Where in Europe should I go to for a trip?

Where is the best places to go in Europe for a backpacking trip?

• Me and my cousin, age 16-20, are planning on a backpacking trip to Europe. We’ll be going there for 2 months but have no idea where & when we should go there yet. England, Italy and France is a must-go for us. We would like to go shopping there, experience snow and sight-seeing. We’re planning to stay in youth hostels. I would like to know how much SGD we will spend incl. flight ( from singapore ), daily expenses, hotels and definitely spending for shopping and etc. Please help, thank you! ^^

• Answer:

  Shopping sprees and backpacking don't always mix well, Joanne, nor do youth hostels. Everything you buy, remember, you will have to carry around with you on your back in a backpack that isn't very secure. You will want to keep it light, everything you have. Youth hostels, while they might be cheaper, aren't known for having high security. You may have to carry your back pack everywhere you go. It's going to get heavy after awhile.... At your age, I'd suggest you keep it simple for your first time traveling alone. Look at train passes rather than flying from place to place. British Rail offers passes for so many days that might be a really good deal for you and train travel is easier, cheaper and more comfortable for adventures like this. Within Europe you can find some really cheap flights, though--but then you need to get out to the airport and back. How much money you need is dependent on what you do. Europe is very expensive. Hotels are very expensive, restaurants are expensive. You can grab prepared food from grocery stores and take aways, but that gets a little old after awhile. If you go,it will be quite an adventure! Sounds like you might need to do more research to get a more realistic idea of what this will be like and what you want to do. You mention hostels AND hotels-the price range can be considerable. If you are in the UK during the summer, you can often stay at University housing for better rates than hotels, by the way. They are usually conveniently located and offer a full British Breakfast. Imperial College in London is wonderful for this. Are your parents ok with this? While I did something similar when I was young, I'm not sure if I would want my daughter to do it today!