Backpacking around Europe, hints and tips!

Megahurtz400 · 9 Jul 2012 at 19:47

Hi there, some of you may already know im off round Europe starting on 16th August, and it seems a few other people either want to do the same or have done the same

Just after some hints and tips and general advice really, im going to be Interrail from Amsterdam to Croatia via Brussels and Italy, then up to Berlin through a load of places

Megahurtz400 · 9 Jul 2012 at 19:50

Ahleckz said:
Stay at The Flying Pig downtown in Amsterdam.

Eat the breakfast at hostels, it's not great usually but it's pretty much always free.

Already booked my first 3 nights there, anything worth knowing about it in particular?

Megahurtz400 · 9 Jul 2012 at 20:12

FabienO said:
Smile

That's my golden rule of life so no worries there

Megahurtz400 · 9 Jul 2012 at 20:21

Also was wondering the best way to access money while travelling, have a debit card with Natwest, don't have a very good credit rating so a credit card is out of the question, would one of those pre-paid visa/mastercards be a good option?

Megahurtz400 · 9 Jul 2012 at 20:40

Jongo said:
Get a travelex cash passport if you plan on just hitting europe. No charges for using abroad and you just load it up like a debit card its fantastic and you can just pick it up easily from the airport!

Looking at it now, i'd get it with Euros on there, but can I use it in Croatia and Poland where the main currency is different?

Megahurtz400 · 9 Jul 2012 at 20:42

Trifid said:
I just withdrew money from my Natwest debit card for my whole trip. The exchange rate appeared to be great and avoided having wasted money and is no hassle to use, just find any ATM.

No fee's for this?

Megahurtz400 · 9 Jul 2012 at 20:46

Jongo said:
None in EU countries iirc.

You can use it in Croatia and Poland( i did) but it charges you a little bit (around a euro per transaction), will be tons less than natwest though! If i remember correctly natwest charge a bomb for using a card abroad.

Lovely stuff will get one of these then

Megahurtz400 · 9 Jul 2012 at 20:56

Ahleckz said:
He's a student, so might not be able to get that card. What would you suggest if you were refused?

Not a student, in a very well paying job for my age, but the fact I have a poor credit rating from being silly when I was younger and the fact i've just handed in my notice will mean I probably won't be able to get one

Megahurtz400 · 9 Jul 2012 at 20:57

[TW]Fox;22311697 said:
I looked at these today and had to laugh at the pricing. They wanted 50 quid a night for a double room in Vienna.

So I booked a double at a Marriott instead for 7 quid a night more. Whats the point when the savings are so lame

Jongo said:
Its always more expensive to have your own room, we stayed in a dorm with 4 others it was around 20 euros per person iirc. Which was probably the most expensive hostel we stayed at but it was also a very great social place to meet new people etc.

Going for as cheap as possible, don't mind 32 bed dorms tbh!

Megahurtz400 · 9 Jul 2012 at 21:00

No worries dude just thought i'd say, job was well paying but boring as hell, decided to jack it in, grow a beard and backpack around Europe instead

Megahurtz400 · 9 Jul 2012 at 21:07

cm1179 said:
be careful. there's 2 of them. make sure you don't waste an hour on tram and foot going to the wrong one (like i did) and be prepared to meet lots of americans.

Yeah i'm in the Downtown one nearest to the main station

And Fox my credit rating is terrible, got a 24 month phone contract when I was 18 then lost my job the month after, can't even get a "topman" store card or similar

Megahurtz400 · 10 Jul 2012 at 00:57

[TW]Fox;22311855 said:
Doh

I'll wave if I see you, I'm off around Europe the week after

Doh indeed

Where abouts you headed? Should definitely meet for a beer if we're in the same city, drop me a trust e-mail

Megahurtz400 · 10 Jul 2012 at 00:59

cm1179 said:
things didn't get that easy until berlin (generator) and czech rep (apple) i recommend both if you want to party.

Will check them both out

Megahurtz400 · 10 Jul 2012 at 01:08

Van Hellseek said:
General travelling tip (not just Europe)...

