Backpacking Western Europe has been a dream of young travelers for generations. From the shimmering shores of the Italian Riviera to the electric culture hub of Amsterdam. Western Europe is considered to be a traveler’s dream.
But I am giving you a different perspective, one that feels incredibly underrepresented.
In July/ August 2023 I spent 2 months budget backpacking in Europe, visiting Spain, France, Italy, The Netherlands, and the UK.
During my time traveling, I came to two realizations. The first was that most travel blogs have a very inaccurate picture of what European backpacking is actually like post-2022. And the second was that most people have no idea until they actually get there.
Table of Contents
- Backpacking Western Europe
- The Transport Is Messy
- It’s Hard to be Spontaneous
- It is Very Expensive
- It is Incredibly Busy
- Off-Season isn’t Much Better
- Where To Go Instead of Backpacking Western Europe
- Backpacking Western Europe
Backpacking Western Europe
For many people, traveling Europe after high school/ university is a bucket list item, and it was for me too. I spent years dreaming of the delicious food, stunning scenery, and experience of ‘European summer’.
However, most travel blogs will tell you the same story, that Western Europe is the backpacker’s dream.
They will say that the transport is delightfully easy, the tourists are escapable, it’s easy to navigate and possible to make affordable… but that was 2021, and things have changed dramatically.
Traveling around Europe in 2023 is not the same experience it was even 1 year ago, and many blogs nowadays are horrendously outdated.
Therefore, as someone who backpacked the route in 2023, I’m here to give a much more realistic perspective. To prepare you for the realities of traveling Western Europe as a budget backpacker.
Without further ado, here are 5 truths about traveling Western Europe as a backpacker in 2023.
The Transport Is Messy
One of the biggest myths about traveling Western Europe is that transport is a breeze. In reality, I could probably write a book about all of the problems I had in my short 1.5-month trip.
In Europe, there are 3 options for international travel, you have planes, buses, and trains. I’ll go through them individually, as all of them have their pros and cons.
a) Planes
I’ll take a bet and say you’re like me and you’ve seen somewhere on the internet, flights between Italy and France, Spain and the Netherlands, or the UK to Greece for as little as €10-€30.
In fact, 6 months before I left for my trip I went onto Skyscanner and that was all I saw, dirt cheap flights between every country imaginable. I was ecstatic, but what I saw when I arrived was far from that.
In peak season (roughly mid-June through August), prices for transport across the region skyrocket.
Instead of the €25 flights I was seeing in February, I was paying €140 for a return flight from Paris to Manchester with Ryanair (no bags included), and €200-€300 for a one-way flight from Amsterdam to Barcelona.
So don’t let the early prices fool you, planes are much more expensive than they seem.
b) Buses
I’ll be honest, I didn’t get on a single long bus while I was in Europe… simply because they‘re awful. Why would I pay €150 for a 20-hour bus ride?
They’re expensive, and generally a very uncomfortable experience. I’ve done some crazy things to save money during my travels, but I draw the line at sitting in traffic at midnight after 20 hours on a bus with my legs slowly turning to jelly.
c) Trains
And finally, the most popular option. You’ve probably heard about the backpackers ‘holy grail’… the Eurail Pass. In fact, many people set out to travel to Europe on a designated interrail trip.
In reality, things have really changed in recent years. I paid about $700 AUD for a 15-day pass over 2 months thinking that had me covered, but boy was I wrong.
The Issue With The Eurail Pass
The major issue is seat reservations. Even with a Eurail pass, most trains require seat reservations.
I did not account for these in my budget, because every resource I read was telling me international trips should only be costing me €5-€10.
The fact of the matter is €10 will only get you a very short trip. Unless you want to change trains 5 or 6 times, you’ll probably be looking at closer to €60 in reservations for bigger train trips. Which for a backpacker, is very expensive.
That is if you can get them. The influx of tourists doesn’t just affect the experience in individual cities.
In 2023, interrailing Europe has become incredibly popular. So unless you buy seat reservations weeks and weeks in advance, it gets so busy that trains become booked out. So you may not be able to catch the trains, even if you’ve paid for a Eurail pass.
This absolutely ruins one of the best parts of backpacking, spontaneity.
It became a massive issue for me when I tried to book a train 2 weeks before my departure date. I tried to book a train from Amsterdam to Barcelona and was met with a ‘We can’t help you’. This forced me to pay hundreds of dollars for a flight.
On the other hand, traveling in Western Europe by train without a Eurail pass will cost you 2 times as much as it will to fly. Consider €200 for a 3-hour train trip from Paris to Amsterdam.
What is the alternative?
So… how do you navigate these countries without busting your bank account or getting extremely stressed? Well… I hate to sound like a pessimist, but there kind of is no way.
