Preparing for Backpacking Around Europe

I woke up on this typical gray, dreary Oregon Thursday morning and thought, Holy Crap, next week I'm going to be in London! We here at Cheap Campers take fly by the seat of your pants to a whole new level. We have little more than our plane tickets and a vague idea of an itinerary, yet in 3 days we embark on our 63 day journey through Western Europe. The spirit of Cheap Campers is that we hope to force ourselves into adventure.... mostly because we lack the funds for the luxury of preparedness... but to adventure nonetheless! We don't have any hostels booked, train tickets, etc but we know we have about $80 to spend per day for the both of us to cover our meals, lodging, transport and anything else we need. Well, all the books say it's possible....

I am really excited to stay in hostels. Most of my experiences with them comes from staying in hostels while traveling with my Mom when I was a kid, but it was always exciting to learn each place's different rules and stuff. I'm really curious to see how the hostels in Europe work. That is, if we can afford it. Depending on our money sitch, we may be tenting it around Europe!

We are, however, getting thoroughly packed and solidly ready to leave the country. 

Above is Phil, re-sewing a button onto a pair of pants. Next to him is everything he is cramming into his backpack that he will need for two months. We have everything else of our worldly possessions stuffed into the cheapest storage space we could find, we found temporary homes for our beloved doggies, we made photocopies of all our important IDs, and gave our notice to our landlord, and are selling everything else that won't fit into storage. Ready to go!

This Cheap Camper has never packed so little for such a long trip! We have packed a tent, sleeping bags and mats, travel towels, clothesline, toiletries, laptop and iTouch, camera and batteries, maps, 5 sets of clothes, laundry bag, sarong, swim suits, flip flops, jackets, boots, water bottles, a paperback, neck wallets for passports and credit cards, a deck of cards, a flashlight, and a neck pillow. 

Our vague sketch of an itinerary comes from advice from Rick Steves (hands down the best advice giver we've read so far). We are landing in the UK on Monday, going to Ireland, flying south to Italy, and then working our way north through France, Switzerland, then we will hit up Germany and Amsterdam before making our way back to London for our flight home. I am flip-flopping between thrilled and terrified!