Backpacking Europe for the first time.

Okay before you raise your eyebrows or ignore this post, allow me first to explain why I backpacked instead of traveling comfortably...

Most first timers to Europe would rather book a travel package with everything included so they won't have to worry where to go, where to sleep, where to eat and how to explore the place. This is the easiest way for first time travelers. But I am not a fan of travel packages or tour groups (sorry no offense, its just me). I appreciate how convenient they are for those incapable of doing more research or for those who don't want the hassle of preparing the itinerary on their own - it's truly helpful if you are that type of traveler. I would prefer to use it if I am traveling with my family in a place where the English language is unknown.

I don't consider myself a hardcore backpacker compared to other travelers who really carry with them huge backpacks and travel for months. I've learned to backpack just because I've always wanted to travel cheap so I can save for shopping. Haha, how ironic! But at least I have the motivation :p So when we started planning for our Europe trip, backpacking came in handy. Booking a one (1) star was not even an option. Hostelbookers was very helpful in planning our accommodation. Although some of our actual experiences were somehow different from the reviews, but that will be a separate blogpost. 

Yes, I literally backpacked with a 12kg bag for three weeks. I have to mention though that carrying it for hours wouldn't be possible without the help of the husband so I suggest before you follow my lead, make sure you are ready for the back and hip pain. I was ready for all types of pain but what I was not ready for was the heat of the sun in Spain. Imagine carrying a 12kg bag in a 40C temperature??? It was crazy and I seriously went hysterical! And it's okay to be hysterical if you have a husband like mine who's ready to carry your bag otherwise, keep calm and carry on :)

I really find backpacking very convenient especially if you have shorter stays in various cities in Europe. We started in Spain and visited Valencia (2days), Toledo (2days), Madrid (6days for the WYD) and Barcelona (3days). Then I flew to Italy and met my sister. We visited Rome (3days), Florence (2days), Milan (1day) and Venice (1day). Our last stop was Paris, France. See, we were always on the go. Although the transportation in most Euro cities is very convenient such as renfe in Spain and trenitalia in Italy, their metro station is the opposite. It's not very friendly for those with huge trolley luggages. So if you carry a backpack, you'll easily find your way among the crowd compared to those dragging their luggages in the staircase :D Central metro station is an exception though especially those with connecting train rides to major cities. They have escalators, accessible lifts and travelators. My sister used the trolley luggage and although it was smaller, she really had a hard time carrying it especially when we arrived in Milan and discovered that the nearest metro station to our hostel  had the longest staircase ever! Luckily, we survived the climb!

So yeah, we enjoyed backpacking and sharing our room to other travelers. We booked private rooms in some cities but dorm type accommodations for most of our stay and enjoyed a few free upgrade from dorm to private in some :D It was fun meeting other travelers and exchanging travel stories. This kind of experience makes me enjoy backpacking a lot. I'm not fuzzy in sharing toilets/showers with other people as long as its clean and decent. I don't mind sleeping in a small bed with someone snoring on the other end. I don't care if other occupants make a mess in the same room as long as they don't steal my stuff. I mean, if the hostel is decent and the reviews are great, there's really no reason for anyone to worry. The only reason why you're there is to sleep after you've enjoyed the sights outside your hostel room. You have to make sure though that 90% of your time is spent outside, roaming rather than spending it inside, sleeping.

The amount we saved for booking cheap accommodations was spent on food and shopping few clothes :D Obviously, the latter is a not so nice idea because it will add a kilo to your backpack. But what the heck! I'd rather sacrifice the back pain for new clothes than re-wearing the used ones :P I told you I'm not a hardcore backpacker. Haha! Hopefully this mindset will change soon when my long term travel plans will take place :)))

Til here for now. Will continue the adventure soonest. Goodnight, world!