As much as I love the excitement of taking off on the runway or having my feet up on the dashboard, there is a simpler and more authentic love that I have for train travel that can’t be denied. By being whisked through the countryside, you get an opportunity that you would otherwise not have by jumping from one city to another via plane, or worrying about directions or navigating the other side of the road in a [crappy, ultra-economy sized] rental car.

For Europe, train travel is undeniably the way to go. Backpackers rave about the ease and affordability of a Eurail pass for good reason. Rail stations are accessible from city centers, there is almost always a convenient way to the destination you’re trying to reach, and there is little to no time spent going through customs or security like you would in an airport. Purchasing a Global Eurail Pass was an easy decision for us, but here are some things to think about before deciding whether or not it is right for you:

1. Living in the US, you are required to purchase your pass in advance with enough time to have it mailed to you before your departure— standard shipping will get it to you in less than 9 days.
2. Activating your pass means starting your pass. So if yours is “continuous,” that means the clock starts ticking at activation. This process takes place at a designated ticket booth before you step foot on your first train. It is quick and easy, but you never know how long the line will be to get to that attendant— so arrive early to be safe.
3. Reservations are still required for many common trips, and this is in addition to what you’ve already spent for your pass *sigh.* Even with trying to avoid these by making stops or taking slower, less direct trains as much as possible, we still accumulated fees around $200. However, reservations will guarantee you a designated seat, and in most cases will cater to your selected preferences; such as a seat with table, with outlets, or facing the direction you choose.
4. Eurail has recently upped the Youth Pass discount to age 27, which grants eligible travellers savings upwards of 20% off the normal ticket price. But good news- if you do not qualify for the youth pass, but are travelling with a partner or group, you can save 15% if you purchase together and plan to be together at all times throughout your journey.

To expand on #4, our travel took place when we were 26, but before the “youth” age was adjusted from 25 to 27– URGH! — which required us to purchase an Adult (first-class only) Pass.  And though I see the irony in complaining about first-class, for the most part, the upgrade made little to no difference in our travel. Sometimes these cars had nicer seats or offered snacks and/or water for guests, but many of the smaller, local trains did not even have a first-class car. Regardless, none of the first-class extras were necessary for a backpacker, and we looked very misplaced among the businessmen and upper crust of the EU. Thus, if you are able to get the lower priced, second-class pass– do it. There are items worth splurging on while abroad, but this is not one of them.

Lastly, of all the numbers I’ve run and comparisons I’ve completed, I’ve yet to analyze the cost savings of an unlimited pass versus buying individual train tickets. But with the ease of an unlimited pass, even if there were a slight price difference, I don’t think we would have changed our decision. When you end up at the wrong station or your train gets delayed/cancelled altogether, you’ll be happy to simply get on the next one with your pass – no matter what time it is, or what stops you’ll have to make to get there– without paying a fee or even having to speak to an attendant.

To check out popular itineraries and/or research which pass makes the most sense for you, visit Eurail’s website here to get started.

Do you know how tired you have to be to check in to your hostel in a brand new and exciting city, and go right to sleep?

This is hostelling.

You provide your documents, collect your keys, grab your free map, and walk up the steps to your room (which is not guaranteed to be the same as your travel partner — even if you booked together). You open the door and glance around, only to find that the room is empty. But several of the beds are not perfectly made, some even have a few belongings strewn about, and you try to make your deductions about who these people are, where they are from, and what type of experience this hostel is going to be.

But you’ve made it, and you’re so tired, so you drop your backpack on the floor and sift through the top to find your lock, open your under-bed storage bin, and pack in everything you’ve been carrying as best as you can. You change out of your travel clothes with the bathroom door cracked, or sometimes right in the middle of the room, and you crawl into your clean, but not necessarily comfortable, bunk.

Staring at the ceiling with your heart racing and your feet throbbing, in this unfamiliar place, you’re so tired that you’re able to sleep as soon as you close your eyes. You’re able to sleep knowing that when you wake up again you most likely won’t be alone anymore. And you don’t know who will be joining you. Or what they are like, or where they are from, or what type of experience this hostel is going to be.

But this is hostelling, and thankfully so.

—

We spent a lot of time in our room in Paris (considering we were in Paris) mainly because we felt sick and were a bit overwhelmed to venture out. The day we arrived, we were that tired that we fell asleep in an empty hostel and woke up to find strangers had entered and exited, also fallen asleep, had probably stared at our belongings or ourselves wondering who we were, where we were from, etc.

But we were extremely fortunate that our roommates not only helped to get us out of our rut but also to believe in joie de vivre.

Rafael was our first friend in Paris. He was outgoing and in love with the City of Light. His experience in Paris was far better than ours, but he did not let it only affect him. He was a lawyer back home in Brazil and must have been a good one at that. His enthusiasm and love for the art and culture in Paris persuaded us to keep giving it a chance. He described his experience visiting the Mona Lisa and made me feel the way he did standing in front of her. To be honest, he was the sole reason we went to the Louvre at all (we were going to skip it for the sake of our budget, but I’m so glad we didn’t). Rafael was warm and comforting. He was like a family-friend to us, in a very unfamiliar and unfriendly place.

“Can we to take a picture?”

I hesitated. This was the most we heard from our Malaysian friend, Yong, who up until this point didn’t have me convinced he spoke English.

