It's been a few years since my three-month trip across Europe, but it is by far one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. If you have decided to go on this kind of journey, I have put together a list of important things to share with you, based on my own experiences.
You might be thinking now that you won't have time or the desire to talk to anyone back at home while you are on your great adventure. However, once you've been away for a week or two, you might start to change your idea and want to tell anything you see to them. So it's always a good idea to have a phone card that works internationally, just in case.
Before you buy a phone card plan, make sure of checking the rates! You don't want to come home with a $ 500 phone bill! In order to make sure I didn't overspend on the phone, I purchased a few $50 prepaid phone cards before I left, and then used my minutes sparingly.
Memories are never as clear, years later, as you want them to be. Pictures are nice, but you may find yourself wondering, "What was the name of that place?" Keep a diary so that you can record your daily activities, the names of people you met in a certain city, and exciting things you got to see or do.
If you don't have enough money, you can choose to stay in hostels (招待所), which are by far the cheapest way in most of Europe. And you can also take a sleeping bag with you, which will make you have a better sleep, if you have room in your pack and you don't mind the extra weight. But in my opinion, it might take up much room; you'd better not take one.