TAKE A BIRO.

You'll be suprised how often it will come in handy.

Same goes for a supermarket plaggy bag or two actually.

Bought a nice Journal a pack of Biros this evening

EDIT: Also, check mah new avatar, watch yo'selves!

Megahurtz400 · 11 Jul 2012 at 00:30

Bahahaha knew something like that would be said, never seen any of the Hostel films

I feel so unprepared it's unreal, not sure why, is that normal?

Megahurtz400 · 11 Jul 2012 at 00:41

KatanaDV20 said:
Hey dude are you going alone? Prob a stupid question but just curious. Im planning on a trip like this but dont have any friends who wanna go with me so I will be doing this alone.

If you are going by yourself would be really cool if you could do a trip report of sorts when you get back! Or of course post on here while youre out there

For the exact reasons Van Hellseek has just said, i'm going by myself!

Just take the plunge and do it dude, there is so many people doing exactly the same you'll never be alone as long as you can hold a decent conversation with someone

Yeah i'm planning to try and do a video at least once every few days and compile it all into a sort of mini-series if I can, at the very least i'm going to be writing in my journal every day so will compile a nice trip report when i'm back

And yes, the closer it's getting now, i'm actually getting a little bit nervous, which is a weird feeling for me cause i'm such a completely care free person! I'm just like "Do I have enough money? What if I hate it? Where the hell am I actually going?"

Megahurtz400 · 11 Jul 2012 at 00:51

Craig321 said:
That's half the fun of travelling though!

I'm jealous you're leaving so soon! My travels likely only start early next year.

Starting on Ascension Island, then Trans-Siberian & into Asia for a few months (not that I'm bragging or anything ) - can't wait

Alright show off!

Plan on doing hell of a lot of random stuff over the next few years tbh, might do a TEFL course and work over in China if I can next year, then hopefully a season as a mountain bike guide in California sometime very soon, just fed up with trying to find a career when I have no idea what I want to do, so just going to do what the hell I want until I absolutely have to be responsible

Megahurtz400 · 11 Jul 2012 at 00:59

Craig321 said:
Sounds good! I'm in a sort of similar situation. Came out of college, worked for 3 years in what I thought I wanted to do for a living, but got restless I suppose, wanted to travel before it got too late.

I'm thinking of doing some WWOOFING myself after travelling. Basically working on a farm for a few hours a day in exchange for food & somewhere to sleep.

Anyway, I don't mean to de-rail your thread

Enjoy! I can't give any advice on travelling Europe really, not done it myself!

Any traveling/traveling alone advice is welcome, how are you preparing for your trip?

Megahurtz400 · 11 Jul 2012 at 01:01

Ahleckz said:
Oh Megahurtz, don't be nervous. It's natural, sure, but nothing that bad will happen and at the end of the day you're never that far away from 'home' wherever in the World you are.

If you're doing a TEFL course, then make sure it's one of the two proper ones. I finished my CELTA last month and must get round to sorting a job. I'm actually thinking China might be a good idea now - really want to have a job by September!

Haha I know, just i'm not used to feeling nervous so it's even weirder!

A mate lived in China for 6 months last year and he says it was the craziest and best time of his life, absolutely loved it!

Was just randomly looking a jobs the other day at work, you can get a job in a Disney center, teaching kids how to speak English with help of Timone and Pumba from Lion King, I NEED THAT JOB!

Megahurtz400 · 11 Jul 2012 at 01:06

Ahleckz said:
One of the girls on my course had a friend that worked for Disney teaching English and said it was horrible. So prescribed and controlling. I want to be able to teach effectively but in my own style (though obviously following a syllabus).

I'm hoping to get to South America but there aren't a great deal of jobs. I'm trying everything possible to avoid Thailand and the ilk and Spain.

Good to hear another side of the story!

My mate just worked for a standard school, and was given a lot of freedom in planning lessons and what they did

At the end of every lesson he'd get the kids to pick a song, then before the next lesson he'd learn it on guitar and then teach the kids the words and how to pronounce them properly and get them all to sing a long