Backpacker Travel Insurance

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Backpacking in Italy is one of the most popular European destinations when backpacking through Europe. Italy is not as big geographically as France, Spain or Germany but it has so much to offer that backpackers simply cannot afford to miss it. The history, the architecture and of course the great Italian cuisine! Italy is right up there with backpacking in Peru in my opinion.

So where do you start backpacking in Italy? How about Sorrento the pearl of the Mediterranean? The great thing about Sorrento is the hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour of the city. You can hop-on and off as many times as you like aboard this open-top double-decker bus. There are 7 stops and the entire route takes approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes. The scenery is absolutely astounding and it’s a great way to see the city. The bus departs every 60 minutes from each stop so there’s plenty of opportunity to hop off and enjoy a closer look at any of sights and then jump back on when you’re ready to move on. The stops included are:

* Piazza Lauro
* Rione Cappuccini
* Cocumella
* Piazza Tasso
* Largo Vescavado
* Piazzetta Santa Croce
* Sant’Agata sui due Golfi

Sorrento is such a gorgeous city with rich culture and history. You are free to wander down narrow streets to panoramic terraces overlooking the magnificent Gulf of Naples with views to the Isle of Capri and mount Vesuvius.

Backpacking in Italy wouldn’t be complete without a stop in Rome! Rome is of course the capital of Italy, it’s largest city the seat of the Italian government and home to the Pope and the Vatican. Renaissance riches are can be found everywhere but mainly within the centro storico (historic centre), where the stadium-sized Piazza Navona, sweepingly romantic Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain all lie within walking distance of each other. Backpackers paradise! Make sure you get accommodation as close to the center it is of course one of my backpacking money saving tips. Across the river, to the west, lies the Vatican State – home to the Pope, the spiritual center of the Roman Catholic Church, and the Sistine Chapel. Visiting the Vatican Museums is a must when in Rome. The entrance to the Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani) is a 15-minute walk from Piazza San Pietro. The museums are enormous, honestly, they have to be seen to be believed and you’ll never manage to see everything in one go – you’d need several hours just for the highlights. Each starts at the domed Quattro Cancelli area, near the entrance, and finishes at the Sistine Chapel, so if you want you can walk straight there. It’s worth really taking your time time though and don’t skip any of the sites. It’s unbelievable. You might never get another chance to go backpacking in Italy! Remains from the imperial glory days include the monumental Colosseum which is absolutely jaw dropping, the Foro Romano (Roman Forum), and the amazing Pantheon – which is a complete Roman temple, preserved as a church.

Anyone who has ever studied art history Florence is the black for you. Florence is an absolute must if backpacking in Italy. This Tuscan city is home to many of the great Renaissance masterpieces including Michelangelo’s David and Botticelli’s Primavera. Florence is the major center for Italian renaissance art, major sights include the Duomo, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery. Make sure you try the wonderful Florentine wine and food it is absolutely out of this world. It pays to keep in mind what you really want to see in Florence, don’t just turn up – organize and plan your trip in advance and that way you will get the most out of your trip. Try to arrive at the museums and art galleries that you really don’t want to miss early in the day, prioritise what you want to see first, as later you may be wasting the better part of the day waiting in lines. And if walking around in the Florence heat sounds like too much for you, imagine smoothly gliding through the timeless streets of Florence on a Segway with a personal guide with Segway Tours in Florence. It’s not only saves time but its great fun too! Florence is also handy for traveling to Pisa to see the famous leaning tower. It’s easily accessible by train and well worth the trip if only for the silly photos you can take pretending you’re propping the tower up with your hands.

As part of your backpacking through Europe trip around Italy you have to visit the beautiful city of Venice. Unfortunately Venice is quite an expensive place to visit but it is well worth it if your budget can stretch that far. It’s worth it even for one view on a clear day from the top of the Campanile in Piazza San Marco. Unless your heart is absolutely set on having a Gondola ride don’t bother. They are extremely expensive! Public ferries called traghetti – they look like a regular gondola only larger – cross the Grand Canal at points where there are no nearby bridges. This costs only a fraction of what a Gondola ride does and you will get the same views of the city.For a longer ride down the canal, hope on one of the many vaporetti that operate as Venice’s public transportation on water. I know it’s not quite as romantic as the Gondola ride but as I said you still get the wonderful views of this amazing city.

Well that about covers backpacking through Italy. I’m sure I’ve missed some other amazing places so feel free to leave me some comments about other must see places. Enjoy your travels and as always make sure you get your backpacker travel insurance before you go!

