I booked budget Airbnbs in small towns while backpacking Europe and found 2 hidden-gem destinations I'd never heard of

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A composite image of the author in a cap and blue polo standing in front of a tub-shaped brown building with trees and grass in the background and a sunlit field in front of houses with mountains in the background
Business Insider's reporter booked Airbnbs outside major European cities and found some hidden gems in Germany and Switzerland.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I paid $560 for a 7-day Eurail pass to country hop by train across Europe. It was so much better than flying.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Trenitalia A composite image of the author in front of a train and a plane
The author traveled around Europe by train and preferred it to flying.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I paid $300 to spend 2 nights in an Airstream trailer for the first time. I'll never do it again in a city.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author takes a selfie in front of an airstream trailer in a parking lot
Business Insider's reporter stayed in a luxury airstream trailer in Vienna while traveling by train through Europe.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I went to Vienna for the first time. 4 mistakes drained my energy and bank account.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author stands in front of a garden in Vienna
Business Insider's reporter made some mistakes during her first trip to Vienna.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I made 3 mistakes in 48 hours when I visited Berlin for the first time

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A composite image of a row of buildings in Berlin and he author squinting in front of an airplane
Looking back on my first trip to Berlin, I still have a few regrets.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I spent 6 days in Italy after dreaming of visiting my whole life. 6 surprises made it worth the wait.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Boats parked in a canal between rows of buildings in Venice, Italy
Business Insider's reporter visited Venice, Rome, and Milan during her first trip to Italy.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I went to Italy for the first time and left with 5 big regrets

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author stands in front of a castle in Italy on a cloudy day
The reporter spent six days in Italy. She visited Venice, Rome, and Milan.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I regret spending 2 weeks in Europe traveling to 6 different places. Next time, I'm choosing quality over quantity.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author stands in front of the Colosseum in Rome
Business Insider's reporter took a two-week backpacking trip through six cities in four European countries.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I spent 2 nights in a tiny home hotel in Germany. 7 things surprised me about the 2-story, 100-square-foot house.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A composite image of the author standing in front of a cylindrical home and sitting inside the home looking up a ladder
The author enjoys her stay in the European tiny home.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I backpacked across Europe for the first time, and 10 things surprised me about the 2-week adventure

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author stands with a backpack on in front of a train in Italy
The reporter backpacked through Europe for the first time in 2022.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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