Princess with a Backpack

In retrospect, I would never walk in high heels during th e day.

MIMI ZU, FASHION DESIGNER

So many places, so little time...

Even if you already think you know where you want to go, do a little beforehand research. If you have enough money and no commitments, just explore and don’t be afraid! Last-minute travel decisions are often the best and there will always be other travelers doing the same. Here are some hints for pre-travel planning:

PLAN AN ITINERARY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

When traveling for several months at a time, I recommend having a rough idea of where you want to go for about the first month. It also helped to have a couple friends with me during that time, so I could get used to being away from home and the European lifestyle. After the first month you’ll be a pro!

I spent my first month in Greece and had pre-planned my accommodation for the first three weeks. I realized once I was there that all the pre-planning I had done was unnecessary and soon learned there will always be somewhere to stay, even at the last minute. In Greece, for example, there are people literally waiting for you to get off the ferry to offer you a room for a night or the week.

Read up on your destination before you get there. You don’t want to miss out on something worth seeing. It will also make you really excited to get there and the hours spent travelling will all seem worth it. A good place to start is the Lonely Planet Travel Guides; you can also check out some of the websites listed in the I Want More! chapter at the back of this book.

I recommend travelling during the summer months in Europe – it’s when everyone is out, you get the best tan and people are up for a fantastic time. It also means that you’ll have to carry less in your pack (yes, I said carry), which makes travelling between destinations that much easier. It also, unfortunately, means that accommodations may be harder to find and more expensive, but it will be totally worth it.

At the Airport:

You will need to go through customs, where you will be required to fill in a customs declaration form. This includes details of where you’ll be staying and for how long.

Remember to declare all items over a certain quantity or value, e.g. alcohol and cigarettes. Some purchases may require a duty tax.

How Long?

I travelled for around six months. I recommend splitting up one month between two countries and at least two days in one city, otherwise it’s too rushed, especially if you have to travel for two to three days just to get there. Have a rough idea but remember that you can always alter your ticket if you change your mind. The length of stay will determine how and what you pack, who you meet up with and what places you want to explore.

Where?

I knew I wanted to be in Europe the entire time, so I picked a handful of must-see destinations and the rest was left to fate. Speak to as many people as possible beforehand as well as during your travels to learn about places you may not have considered visiting.

I chose places depending on climate, who and what type of people were going to be there, and events going on at the time. For example, do not arrive at a destination on a public holiday when everything is closed.

My plan before I left was quite different than the outcome of the trip. Before I left home my itinerary looked like this:

GREEK ISLANDS – ITALY – SPAIN – LONDON – PARIS – AMSTERDAM

It ended up looking like this:

GREEK ISLANDS – TURKEY – CROATIA – ITALY (INCLUDING SICILY) – LONDON – SPAIN – PORTUGAL – PRAGUE – VIENNA – SALZBURG – MUNICH – PARIS

... Have more fun. Last time I was too focused on our schedule.

BESSIE BARDOT, MODEL AND AUTHOR

YOUR TRAVELLING LIFE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Hostel Life

Nothing is more associated with European backpacking than staying in hostels. Similar to a YMCA, a European hostel provides you with a bathroom and a place to sleep. Depending on the hostel, you may have to share a room with others and you’ll probably have to share a bathroom with many.

The first time I found out I had to share a bedroom with strangers, I panicked! I got used to it, and