We agreed to all take a photo together, Rafael included, though it seemed an unexpected request. It was our last night in Paris and we owed it to our roommates that we got any enjoyment out of our stay– especially considering the way it started. It was the least we could do.

But then as we all crawled back into our bunks, Yong went on to explain why he asked to take the photo. “My father is so worried. I wanted to prove to him that I’m meeting nice people and that I’m safe.”

This hit me at my core.

And not that I didn’t believe this already, but it was then that I understood a bit deeper just how much we are all the same. Because every day we texted our parents to let them know how we were doing, who we were meeting, and that we were safe.

And it was so comforting to feel and accept that two Americans, a Brazilian, and a Malaysian were all in Paris meeting nice people and feeling safe.

So what is hostelling really like?

It’s agreeing to take a photo with two “strangers.” It’s having these strangers convince you to keep going, to see the beauty in everything, and experience joie de vivre for yourself. It’s gaining a deeper understanding that no matter how scary some experiences can be or seem to be, they are worth taking. It’s keeping in touch even after only knowing each other for 3 days, 8 months ago. It’s knowing that there is far more greatness out in the unknown, than what our parents worry about. And it’s feeling comfortable enough to sleep in an empty room, knowing that when you wake it will no longer be empty, but filled with strangers just like you.

“…when you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”- Sherlock Holmes

When trying to pack as much into our trip as possible, I fully believed we’d only be sightseeing, eating, and sleeping for 2.5 months straight.

I was very, very wrong. Again.

I really didn’t think much before we left about having downtime. And why would I? The main focus was getting from amazing new city to even better new city, without issue and under budget. But once you get through the logistics and are actually living out your days, you will find that there is quite a bit of downtime that is unavoidable and some that is avoidable but completely worth taking advantage of.

The Unavoidable:

Finding cheaper flights, trains, hostels, etc, are almost always going to have a catch along with their price tag. Whether it’s an extremely early departure time, an inconvenient check-in process, a bit longer of a walk, or not offering a single snack, drink, or movie while aboard a 7-hour plane ride, each of these deals are far from perfect. And every time we purchased these non-refundable tickets, we said to ourselves that it was more important to get to our destination than it was how we got there. This was unequivocally true and I wouldn’t change a thing about that decision. However, these inconveniences can take a toll on your body (especially when combined with inevitable jet lag, stress, and the infectious germs of travel). And between train rides, plane rides, waiting in airports, waiting to check in to hostels, waiting in train stations, waiting, waiting, and more waiting: there is a lot of waiting and therefore downtime, that I did not plan for.

Sure, a lot of this time can be spent people-watching, or simply taking in your surroundings, but it is nice to have a book, Sudoku, or pair of headphones on hand for the not so pretty sights/sounds you are bound to encounter on your trip. Such as being in close proximity to a couple that is performing some very provocative leg rubbing and may or may not be [this] close to going all the way while you’re sharing an 8×8 train cabin. This is just one example from our experience; and trust me when I say that staring out the window while it was all going down wasn’t enough to combat the experience.

The Intentional:

You’re in “name your location here” once, why would you waste time in your room doing something you can do at home?? I wondered this myself the first few weeks to the point where it made me mad. But then I realized how much I looked forward to this downtime, how much our bodies needed it, and how much, mentally, it helped us relax and recharge.

I hate to state the obvious, but backpacking requires a lot of walking– I’m talking an average 6-10 miles per day if you’re being efficient. So you can expect for your feet, legs, back, you name it, to be sore. On top of this, your mind and your nerves really are hyperactive when in a foreign place. And though the process of traveling, being aware, and trying your best to speak the native language gets easier over time, it’s still exhausting. Thus, giving your body a break is not only a good thing, but absolutely necessary.

Lastly, it is unreasonable to go out every night while abroad; for both health and monetary concerns. For our trip, the nightlife was not why we chose to visit the cities we did (which I realize isn’t the same for everyone). In 9 out of 10 cities, we preferred to experience the food and sightseeing over the parties, and our budget reflected that. Therefore on many evenings, we finished out the day with dinner and showers; then found ourselves happily cooped up in our hostel bunk bed or common area, with one ear-bud in each of our ears watching Sherlock on Netflix.

The Benefits:

Sherlock became and was our comfort zone. This also gave us the opportunity to be together. [I write this as I laugh to myself. We were literally together the entire 2.5 months — but what I mean is a different kind of together.] Thinking of other trips I have been on in the past, it makes complete sense to me now. Because even when travelling with a group, you aren’t going to get to know your travel partners while you’re in the middle of Piccadilly Circus or snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef; it’s the bus rides, making and sharing meals, and the time spent unwinding before bed that you’ll really get to know someone and enjoy quality time together.

So the downtime became our quality time. And no matter what happened that day, whether it was cold and rainy, whether we got in an argument over food (happened more than I’d like to admit), or that night we ate Subway in Paris, we always came back to our hostel bunk or common area and were able to let it all go. Plugging in each of our earbuds to watch Sherlock was the equivalent to pulling into your driveway or plopping on your bed. The iPad, for us, was home—a place where our senses did not need to be on high alert, where we felt calm, relaxed, and safe.

Downtime may not have been something we planned for, but it ended up being something we were entirely grateful to have.