Homeless man shows how it's possible to visit 23 capital cities in Europe and travel nearly 10,000 miles without spending a single penny (or letting girls get in the way)
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Many people long to travel but feel that they can't afford it - one man has proved this need not hold you back.
Homeless Kris Mole visited almost every capital city in the European Union for charity - without spending a pound, euro, krone or lev.
Kris, 24, who has since settled in Spain, took 165 days to complete his 23-country quest, travelling an incredible 9,763 miles and seeing amazing sights along the way.
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Kris Mole has published a book about how he managed to visit 23 capital cities in Europe - without spending a single penny
Previously homeless, Kris, 24, turned his life around when his beloved aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer and he set himself a charity challenge to visit all of the EU's capitals (bar islands Cyprus, Ireland and the UK). He's pictu red here in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
He travelled 9,763 miles over 165 days in his quest, starting in Sweden and finishing in Greece. He's pictured here at the Lithuanian border crossing
He found himself on the streets in Brighton, East Sussex, after developing drinking and gambling problems and a fear of responsibility.
But Kris decided to change things after his aunt, Susan Proto, was diagnosed with cancer.
KRIS'S TRAVELLING RULESNo money will be spent
No credit cards
Visit every EU capital on the physical continent
Say yes to everything
Accept every donation which isn't cash,
Update his blog
Begin the challenge in a foreign country
Don't let women compromise the challenge
Kris embarked on a charity challenge to travel Europe for free by hitch-hiking along motorways and risking arrest by travelling on trains without a ticket.
The English teacher often slept rough although he occasionally slept on stranger's sofas - whose kindness shocked Kris.
He even stayed at a hotel when he found work as a motivational speaker in Slovakia.
Kris, who nicknamed his task 'The Great Euro Freebie Challenge', said: 'There were so many people who helped me when I didn't expect it.
'They would help me and they got nothing out of it.'
Kris discovered his love of Europe from watching the Eurovision Song Contest as a kid.
He started his journey by flying one-way to Stockholm, Sweden - paid for by his dad - where he swore that he would not return to the UK until his task was completed.
He had eight rules: no money will be spent, no credit cards, visit every EU capital on the physical continent, say yes to everything, accept every donation which isn't cash, update his blog, begin the challenge in a foreign country and he was not to allow women to compromise the challenge.
Kris vowed not to return home until he completed his mission, which saw him thrown off trains for having no ticket, begging lifts from passing motorists, hiking alongside motorways and living rough. The trip started in Sweden (left) and he has since published a book about his escapades (right)
While on his travels, Kris often went days without food and was close to starving when he reached Poland.
The intrepid traveller said: 'I jumped at an invitation to go into the house of an Indian restaurant owner in Warsaw for a hot meal but regretted it when I got food poisoning.'
The countries he managed to visit included Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden - leaving out Cyprus, Ireland and the UK due to his island rule.
Kris has published his stories in a book called 'Gatecrashing Europe' after telling his incredible tale on his blog.
He navigated around the EU using hitch-hiking signs, as seen in this picture by a sign for Byala, a small town and seaside resort in Eastern Bulgaria
Kris' adventures have proved that it is possible to navigate around on limited finances and visit places such as Oslo (left) and Hamburg (right) for free
Source: Homeless man shows how it's possible to visit 23 capital cities in Europe and travel nearly 10,000 miles without spending a single penny (or letting girls get in the way)
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