"On the Road"... in Europe?

[AsRadames]

Is anyone else getting the impression that "backpacking" is becoming as trendy as touristing? It just seems like so many people (young'uns, I think) decide to go to Europe for a couple of weeks because it's "cool" or "different" to do so. What happened to men and women who packed a bag and set off on foot, walking from town to town, cutting across fields, hitching rides, sleeping in haylofts, washing dishes in the back of some Spanish dive in order to fund just one more day on the road? Has this really grown impossible?

P.S.: I've read these boards for quite a while; I don't mean to imply that anybody here (especially you veterans) would ever backpack just because it's "cool." I just thought that your opinions would be the most interesting and qualified. Can't wait to hear what you think!#nosmileys

[rookie]

"Walking from town to town, cutting across fields.."

People did that? It's news to me, I've only seen it in movies. As for hitching rides and sleeping in haylofts, part of the reason you don't see much of that anymore is because the infrastructure is so developed in Europe that there's almost no need to rough it. Trains, buses and planes can take you to every corner of the continent. It's not like the 60's and 70's when routes were less marked (somewhat) and, from what my dad says, drivers were more inclined to stop for hitchers. Hostels are everywhere too, even in the smaller towns, where they can be really cheap for most budget travellers.

As for working on the road to fund your travels, that still happens, but only if you spend months or years in Europe. Time is a luxury most backpackers don't have. This is especially true for North American travellers. I've noticed that Europeans and Australians tend to take longer holidays.

If you're into this sort of travel, I'll bet it is still quite common in other parts of the world. Ever thought about Southeast Asia?

[WillTravel]

There are health and safety and immigration and tax issues now as well, so I don't think it's that easy to just pick up work along the way or sleep wherever you feel like it.

You might find this site interesting: vagabonding.net/

I just read his book.

He does emphasize the need to save up money before you leave on your trip, and to be conservative in your budgeting. He did things like work as an English teacher in Korea to help finance his travels.

I met someone once who smuggled hashish either to/from India and ended up in an Indian jail for a year! I did not ask if she did this because she was short of money, but the point is that if you try to travel with insufficient funds, you can fall prey to some bad things.