Does backpacking across Europe sound like heaven to you? You can backpack through Europe, see everything you want and not break the bank. It doesn’t matter if you’re backpacking through Eastern Europe or Western Europe lets face it we could all be doing with a few basic money saving tips. So here’s a few basic tips to get you on your way. A little money saved here will mean a little more doing the things you want when you’re backpacking around Europe.

One way you can save yourself some cash is to use the regional trains in each European country. For example, in Italy and Scotland you can get from destination to destination by using direct trains. You can also take the regional train which stops at every small town and is used by the locals to get to the big cities and shopping centers. This takes longer, but it will get you to your destination, and it could save you up to 50% on the cost of your ticket. You can always contact the local tourist information center to get an idea of how long the trains will take and how much it’s likely to cost you in total. You can they weigh up the difference you’ll save against the extra time it’ll take you to get from destination to destination. The local tourist office may also be able to advise you on certain routes to take as you may miss out on spectacular scenery otherwise!

To save money on a daily basis, stay at a hostel that is close to public transportation. This rules out having to use taxis which can be expensive as the public transport is so close you can visit the tourist attractions on offer. I haven’t really blogged too much about hostels and what to look for but I do plan to in a later post. Location is obviously one of the most important things to look out for. I’d go as far as to say it could make or make your trip to a certain location! Backpackers hostels is a whole different subject which I will get in to later.

A complimentary breakfast is a good way to save money so make sure you stay in a hostel which offers this. Buying meals in Europe can be very expensive and this will save you from buying one meal per day. Look up sites like tripadvisor before you go and look at the reviews that people have left for each hostel. You will get a good indication of what places are like from other backpackers who have stayed there. If you’re really lucky they might leave a review of what the breakfast was like!

An International Student Identity card (ISIC Card) can be used if you are a student or teacher or between the ages of 12 to 25. ISIC cards give you discounts at various attractions which will save you a ton of money. The ISIC card can be purchased in North America and can also give you discounts on buying train and bus passes in Europe.

If you have a flexible schedule, book a last minute flight to Europe. It can be a bit risky doing this as it doesn’t leave you much time to organize. From my experience you can end up with massive savings by leaving the flight booking as late as possible. Make sure you fly to your cheapest destination first as this can be a good place to start your travels from. If you’re from the U.S and plan to backpack around Europe it makes sense to fly to Britain or Ireland as it is closest and probably the cheapest flight available. Again make sure you start researching flight prices long before you plan to travel as you may spot a few bargains.

Always use the currency of the country you are in when in Europe. For most parts it will be the Euro. You can organize this before you leave as the last thing you want to be doing is exchanging money while you’re in Europe where the exchange rate could be unpredictable. You will often get a poor return for you cash using this method and that’s why I always recommend changing money before you travel. This can be in addition to credit cards or travelers checks as I also don’t recommend carrying lots of cash around with you!

Don’t forget to purchase your backpacker travel insurance!

Another popular destination to visit while backpacking through Europe is Germany. Germany appeals to young backpackers because of the country’s unique mix of modern and traditional culture.

The country also offers one of Europe’s most efficient railway transportation. The Deutsche Bahn is the rail system that travels from city to city within Germany and an added bonus is it is a relatively cheap mode of transportation for backpackers. EuroCity trains also run from Germany to other countries in Europe, which makes planning an itinerary much easier for those planning to backpack across Europe.

Before planning your backpacking trip across Europe try to take into consideration Germany’s two biggest festivals Cologne’s Carnival to Munich’s Oktoberfest. These festivals are definitely to best place to immerse oneself in Germany’s food and drink while interacting with the locals. Backpacking around Germany is wonderful because of festivals such as Oktoberfest.

For those interested in history one of the most beautiful castles to see is definitely Neushwansteir (aka Cinderella’s Castle) located near Füssen. This is actually the castle Walt Disney modelled Cinderella’s Castle after in his theme parks. It is absolutely spectacular, almost as much as the Cinderella Castle in Orlando!

If there is enough time in your trip you may want to book a cruise down the Rhine to view Germany’s gorgeous scenery.

