Backpacking solo by way of Europe, Southeast Asia, or South America has been a proper of passage for younger, finances 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 referred to as the Gringo Trail. Southeast Asia and South Asia are additionally fashionable. All are far cheaper choices than Europe right this moment. Currently, Southeast Asia is the preferred vacation spot amongst budget-minded backpackers.
But it does not matter how low-cost a journey vacation spot is, you continue to have to avoid wasting the cash to go. Have a learn of our prime put up about saving cash for journey right here: How to Save Money for Travel: Smart Advice. Seven Steps.
Now, let’s get into the small print of the way to plan your journey, purchase your backpack and pack it, and set out.
How to Choose Your Backpacking Destination
Where you’ll go will probably be decided by your finances and your private imaginings of the world. You may have your personal nations in thoughts. Whether from tales of buddies’ travels, books you have learn, or films you have seen, you’ll 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 need to take a look at:
In actuality, a lot of your vacation spot alternative depends upon your finances. A wonderful journey expertise will stay with you ceaselessly 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 possibly can spend.
You have to understand how a lot you possibly can spend to find out the place you’ll go, for the way lengthy you’ll go, and what you’ll do. Once you’ve your magic quantity, add it to the Solo Traveler Travel Budget spreadsheet to maintain monitor 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 completed.
3. Decide the place you’ll go, when, and for the way lengthy.
This will probably be affected by your finances and the way versatile you’re together with your time. If you go in excessive season, which is normally summer season, your cash won’t final so long as it can when you go within the shoulder or low season.
4. Use vacation spot hashtags on Instagram or TikTook.
Receive new inspiration day-after-day as you are planning your journey. Get recommendations on locations to go, issues to do, the way to get round, methods to avoid wasting, and extra. Plus, hold your inspiration to journey day by day and it’ll make saving in your journey simpler. A Pinterest board may also be 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 will 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 the way to guide 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 exploit Rome2Rio.com to get a way of the choices and prices earlier than I determine on my plan. There have been instances when I’ve realized that getting from one place to a different is so tough that I minimize one vacation spot from my itinerary.
7. Plan an itinerary.
This will probably be affected by how lengthy you must journey. At naked minimal, I recommend not less than three nights in any location however when you can keep longer, all the higher. As for what you need to do once you get the place you are going, ensure you guide the actually fashionable actions–those that you simply completely need to do–prematurely. Otherwise, go away your self numerous 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 must decide to reserving each evening of your journey. However, it is strongly recommended that you simply guide your first evening at any new vacation spot earlier than you get there. Hostels are nice. They’re low-cost, social, a superb supply of knowledge for vacationers, and sometimes have pub nights or different occasions. See under on the way to guide a hostel and skim The Hostel Experience: Sleeping with Strangers.
That takes care of planning your journey. However, there are just a few extra, much less thrilling particulars to care for.
Solo Backpacking Safety: Before You Leave
1. Confirm that your journey insurance coverage is present.
It’s essential 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 choice 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 essential. There are some nations the place bank cards are usually not accepted broadly. ATMs are your finest 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 price 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 anything I’ve booked prematurely. You can compile all these paperwork into one to avoid wasting paper.
4. Leave your plan with somebody and understand how you may keep in contact.
When you backpack solo, it is actually essential that somebody is aware of the place you’re always. I’m not suggesting that each transfer you make should be recognized. But it is sensible that somebody is aware of the place you are staying each time you progress. With the power to be very spontaneous as a solo traveler, this additionally means staying in contact with residence. Know the way you’ll handle your communications. Free Wi-Fi in hostels, espresso retailers, and libraries are definitely an choice when you’ve got your personal cellphone, pill, or laptop. 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 vital, go to a Travel Clinic to get the correct vaccinations and drugs. 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 provided to British Nationals. They supply 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 need to think about all three with the journey decisions you make. Here are crucial methods you is usually 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 purpose is to maintain as a lot of your cash as attainable circulating throughout the nation you are visiting quite than having it enter the coffers of a western firm.
2. Use rail or street – decrease flights.
If you must fly, take direct flights when attainable. This will scale back your carbon footprint of air journey. However, when you possibly can, journey near the bottom. Go by foot or bike and your carbon footprint is all the way down to zero. Trains and buses are one other sensible choice. A automobile for one particular person isn’t, however when you get a gaggle collectively and hire a automobile, that may be an affordable choice if trains and buses are usually not accessible in your vacation spot.
3. Stay at eco-conscious, domestically owned inns or hostels.
Whether you keep at a hostel, visitor home, or lodge, select one that’s domestically owned and run so that you simply help the native economic system. Yurt parks and eco-lodges are additionally nice choices once you’re backpacking solo. Read “About” sections on web sites to study extra in regards to the firm earlier than reserving. Look for sustainability initiatives which may embrace solar energy, recycling, a kitchen backyard, and extra. Look for inexperienced certifications resembling LEED or Green Globe.
4. Minimize waste with reusable merchandise.
When you’re on the transfer there are numerous events to create waste and add stress to the native waste administration system. Alternatively, you possibly can plan to attenuate your influence by selecting reusable merchandise resembling a collapsible water bottle, mug for espresso or tea, or a conveyable consuming utensils set. This one contains chop sticks, a straw, and the same old 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, conserving your journey {dollars} within the native economic 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 the way to be a accountable wildlife vacationer.
Exceptional Resources for Solo Backpackers
Last up to date: sixth April, 2023