One of the most thrilling yet frightening aspects of a trip backpacking through Europe is the constant spontaneity that comes with an adventure like this. The vast majority of experienced backpackers avoid making reservations and planning too far ahead to keep the trip amped up to maximum excitement. And while this can be one of the best parts of your journey, it can also make for a few scary moments when you can’t find a hostel for the night. Flying by the seat of your pants is classic backpackers mindset and preparing to maintain this kind of mindset takes some moxie.

To fully enjoy you’re European backpacking experience you need to be prepared to do and try just about anything. That means sampling the local cuisine when you’re deep in the Italian Riviera and deciding to throw on a kilt when you’re exploring Scotland. No matter what, if you’re going to backpack through Europe, you need to be ready for just about everything but also open enough to be able to drop everything and change up your itinerary completely.

For example, if you’re practicing the complete art of spontaneity then you may not wish to call ahead for hostel reservations. However, heading off to Europe without any planned itinerary at all will leave you with the daily task of calling out frantically for reservations and then making a decision on the fly. One of the most exciting aspects of taking a completely spontaneous trip is being able to make your travel decisions when you wake up every morning. It’s a double edged sword that is very attractive to some travelers and very frightening to many others.

Whether or not you choose to travel without a set plan or if you’ve got everything mapped out down to the restaurant you’re eating at on the 4th day of your trip. All European destinations offer accommodation to the spontaneous traveler if you’re prepared to fly by the seat of your pants.