If you’ve saved up enough money and you’re committed, it’s completely possible to make it work. But the reality is that the system simply can’t handle the influx of visitors.
So for me, it is reason number 1 as to why I simply wouldn’t travel to Western Europe again as a budget backpacker.
It’s Hard to be Spontaneous
I seriously believe one of the best parts of backpacking is spontaneity. The ability to move when you’re ready and experience the world at your own pace is an incredibly freeing experience.
The issue is, if you want to backpack Western Europe (especially during summer) that is going to be very difficult to achieve.
With the need to book transport options so far in advance to avoid missing out or footing a much larger bill, your ability to change your plans is greatly reduced.
If you’re like me and you love to take spontaneous trips with new people you meet on the fly, this makes it very difficult to do that.
I booked a Eurail pass for 15 days and ended up loving Paris so much that I stayed for 3 weeks. Consequently, I only used 5 days of my pass, losing at least $500 AUD in the process.
In short, when traveling Western Europe, there is very little room for spontaneity. And if you change your plans… it’ll cost you.
It is Very Expensive
I’m from Sydney, which is one of the most expensive cities in the world. But imagine what you pay in AUD, swap the $ for €; and you have the price of things in cities like Paris and Amsterdam.
Take your morning coffee for example. In Australia, I pay $5 AUD for my favorite drink: a matcha latte with oat milk.
But while backpacking western Europe I was paying €5, which is around $9 AUD, just for a small matcha. Same with regular coffee, bottled water, a meal out at a restaurant, and so much more.
Don’t even get me started on hostel prices. This year prices have almost doubled in comparison to last year’s peak season.
Most places were charging me about $90 AUD per night. That’s $2700 AUD for a month of travel, on accommodation alone.
If you’re traveling on a budget, expect to make all of your own meals and have a very basic diet. Plain bread with ham and sliced cheese (if you’re feeling luxurious) will become your best friend.
It is Incredibly Busy
This is the reason behind all of the problems we’re facing, Western Europe is beyond popular. And of course, there is a good reason for that too.
Europe is incredibly beautiful, it’s a thriving culture hub, it’s diverse, and its scenery is stunning. Which is why it has become such a popular tourist destination. But of course, as it has become such a busy place, there are new problems arising.
Not only does mass tourism drive prices and strain transport systems, but it also dilutes the experience. For example, an experience we had while road-tripping through Italy.
We stopped off at Cinque Terre. Which is a beautiful coastline and 5 towns that all look like they’re straight out of a movie. My best friend took a detour to have a look in a shop on the edge of the street, and as they were browsing, they could overhear other customers talking.
It didn’t take long to realize that not 1, but every single one of the 6 customers in that store were Australian. 4 left and 3 more came in… and you guessed it, all Australian.
That was what most of our experience was like. Very few locals, hoards of tourists. It almost felt like being back in Sydney with a massive green screen (and much better gelato).
Off-Season isn’t Much Better
That is if there even is much of an offseason anymore. In 2022-2023 a more accurate peak season would be May- October, as July- August prices usually stay through autumn.
In order to escape the crowds more and more people are flocking in the months before and after peak season, making it all busy.
But these things aside, the off-season is off-season for a reason. It’s not warm, the days a shorter, and the weather does not scream beach days and floral dresses anymore.
It is also much more difficult to pack light and there’s a chance some activities you want to do won’t be open.
The downside of the crowds dispersing is that it’ll be harder to meet other young backpackers and friends, the party scene isn’t as lively, etc. But who knows, if you aren’t so extroverted that could be a good thing!
Where To Go Instead of Backpacking Western Europe
Gili Islands, Indonesia
Looking for crystal clear water and beautiful beaches? Look no further than the Gili Islands in Indonesia! It has the most beautiful water I’ve seen in my life (and sea turtles!).
Plus, it’s very cheap- think $40 AUD a day- a good local meal costs $3!
Bariloche, Argentina
And stunning mountains with amazing hiking and views? Well, go to Patagonia Argentina.
One of the most expensive areas in Argentina, but still so cheap it made my mouth DROP. Bariloche is busy. in peak season, but less than most places in Europe.
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is not cheap, but it’s also not crowded! And better yet, it has some of the most beautiful, if not THE most beautiful scenery I’ve seen in my life. Definitely worth the visit!
Backpacking Western Europe
I wouldn’t travel to Western Europe as a backpacker again. Instead, I would go on a Working Holiday Visa or stay in one place on a Worldpackers Exchange. I talk all about these in my post ‘How To Travel For Less Than Rent‘.
However, if backpacking in Western Europe is your dream, go for it! Just know what to expect and plan in advance.
