I backpacked across Europe for 2 weeks and slept on trains and in budget Airbnbs. 10 things surprised me about this type of travel.

When I was younger, I preferred to pack liberally with all the outfit combinations I could dream up for that perfect Instagram shot right at my fingertips.

In August 2022, I spent a week backpacking for the first time through Eastern Canada and realized the minimalist travel style was much more attainable than I’d originally thought. 

So when I planned a two-week train trip through four European countries two months later, I decided to push myself to fit everything I needed into my backpack again.

From young adults describing their ideal gap year to college students recapping their summer, “backpacking through Europe” is a phrase I’ve heard since I was a kid to describe a DIY trip with just a backpack.

In these conversations, aspiring backpackers said they longed for an experience they were confident would set them free.

On social media, I often see epic photos of an empty nature scene, save for the backpackers and the turtle shell on their backs, with a caption about life being an adventure. 

I was surprised to find I had everything I needed. 

I used the same backpack for my week trip to Canada and stuffed it to the brim, so I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make it work for a more extended trip. 

I started with my work gear, which included a laptop, cameras, lenses, and a notebook.

Then I packed other essentials like chargers, toiletries, and snacks.

I also stuffed a packing cube with two polos, one T-shirt, one long-sleeve T-shirt, three pairs of pants, a sweater, a blazer, a dress, and two light jackets.

While I longed for more outfit variety on my trip, I was surprised that I had everything I needed despite packing lighter than ever. 

While on my way to each destination, I read about the sights that awaited me in my guidebooks. These books helped me decide how to spend my time in each location and built up my excitement for my upcoming adventures. 

During my trip, I downloaded a few episodes of my favorite TV shows to comfort me, which I usually watched around bedtime.

I also used my iPad to draw cover art for my band with the Procreate app, so I spent some time sketching designs for upcoming singles. 

When visiting multiple locations in one trip, I found the travel exhausting.

I started my journey with a red-eye flight to Berlin from my home in NYC. Then, I took overnight trains to Vienna and Venice, Italy, in shared sleeper cabins. 

I initially thought overnight transportation would be the best way to travel through Europe to maximize my time exploring during the day.

But for me, sleeping on board flights and train cabins among strangers was challenging, and I arrived at my destinations feeling more exhausted than I had hoped. 

When I arrived in Vienna on an overnight train from Berlin, I planned to spend my morning in Vienna, seeing the sights until I could check in to my hotel at 3 p.m.

But as I stepped off the train, it was apparent that my body needed rest, so I had to figure out where to get it.

Before going to Europe, I planned everything, from booking accommodations and train rides to mapping out the locations I wanted to visit to avoid problems.

But plans don’t always work out, and I had to make quick decisions, like when I arrived in Vienna. 

When I got off the train in Vienna, I started going to random hotels to book a room. By the third hotel, I got one. 

My trip was full of problems like this, and solving them made me feel more confident in my travel abilities.

When visiting a new country for just a couple of days, it’s easy to pack exploration into every hour without planning for rest. But without downtime, I found travel wasn’t as enjoyable. 

Getting sleep also made me feel more in touch with what my body needed, from staying hydrated to eating enough food. 

Wearing my backpack while walking for extended periods made my muscles feel sore. 

In crowded spaces, I kept forgetting that the backpack made me about a third larger than I typically am.

Sure, a carry-on suitcase is larger, but after lugging around my backpack all day, I felt like it could be easier to roll a suitcase around.

Plus, I’d have more outfits to choose from. 

In the Summer of 2022, it felt like everyone I followed on Instagram was in Europe. So, I booked my trip for October to avoid peak tourism season. 

But throughout my trip, I stood on my tippy toes to see popular historic sites above rows of heads obscuring my view.

According to SOTC Travel Limited, a travel company based in India, Europe is less crowded with tourists in September and October than in summer.

But in the fall of 2022, traveling during shoulder season became a big trend.

During my visits to Berlin and Zurich, I stayed in small towns about an hour outside the city center by train.

When I visited Berlin, I stayed in a tiny home hotel in Neustrelitz, Germany.

My hotel was a 20-minute walk from the train station, and I enjoyed starting and ending each day with a relaxing walk through town, where I spotted the occasional backpacker among mostly locals. 

I liked Roggwil, a small village near Zurich, more than almost any other part of Europe I saw.

I couldn’t help think that if I hadn’t booked this specific Airbnb, which was a 2-minute walk from the town’s train station, I would have never seen it.

With so many crowds in the cities, I enjoyed experiencing the quiet, slower pace of suburban life while photographing landscapes in less-visited areas of Europe. 

I visited six cities and two small towns in just 14 days, so I thought my memories of my European adventure would start to meld together after my trip concluded. 

Berlin and Vienna weren’t the only destinations to leave lasting impressions.

The canals in Venice also made me feel like I was in a storybook, while Zurich had charming streets with jaw-dropping mountain backdrops.

I spent my first week traveling solo, and when my partner joined me for the second week in Italy and Switzerland, I found I had a new appreciation for traveling with a companion.

While on my own, I had to endure more uncomfortable situations than I’d had on any previous trip.

Having someone to share memories with when my partner joined me in Italy halfway through the trip taught us how to work together in new places.

Next time, I’ll let go of my expectations and plan to be surprised.