5. KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU GET THERE

You've landed! Now start seeing the sites. We're not going to tell you what to see in each city - there would just be too much ground to cover. Instead, just get one of the books we recommend in the column to the right of this article, and you'll get plenty of recommendations. However, you do need some advice on how to find good housing and how to get around England.

England: a special case

This is the easy part. You've landed and now need to start moving. If you landed in London, you'll instantly notice that England is not one of the countries included on the Europass or Eurorail Pass; instead they only offer their own Britrail ticket, a one-country version of Eurail. Rail travel is prohibitively expensive in England, so unless you plan to really bum around a lot in Britain, skip the Britrail and just use the buses (called "coaches" over there). Distances are short enough, and prices low enough, that it really is the only option that makes sense.

Luckily, there is a 40% discount on the Eurostar train (the one that uses the Chunnel) for all holders of validated Eurail passes, so getting to Paris or Brussels from London only costs $90 one way instead of $149 (still a hefty sum, though). It could be more economical to take a puddle-jumper out of London, as airfare is quite cheap. But we honestly recommend that you skip England on your trip and just fly into (and out of) another city.

Find accommodations

Finding a nice quiet place to bed will be very rare. But don't complain, that's part of the backpacking experience. Here are some tips to finding a place to rest your weary head:

  • Most train stations will have runners trying to bring tourists to various hostels and hotels; these people can be helpful, but beware, for often the room is not as advertised in the brochures they like to hand out. The safest bet is to check your Travel Guide for accommodations and investigate the listed hostels. They'll usually be full, since every other American using the same guide is doing the same thing, but the staff will almost always help you find alternate rooms at another comparable hostel. You can look up hostels at www.hostels.com or at www.hostelseurope.com.

  • Another easy option is to ask around and find out where most of the hostels are centered (usually quite near the train station itself). Walk around, see if you can bargain with the staff, find a room you like at a nice price (and make sure the place is secure), drop your things, and take off. Get a map from the front desk. Walk around. Do this in every city. Enjoy.

  • The only time you need to call ahead to book a bed is in Italy. Always full of tourists and low on rooms, you are likely to get screwed if you arrive without a reservation somewhere.

  • Get there as early as possible, preferably before 9:30 a.m. Hostels fill up VERY quickly (especially the good ones).

  • A cheaper option than hostels is camping. Believe it or not, most major cities in Europe have more than one campground serviced by the city's public transportation. Often, these campgrounds have better facilities than hostels, and a more colorful selection of people. Tents - and sometimes even mattresses, if not beds - are often rentable in these spots, though you should call ahead to make sure. Go to www.campingeurope.com to find contact information for hundreds of campsites.

  • In some countries - especially Eastern European ones - it is just as cheap to get a hotel room as a hostel bed. This can be a welcome break from a lack of privacy and a cleanish shower, but of course there isn't the camaraderie of a roomful of travelers all having a good time. Just make decisions as they come.

  • For food, most hostels and campgrounds offer a kitchen, or make cheap food themselves. There are always plenty of markets around, and they can be different, funky, and fun, not to mention comparatively cheap. Make your own meals at least some of the time. The rest of the time there are many street vendor types, fast-foodish joints, and (of course) restaurants.

Now you're ready to see the sights of Europe. Sightseeing is the easiest part of the trip; just go to what interests you out of all the museums, exhibits, parks, markets, beaches, ad infinitum. Walk as much as you can, but get to know the public transportation of cities as well. Few things feel better than successfully navigating a strange land.