How to Plan a Backpacking Trip | Advice for Getting Started and Solo Travel
If you’re dreaming of travelling on a gap year or taking a break from work and hitting up a new continent for a 2 months, this is a sign that you should do it.
Whether you’re going with a few friends, your partner or backpacking solo, it’s helpful to have a plan and to set expectations on things like where you’re going, budget and how much time you plan to spend with each other.
This covers:
Deciding where to go and setting expectations
What to pack
Solo travel and hostelling
Do I need travel insurance?
Where to start - deciding where to go on your trip, setting expectations
Before I went on my six month trip, my therapist suggested that I write down a list of places or experiences that I was interested in exploring during that time, as well as my expectations on budget, pace and travel style and discuss this with my travel buddies, i.e. my partner.
This turned out to be an amazing tool for providing some structure including when we wanted to start the trip, and any key dates that we had to be mindful of. It also helped us set expectations ahead of time on budget and how we wanted to spend our time which helped reduce disagreements in the future.
We also split up on a few occasions for a week as we had specific interests in different places (e.g. I went to complete a dance teacher’s course in Manchester). I would recommend discussing this with your travel buddies especially if you want to do something alone for a day, or if you feel like you want to move at a different pace.
I also wanted this trip to be flexible so minimal planning was a bit scary. As a type A girlie, I love planning and speadsheets - but this time I wanted to be able to say yes to opportunities as they appeared.
Some of my favourite memories were thanks to this - spontaneously going to one of the world’s largest music festivals (Tomorrowland), meeting up with friends we met along the way in Berlin, London and Singapore, exploring areas that we never expected to like Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Moral of the story: have a plan, but don’t plan everything!
What do I pack?
As someone who is a bit indecisive, I put this off until a few days before my trip because it felt daunting that whatever I packed would be with me for the next six months.
The best advice I received (and would give) is to pack as light as possible. The less you bring, the less you have to carry - and the easier it is to move around. I brought a carry on suitcase and a 30L backpack, and I’d say this was the best decision I made.
If you want more details on what and how to pack, I put together a packing list for a summer/autumn trip which is helpful for trips that are anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
Solo travel and staying at hostels
I am a huge advocate for solo travel as something that everyone should try once. Personally, it’s taught me a lot about what I’m capable of (if you can navigate a new country by yourself, think about what else you can do!) and has given me opportunities to step into uncomfortable situations (hello meeting strangers), build conversation skills and self-confidence.
However I’ve had friends who have really disliked it because they’ve felt isolated or bored - where you choose to stay and what activities you choose to do will make a huge difference to your experience.
Tips for solo travel and how to make friends
Stay at social hostel - Hostelworld reviews are a great resource for researching whether a hostel has a social vibe, has common areas where you can meet fellow travellers and runs activities such as walking tours, bar crawls or day trips where you can meet other people.
Join activities such as walking tours, bar crawls or day tours - it’s much easier to talk to someone when you already have an activity in common.
Strike up a conversation with someone - great starting points are saying hi and introducing yourself, asking what their plans are, if they have any recommendations
Look online for meet ups for activities like language exchanges, sports or other hobbies you have to find other people with common interests.
My personal favourites are going on walking tours, day trips and joining hostel dinners, and I also go to social dancing events for bachata as a way to meet locals who have similar interests!
I recently stayed at Selina Secret Garden Lisbon which included a free drink during happy hour at the rooftop bar to meet fellow travellers!
Travel insurance - do I need it?
As someone who had their phone stolen in Europe - my answer is yes! Other instances where it’s been useful is when baggage has been delayed as you can claim immediate necessities, and provided peace of mind when renting cars.
It’s important to check what it covers including limits, how long coverage is for and how it’s activated.
In Australia, most travel insurance policies need to be purchased before you leave the country. Many credit cards also include travel insurance - however it’s important to review the PDS and the conditions for activation e.g. using the card to purchase return flights, or spending over a certain threshold of prepaid trip expenses.
For my six month adult gap year trip, I used:
Travel insurance through a credit card for the first 3 months
World Nomads for the remaining time, who are able to cover Australians who are already overseas and are very reasonable in their coverage and excess fees. I was also able to extend my policy whilst I was on my trip and I found out through customer support that it automatically covered other countries of equal or lower ‘region of cover’! (not sponsored, I just think they’re great)
However this is entirely up to you as travel insurance costs can add up, and may not be worthwhile for your situation.
Planned your trip already? You might be interested in reading tips on what to pack.
This post contains affiliate and referral links where I may earn affiliate income or referral bonuses at no extra cost to readers. Your support helps me continue providing valuable content.
