Backpacking is an awesome travelling experience that everyone should give a go at some point. It’s a completely different type of travelling if all you’re used to is summer holidays by the beach. You generally get to see a side of the countries you travel through away from the tourist hotspots and you get to meet a wide variety of people along the way. Backpacking is a relatively cheap form of travelling, but of course travelling is never cheap. Here are some top tips to help you save and make the most of your money while backpacking.
Use Free Walking Tours
Many major cities will offer regular free walking tours. These guides are often knowledgeable locals who are typically students and are quite eager to show off their city. They’re a great way to get a deeper understanding of a city, its landmarks and its history. They don’t cost a penny either; tips are strongly encouraged but not necessary. The guides are often of a matching or superior quality to the paid tours so it’s often well worth giving a tip all the same!
Don’t Be Fussy About Accommodation
Unless you’re rich you won’t be backpacking for very long if you decide to stay in a hotel every night. To a backpacker, accommodation is very rarely more than a place to sleep at night. Since you’ll spend most of your waking hours out and about exploring, it doesn’t make sense to pay a lot of money for somewhere you’re only going to sleep. There are plenty of cheaper options available for backpackers such as hostels but couchsurfing has been growing in popularity in recent years. There are people who quite literally allow you to sleep on their couch. Most hosts don’t charge but a small gift of gratitude is often appreciated. If you can’t afford anything then offer to cook dinner for your host. Some hosts may be satisfied just to have a conversation with you and hear you talk about your backpacking adventures so far!
Be prepared for emergencies
This is really something you should sort out before you go. When backpacking you’ll typically be a long way from home and with not much more than what you can fit in your backpack. Accidents can happen and you don’t want to end up in a position that you can’t get out of. To this end make sure you have sufficient travel insurance before you go so that should anything go wrong, you will know you are covered. Medical expenses in a foreign country can be incredibly expensive if you’re uninsured and no doubt will be the last thing you want on your mind at the time.
Backpacking is a very enjoyable activity and no doubt along the way you will form memories that will last a lifetime. It’s a costly activity but using the tips outlined above you can cut down on your travel expenses so you can do more travelling!
