Go Backpacking

  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • United Arab Emirates
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • United Arab Emirates
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • United Arab Emirates
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
×
Home » Destinations » Europe

Traveling Europe for Free

Modified: Jun 25, 2025 · Published: Aug 7, 2015 by Guest Blogger |

Everyone wants to live the dream of getting "On the Road," Kerouac style. We dream of hitting the asphalt and running hard into the sunset, not caring where we end up or where we're going. We might be a long way from the Beat Generation, but that doesn't mean we can't reproduce an authentic traveling experience in Europe.

Traveling Europe for Free
Travel in style to the gem that is Slovenia.

Here are a few examples of how to travel in style and for free, as well as three hidden travel essentials that can save you money and time.

Table of Contents

  • Hitchhiking
  • Carpooling
  • Couchsurfing
  • On Assignment
  • Travel Essentials

Hitchhiking

The most obvious way to travel for free is to hitchhike. Hitchhiking has many significant advantages, including the potential to meet new friends, hear and share exciting stories, and cover many miles for absolutely nothing!

Of course, there are pitfalls. There's always a risk that you might meet some unsavory characters, and you're risking your safety by getting into their car and going on a journey with them.

But hitchhiking is much more common than many think, particularly in Eastern Europe. So, what are you waiting for? Get out to Europe and experience the true meaning of being on the road!

Traveling Europe for Free
Hitchhike your way to Vienna for free.

Carpooling

There is a slightly different, 21st-century option to traditional hitchhiking: carpooling, using sites such as Liftshare and BlaBlaCar. These platforms allow you to arrange a lift in advance with what should be trusted members of the wider community!

Couchsurfing

A similar concept is Couchsurfing, which works in the same way, except instead of sharing a lift, a host gives you accommodation for the night.

On Assignment

Another great but tricky way to travel for free is to get sponsorship or payment as a travel writer or blogger. This can be done by writing to various magazines or companies and pitching your idea and why you are qualified to do the job.

Travel Essentials

No matter how you travel, there are some absolute essentials that every adventure must begin with. There are the obvious ones, like your passport or pants and socks, but here are a couple of hidden essentials you may not always remember.

1. EHIC—the European Health Insurance Card covers you for medical injury anywhere in Europe, so it's vital to carry it with you at all times, just in case one of your daily adventures goes all wrong. Your EHIC card (also known as an EU health card or formerly an E111 card) may need renewal before you leave, so make sure you visit an EHIC renewal site.

2. Cash Passport—Instead of taking all your money in cash or risking huge charges on your debit card while using it abroad, get a cash passport. They're usually free, and the charge to withdraw money abroad or use it in stores is minimal.

3. Microfiber towel—an odd one, but a godsend. These beauties pack into a tiny bag and dry super-fast. They're a traveling must-have!

Related Stories

  • Mercedes campervan in front of a waterfall in Iceland.
    Campervan Backpacking in Iceland: What You Need To Know
  • Woven bike in Plovdiv Plaka.
    3 Reasons Why Plovdiv Should Be Your Next City Break
  • Monte Sagro in Alpi Apuane.
    The Most Scenic Landscapes for Photography in Italy
  • Positano (photo by Joose TravelingHawks, Unsplash).
    Your Guide To Exploring Italy's Top Cities and Luxurious Stays
190 shares
  • Share
  • Email

About Guest Blogger

This post was written by a guest contributor. Please reference the author's byline in the post above for more information. If you would like to guest post on Go Backpacking, please read our submission guidelines. For information on advertising opportunities, go here.

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

Read more about Dave.

Footer

back to top

About

  • About
  • Archive
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

Follow Us

Contact

  • Contact
  • Work With Us
  • Submissions

Copyright © 2025 Go Backpacking

190 shares
  • 190