Great Short Breaks

Many people dream of flying off to the tropical beaches of northern Australia or the beautiful landscapes of South East Asia when they think about planning a backpacking holiday. But that means some fascinating destinations right on your doorstep can be over-looked.

One thing I found when in Australia was the sheer size of the place – you could fit Western Europe inside Australia's landmass! As I traversed the desolate and empty outback, as amazing as Australia is, I realised that if I had travelled the same distance across Europe I could have experienced a dozen or so different countries and all the fascinating and varied cultures that brings.

Continental Europe has something for everyone, from the busy and exciting cities of Paris, Berlin and Rome, to the stunning countryside of Austria and Slovenia.

So before you rush off to the travel agents to book your long-haul flights remember that whatever you want from a holiday you don't need to travel to the opposite side of the globe to get it – you only need to backpack across Europe.

The best way to see as much as possible from this varied continent is by using an InterRail pass, which allows you to use train services (which are a lot more reliable than in the UK) all over Europe.

Types of passes vary but at the top end you can buy a month long pass, which will allow you to travel to 30 countries for £569.

If you don't have this kind of time frame to travel in then thanks to a plethora of budget airlines cheap flights to destinations right across the continent are available. If you fancy mixing and matching you could fly to somewhere like Italy which is handily located in the middle of Europe and so puts you in the perfect spot to start your journey.

Flights to Rome can be very cheap if you book in advance and from there you can travel north through cities like the beautiful Florence and the bustling Milan.

Heading north east you will start to head to countries such as Croatia with its world renowned beaches and Slovenia with the picturesque mountain scenes of Lesce Bled. These two relatively new countries are not your 'traditional' European holiday destinations but are rapidly gaining a reputation for being exciting and fascinating (and cheap!) backpacker hotspots.

If you want you could drop down into the warmer climates of Greece, Cyprus and Turkey or continue north into the Bavarian region of Germany - Munich and Berlin are a must see with their historical landmarks and exciting nightlife. Or why not hop over to the Gothic city of Prague in the Czech Republic?

You can continue your circle of the continent by heading round to Brussels or Amsterdam. If you're feeling flush then you can head on into Scandinavia, though at about £6 a pint you may not stay there long! If you choose to remain in Amsterdam you could make you way south to the romantic capital, Paris.

That is just an example itinerary but there are literally hundreds of destinations to choose from, but with just an InterRail pass and a backpack, you could cram a lifetime of holidays into just one trip.