Backpacking solo by way of Europe, Southeast Asia, or South America has been a proper of passage for younger, price range vacationers for many years.
In the sixties and seventies, the favored hippie path began in London, Paris, or Berlin and ended as distant as Bangkok after touring by way of the Middle East and South Asia.
Backpackers touring to South America observe what’s generally known as the Gringo Trail. Southeast Asia and South Asia are additionally common. All are far cheaper choices than Europe as we speak. Currently, Southeast Asia is the preferred vacation spot amongst budget-minded backpackers.
But it would not matter how low cost a journey vacation spot is, you continue to have to save lots of the cash to go. Have a learn of our high publish about saving cash for journey right here: How to Save Money for Travel: Smart Advice. Seven Steps.
Now, let’s get into the main points of easy methods to plan your journey, purchase your backpack and pack it, and set out.
How to Choose Your Backpacking Destination
Where you’ll go might be decided by your price range and your private imaginings of the world. You can have your individual nations in thoughts. Whether from tales of buddies’ travels, books you have learn, or films you have seen, you can be impressed to go and discover particular locations.
To enable you to make up your thoughts about the place, listed here are some posts you may wish to try:
In actuality, a lot of your vacation spot selection is determined by your price range. A superb journey expertise will reside with you endlessly however you actually don’t desire the price of it to hold on that lengthy. Read How to Plan Your Travel Budget: Luxury or Frugal.
How to Plan Your Solo Backpacking Trip in 8 Steps
1. Start with some thought of what you’ll be able to spend.
You must know the way a lot you’ll be able to spend to find out the place you’ll go, for the way lengthy you’ll go, and what you’ll do. Once you have got your magic quantity, add it to the Solo Traveler Travel Budget spreadsheet to maintain observe of your projected spending as you construct your plan.
2. Create a folder for data you collect.
Google Drive is nice for this. Create a folder in your vacation spot and subfolders for issues like your flight confirmations. Have one other subfolder for lodging. Keep all hostel bookings there with file names starting with the vacation spot the hostel is in. Use this as a spot to carry all precise bookings in addition to analysis you have carried out.
3. Decide the place you’ll go, when, and for the way lengthy.
This might be affected by your price range and the way versatile you’re together with your time. If you go in excessive season, which is normally summer time, your cash is not going to final so long as it should if you happen to go within the shoulder or low season.
4. Use vacation spot hashtags on Instagram or TikTookay.
Receive new inspiration on daily basis as you are planning your journey. Get recommendations on locations to go, issues to do, easy methods to get round, methods to save lots of, and extra. Plus, preserve your inspiration to journey each day and it’ll make saving in your journey simpler. A Pinterest board will also be a very good device for gathering inspiration in your journey.
5. Create a worth alert on flights.
If you are flying to your vacation spot, use FlightNetwork or Skyscanner to arrange a worth alert so that you’re going to be notified of any worth drops on fares. These are nice websites for checking costs and for reserving, however, earlier than reserving, at all times test the value on the airline’s website first. There’s extra on easy methods to e-book flights right here Solo Travel Planning Guide with Trends, a Checklist, and Insider Tips.
6. Use Rome2Rio to schedule and plan logistics.
Getting round, whether or not from one metropolis in Thailand to a different or from one nation in South America to a different, requires a little bit of planning. I take advantage of Rome2Rio.com to get a way of the choices and prices earlier than I resolve on my plan. There have been instances when I’ve discovered that getting from one place to a different is so troublesome that I minimize one vacation spot from my itinerary.
7. Plan an itinerary.
This might be affected by how lengthy you must journey. At naked minimal, I recommend at the least three nights in any location however if you happen to can keep longer, all the higher. As for what you wish to do once you get the place you are going, ensure you e-book the actually common actions–those that you just completely wish to do–upfront. Otherwise, depart your self a number of room to be spontaneous.
8. Book lodging – tentatively.
If you are touring for a very long time and never in excessive season you will not need to decide to reserving each evening of your journey. However, it’s endorsed that you just e-book your first evening at any new vacation spot earlier than you get there. Hostels are nice. They’re low cost, social, a wonderful supply of data for vacationers, and sometimes have pub nights or different occasions. See beneath on easy methods to e-book a hostel and skim The Hostel Experience: Sleeping with Strangers.
That takes care of planning your journey. However, there are a number of extra, much less thrilling particulars to maintain.
