Customer Reviews

Europe from a Backpack: Real Stories from Young Travelers Abroad (From a Backpack series)

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Europe From a Backpack is the first in a series of backpacking anthologies that editor Mark Pearson is planning. The essays in this volume are written mostly by young backpackers who are not professional writers. The lack of polish is somewhat compensated for by the enthusiasm that shines through, though not entirely.

Europe From a Backpack is a bit like the Travelers' Tales books, except that all the writers in the Backpack series are (so far) unknown. A few of the writers rise to the top of this collection, notably Lisa Cordeiro and Mike Riley. Cordeiro's two essays about living in Europe after a hitch in the Marines left me wanting to know more about her adventures. She writes as if telling a story, not just relating her experiences. Riley's essay is a funny, punchy story of how he found himself in desperate need of a restroom, then of new underwear in a small town in Portugal.

Pearson has a website to promote his "From a Backpack" books and to solicit essays. There are instructions for submitting stories, but no mention of payment if your essay is included in one of his anthologies. While most of the authors in Europe From a Backpack might be satisfied by the thrill of seeing their writing in print, I certainly hope Cordeiro and Riley, at least, were paid for their stories.

Europe from a Backpack is just plain good travel writing. It is pure nostalgia and is sure to inspire fond memories in anyone who has traveled the country. On the other hand, it can serve as an inspiration to armchair travelers, or an underground guide to places off the beaten track. If nothing else, this collection should inspire any traveler to record their memories in a journal. At the very least, take away the lesson that a few unforgettable travel anecdotes are far superior to a collection of a hundred of photo slides to torture your friends and family with.

The collection is divided into twelve chapters by region--Spain, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and so on. Stories focus on the hazards of a pilgrimage, on fleeting friendships formed in small cafes, on opulent stays with exchange families, and most of all, on the rare chance to fully experience local culture.

Read this with a notepad in hand, because you will not only want to jot down the must-see sights and experiences, but the advice imparted by the book. Reading stories of travelers' sticky situations will provide the reader wisdom that comes only from hindsight.

I bought this book recently because I miss traveling and will not be able to head back over to Europe for a few months. I figured, if I can't go myself, I might as well live vicariously through someone else's travels. Unfortunately I opted out of re-reading Under the Tuscan Sun and sacrificed good writing for tales of American teenagers romping around Europe. I enjoyed about every other essay in this book, mainly because half of them were written by responsible, respectable Americans who had genuinely interesting stories to tell. The other half were tales of Americans criticizing foreign cultures, staying up all night drinking and partying, and being deceitful when faced with law enforcement. I wanted to read about people's experiences with European cultures and how they transformed their lives, not their spring break partying. I can forgive the poor writing, but to be honest, some of the content of this book upset me - do young Americans really behave this way? No wonder we have such a reputation.

Generally I knew what I was getting because I had read Italy From a Backpack. I bought it mostly because it was cheap and I knew some of the stories I would enjoy, others not, which is pretty much what happened.

Mostly it seems the stories by male authors involve alot of drinking, partying, and otherwise immature behavior. The female authors gave a little more info about the culture, generally. A few stories where I knew animals would be killed or die, I skipped.

I do, however, admire all the travelers for being adventurous enough to backpack thru Europe, some of whom went alone. A bit scary in these dangerous times. When you read the descriptions of the authors after their stories, most are "free lance writers"; they all seem to have the yearning for something different other than life in the good old USA. Nothing wrong with that, just an interesting perspective. Not sure if any authors actually have written anything I could actually look up and read. I did like the writing style of some and would like to read more in-depth if they have actually published something else.

It's a light read, more or less, some stories better than others.

This well-bound book is an anthology of 58 highy entertaining and informative stories about Spain, France, Ireland, Austria, Italy and other European locales, written first hand by the travelers that were there, and not from information gleaned from the internet. I really liked "A First Encounter" by Robin Gandhi, "The Kindness of Strangers" by Richard Alderton, "Belfast by Accident" by Arin Greenwood, "The Berlin Love Parade" by Tina Gregory, etc. The stories will keep you laughing and enthusiastic about travel, and wondering where your next stop (or meal) will be, and who you will meet along the way. I consider this little story guide a must-read, particularly for young people getting ready for the rite of traveling to Europe with a backpack and no credit card.

I bought this book because I'm planning my first back packing trip with my boyfriend July 2010. Reading the traveler's experiences made me so excited for my trip. It seemed as if the moral to most of the stories was to take risks and enjoy the people you meet along the way.
The only downside to this book is that they included a lot of random locations that most people wouldn't go to, but it was still awesome reading about them anyways.

I suggest everyone who is planning a backpacking trip to purchase this book!

This is a great book to hold you over from one European trip to the next. Quite entertaining and funny. A good "easy read".

Great stories, and helped me to grasp a perspective from travelers experiencing culture shock, or other first experiences that exist in travel.