Germany is a backpackers paradise with its romantic forests, picturesque hill and mountain landscapes, and tranquilly embedded seas. If you’re planning to do much walking or hiking there are numerous places you can go to. The Bavarian Forest also known as Europe’s Green Roof is situated between the river Danube, the Bohemian Forest and the Austrian Border. It is widely recognised as Central Europe’s largest closed woodland area. It’s an ideal area to go hiking in with well signposted hiking paths lead through mysterious forests, well-cared-for natural and cultivated landscapes, past small and larger villages or up to the mountain peaks of the Bavarian Forest, such as the Arber Mountain, the region’s highest peak at 1,456 meters. You can also travel along historic trade routes, between the Danube River and Bohemia, you can be transported back to a bygone age and follow the traditional routes of salt and glass traders many centuries ago. For a more challenging hiking journey why not try “Westweg” – the Black Forest’s hiking route from Pforzheim to Basle. More than 23,000 kilometers of well highlighted hiking trails criss-cross the most amazing areas of the Black Forest’s cultural and hiking landscapes. It is such a beautiful place. If hiking is your kind of thing while backpacking through Germany then you have to check out Westweg. Hikers can reach the highest point of the Northern Black Forest, which is Mount Hornisgrinde which gives fantastic views. Beautiful cirque lakes, such as Mummelsee or the secluded Wildsee, line the route. If you continue along this route, you will come past the European watershed, between the rivers Rhine and Danube. This part of the route offers superb views across the deep valleys of the Western Black Forest and the flat high-lying valleys in the east. The bare hilltops of the Feldberg area represent a kind of “subalpine island in the low mountain range”, offering a habitat for many plants of the Ice Age. At “Feldbergerhof”, the route divides into a western and an eastern route. Eventually the route will take you all the way to Basle!

Berlin is a must when backpacking across Europe. Berlin is now a modern city with great food and shopping but still rich with history. If shopping is your thing head for the Ku’Damm (the Kurfürstendammmstrasse) and the Friedrichstrasse. For the history buffs you can travel to Checkpoint Charlie and take a tour of where the Berlin Wall used to stand.

Some of the top rated activities to take part in while backpacking through Germany are:
1. City Segway Tours
2. Fat Tire Bike Tours
3. Mike’s Bike Tours
4. Insider Tours
5. Friedrichsbad Roman-Irish Bath
6. Europa-Park
7. Original Berlin Walks
8. Cologne Cathedral (Dom)
9. Pergamon Museum
10. English Garden (Englischer Garten)

Even though you are visiting a relatively safe country as Germany remember to get your backpacker travel insurance. Segways can be dangerous! Another important item to remember when backpacking around Europe is waterproof jackets for backpacking through Europe. The weather can be somewhat unpredictable so ensure you have suitable clothing. I’m not saying you need a backpackers survival kit but make sure you wrap up warm!

Backpacking through Europe would not be complete without a visit to France. This is a good place to base yourself because of the country’s central location. France is bordered by 6 countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain.

Most people do not know the wide range of activities France has to offer. People often associate France with wine and of course activities such as grape picking and pressing are available. For backpackers with a more adventurous streak there are sports like scuba diving and base jumping.

Of course with risky sports I highly recommend travelers take out backpacker travel insurance. This will cover personal injury, while it may seem like an unnecessary expense it is worth the cost for peace of mind and at the end of the day you never know when you trip and fall crossing the street and need medical attention. Backpacker travel insurance will also cover the cost of any lost wallets, mobile phones, or other personal possessions.

There are several factors involved in choosing a backpacking route through France. If you are interested in art and history then you may want to base your route around all the famous museums and chapels such as The Lourve, Mussee Rodin, the Musee d O’rsaythe, and the Sistine Chapel. If you are more into lounging on a beautiful beach without a care in the world then a route down the coast of the French Riviera would be perfect. With the recent success of both the book and the movie “The Da Vinci Code” backpackers may want to plan their trip around all the places described in Dan Brown’s book.

One of the most important things to consider when backpacking across Europe is accommodation. French hostels are generally clean and well maintained however nowadays there are so many deals on hotel rooms that if there is more than just yourself traveling it is worth looking into booking a low cost hotel. This way in a hotel at least you will have the luxury of an ensuite bathroom and television.

Food is one of the many luxuries France has to offer. Local produce, meats, bread, and cheese make for a truly delicious dining experience. Backpackers will have to take note that unlike most other countries where dinner is served in the early evening the French prefer to eat later around 8 or 9 o clock at night. Just make sure that you arrive at restaurants early to avoid the crowds and long waits. Of course a meal wouldn’t be complete without a glass of wine and France is definitely the place to get the most bang for your buck.

For those backpacking through Europe France is an absolute must. Backpacking across Europe would not be the same if you missed out on visiting France.