Solo Backpacking Safety: Before You Leave
1. Confirm that your journey insurance coverage is present.
It’s necessary to purchase journey insurance coverage earlier than you allow. Few corporations will insure you as soon as you have left in your journey and none will insure you for one thing that has already occurred. For why you want insurance coverage, learn A Complete Guide to Travel Insurance for Solo Travelers.
2. Plan how you’ll handle your cash.
My desire is to make use of bank cards for many purchases as I journey. If you do not have a bank card, learn Book and Travel Without a Credit Card: Top Tips. Cash can also be necessary. There are some nations the place bank cards aren’t accepted broadly. ATMs are your greatest supply of money, not the change cubicles at airports. Keep some backup money hidden in your backpack. Read Protect Yourself from Pickpockets: Keep Cards & Cash Safe.
3. Organize your paperwork.
Yes, have all of your paperwork within the cloud, however it’s additionally value having paper copies. I print out copies of my passport and visas (if required) and the affirmation emails for flights, lodging, prepare tickets, excursions, and the rest I’ve booked upfront. You can compile all these paperwork into one to save lots of paper.
4. Leave your plan with somebody and know the way you may keep in contact.
When you backpack solo, it is actually necessary that somebody is aware of the place you’re always. I’m not suggesting that each transfer you make should be identified. But it is clever that somebody is aware of the place you are staying each time you progress. With the flexibility to be very spontaneous as a solo traveler, this additionally means staying in contact with house. Know the way you’ll handle your communications. Free Wi-Fi in hostels, espresso outlets, and libraries are actually an possibility when you have your individual cellphone, pill, or pc. An unlocked cellphone has much more flexibility.
5. Know the dangers earlier than you go.
Research the well being dangers at your vacation spot and, if crucial, go to a Travel Clinic to get the correct vaccinations and medicines. Check your authorities’s advisory web site to study what dangers are concerned in your chosen vacation spot and register with the federal government as a citizen touring overseas. Here are the pages for the US and Canada. The registration service is not supplied to British Nationals. They provide primary journey data right here. Here is the federal government journey recommendation data for Australia.
Be a Sustainable Solo Backpacker
There are three features to sustainable journey: environmental, social, and financial. You wish to think about all three with the journey decisions you make. Here are a very powerful methods you could be a sustainable and moral backpacker.
1. Travel slowly.
Slow journey means staying longer in a location and utilizing a slower technique of transport (normally public) to your subsequent location. It additionally means attending to know the native tradition higher and making an actual financial contribution to it. The aim is to maintain as a lot of your cash as doable circulating throughout the nation you are visiting somewhat than having it enter the coffers of a western firm.
2. Use rail or highway – decrease flights.
If you must fly, take direct flights when doable. This will scale back your carbon footprint of air journey. However, when you’ll be able to, journey near the bottom. Go by foot or bike and your carbon footprint is right down to zero. Trains and buses are one other sensible choice. A automobile for one particular person will not be, however if you happen to get a bunch collectively and hire a automobile, that may be an inexpensive possibility if trains and buses aren’t out there in your vacation spot.
3. Stay at eco-conscious, regionally owned lodges or hostels.
Whether you keep at a hostel, visitor home, or resort, select one that’s regionally owned and run so that you just assist the native financial system. Yurt parks and eco-lodges are additionally nice choices once you’re backpacking solo. Read “About” sections on web sites to study extra concerning the firm earlier than reserving. Look for sustainability initiatives that may embrace solar energy, recycling, a kitchen backyard, and extra. Look for inexperienced certifications comparable to LEED or Green Globe.
4. Minimize waste with reusable merchandise.
When you’re on the transfer there are various events to create waste and add stress to the native waste administration system. Alternatively, you’ll be able to plan to attenuate your impression by selecting reusable merchandise comparable to a collapsible water bottle, mug for espresso or tea, or a transportable consuming utensils set. This one consists of chop sticks, a straw, and the standard western flatware.
5. Support native companies.
From day excursions to eating places, supporting native companies must be a precedence. Doing so you’re offering employment for folks whereas, as soon as once more, maintaining your journey {dollars} within the native financial system.
6. Be selective in the case of animal experiences.
One of the phrases in advertising supplies to be careful for is “up-close encounters” with animals. This may point out an unethical remedy of the animals. Read Lonely Planet’s article on easy methods to be a accountable wildlife vacationer.
Exceptional Resources for Solo Backpackers
Last up to date: sixth April, 2023