<p>My son is currently in Europe on a post-graduation, pre-join-the-real-world backpacking trip. He has been sending emails that are making me exceedingly jealous. With the exchange rate being what it is, “regular” travel to Europe these days is way more than what I would want to spend. However, the web-sites for the hostels that he has been staying in don’t look that bad at all. Some even have private bedrooms with a private bathroom.</p>
<p>Has anyone done the Europe by train and backpack thing as a “mature” adult? Would you recommend it? Are the hostels an exclusive province of the young?</p>
<p>Some of the hostels have an age limit, but most don’t. I was in a lot of hostels with people of all ages. </p>
<p>If you decide to go, don’t take the long distance trains, take the bus. The Eurolines bus system is very cheap. Also, get the travel guide “Lets go Europe”, it has all the information anyone will need. </p>
<p>I am waiting for the exchange rate to improve to do the other half -Spain, portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Croatia, and some more eastern european countries.</p>
<p>Unregistered, Uk is not a good bet, I was there two years ago when the exchange rate was better, and I still found it to be expensive. The scandinavian countries are also very expensive (food, hostel, groceries, etc).</p>
<p>I have not used lonely planet, but I found Lets go Europe to be very good.</p>
<p>There are also some low budget airlines, I got a ticket for about $20 from Paris to london, but be prepared to pay extra if your luggage exceeds the limit. You also have to pay for drinking water.</p>
<p>I’m a college student, but I have worked in European hostels and backpacker places before, so I can chime in a little bit.</p>
<p>At most of the hostels I have been to, it has been primarily travelers in their late teens and 20s, but I’ve met a few in their 30s, 40s, 50s…even one guy in his late 70s! I think it is cool, usually, but I have met a few “creepy old men” who make us all just think “yikes! Go find a hotel!” Most of the older backpackers are awesome, though. It really depends on the person, and how comfortable he would feel in an environment that is primarily composed of 20somethings (and whether the rest of us would feel comfortable in his presence). I think there are hostels that cater a little more towards an older crowd, and in a lot of parts of Europe, there are other accomodation options which can be as cheap/cheaper than hostels (camping, bed and breakfasts/private rooms, renting an apartment for a week with a few friends, even couchsurfing).</p>
<p>I think Let’s Go guides are pretty crappy, actually, but I really like Lonely Planet and Rough Guides. I love trains, too (and they are much more comfortable over the long term than buses), the cost differences depend a lot on where you go, what class, if you get any special deals, and whether you purchase a rail pass. I don’t think that Spain and Italy are any cheaper than other Western European countries now, unfortunately! countries that aren’t on the euro (obviously with the exceptions of the UK and the Scandinavian countries) might be a good bet, though.</p>
<p>margieG, I’m not sure about that. I think when you factor in expenses like the cost of getting from the city center to the airport and back (versus trains, which you can usually catch from a central station right in the city center), and the added cost of checking your bag (one airline charged me over $30 - and the bag wasn’t that big!) and insurance…flying is rarely much cheaper unless you get a really good deal. I know there are some great discount airlines out there, but flying leaves you with no flexibility and usually the ultra-cheap flights don’t allow you to change or cancel your itinerary at all. It is a bit of a bummer to stop in some lovely village in Slovenia and want to linger onwards, knowing that you have to make it back to Vienna the next morning for your flight. (Then again, I absolutely hate flying, so I am biased on this one.)</p>
<p>Travel off-season, stay in smaller cities (for example if you want to visit Florence, stay in Arezzo where food and lodgings are 1/2 the price), and when ever possible stay in lodgings offered by religious institutions such as
convents or monasteries.</p>
<p>I used to live in Germany, and one of my favorite memories is the weekend we hitchhiked north to a castle we wanted to see. Instead of hitchhiking on roadways, we went to a lock on the Neckar River, and stuck out our thumb as a barge was going through the lock. They took us aboard, and we spent 2 days cruising up the Neckar. Woke up Saturday morning, and went out on deck just as we were passing through Heidelberg.</p>
<p>A wonderful memory! Ok, a little off topic, but thanks for indulging me.</p>