From mid March to mid April, I annoyed everyone I know by taking 5 weeks and living out of a backpack while travelling in Eastern Europe. From churches made of bone to horseburgers, it was definitely an adventure and I learned a few things along the way. I figure a few of these tips might come in handy if you ever plan on travelling and it’s a good post to put out while I decide how to share some of my experiences from the trip.

Pack Light

If there’s one thing I did right it was packing light. My backpack was 50L but because of the design could only really hold around 45L of stuff, meaning I was forced to pack light. I managed to pack almost exactly what I needed – I used everything I brought with me at least once and the only thing I forgot was a pair of shorts (and I hardly count that – who would’ve guessed it would be 26C in Vienna?!). If you’re staying in hostels, you’ll be able to do laundry so it’s not worth bringing more than a week’s worth of cloths (at most).

Free Tours are a Must

One of the best things you can do when travelling is take a free tour in the city you visit. The model is simple: the tour is free and at the end you can leave a tip if you think it was worth it.  If you’re a student on a strict budget, it can be small. If you loved the tour it can be bigger! These tours are great because they get you oriented in a new city, point out sights and restaurants you might want to return to, and are a great place to meet other travellers. My entire time in Budapest was spent with a few fellow travellers I met within an hour of getting to the city on a free tour!

Learn to Say Goodbye

It’s not the easiest word to say (or is it two words?), but goodbye is something travellers get used to saying quickly. Over my 5 week trip I probably said goodbye to 70-80 people who I have no way of staying in touch with.  A few people I befriended on Facebook or got an email from but for the most part these are people who passed through my life and I probably won’t see again. Saying goodbye is just something that becomes part of the routine for people who only spend a few days in each city.

Get A Back-Up Battery for your Phone!

Trust me when I say a portable phone charger is the most useful thing you will bring with you travelling. If you don’t know what I mean, here are a few examples. Some days you won’t be able to find a socket to charge your phone, some days you’ll use more than a full charge while out and about. One of these spare batteries might be able to charge your phone 4-5 times while on the go. I’m serious when I say I’m not sure where I’d be without my trusty back-up battery. Easily the most useful thing I brought with me.

Never Drink Alone Somewhere New

This is less something I learned first hand but more something I learned from a friend I met.  His name was Joel and he shared a hostel room with me. He went out drinking alone while in Prague and the next morning I woke up and his bed was not slept in.  I didn’t think much of it, assuming he found a local to spend the night with, but later that day I saw him an apparently he had spent the night in jail. According to him, he had been robbed and when he tried to tell police officers he saw, they detained him and put him in the Czech version of a drunk tank. Moral of the story? If you don’t speak the language, don’t drink alone.

Never Drink Alone Somewhere New

Seriously. Don’t.  I had another friend who had his jackets, keys, and wallet stolen and ended up needing to flee Prague because of a series of unfortunate events. Don’t drink alone y’all.

Hostel Location Matters Most

If you’re trying to pick a hostel, the location is most important. You won’t spend much time in your room (probably) so make sure you find a hostel somewhere in the city centre.

City Maps Can Replace Google Maps

When you’re travelling you won’t always have access to data, wifi, or Google Maps.  Instead I suggest picking up a city map that you can use instead! With simple map-reading skills and the knowledge that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, you can get around strange cities with ease.  Even when I had data in Vienna I relied mostly on my city map and not google maps – it’s just more fun!

Two Types of Fun

This is a brilliant pearl of wisdom I learned from a Californian programmer. There are two types of fun – type 1 and 2. Type 1 fun is fun in the instant.  Things like roller coasters, clubbing, and movies. It’s fun you have at the time.  Type 2 fun is fun that’s only really fun in retrospect.  It’s those activities that kind of suck when you’re doing them but you look back on them fondly. This can be having your train break down in the middle of the night in nowheresville Serbia, running 5k home to change into pants and then 5k back just to see an opera in Vienna, or trying to find a new route to your hostel at midnight in Bulgaria because the instructions you have are wrong (all three of which happened to me).  You might not love it at the time but you’ll love it the next day.

Bring your own Towel

Not every hostel provides a towel and sometimes the ones they do are pretty gross. Save yourself the stress by bringing your own. I used a “Micro Towelling Travel Towel” from Mountain Warehouse and it was perfect – quick drying and lightweight!

Stay Hydrated

The fastest way to having a bad time is to not stay hydrated. Drinking water throughout the day is a must when travelling, especially when it’s hot out.  Conversely, you might also want to keep a mental map of where the nearest public toilets are, just in case you need them.

You’ll Never Regret Walking Around a City at Night Instead of Watching Netflix

This is just something I noticed a few other travellers doing while I was abroad – they would spend the evenings in the hostel, sitting around and watching TV/playing on their phones/doing nothing.  Personally I think nighttime is the best time to experience a city and spent multiple hours wandering cities every night I could. Everything looks more interesting at night!

Talk to People

I feel like this might be the most repeated piece of travel advice in the history of ever, but it’s definitely the best piece of advice I can give. One of the best things about travel is that you never know who you’re going to meet. I museum curators, butchers, students, retirees, actors, software designers, journalists – the list goes on and on. I met people I would never, ever meet in my normal life and they were all incredible. I cannot recommend going out and talking to people enough.  Even as someone who enjoys time to myself when travelling, I would meet people everyday who were absolutely fascinating.  A few go to questions might be “What brings you to this part of the world?” or “Where are you from?”. The bonus of asking where someone is from is if they happen to be the same nationality as you (Canadians represent), they’ll be like instant best friends.

Keep a Journal

OK so I can technically claim I kept a journal while travelling. For about the first week I was good at recording my daily happenings and I found it pretty therapeutic. Sitting down at the end of the day with a beer (or soda, no judgement here) and going over the day and all the good/bad things that happened can be enjoyable. I fell off track when I started getting a little more tired and spent less time in each city making me feel more rushed, but it’s definitely something I would recommend to other travellers.

 

Those are my pieces of advice! Some things are practical, some philosophical, and some downright pedantic. Spending 5 weeks abroad was the most magical thing I’ve ever done and I will definitely remember it forever.  Look out for some kind of post detailing my adventures soon, though I can’t promise what form it’ll take. I’m considering posting a few stories with some accompanying photos, but I haven’t quite made up my mind. If you have any ideas, let me know!