You don’t Backpack in Europe, you travel around it.

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Now I know that’s a big call and yes I am going out on a limb for a change, but I really believe this to be the case so allow me to explain. First of all however, let me make a quick disclaimer for anyone who is new to this blog. I’m making this statement based of my adventures this year which have predominantly been in South East Asia and Europe.

Firstly I believe there is a big difference between backpacking and travelling, secondly I believe backpackers tend go to Asia and travellers mostly to Europe and last of all it’s my blog so I get to write what I like. (haha, lol… just kidding!).

You may remember earlier this year I wrote a blog called “The Top 20 Best and Worst things in South East Asia” after spending about five months backpacking around it. Well since then I’ve also spent six months travelling around Europe amongst other places and instead of being boring and doing another top 20 best and worst comparison, I thought I’d do something different this time and compare the two styles of travel instead.

So first things first, backpacker’s verses travellers. This one is easy and I know it sounds simple but backpackers have backpacks. To an uneducated traveller it may not seem like a big deal and the idea of having a suitcase or wheels on your luggage so you can wheel it around sounds like a good one but trust me, it doesn’t work in Asia. Europe sure no problem, what with its good transport system, wide footpaths and general ease of access but for anyone who’s spent any real time in Asia you’ll know what I’m talking about. The concept of footpaths don’t really exist, elevators are almost non-existent and if you get dropped with 2km of your final destination your having a great day!

The other thing I’ve noticed is backpackers tend to go away for long periods of time. At least 6 months and often up to 2-3 years. In fact once I meet a backpacker who had been on the move for give or take 8 years! Now that’s hardcore. Travellers on the other hand tend to keep their jobs back home and are usually gone for about 4-8 weeks. If there really lucky and happen to be caught in the middle of an ‘economic downtown’ as we call it, then they can usually also negotiate an extra months leave without pay pushing it out to 3 months.

And finally backpackers are always on half the budget of a traveller. Your typical backpacker will have a daily budget and come rain hail or shine they’ll find a way to stick to it and the duration of their trip depends on it. If that means eating peanut butter and bread for three days to catch back up well that’s what they’ll do. A traveller on the other hand has a job to go back to in a couple of months so they’ll be happy to pull out the credit if needed and claim that life’s to short or it’s a once in lifetime opportunity!

So then that leaves us with Euro backpackers and Asian travellers. To be honest the two could not be further apart. When backpacking in Asia the older the clothes and less jewellery you wear the better. The aim of the game is to try and not draw attention to yourself and look at poor as you can. When you’re in Europe it’s all about fashion, looking good and trying to stand out as much as possible.

In terms of transport you’re constantly on and off buses in Asia and usually you have a ticket in your hand that you can’t read but seems to make perfect sense to the person inspecting it. Also it’s not uncommon for one 7 hour trip in Asia to consist of 2 mini bus rides, 1 big bus and a couple of tuk tuks just for could measure. Oh and if you’re really lucky the person picking you up will be on a motorbike, but don’t worry they’ll still know how to fit the backpack on… somehow??

Whereas in Europe, it’s typically one trip per one mode of transport. Every now and then you’ll need to catch a second train or tube to get you to your exact destination but essentially its one ride the whole way. For the record (and this is going to sound totally crazy) but in my opinion it’s actually easier to travel and get around in Asia with a backpack on. Tourist are considered ‘gods’ as they tend to pay the most when compared to locals and the whole system is set up to accommodate luggage. In Europe its almost like you’re a nuisance and there’s never enough room for your gear on a train, subway or bus. Interesting hey!

And last of all as a solo traveller it’s a lot harder to meet other people and interact socially in Europe as opposed to Asia. This may sound a little racist but as a foreign traveller to the region you stand out a lot more so it’s easy to pick a fellow traveller. Plus in Asia there are less places to stay so all the backpackers and travellers tend to end up in the same spots making it very easy to interact with each other. In Europe especially when you’re in the big cities you could be 100 metres away from 200 hundred other backpackers and you’d never know it. The second you step out on that street street ‘whoosh’ your into it and lost in the crowd. Over all I found I met a lot more locals in Europe (mainly b/c I couldn’t pick the backpackers) and a lot more fellow travellers in Asia.

Now this may all sounds like I’m pushing for Asia over Europe but that definitely not the case. I just think the two have completely different styles of travel so before you embark on your next big trip you need to think about what you want first. For me, long trips when you’re constantly on the move are better spent in Asia. Whereas on shorter trips where you want to explore a couple of countries at a time, then its Europe.

And most importantly, for every month you spend travelling in Europe you can spend 3 months in Asia for the same cost. In fact in Asia you’ll typically have your own room and be able to eat out three times a day and drink yourself silly if you’re that way inclined. In Europe you’ll be in a dorm room with 5-15 other people and you’ll be lucky to eat out once a day. Alcohol well that’s a luxury you’ll need to plan ahead for.

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