Actual Guide to Backpacking and Traveling
Strap yourselves in we are going on an adventure. Traveling and backpacking are two of the things I have been very grateful and lucky to do. Pre-pandemic and even years before that, I had planned all of the places I wished to go and what I would do. I’ve daydreamed about living in new cities, jumping from one to the next, and enjoying the little delicacies of life. I love meeting new people and experiencing cultures. I could fill a book of the people and experiences I have had in my short life. But as the borders are re-opening and travel does not seem so much of a pipe dream, I thought I would share some tips that I learned the hard way. When I was eighteen, my best friend and I decided before heading to university we were going to backpack/travel around Europe (I promise I’m not as pretentious as I sound). So, we both worked various jobs to save, until eventually, we felt we had enough money, and off we ran.
Now being freshly 18 and deciding to travel around with your best friend is as fun as it sounds, I won’t lie. In no way would I discourage people from traveling. But I will enclose basic tips that are for your safety or that I believe are worth noting.
Nothing is free
Now each country we visited, we encountered different challenges. Whether that be a language barrier or misunderstandings. But one thing you will notice no matter where you go, people will always try to sell you stuff. Now I’m not talking about people approaching you, then you politely decline. I am talking about the people who will physically grab you soyou can consider buying their items or service. I completely understand that each country has different economic problems and making money from tourism is a very popular and efficient way to gain some income. But I am informing you that people will attempt to manhandle you for them to get your attention. For example, in Italy, my friend and I were outside the Milan Cathedral, and we had several people approach us to sell their bracelets. But several of themgrabbed my and my friends’ arms and attempted to tie a bracelet on us, then ask us to pay a price that he had not yet disclosed. I reached my arm free and told him again, no,\ then he moved on because I was resistant to him tying the bracelet on. In the same space, I had someone approach me who wanted to give me bread to attract the many pigeons in the square. In another instance a woman wanted to braid my hair and as I was walking past grabbed my hair and tried to sit me down so she could braid it. Once again I had to be firm and say no. Now the pattern with all of these experiences is that they will offer a service and not tell you the price until it is too late to back out of it. Which usually means you get ripped off. You need to be firm when saying no, because if you are compliant, it will be taken as a yes. This situation usually occurs in tourist hotspots, in order to earn some cash from naïve tourists. There were several people we did give money to, I am just informing you of the hands-on nature I have experienced when people try to sell you things. Nothing is free, even if they say it is.
Money. Money, Money
Ahhhh yes, money. It goes so fast while you travel (or just in life). But when traveling, I highly suggest having a loose idea of where you are going, at least narrowing it down to the part of the country. I say this because in some places you are going to spend more money than in others. If you go to more western areas or cities, you need to accept that everything is going to be pricier, and I warn you so then you can rethink the amount of money you will need. As an example, we knew we wanted to visit Paris, Milan, and Amsterdam, so we considered that we would spend more money there than we would in Budapest or Croatia. We thought about that very far in advance, so we knew what to expect about our finances. Which did in fact happen, as in Paris, someone charged us seven euros for water, and it cost five pence for a loaf of bread in Croatia.
Also, if you are going abroad, tell your bank! In many cases, if you don’t tell your bank, they will freeze your account as you have suddenly started spending money abroad. They will assume your card has been stolen and the last thing you want to do while travelling is to be on the phone with your bank to confirm your identity. As most of the time, they will want to see you in person too!
Side note: make sure you save enough money before heading out on your travels — you’ll never know what will happen. I got stuck in a Belgium train station for eight hours on my way back to England at the end of my trip and had to buy a new ticket for another train which cost me more than I thought it would. So, just keep in mind, Shit happens.
What to take and what you are willing to lose
You will lose something. I am telling you straight out, whether it's stolen, left, abandoned, or misplaced, you will not bring everything back. I’ve lost goodclothes; I still think about my thrifted oversized t-shirt that I left/stolen in Budapest *wipes tear. If you are backpacking, I highly suggest packing light. You are carrying everything with you the majority of the time, and it will start to weigh on you, especially when you are tired or in hot countries. Do not dress to impress all the time, primarily dress comfy. It is okay if you wear the same top a few times, no one is going to see you twice.
