How To Go Backpacking In Europe With Kids
Last Updated on: 17th July 2024, 10:28 am
Have you ever thought about taking your child on a trip around Europe? Being a single parent shouldn’t stop you from doing it. Kids learn so much from travel and they grow as a person as they travel too. As a single parent, I took my daughter backpacking in Europe last year and was remarkably surprised by how well she coped with the experience. When you make your own trip up like this it is so affordable. And you can do it in the height of the summer without prices rising through the summer holidays. There are a few things to think about before you do this kind of trip. But we are here to help with some tips and advice on how to go backpacking in Europe with Kids.
How Are You Going To Travel When You Go Backpacking In Europe With Kids?
We used so many different public transport when we travelled through Europe. We had booked an Interrail pass because up to 2 kids under the age of 11 travel free with an adult. But as Tilly was 13 when we travelled, she needed a youth ticket. When we went Interrailing when she was 6, she came along free with me. An adult pass can cost you £504 for a 22 continuous day pass. This was perfect for backpacking in Europe with kids.
This may seem like a lot if you are on a budget. But if you think that you also have the kid’s passes in there for free, then it is an incredibly cheap way to travel. The interrail doesn’t just cover trains, it also covers some local metro networks, buses and boats (if that is the only way to travel). You can use the pass in 33 countries in Europe.
You can use it leaving from the UK. We had to fly from Stansted when we did it, just to travel a little quicker. You can also use the pass to the point of a port in the UK, including the airport. You could take your car if you drive, even better what about a campervan? That would solve your accommodation too. But it involves a lot of driving and can be slower than the train. What about travelling by coach? We have used a coach to travel many times in the past.
We have travelled to a few European cities before by coach and it is a lot easier than you would think. You can travel between some major cities for as little as 5 euros. You can travel overnight and the seats recline for comfort. These days you even get WIFI and power points on coaches. Ouibus are the most affordable coach company to travel with or Flixbus. You have so many options for travel these days. But if you are in a rush to travel between cities, you can always fly between destinations using affordable budget airlines. You would need to put your luggage costs on top of the flight price. Whichever way you want to travel, make sure you book it well enough in advance to get the best discounts and cheaper prices.
Where Will You Go?
There are so many cities to visit on your journey but obviously, you can’t visit them all on this holiday. So you need to decide what you want to do and where. Make a list of what you want to do and then tailor make the holiday to your benefit. Once you have made the list, decide which are the most important places to visit and which places are not viable to visit on this trip. When you have decided about the places that you want to visit, then get a map of Europe and mark the best route that you can take on your chosen transport. Your route will probably change right up to your trip starting. Or even whilst you are on your trip, be prepared for change.
Also do your research, because you don’t want to go somewhere that isn’t safe for you and your family. Think of a theme that you might want to follow, We chose fairy tales when Tilly was 6 and made a fairy tale trail across Europe that we wanted to follow. Tilly also wanted to go to the top of the world, so we went up a mountain where she believed she was on top of the world. Last year the theme was travelling to Turkey by train via Transylvania, so we could visit Draculas castle. Tilly also wanted to go to an active volcano.
Choose Accommodation Carefully
When we decided to go to Europe, we booked all of our accommodation through Booking.com. It seemed natural to use a website that millions of people use every day. A website where you could trust the accommodations as being okay. Because they were advertised there as good places to visit. But we went to a few places where the accommodation was disgusting! We were in Budapest and it was 10 pm, we arrived at a hostel to find the beds dirty, plug sockets falling away from the wall and food left on a table.
We quickly found somewhere else to stay, but it could have been so much worse. With the wide difference in economies throughout Europe, you can get some really good accommodations in the less fortunate countries for a cheaper price but in other countries. You will probably need to stay in a hostel if the prices are too high. Make sure you stay close to the city or town centres, otherwise, you can find yourself dragging a kid for miles, trying to find your accommodation.
Don’t pack too much When You Go Backpacking In Europe With Kids
Remember you will be carrying your life around in a bag for your entire holiday. Try to carry as little as possible and make your bag small. Don’t be afraid to give your child a backpack with their belongings in. They will carry it without a problem and you only need to pack a couple of pairs of shorts and a couple of t-shirts as well as a couple of dresses and a pair of trousers (in case it is cold). You don’t need to take straighteners with you, they are heavy and take up valuable space in your bag. Having one set of good quality satin pyjamas could be an idea, so that you can keep comfy wherever you happen to sleep – and they are not very heavy. You don’t want to be taking a suitcase with you. A backpack is better for travelling on public transport.
Research The Money That You Will Need
When you go backpacking in Europe with Kids, you will need loads of cash. If you are going to different countries across Europe, you will find that they are not all under the Eurozone and there may be another currency in some of the countries. Research the currency in each country and work out the rates. You can buy a prepaid card and put all of your different currencies on one card. If you lose the card, you can contact the company that you got the card from and usually, it gets replaced within 24 hours. I used Revolut for my trips, but also took cash because not all places take a card.
You can easily work out exchange rates on your phone when you buy things. Have your budget set out before you go, so you know how much you have for each day and what kind of accommodation you can afford.
Make Sure You Have Adequate Insurance
It’s always worth a call to the travel insurance company to check if your insurance will cover you when you go backpacking in Europe with Kids. Especially as some insurances have a limit to the number of days that you can be away. The insurance might not cover some activities that you want to do on holiday too. Check that the countries that you want to visit are covered by your insurance and whether you have sufficient medical coverage. It’s worth paying extra for gadget covers for your phones and tablets, just in case they get damaged, lost or stolen. Sometimes it’s worth paying a bit extra for no excess too, especially if you’re running out of money on holiday.
Have Fun When You Go Backpacking In Europe With Kids
Try not to get too stressed out, although travelling with kids in a foreign country can be quite stressful sometimes. But it’s still your holiday and you need to relax and enjoy. You are broadening your kid’s zest for adventure and they will always thank you for it.
