Check out the thread below yours.
Use virtual reality.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3492980/posts
Look for the topic on YouTube. People post the most interesting things.
What year is this story taking place?
“So there I was crossing into Italy when suddenly all of these German soldiers came running toward me from the opposite direction, yelling something about a guy named Patton.”
Have a character visit the Camino de Santiago in Spain/France. Movie called “The Way” was about hikers who walk to this; pilgrimage.
“As the Messerschmitt pulled away, there I was at 10,000 feet, with nothing on but my radio... it was chilly.”
Why don’t you just go backpack the same trip as your characters and write along the way? The problem with making it up is that millions of readers will be familiar with those areas, so any inaccuracies will stand out like sore thumbs.
check out google street maps- you can go through some streets all over the world- take down notes of things you see- to give your story the flavor it needs per country-
Must be a strong swimmer too. England to France?
What is the timeline? Is you character fighting off Muslim hordes.
Time would help. I have been a backpacke nearly my entire life. Gear, shows, backpacks, name brands will make it believable. The Tyrole hills should be mentioned. Matterhorn. In England you have the royal walking trails that must remain open through any proprty. Lots of sheep to see.
I have other interesting stories, but they are the nice kind or related to drinking. Sorry, nothing sinister.
Although one of the coolest things was seeing the remains of the maginot line bunkers. The wall France built to prevent another invasion from Germany. They were in dense wood and overgrown with green vegetation but you could make them out from the road. We got off our bikes and explored as close as we dared, knowing that there could be weakened ground near the bunkers that could collapse.
Could make for an interesting scenario if someone had to escape into one of those. Very eerie and exciting.
Solo backpacking in western europe.... Get a thesaurus and look up words for smells. Acrid, pungent, fetid, mephitic
Make her hiking topless.....
Sex sells...umless she looks like Hillary..
The streets of London are a bit more stark than an American might expect. The place wasn’t centrally planned, but grew organically, so it’s easy to get lost there if you’re accustomed to grid patterned cities.
Because of the Blitz in WWII, there are modern buildings squeezed in with 500 year old structures. For the thirsty, there’s a pub on every corner. They have a homey, comfortable feel, unlike the typical bar in the states. And they serve their beer warm.
One could mistake the Thames for a lake, if you didn’t know it was a river. Its that lazy. Button up in a warm jacket if you decide to take a ride on the river in one of the ever present tourist cruisers. It can be nippy.
If you’re a Yank, please look to the RIGHT before crossing any street. Don’t ask how I know this.
The famous double decker buses are a hoot to ride. They’re small, cramped, and most have seen better days. Still fun, though.
Forget food, unless you find an ethnic restaurant or McDonald’s. Aside from fish and chips (which no one does better) the Brits subsist on the sort of fare best reserved for your dog. That is, unless, you’re willing to pay through the nose at one of their finer restaurants. Those places are remarkably good.
The money is funny looking, but if you stay a while, you’ll get used to it. Doesn’t go as far as a greenback, though. The five pound note is their smallest denomination of paper money.
Their public transport system is second to none. You can get doorstep to doorstep practically anywhere in the country. Its literally one of the best things they do.
Alrighty. I’ve got tons more memories, but it’s a pain typing on my tablet.
England, 12 times. France, 70+. Switzerland, 2.
Lots of other countries (31 total), but sadly no Italy yet.
Download Google Earth Pro. I use it for my writing. In many cities one can actually walk down streets and see shops. You may find it very helpful. It would alos be helpful in determining distance and time travelled etc... Even if you don’t use it in your writing, it provides an fascinating look at other countries and their towns.
bttt
As for help w/ your story, i do not have any personal experience with those places.
Americans get nailed by passing traffic in the UK far too frequently. We just don’t grasp how deeply ingrained looking left, then right is until the traffic is reversed. But, the sheer mayhem and borderline terror of encountering and navigating a large roundabout while driving a right-hand drive car for the first time, well, that’s crossing a street with backwards traffic times ten, with no lines. Seems like sheer mayhem. We’re accustomed to rules and marked lanes, there it’s a free for all, fit your car into whatever space there is and jockey for position. Country lanes lined by hedges are another thrill, you never know when you’ll run up on a herd of livestock, or a speed demon barrelling down the lane in the opposite direction toward you, and the hedges block visibility, it can be almost like a tunnel at times.
I know a young man who backpacked through Europe in the summer of 2014. I can get you in contact with him if interested.