Backpacking Europe: Route Planning & Train Schedules

Planning a Backpacking Route Through Europe

I remember when I was planning my solo backpacking adventure through Europe the most difficult thing for me to figure out before-hand was the train schedule, especially when I wanted to check to see if particular sections of my route were doable or if I would reach a particular destination before dark.

For example, in Riomaggiore, Italy, I stayed at Mar-Mar where the reception closed at 5PM. I wanted to make sure that I would be able to get from Nice, France, to Riomaggiore, Italy, before then.

How to Check Train Schedules in Europe

One resource I found extremely helpful in planning my route and checking train schedules was the Deutsche Bahn website.

You can literally type in your origin and destination, as well as dates and times if you know them, to see what your journey will look like. You can also see what type of train it is and whether you will need to make a reservation for the journey.

Planning tip: Even if you don’t book through Deutsche Bahn, it’s an excellent tool for getting a realistic sense of travel time across countries — especially when multiple transfers or border crossings are involved.

Start With a Master Travel Wish List

When planning your route, I would recommend first making a list of all the regions, sights, tours, and landmarks that you want to see. Write everything down on paper and make a complete list.

If you are not on a time schedule, planning your route becomes much simpler — you can look at a map and connect destinations naturally. However, if you only have a certain amount of days, weeks, or months, you may need to trim your list a bit.

It can also help to note why you want to visit each place — whether it’s for hiking, food, nightlife, culture, or a specific event. This makes prioritizing much easier later.

My Must-See Destinations

Some of the must-sees on my list included hiking in the Swiss Alps, hiking the Cinque Terre, partying in Ios, attending a music festival in Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, visiting Naples where my family is from, experiencing the Red Light District in Amsterdam, sailing on the Rhine River in Germany, doing a wine tour in Tuscany, seeing the Roman Coliseum, sampling tapas in Spain, and riding the ferry from Tarifa to Morocco.

Luckily, since these destinations were very spread out, I had unlimited time.

If you don’t have unlimited time, don’t panic. One common mistake first-time backpackers make is underestimating how tiring constant travel can be. Leaving room for slower days can make a huge difference.

How to Actually Build Your Route

There are a few ways you can go about this. Your first option is to choose the top “must-see” items from your list.

While that sounds logical, I actually recommend a second option: look at a map and group destinations based on proximity. This saves time, energy, and money.

If you use this method, you can always save the remaining destinations for a future trip. Also, be sure to look up any festival, concert, or event dates and plan your route around those — they can really elevate your experience.

I also liked having my first few nights booked while keeping the rest of my itinerary flexible. This made it easy to stay longer in places I loved and move on quickly from places that didn’t.

Final Advice: Don’t Stress

I think the most important piece of advice I can give on planning your backpacking trip for Europe is DON’T STRESS.

If you miss a train, arrive late, or skip something you planned to see, it is not the end of the world. You will almost always end up seeing more than you expected — whether you plan every detail or completely wing it.

Just enjoy your time abroad and remember that you’re having the experience of a lifetime.