You’re heading out on a new adventure, armed with nothing more than a map, a compass, and a pack on your back. Backpacking, in the good old U.S.A. or abroad, is the ultimate in low-cost travel. Follow these tips from the Cheapflights team to ensure your backpacking adventure is memorable, and cost-efficient.
Keep Costs Down When You're on the Ground
Chances are, you’re flying between major destinations, and you’re traveling on a tight budget. Once on the ground, it’s fairly simple to keep costs down – eat as local people do and stay in hostels or other low-cost lodging. Your major cash outlay will be for your flights. But with a great deal on your airfares from Cheapflights.com you can jet off where you want, and hardly spend a dime.
Stay Flexible to Find Cheap Airfares
Backpackers don’t typically stick to a tight schedule or want to spend lots of money. Consider these options when looking for cheap airline tickets for backpacking:
U.S. Multi-city flights – save when you fly between 3+ domestic cities
International Multi-city flights – save when you fly between 3+ cities abroad
Around the world tickets – exceptional value for multi-stop international trips
Air passes – an affordable way to see more of a region or country
Need more strategies to find cheap airline tickets? Learn the basics and check cheapflights-ology. Then find and compare thousands of cheap airline ticket deals. Or reserve your tickets online with our booking engine
Backpacking Basics
You need to find cheap flights for your trip. But what other planning should you do? In addition to our air travel planning tips, the following advice should help you plan the ideal backpacking adventure.
Choosing a destination
When you’re deciding where to backpack, it's not such a small world. The sheer number of possible options can be overwhelming. This is the fun part. Start by considering key factors such as geography and weather. Think about the season you’re flying into. If you’re traveling in the dead of winter, you’ve got to carry more clothing, but you’re likely to get a much better airfare deal in the off season. Five top backpacking destinations are Europe, Asia, South America, U.S.A. and Africa.
Safety first
America is a pretty safe place for backpacking. But if you’re headed out of the country, is your desired destination safe at the moment? It’s not just Third World countries that can be unstable, and there are times when it is simply best not to visit. The U.S. Department of State Web site is loaded with current safety information and travel warnings by country.
Understanding the culture
Researching the basic customs of a foreign country before you head out is smart and can be fascinating. Simple things like body language and gestures can vary dramatically from place to place – and when you’re backpacking, you’re up close and personal with the local population. Make sure to check on acceptable dress codes for the culture you’re traveling to, especially for women.
Learn a bit of the local language
If you can say "please," "thank you," and "goodbye" in each of the places you visit, you'll get a much warmer reception. Take a phrase book with you. They really come in handy in emergencies and when ordering food.
Do your homework
There are loads of great books and maps available about particular destinations and cultures and plenty of info online. One of the best places to get information to help you plan for backpacking is Lonely Planet. For online maps, see our maps section.
Get a sense for local transportation
Unless you plan to do your whole trip on foot, check train timetables, bus schedules, and short, regional flights in advance. Plan a rough schedule before you go. Sticking to it might ruin the fun of backpacking, but know the connections that you can't afford to miss. For information on transportation in Europe, including Eurail passes, visit backpackeurope.com.
In case of trouble
Get in touch with your embassy to help you out. They can do everything from arranging a replacement if your passport is stolen to contacting your family to let them know you’re ok. Carry a mobile phone for emergencies, if possible. Don't forget to enable it to make calls from abroad before you go.
