took a lot out of us. You never know what will happen!
If you want to be able to brag that you have been in all the places, go visit as many as you can but if you want to remember places, keep the number down.
A place like Paris alone rates a week to get to know it, anything less than 3 days does not do the city right.
And having been in Paris you still do not know anything about the rest of France.
Try to mix bigger cities with smaller towns and stay 3 nights at least in the bigger ones and 2 nights in a smaller one and add a couple of villages where you either stay one night but spend most of 2 days or stay 2 nights and spend the day in between to see the local country side.
That way you can see a country and remember it.
If you do 4 main cities in a week you will not remember what you saw where and all will be a blur.
Spending your time like I advice will give you a good view on 4 countries a week each, and that will give you a good view on Europe, specially if you choose your countries wise.
Select those you always wanted to see, because your family roots are there or because you have always read about them.
Better still if they are spread over Europe, get a long train ride to divide the destinations, makes it more of a different experience in your mind too.
And you can plan on coming back to Europe and see an other part the next time, specially as the dollar is on an all time low at this time so it is likely to recover and give you more money to travel with next time.