Make Each Day Count

The first time I backpacked Europe my travel buddy and I saw everything at the speed of light and took little time to hang out in towns longer than a single night. We wanted to see as much as possible because we both had the mindset we would be back one day and know where we would want to visit again. I think our grand total of cities visited was 34 in 32 days. When it was all over, I felt like I needed a vacation after my vacation. But I wouldn’t have changed anything about that trip.

This method of seeing Europe is not for everyone, but for those of you who have a limited amount of time to spend overseas or happen to enjoy speaking a new language every other day, I highly recommend it. Some smaller towns will require only a single day to see the main sights before heading back to the station for an overnight train to the next destination. Most cities will need more time to truly savor each landmark, although you will be shocked by how familiar you can get with a city in just a few days.

Many people wonder how long they should stay in each city, and the truth is that there is no right answer because it depends on what each backpacker wants to see. I lived in England for two years and I still didn’t experience everything the cities I lived in had to offer. Every day will bring a new adventure regardless how long you stay in a place. A stay of more than a day will bring a couple things – familiarity with the area, more chances to meet locals and other travelers, and the opportunity to learn more about the language, food, and culture.

When deciding how long to stay in each city, think about the sights you want to see. For instance, if you want to visit the Louvre in Paris you will need to budget half a day if you want to take in even a quarter of the beauty that building houses. And that is only one of the sights Paris has to offer. Another aspect to consider is how large a city is. London not only has loads of places to visit but is spread out and requires public transportation, which means it will take more time to get from place to place.

It is also important to budget a few days for relaxation to make sure you aren’t spending every day running from tourist attraction to tourist attraction. We chose some of the most beautiful cities in Europe like Interlaken, Switzerland, and Cinque Terre, Italy, to hike and sunbath and not worry about what time it was. Once you have been going nonstop for a week, or two you will be so happy to recharge your batteries and slow things down for a bit.

Before you make the trip across the pond, sit down with all the people in your group and make a list of all the cities and villages everyone wants to see, including the sights that you deem crucial to visit. Find out what pace everyone feels comfortable with and how much relax time you want. It’s best to cover these items before you leave so that arguments don’t arise when one person wants to spend five days at each stop while everyone else is bored by day two.