Why Rest Is More Important Than Exploring While Backpacking Europe

Dazed, depleted, and desperate to doze — this isn’t how I wanted to feel when I set foot in Vienna for the first time. But I couldn’t help it. It was 7 a.m. after a sleepless night on an overnight train.

This was in October 2022, when I took a two-week backpacking trip across four European countries (Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland) that included a red-eye flight and two sleeper train rides. I decided to travel through the night to maximize my days in each destination, but I quickly learned that prioritizing my rest was crucial to having a good time. 

On the train from Berlin to Vienna, I rode in a regular seat in a six-passenger carriage. Though the seats reclined, they didn’t lie fully flat, and the small space felt like a tight squeeze for six people with limited legroom. I got zero sleep during the 12-hour ride.

I’d planned to spend my morning seeing the sights around Vienna until I could check in to my Airbnb at 3 p.m. But as I stepped off the train, it was apparent that my body needed rest.

I started going into nearby hotels to book a room. By the third hotel, I got one. I had to pay for the whole night even though I was only taking a nap, but I thought it was worth the price for a safe, comfortable place to rest.

Without rest, traveling is a drag

This backpacking mistake taught me an important lesson: Sleep makes everything better. And if I don’t take time to rest, my body will force me to — even in the least convenient times. 

In Vienna, that last-minute hotel booking changed everything. When I first got to the city, I didn’t even pay attention to how it looked or felt, because I was too tired.

But after some much-needed rest, I was able to appreciate where I was and take in the unique architecture surrounding me. Walking to my Airbnb after my nap, I remembered why I was there and felt a new wave of excitement about my travels. 

Getting sleep also made me feel more in touch with what my body needed. As soon as I woke up in the hotel, I chugged my water bottle while trying to remember the last time I had anything to drink. I realized that I must have been so dehydrated. From that point on, I took every opportunity to make sure my bottle was always full. 

When visiting a new country for just a couple of days, it’s easy to pack exploration into every hour without planning for rest. But without it, I find it’s not enjoyable. Keeping myself in good health became a priority for the remainder of my trip — and all my travels since.