Also, I cannot stress this enough, bring/leave a copy of your documentation at home on your person. If the worst were to happen, you need to verify your identity, or equally, if you need to report something to the police, you need verification. Photocopy your passport and any other identity verification you think you may need.
As a general rule, if you are taking something with you traveling it means you are also taking the risk of losing it.
Cheap tricks
As I already explained, money goes fast while traveling, in fact it made me very aware of how much I spend day-to-day. So, I accumulated some cheap tricks in order to save money.
When staying at either a hotel or hostel, check if they offer a free breakfast before booking. It’s one less meal to pay for, and what we did was we took items of food from breakfast and ate them throughout the rest of the day. A lot of the time, they lay t fruit or bread for you to take — save yourself money on snacks later.
There are tons of free things to do wherever you go. You just need to be willing to look. Most of the time, we would compromise in order to prioritize other activities that we were more willing to pay for. For example, we both wanted to see the Eiffel tower (don’t judge us for some of our more touristy choices). But we didn’t want to pay to go up it, so instead, we sat on the grass across from the Eiffel tower, bought some cheap wine, and sat in the sun admiring the views of Paris. But for some activities, we were willing to pay because they were activities we really wanted to do and weren’t willing to compromise on. Which is fine, but you need to prioritize where you are willing to splurge and where you aren’t.
Ask wherever you are staying about things to do in the area, mainly because they usually have discounts or deals, as part of the experience of staying with them.
Make sure you ask your bank about a no-fee bank card, or what the transaction fee is where you are going. You do not need the extra cost of paying an ATM for taking out money, as it tends to really add up throughout the trip.
I highly suggest staying at hostels. Not only are they a great place to meet locals and other travellers, they are so cheap. Also think of it like this, you are spending your days out and exploring, you only really need the essentials, like a bed, and shower. That’s exactly what hostels offer and the opportunity to make some friends.
Take local transport! Taxis will only eat your money.
Eat in, cook some meals for yourself!
Time to talk
Talk to everyone! Not only is it the best way to make friends, but it also gives you a lot of insight into the place you are at or staying. There were many occasions where we made friends in hostels and continued hanging out with each other throughout our trip. Also, by talking to others, you will learn their tricks and new places to experience. We learned about so many secret bars and activities just by talking to people in the hostel and have stayed friends with them to this day. Although I encourage a healthy amount of suspicion in socialising with everyone, use what common sense you have while traveling. But in general, a lot of people are there for the same reasons you are, to explore, to make friends and to enjoy the country.
Speaking of talking. You should learn some. No matter where you go, learn a bit of the language. Learn basic phrases, and day to day words, you are entering a new place, not everyone will speak english and it is not their job to accommodate to your language.
Do your research
Research the language, the history, the local news, customs, everything!
A good example of this is when I went to Sweden, my brother who was living ther at the time, informed me that if you wanted to go on a train or bus, you needed an app on your phone. If I was not told that I would have been stuck, because then it causes issues with your transport and if you just get on the train, it could raise questions about my real intentions in not researching the transport. A similar situation has happened to me before, they did not believe I was a tourist, and thought I was simply trying to skip payment on my travel. So, make sure you know your history and where you are going.
Last tips
Bring local cash, not everywhere will take a card.
Take a portable charger! Mine was a lifesaver.
If you are traveling with a friend, buy a headphone connector. We were on trains for a long time, and we would watch films together.
Download… Hostel world, Air bnb, and Rome to Rio.
Bring a towel and spare socks.
Go with people you feel like you can get along with for long periods of time. You will spend a lot of time together. You need to know you can stand each other for that long.
Do not be afraid to mess up. I learned a lot about this by messing up, it's part of the process.
Starbucks and McDonald’s usually offer free Wi-Fi, so don’t be ashamed of going in!
Hope this was helpful, I love traveling so much, and I highly encourage everyone to do it. It’s good to learn more about a world outside your hometown. It’s addictive, and the best experience, some of my favourite experiences, are when I’m traveling.
Happy travels x