I am planning a 44 day inter-railing trip around Europe for July-August 2016. I live in England so have been lucky to travel to a large amount of European cities before but never as a solo traveler. I am planning to go to Seville, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Vienna, Salzburg, Verona, Florence and Rome. I will book and pay for trains and accommodation in advance because I am not a spur of the moment sort of person, but any ideas for what daily budget I would need for food and drink? I suppose it would vary quite dramatically between different cities. Also, i'll be 24, will I be one of the oldest in the hostels? All the blogs I read seem to be by teenagers and I don't want to be the odd one out. Any other tips people want to share would be great
wow your trip sounds really exciting. Can i ask if you are travelling on a budget? I would say 30-40 euros daily for food and drinks but that also depends on the country you are in. In places that are more expensive like Paris, you'll probably need more. Also don't worry about the age, 24 is very young and in hostels, people of all ages stay there. Most of them are teenagers, young adults and even elderly couples on vacation. You most certainly wouldnt be the odd one in hostels because in hostels, every one is unique and coming in from somewhere, That's what it makes it interesting, you can meet people from different walks of life, of different age and interests.
You can also check out my blog on some travel and safety tips for solo female traveller.
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Don't worry about the age! Hostel guests range from teenagers to adventurist pensioners :D
As for food budget, it depends on your diet preferences. You may be fine with a cheap Donnerkebab or Currywurst snack when in Berlin, for example, but if you're a healthy-food-conscious person get ready to pay more..
Hello!
this will be an awesome trip.
And I promise you that you will definitely not the oldest one in a hostel. 24 years is quite young! A lot of solo travelers prefer Hostels no matter how old they are, because you can easily get to know new people.
I can really recommend you this Hostel for your stay in Barcelona: -snip-
Nice staff, clean, central, awesome for socializing!
The money you will spend on food will highly depend on your lifestyle... If you are staying in a hostel the most of them have a kitchen. Therefore your are not forced to eat outside every time.
Enjoy your trip!
12 cities in 44 days? That is a lot! Personally I prefer spending time in each place I visit, I really feel like you don't get as much out of a place if you visit it for such a short time, but I'm not an experienced traveller, my main example is Berlin (solo female traveller) - first time I visited, I only spent two nights there, and I found it really overwhelming, I got lost a couple times, had weird run-ins with local gangs by being in the wrong place in the wrong time twice (partly my bad luck haha) and I didn't meet any locals - just other tourists, and spent both evenings in my hostel alone! Second time in Berlin I stayed for an entire week and made an effort to meet local people, it was amazing and I had so much fun, it's made me want to live there! People who live there just know it better then any online guide! I love Berlin! It made me realize that two days of visiting famous places and eating at guide recommended cafes is really not enough for me, personally. But we're all different and I fully respect that you might prefer just quick visits
I am 24 and found people in hostels to be similar age most of the time, sometimes much older! In fact the hostel I stayed at had no teenagers at all, everyone was about 20 - 30.
If you go to Berlin, I would say be careful at night on your own. My friend got himself beaten up in Gorlitzer park at 3am, he was okay just shaken, and he was drunk. I was stalked by a guy on my first day in Berlin, he actually tried to kidnap me which was really disturbing! But it was my fault for a) not being firm with him and b) walking with him on my own to a side road away from the main street - this is just a risk solo female travellers make in a city. Also, I stayed in a more run down area of Berlin. And if you go to Gorlitzer park prepare to be hassled by dealers, it was pretty damn endless... But when I went there with locals last year, nobody bothered me at all. I personally spent only about 20 euros a day on food both times, but I don't drink much (maybe the odd beer, which is super cheap) - you can easily find a good meal in Berlin for 5 - 8 euros! Or cheaper. I lived off falafel wraps When I was in Spain I camped and cooked all my meals save buying the odd chips or pizza which seemed more expensive then Berlin, so I imagine the Spanish cities might be more expensive then that.
sounds like an awesome trip! I was 49 when I travelled solo around Europe staying mainly in hostels and most of my travel was by train. So no, you wont be an "oldie" in the hostels!
Budget is difficult to advise on, it really depends on what kind of meals you want, cheap local eats or restaurant meals. I also think its better to over budget so you are not worried about every penny.
My advice for any solo female traveller would be to trust your instincts, trust that there are a lot of good people who are happy to help, be open to make friends with everyone you meet, be prepared to step way outside your comfort zone and have fun
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