[linz06]

Has anyone done this? My boyfriend and I are planning to go sometime next year, as long as we can save enough for it! We'd like to go for about 3 weeks.

Any tips from anyone who has done something like this before? I have never backpacked, and I'm very detail-oriented so it makes me a little nervous to just travel to the other side of the world with no plan! My boyfriend did work in Ireland for a few months and made a lot of friends all over Europe and did a bit of traveling, so he'd like to meet back up with some of them.

We are still deciding on what time of year to go (spring, summer, or fall) and if we might go on an actual tour for a few days to start so we're with a group before just being out on our own. I know people who have done their whole trips on a tour (Contiki) and LOVED it, and others who say backpacking the whole time is the only way to go!