I Traveled to 8 Countries in 7 Weeks - Here's How I Did It

* As originally published on The Everygirl in 2019.

The gate in Terminal B was suspiciously empty when I arrived at 11:31 pm, having run breathlessly across the freshly scrubbed linoleum floors of O’Hare International Airport for boarding. My flight had been delayed five times already, and I’d finally received notice we were boarding. Sweat slicked my forehead from the panicked effort, and I was already questioning if I’d be able to support the 30lb. Osprey backpack strapped to my shoulders for the rest of summer.

“You missed it.”

I looked back at the sole remaining flight attendant who’d just interrupted my thoughts, and checked the departure board in disbelief. My flight to London had taken off 20 minutes before, without me.

Left to sit alone in the fluorescent glow of the nighttime terminal, I feared this might be a terrible omen for the beginning of my overseas solo adventure.

For as free-spirited as I am, I have always been a meticulous planner when it comes to travel. When I decided that I would spend two months backpacking Europe, I knew I couldn’t approach my journey as spontaneously as many long-term travellers might. Instead, I assembled an ambitious plan to visit 15 cities in eight different countries — all within seven weeks. For the most part, this allowed me to maximize my experiences, while minimizing any time wasted.

Fortunately, all was not lost, and I was put on the first flight out in the morning - I even received an upgrade to Premium Economy that made the hassle well worth it.

For those of you curious what I learned from my summer of travels (aside from the need to ALWAYS wait at the damn gate!) I’ve compiled some of my top tips here:

Basic Budgeting

If you’re embarking on a lengthy excursion, planning finances meticulously is essential. For me, this process looked something like an amateur Google spreadsheet, several fearful bank account logins, and many “cheapest __” searches online.

I began by researching and narrowing down the destinations I most wanted to see. From there, I searched for cheapest transportation routes, unfortunately meaning a few remote locations were eliminated from the itinerary. For my travels in Europe, the best prices were often found with local airlines (even cheaper than trains in many cases!), as they offered pleasantly low fares for commuter flights between countries.

As for your stay, it’s important to determine what you can and cannot compromise on. For example, I planned to stay in hostels for the majority of my trip, which only cost roughly $30-40 USD per night. Yet I also knew I’d want to budget for some private rooms when I needed a break from the sorority-style bunk beds, so I made sure to set aside budget for this.

Fortunately, many of these hostel accommodations offered free breakfast, so I only needed to cover the cost of two meals (and one million baguettes) per day. When planning a food budget, it’s important to factor in your realistic eating habits, but also consider how busy you’ll be! Quick lunches were the norm as I was often headed on day-long excursions, therefore, I could budget far less for lunch than dinner. And while the temptation to eat out each night is strong, cooking will save a lot of money, I promise! Try to book accommodations with a kitchen so you can prepare some of your own groceries. Bonus: you’ll love how great it feels to eat fresh food after months of eating out!

And while shopping wasn’t a major priority of mine, it’s still smart to factor in a budget for incidentals. You never know if you’re going to need an emergency replacement of shoes for the brand new Frye boots you decided would be a great idea to pack, and can no longer walk in (the blisters, oh my god). However, always be sure to avoid high-tourism areas if you do plan to do budget-friendly shopping.

Most importantly, having a set amount of cash reserved for emergency situations is essential. You’ll feel a lot safer knowing that you can afford an emergency cab ride or medical expense if necessary. And sometimes, it may even be as simple as needing to purchase an absurdly overpriced meal when no other food options are available (I’m looking at you, $20 burrito in Switzerland).

Planning My Route

Along with my budgeting strategy, I planned my journey via what was the most practical route, i.e. looking at distance and efficiency. I wound up traveling Western Europe in a clockwise motion —  beginning in England, and ending in Italy. This way, I was often able to travel by train or bus for shorter distances, and avoid the expensive flights. Just be aware that during peak travel seasons, bus and train tickets tend to sell out quickly, so booking online in advance can be helpful if possible.

I personally found it best to allot a minimum of three days in most locations, both to curb my own exhaustion and to ensure I had adequate time to explore. Fun side note: as the route I decided upon is fairly popular, I often ended up rejoining travellers I’d met in different countries again weeks later! So perhaps do some research and keep this in mind for whichever region you’re interested in exploring.

Prioritizing What To See And Do

One simple piece of wisdom I learned to accept is: you can’t do it all. Let me be honest, my initial reaction to that sentiment is, “Challenge accepted!”

Yet it turns out that, when it comes to travel, the inability to do it all is undeniably true. I was far happier — and saner — for prioritizing what to see and do in each place. Trying to visit every “must-see” location is not only expensive and exhausting, it’s simply not fun.

To afford doing as much as I wanted, I researched any major attractions I wanted to see ahead of time, and chose which were top priority. Do you really want to spend $50 to visit both of these major museums, or can you settle on just one? Getting creative and exploring outside of the traditional “bucket list” agenda is often most rewarding anyway, and often free! Skipping a tourist site in favour of experiencing a local hangout spot, or taking a scenic bike ride rather than standing in a long line proved far more enjoyable and memorable on my trip.

As for getting around, I used public transportation whenever safe and possible. Purchasing unlimited ride passes in lieu of cabs or Ubers saves a shocking amount of money. And if you’re visiting less-populated areas, simply check that you’ve booked to stay somewhere located within walking distance of most attractions.

Making Friends

While travel may most obviously be about exploring new places, it is equally (if not more so) about the connections you make along the way. If you’re traveling solo, or for an extended period of time, you’re even more likely to connect with people. The best part? Travel friendships develop at 10x the speed (my personal estimation) of regular acquaintances, thanks to the elimination of time-chewing small talk. No one cares what you do for work! We’re about to zip line across this waterfall!

In addition to the bonding, I gained an immense amount of insight from my new friends. I was able to adjust my plans to include newly-recommended destinations, avoid spots that weren’t worth the hype, and join others for unexpected day trips (Why not take a boat trip to Capri with two Moulin Rouge dancers?). The community of explorers right around you can be some of your greatest travel resources.

Leaving Room For Spontaneity

All this being said, despite my diligent planning, the absolute best element to my travel plan was leaving some of it open to spontaneity. While the majority of my trip may have been strategic, it was refreshing keeping a bit of my daily itinerary open so that I could enjoy each day as I wanted to — right there, in the moment.

*The Everygirl’s ‘Travel’ column has since been archived.