How I Planned My Solo Backpacking Trip In Only Two Days.

Planning a trip can be overwhelming. It requires thorough research and multiple considerations such as deciding a budget, finding a suitable stay, creating an itinerary, packing and so on. 

Solo Backpacking across Europe had been my dream since I was six. One by one I listed my favorite cities and experiences; and slowly my bucket list was ready. 

While studying in Paris, I planned my dream trip in not more than two days- I owe this to my excitement levels and passion for travel. So here is the process I applied to planning my first SOLO BACKPACKING TRIP across EUROPE: 

1. I made a country-wise and/or city-wise list of places that I wished to visit- as if I had no time or budget constraints.

2. I then created a budget constraint for the trip.- This is one of the MOST IMPORTANT steps in planning such a colossal trip. 

3. I selected the cities that I wanted to see; keeping the time and budget constraints in mind.

4. I made multiple routes based on the distances and expenses for traveling among these cities.

5. I found out the cheapest and best ways to travel around Europe. I chose Flixbus for small distances and took a flight for the long ones.

6. I added and removed a few cities owing to feasibility and affordability.

7. I eventually finalized one route.

8. I only stayed in hostels during my trip – by checking the quality based on reviews and expenses on Booking.com. This again is one of the MOST CRUCIAL steps because a stay can not only affect your experience but also ensure safety and credibility. So I spent the maximum amount of hours in finding good reliable hostels. Another consideration should be the hostel’s proximity with the metro station, good cafes/restaurants, markets and so on. But you also select one based on its isolated location if that is your preference. 

9. I finally made the bookings of buses, flights and hostels.

10. I quickly made a list of the most necessary items to pack. I recommend packing as minimally as possible and taking a backpack instead of a suitcase for two major reasons:
1) Since you will be walking from a bus station to a metro station, or finding the location of your hostel/hotel/Airbnb, and so on, carrying a light luggage on your back will tire you less.

2) Carrying a suitcase will be tedious when climbing staircases of a metro or your hostel. It will also be unsafe and messy to open the entire suitcase to pull something out; whereas a backpack is vertical and narrow and won’t expose your belongings. 

11. I sat down and packed up my backpack ticking the items on the list. And, I was good to go!

So this is what planning my SOLO BACKPACKING EUROPE trip looks like. Even though this looks like days and days of work, it is actually quite simple because I approached it systematically- one step after another. I kept my emotions aside and created this Plan of Action as rationally as I could. 

As they say, “The rest is history.” Solo backpacking not only honed my planning and research skills but also helped me explore my potential, taught me a great deal about decision-making, taking care of myself and my belongings and thinking independently and on my feet. I hope these steps help you plan your Europe trip. You can also apply this formula to planning any other trip as well. 

My final note- “DREAMS DO COME TRUE!”