This Backpacker Chat is for anyone thinking of interrailing or city hopping through Europe. Becky is one of my closest Aussie friends and I met her while living in Australia. Not in a hostel… but through working in one of my most loved jobs. We became closer while I was away doing regional work. On return to Melbourne I needed a place to crash and she let me stay with her, ever the hostess.
That generosity has grown tenfold through our friendship and she’s been an outstanding travel guide. While I was farming Becky travelled through Europe and here she reminisces about her favourite countries.
Have a follow on her Instagram accounts for more travel related talk and a look at her life revolving around her GTS 86 and mx 73. Yup I travelled in style during the Aussie road trips she took me on.
Read on to find out about her meticulous planning process. I’ve had the good fortune of her skills being put to use during our trips together.
What made you decide to travel Europe?
I knew I wanted to travel alone for a while. I chose to spend my money wisely as flights from Australia to anywhere are not cheap. You get the best value by flying to Europe and seeing as many countries as possible. I also had a lot of friends living there at the time which was helpful!
How long were you in Europe and which countries did you visit?
I travelled around Europe for 7 weeks. Starting in Italy, then off to The Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and finally Croatia.
Take me through your planning process. Did you use group tours or planned activities yourself?
My trips were planned based on itineraries from travel companies, fitting extra activities I wanted to do and planning around that. This is super useful when trying to decide on the most effective order in which to see things. A lot of the hard work is done for you and you can always find ways to make it cheaper than booking into the tours. It also means you can take as long as you’d like to get things done in each city!
The only group tour I went on was for a week in the middle of my two week stay in Croatia. This was super fun and I met a bunch of lovely people. At the same time I managed to do a lot on my own when we weren’t booked into anything.
Did you stay in hotels or hostels?
I am a bit bougie, I’ll admit. My stays were in a mix of hostels, hotels, friends’ houses, private rentals and AirBnBs. Having a mix meant I still got privacy and big comfy beds every few nights. I saved a lot of money staying at hostels and sleeping on friend’s couches. This way I got to experience the backpacker culture. I made a lot of friends at the hostels which was fun and put me out of my comfort zone in a good way.
Tell me more about your accommodation in Croatia.
My favourite place I stayed in Croatia was a little private rental down a cobblestone street, behind Diocletian’s Palace in Split. I found an apartment, Studio Balić Lux, on Wotif for only €90 for the three nights (which was a bargain!). The apartment itself was comfy and beautiful, but the owner was the best part of my stay.
She was an older lady who had grown up in the house down the street and ended up acquiring a few apartments after Yugoslavia split. She was obsessed with me as I reminded her of her granddaughter Andrea. Who I am still friends with now. She came to my apartment in the afternoons to try and speak to me about my day. She knew very little English and my Croatian was limited to “hello” (bok) and “cheers” (živjeli).
To communicate she would draw pictures on the door of the apartment and it was the sweetest thing. I ended up buying her some traditional biscuits as a thank you and she demanded I come into her family home for lunch on my final day. She cooked a variety of Croatian dishes and introduced me to her husband. Her son ended up taking me to the airport! I hope I get to see her again on my next trip to Croatia.
Did you have any stand-out moments during your trip?
I made a lot of friends on this trip. One of the perks of travelling alone is that you have to reach out to strangers for any social interaction! A particularly funny day was waiting for my bus from Bratislava to Budapest and it just… didn’t show up!
It was obvious who else was a tourist at the bus stop, waiting for this singular bus. This resulted in us all becoming friends. After a few cheap vodkas at a nearby bar we eventually became Facebook friends. We decided to catch up for a few days while in Budapest. I hung out with this group for the whole five days, except for one morning I went out to Heroes Square and ended up in the middle of a DTM racing broadcast. The group didn’t believe me until we were out at dinner that night and I spotted myself on Hungarian news at the bar.
Is there a particular activity you did during your Europe trip that stood out?
It’s such a ‘group tour in Europe’ activity but a stand out moment for me was a private boat trip while in Croatia. This included heading out at sunset for dinner and drinks.
We definitely drank too much Jäger. But diving off the boat and finding a tiny island to swim out to and watch the sun go down was incredible. Probably one of the happiest moments of my life with people I adore.
