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Backpackers' secrets: Top tips for cheap travel
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Lesson No. 4: Go to the grocery store
Packing light is important not only to escape from staggering checked-bag fees, but also so that you will have room in your bag for food. Backpackers seek out eclectic food carts, fresh produce markets and local bakeries.
Especially in European destinations, where fancy restaurants are expensive and authentic local food can be purchased at affordable prices, getting your food from a local grocer is a great idea. Grab a fresh baguette and some Brie in Paris, bring them to the Tuileries Garden for an outdoor lunch, and you've got an authentic Parisian meal with the one of the best views in town.
Lesson No. 5: Shake up your itinerary
Change your itinerary a little. Or a lot. The affordability and flexibility of backpacking allow for lengthy and flexible getaways. Imagine booking a roundtrip flight with no set return date — you can explore your destination at your leisure and return when it feels right. While most of us don't have that sort of unlimited travel time, we can still embrace some spontaneity. Backpackers don't typically chart a detailed itinerary that includes a minute-by-minute overview of their daily activities, and they love changing plans at the last minute. But that doesn't mean that they're against careful planning.
Before your trip, plan for flexibility. Keep your ears open for first-hand recommendations from locals and other travelers — and be ready to mix up your travel schedule if need be. Book a room at a hostel, but bring contact information for other area hostels or B&B's as well. If you're going to a particular city, research nearby destinations that interest you, and make a note of lodging, food and transportation options in the area. When you carry everything you need on your back and are prepared to go where the wind takes you, why not leave room for some spontaneous sightseeing?
Lesson No. 6: Go it alone
Travel buffs who don't have companions to explore the world with or who would prefer to trek independently should take a page from the backpackers' book. The ethos of backpacking is about personal exploration and freedom; it's a mindset that doesn't require a supportive companion to hold your hand.
Are you worried that you can't share your experiences with anyone else on a solo trip? Think again — backpackers know that they can connect with fellow travelers and locals along the way. Travel solo like a backpacker and you may just make a few friends you wouldn't have met if you weren't going it alone.
You'll easily meet other travelers at hostels and at bed and breakfasts, both of which often encourage activities and interaction among their guests. For example, Hostel Inn, a chain of hostels located in South America, offers tango lessons, Spanish classes, city tours and more with accommodations at select locations. Unlike most hotels, hostels typically have common areas where chess games, Scrabble, Ping-Pong or lengthy conversations with other travelers take place. Even if you happen to be the oldest one in the room, don't look at your fellow guests as immature travelers with whom you have nothing in common. You have plenty in common — including your desire to save money, your keen sense of adventure, your capable storytelling abilities and, of course, your love of travel.
For more information on solo travel, read Single Travel: Tips for Going Solo.
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