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(Last Updated On: 11/06/2022)

Backpacking is one of the most exciting ways to travel, and for good reason. The freedom of having all your belongings on your back and hopping from train to train and country to country is an incredible experience. Since this has become so popular, we thought we would give you some travel backpacking tips for traveling on trains.

 

reading backpacking tips at a train station

Let’s start with where we recommend you go before we give you our Backpacking tips for traveling on trains.

Trip suggestion 1: London to Amsterdam

Duration: 23 days

The Lineup: Rome, Viareggio (Tuscany), Venice, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, Bruges, London

London to Brussels Trains

London to Paris Trains

London to Lyon Trains

London to Amsterdam Trains

Trip Suggestion 2: London to Istanbul

Duration: 25 days

The Lineup: London, Paris, Lausanne, Zermatt, Chur, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, Sighisoara, Brasov, Bucharest, Veliko Tarnovo, Sofia, Plovdiv, Istanbul

Route Highlights: Eiffel Tower, Luxembourg Gardens, Lake Geneva, Swiss Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle, Dachau concentration camp, Buda Castle, thermal baths in Budapest, The Black Church, the Palace of Parliament, Church of the Nativity, Alexander Nevski church, the Grand Bazaar, Aya Sofya.

Zurich to Lausanne Trains

Geneva to Lausanne Trains

Bern to Lausanne Trains

Lucerne to Lausanne Trains

 

Our 1st pick for backpacking tips: Pack Light!

While the thought of lugging too much on your own back doesn’t sound appealing, it’s easy to overpack when you’re getting excited about your trip! Firstly, say goodbye to that roller bag and rather get a comfortable backpack that wraps around your waist for support. When packing, ask yourself: ‘Do I really need this?’ If the answer is no, ditch it! Even better if you can run up and down the stairs a few times – this will give you an indication of how you’ll manage if you’re running late for a train and need to run to catch it!  

Brussels to Lille Trains

Antwerp to Lille Trains

Paris to Lille Trains

Rouen to Lille Trains

 

Tip 2: Make The Rail Planner app your best friend.

This app downloads all the train schedules onto your phone so that you can access them offline and is important for your backpacking tips!  It’s perfect for planning your trips while you’re on the go and enjoying your time in a new, foreign place. Also, the app allows you to filter your rail options based on direct connections only, trains without a compulsory reservation, and trains with a bicycle carriage. Although we wouldn’t suggest taking a bicycle on a backpacking trip!

Dortmund to Frankfurt Trains

Nuremberg to Frankfurt Trains

Stuttgart to Frankfurt Trains

Bonn to Frankfurt Trains

 

Tip 3: Don’t mix up spontaneity with being disorganized!

The whole point of backpacking tips is to have the freedom to travel fast, lightly, and preferably without a care in the world! If you end up buying a rail pass, you’ll save money, but if you miss your train, it can start getting pricey.  So, whey up what you want to do and give yourself a fair amount of time to do it. Buying tickets in advance will save you money but it will limit your flexibility.

Cologne to Nuremberg Trains

Munich to Nuremberg Trains

Stuttgart to Nuremberg Trains

Dortmund to Nuremberg Trains

 

Tip 4: Last backpacking tips – Keep a dry pair of socks close to hand

The best travel backpacking tips come from personal experience. Nothing ruins a day like wet socks, especially if you are needing to walk long distances. To add insult to injury, the second worst thing to happen is not being able to even find the socks when you desperately need them! This ends up in unpacking a re-packing. Something no one wants to do! Both scenarios aren’t fun, so keep a dry pair in a pocket near the top of your bag. That way, if you do happen to walk right into that giant puddle, your solution is close to hand.

 

 

To get the best train experience when backpacking, at fantastic prices and without booking fees, use Save A Train, and don’t forget to print our travel backpacking tips before you train travel.

 

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