1-2 European countries to backpack in...but which ones??

Eve_Dublin · 08-07-2011 06:29PM #1

Just throwing this out there....I've just decided to go backpacking in a European country or two for about 3 weeks in August. I'll be going alone as that's how I prefer it (and I've no one to go with who has holidays + money...and no one likes me

) so if you were me, which country (countries....2 max) would you choose? What I'm looking for: culture, not pricey and not land-locked. I'm very tired, I've just had a can of Guinness, I'm a little tipsy and I could do something stupid so please advice me before I book two weeks in Hull...

Thanks!

cesc77 · 08-07-2011 06:34PM

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Just throwing this out there....I've just decided to go backpacking in a European country or two for about 3 weeks in August. I'll be going alone as that's how I prefer it (and I've no one to go with who has holidays + money...and no one likes me ) so if you were me, which country (countries....2 max) would you choose? What I'm looking for: culture, not pricey and not land-locked. I'm very tired, I've just had a can of Guinness, I'm a little tipsy and I could do something stupid so please advice me before I book two weeks in Hull...

Thanks!

One Guinness and youre monkeyed?My kinda gal.Do you need a chaperone?

On a serious note:
Thon eastern block country that Hostel was filmed in.

You'll have a hoot:pac:

Mr Benevolent · 08-07-2011 06:34PM

I would venture that Germany or Scandanavia would be best.

grizzly · 08-07-2011 06:35PM

France & Italy (People will say Ireland but that's boring).

stinkle · 08-07-2011 06:36PM

Spain! Plenty of variety in the different regions. Easy to get around by rail too according to friends. Not sure how expensive that travel option is though

Denmark is lovely too, a bonus is you can travel across the bridge to Sweden from Copenhagen and explore there. Slight prob is they're expensive enough places to visit...

EverEvolving · 08-07-2011 06:37PM

Croatia and Italy - 2 beautiful countries right beside each other, plus both are coastal and not too pricy (obviously depending where you go).

I would give my left tit to be going on a back packing adventure now but I just can't afford it. Lucky you, hope you really enjoy it.

Eve_Dublin · 08-07-2011 06:38PM

stinkle wrote: »

Spain! Plenty of variety in the different regions. Easy to get around by rail too according to friends. Not sure how expensive that travel option is though

Denmark is lovely too, a bonus is you can travel across the bridge to Sweden from Copenhagen and explore there. Slight prob is they're expensive enough places to visit...

I live in Spain and have been to Denmark.

Eve_Dublin · 08-07-2011 06:39PM

Confab wrote: »

I would venture that Germany or Scandanavia would be best.

No interest in Germany (except Berlin) and Scandanavia too pricey.

Alter-Ego · 08-07-2011 06:40PM

+1 on Croatia and Italy. Poland is also a great country.

Pherekydes · 08-07-2011 06:41PM

Russia. Backpack from St Petersburg to Vladivostok.

Are you sure you want a second?

Corsendonk · 08-07-2011 06:41PM

Sweden-Finland, nice people, plenty of beaches and lakes.

Eve_Dublin · 08-07-2011 06:43PM

EverEvolving wrote: »

Croatia and Italy - 2 beautiful countries right beside each other, plus both are coastal and not too pricy (obviously depending where you go).

I would give my left tit to be going on a back packing adventure now but I just can't afford it. Lucky you, hope you really enjoy it.

Thanks

Hmmm....seriously considering these two...are they easy to travel between? Could I get a boat accross?

Have been working hard and saving me backside off (work from 8am to 10pm most days) and eating lettuce for months...I'm on less than 12,000 a year. I deserve a holiday.

Eve_Dublin · 08-07-2011 06:44PM

Pherekydes wrote: »

Russia. Backpack from St Petersburg to Vladivostok.

Are you sure you want a second?

Was thinking of Russia too. Would LOVE to go...but would it be safe to travel alone??

WindSock · 08-07-2011 06:46PM

Why not land locked? The alps are lovely in the summer.

Italy anyway should keep you busy. A new Europe would be interesting and cheap.

Eve_Dublin · 08-07-2011 06:49PM

WindSock wrote: »

Why not land locked? The alps are lovely in the summer.

Italy anyway should keep you busy. A new Europe would be interesting and cheap.

I live in a land locked city and I like the sea. I've visions of me lying on a beach somewhere for a few days but....I could probably sacrifice that for somewhere special.

Emiko · 08-07-2011 06:49PM

Holland.

The views in the countryside are amazing.

Raekwon · 08-07-2011 06:49PM

cesc77 wrote: »

On a serious note:
Thon eastern block country that Hostel was filmed in.

You'll have a hoot:pac:

Hostel was shot on location in Prague, Czech Republic but was suppose to be depicting a town near Bratislava, Slovakia. Both are absolutely beautiful places and well worth a visit by the way

OP I heard that Slovenia is suppose to be absolutely breath taking. You've pretty much got everything crammed into one country, Alpine mounties in the north to Mediterranean beaches to the south. Plus there are loads of lake districts & Medieval towns outside of the main cities, Ljubljana & Maribor being the main too. Plus they are the only former Yugoslavian country to adopt the Euro currency, so no confusion over prices etc

livinsane · 08-07-2011 06:50PM

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Thanks

Hmmm....seriously considering these two...are they easy to travel between? Could I get a boat accross?

Have been working hard and saving me backside off (work from 8am to 10pm most days) and eating lettuce for months...I'm on less than 12,000 a year. I deserve a holiday.