Other than this, one of the other standout moments was visiting the Bavarian Museum in Munich. I spent the day there and wish I had another day to explore it. There was plenty to see and a great amount of history. I think as an Australian, the tangible history to uncover in Europe seems so incredible.
Did you eat any interesting dishes that you can’t stop thinking about??
I can’t choose anything other than the food in Italy. Across Europe I had a lot of great and interesting meals. From reindeer in Norway, traditional stews in Croatia, hearty meats in Germany. Nothing compared to being in Cinque Terre during the lemon festival. Imagine fresh limoncello and seafood by the ocean. The tomatoes in Italy are different to Australian tomatoes. It’s totally understandable that they’re actually a fruit. In Italy they are sweet and juicy! I had ham and tomato focaccia every day in Italy because such a simple dish was incredibly delicious.
Any tough moments while backpacking through Europe?
A tough day was when I booked a ticket to the wrong train station in Bratislava. I found myself essentially in an industrial estate and my suitcase wheels melted when I was rolling it down the road trying to find a bus stop (I had no phone reception). It was almost 40°c and felt like I was never going to make it! I finally found a bus stop and waited for a bus to ask for assistance. A lady helped me with my ticket even though she didn’t know much English, and the bus driver told me where to get off. I was worried for a moment that I wouldn’t make it.
Other than this I had hard times in Germany as I found the country wasn’t particularly fond of English speakers. I will give it another chance one day and hope that my almost two weeks there were simply a bad patch.
Initial struggles once you were in your first location?
I arrived in Milan and was met at Milano Centrale Station by my ex-boyfriend. He speaks both Italian and English fluently, so I had no troubles on arrival. That was all part of my plan, I knew I’d need a familiar face on arrival and someone who wouldn’t be upset about me sleeping a lot. I struggled a bit with jet lag as the day and night are inverted but this only lasted a few days.
What country did you last travel to?
My last trip was to Japan in July 2019. I was supposed to be there again for the last few weeks but couldn’t travel due to COVID-19 restrictions, which I’m upset about. It will be the first country I return to once international travel is safe again. I loved it that much.
Any tips for others planning a European trip from Australia in the future?
If you’re not going on a tour, make sure you plan where you’re headed as much as possible before you leave. This doesn’t mean plan every single day, but make sure you allow yourself enough time in each place. Plan ahead and work out a way to move through Europe that’s logical.
This will save you heaps of money in train, bus and flight tickets, and so much precious time. Also make sure you can go for as long as possible (max is 3 months on an Australian tourist visa through EU countries). The flights will be more expensive once international travel returns to ‘normal’ so you’ve gotta make it worth it!
What’s one item you took & never used?
I always seem to overpack. It’s not that I take things I don’t use but I pack multiples of things which is unnecessary. How many bikinis does one girl need to take on a European summer trip?! Not as many as I do.
What’s the one item you wouldn’t go travelling without?
A portable phone charger and a camera. I love Polaroids and take mine everywhere. I also know how important a phone is and definitely wouldn’t want to be caught without one – sounds like an anxiety attack waiting to happen.
What did you love about your first and last locations?
At the start of my European trip I landed in Milan and it felt so much like Melbourne, which was comforting. Milan was accepting of foreigners and quiet enough that I felt comfortable getting around on my own during the day. It helped me get used to the idea of being on the other side of the world.
For the end of my Europe trip I was in Split, which I had visited a week earlier, so I knew my way around. Coming back after visiting with my tour group was really nice. I already knew what I’d missed out on and wanted to do before I left, which helped me make the most of my time. The family I stayed with at the end of my trip also left me with such a positive, lasting impression of Split. I can’t wait to get back for some sunshine, cheap cocktails, fresh seafood and donuts by the harbour.
What’s your dream travel destination?
After being stuck inside for nearly 3 months, any trip would be a dream haha! But I would be most excited to catch up with my London bestie (you – Arti) so we can show each other our favourite parts of Europe. I’m pretty sure I would be dragging her back to Croatia to show her everything I loved there and hopefully getting her to drive me around 😉
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