I'd second this idea. You can get ferries from Italy to Croatia as far as I remember.

x_Ellie_x · 08-07-2011 06:52PM

A couple of years ago I spent a summer backpacking starting from Barcelona, Spain to Palermo, Italy. Italy is beautiful. It's not that expensive and the food is fantastic. There is loads of great cities to see. Off the coast of Sicily, there is a small volcanic island. It erupts a couple of times a week. They do boat trips out to it. You're not allow on the island. The boats circle the island a few times but they do get close enough that you can see the lava spewing out of the volcano. It really interesting and if you decide go to Italy you should do that. How many people in this country can say they've seen a volcano erupting?

Eve_Dublin · 08-07-2011 06:59PM

x_Ellie_x wrote: »

A couple of years ago I spent a summer backpacking starting from Barcelona, Spain to Palermo, Italy. Italy is beautiful. It's not that expensive and the food is fantastic. There is loads of great cities to see. Off the coast of Sicily, there is a small volcanic island. It erupts a couple of times a week. They do boat trips out to it. You're not allow on the island. The boats circle the island a few times but they do get close enough that you can see the lava spewing out of the volcano. It really interesting and if you decide go to Italy you should do that. How many people in this country can say they've seen a volcano erupting?

I was definitely considering Italy but I suppose I'd be thinking it was too obvious a choice...but then I suppose because it's so obvious, it's a good sign.

Hmmm....Russia, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia...

This thread is very self-indulgent...thanks for the ideas, guys.

Eve_Dublin · 08-07-2011 07:00PM

Emiko wrote: »

Holland.

The views in the countryside are amazing.

Are they not kind of....flat?

Stinicker · 08-07-2011 07:01PM

Turkey, Syria and Israel.

ejmaztec · 08-07-2011 07:03PM

Raekwon wrote: »

Hostel was shot on location in Prague, Czech Republic but was suppose to be depicting a town near Bratislava, Slovakia. Both are absolutely beautiful places and well worth a visit by the way

OP I heard that Slovenia is suppose to be absolutely breath taking. You've pretty much got everything crammed into one country, Alpine mounties in the north to Mediterranean beaches to the south. Plus there are loads of lake districts & Medieval towns outside of the main cities, Ljubljana & Maribor being the main too. Plus they are the only former Yugoslavian country to adopt the Euro currency, so no confusion over prices etc

I recognised Cesky Krumlov.

http://www.castle.ckrumlov.cz/docs/en/zamek_oinf_sthrza.xml

Emiko · 08-07-2011 07:03PM

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Are they not kind of....flat?

Does one can of Guinness affect your sarcasm-detector?

I offer you Norway, to make up for it.

The fjords are amazing.

Sergeant · 08-07-2011 07:05PM

EverEvolving wrote: »

Croatia and Italy - 2 beautiful countries right beside each other, plus both are coastal and not too pricy (obviously depending where you go).

I would give my left tit to be going on a back packing adventure now but I just can't afford it. Lucky you, hope you really enjoy it.

This. Throw in Slovenia as well, right in the middle and an astonishingly beautiful country.

EverEvolving · 08-07-2011 07:08PM

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Thanks

Hmmm....seriously considering these two...are they easy to travel between? Could I get a boat accross?

Have been working hard and saving me backside off (work from 8am to 10pm most days) and eating lettuce for months...I'm on less than 12,000 a year. I deserve a holiday.

If you're going for 3 weeks it might be worth checking out the Interrail tickets and have all your travel paid for before you leave, that's how I did it all those years ago. Google and Lonely Planet all the way, although I wouldn't bother buying the books as with the Internet so handy for booking you won't need to cart around a book.

johnnycnandy · 08-07-2011 07:09PM

Slovenia and Croatia. You wouldn't see many better places.

Eve_Dublin · 08-07-2011 07:11PM

Emiko wrote: »

Does one can of Guinness affect your sarcasm-detector?

Hahahaha...oh right! Yep. Looks like it. Actually this is something I've noticed recently...having to tone down the sacrcasm when you work internationally. Was out with a group of Americans last week having dinner and they ordered a load of meaty tapas that were very obviously meat. I dug in and as I was munching, I asked them, "This is all vegetarian yeah? Because I haven't eaten meat since I was 6". The looks on their faces were priceless. When I told them I was messing, they looked at me like I was out of my head with the madness. The Irish are awful sarcastic feckers...you take it for granted that everyone "gets you" and you don't realise 'till you move away just how sarcastic we are.

Edit: I love "jokes"...I TOTALLY get jokes.

Eve_Dublin · 08-07-2011 07:13PM

EverEvolving wrote: »

If you're going for 3 weeks it might be worth checking out the Interrail tickets and have all your travel paid for before you leave, that's how I did it all those years ago. Google and Lonely Planet all the way, although I wouldn't bother buying the books as with the Internet so handy for booking you won't need to cart around a book.

I'm 31. Isn't interrailing for youngins?

Sergeant · 08-07-2011 07:18PM

EverEvolving wrote: »

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

If you're going for 3 weeks it might be worth checking out the Interrail tickets and have all your travel paid for before you leave

It's been a few years since we went Interailing, but unless you plan to travel throughFrance, the UK, Netherlands then it never saved any money.

ball · 08-07-2011 07:20PM

Have to say, when I saw the title of the thread, the first places I thought of were Italy and Croatia. It's been mentioned by a few people there.

I think you're onto a winner.

1-2 European countries to backpack in...but which ones??

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