Accommodation

Never stay in a hotel, unless you really have to. It’s really just against the whole backpacking method. Why backpack and stay in expenses hotels, when you can save so much more money on other things and meet other backpackers? Hostels aren’t only cheap; they are safe, and fun. Another way to save money in staying at a hostel and staying in a dorm, not a single room. Single rooms are generally more costly.

Avoid luxurious tours

Many new backpackers start off with an expensive tour. Now they can be a great idea if you choose the correct tour such as Gap Adventures. But traveling to exotic countries with so many resources to travel independently, it really is just a waste of money. Yes, you might feel more comfortable, safe, and with no worries, but really you don’t meet as many backpackers who share the same love for traveling as you do.

Bargain

Every country is different with cultures and traditions and there are many approaches in how to achieve the correct price on an item. First figure out and understand how the pricing works in the country. Next always think of the best price in your head and never assume that there is a flat rate. Play with the price a little, make a judgment, and feel confident about the price your are offering.

Activities

From going to a museum to sky-diving. Find out the cheapest route to purchasing the tickets. Use your student card, passport, or even try to pass as a local. Every method in trying to save a dime is always what backpackers are looking for.

Airfares

Airfares aren’t always cheap and there is always a large gap in prices. Make sure you do your research, look online, go to a travel agent, book ahead, and even try booking in the middle of the night. I find most of the time the prices go down 20-30% due to it being in the middle of the night.

Now these are only a few quick tips in how to save money. Once you start backpacking often you realize there are small ways in how to save a penny here and there. Trust me you will get the hang of finding routes to save money.

Money

Traveling with cash is easy and easy to lose. Think about your options, like consider using an international bank. There are a few banks that you can use without paying lots withdrawal fees. Also, consider your safety. Using international banking is the safest and easiest way to keep track of your funds.

So for all you individuals who are traveling Europe this summer this is what I recommend.

1. Where to stay

I would only stay in Hostels within Europe. Try to avoid hotels, only because they are actually less safe. Kinda a funny, but it’s so true. And they are usually way over priced. Stay in a hostel, it is the perfect way to meet fellow backpackers/friends. It’s complete safe and you will receive great advice in what to see and do during your stay in that city or town. Hostels offer so much: Pools, laundry, breakfast/lunch, lockers, local (sometimes free) tours, patios, Internet, and landline phones. The best way to go about staying in hostels and picking the right ones would be booking ahead of time. Yet, not too far ahead. You want to leave yourself a bit of space. What I mean by that is if you meet and becomes friends with a bunch of people in one hostel and decide to travel with them to a location. You can just jump and go for it, knowing you haven’t made solid plans yet. So only book your hostels a week or even days before you reach that next destination.
What I would do is book a hostel at the destination before your next destination. Book online.
Below are the best websites to book online.
– http://www.hostelworld.com/
- http://www.hosteleurope.com/

Be sure to check the ratings of the hostel, there can be crappy ones, as we all know. Hostels range from $25 – $40 a night. Be sure to stay in that range in order to ensure cleanliness. Also look at the location of the hostel. Ones to close to a train station are usually not that great, so double check. Get a hostel that is located near all the major attractions. Also getting a dorm room, are usually fun, but stay within a range of a dorm room with not too many beds. What I mean, is stay to a dorm room with only 4 – 8 beds, nothing more. Only because it will be too crowed, loud, and the cause of stealing can increase. Usually no one steals, only because everyone is in the same vote – BACKPACKING. Yet, there can be creepy individuals. But do stay in a dorm room not a single room, it’s more fun and you will meet so many interesting people from around the world.

2. What to see

Once you get to your destination it’s pretty easy to figure out what the city’s highlights are. Europe is a place where tourists will always surround you. Therefore, you will see tourist-visiting centers everywhere. Plus staying in a hostel is the perfect place to ask questions in what to see. The people that work there can give you a map and just circle the major highlights for you. There you go, you have a plan for the next few days.
Although there are a few things you might want to peek at before you arrive to that destination. Check out the city’s transportation system; be sure to know what they offer. (It will help) Such a buses, subway, taxis….
The best piece of information I can tell you is, purchase a travel book. The best one is Lonely Planet. That book will literally tell you everything you need to know. From the best hostels to stay at and their prices to prices of museums. I would for sure purchase the Europe version of that book! It will also tell you what you what to see in that city and also what day trips you should check out (smaller town or villages).

3. Tours for Europe

I would recommend never doing a set / paid tour for Europe. Europe is the easiest place to backpack. I can see a tour for Asia, but it would be a huge waste of money to do a tour for Europe. Trust me, don’t consider it. Winging it in Europe is the best option. Yes, it may sound crazy and little scary at first if you are a new backpacker, but truthfully backpacking Europe is a “piece of cake”. Every person you will meet during your time abroad in Europe, they will tell you the same thing. The best thing to do is plan a route of what cities you want to see, how long you plan to stay in each city, and create a budget. I would recommend staying on one city for a max time of 2-3 days. Nothing more. To save money and time, take night trains to your next destination. But be sure that train ride is longer than 5-6 hours. Or else you won’t have much sleep. Oh, also if you do consider traveling Europe by winging it, consider the http://www.eurail.com/home to get your train pass. There are many different passes, but get one that you are sure to use the most of. They can range from $400 – $2000. Depending how many countries you are visiting and how long you are backpacking for. But the train system in Europe is the best transportation option. It’s the cheapest and also a great way to see the countries. Plus at least 80% of the people on these trains are backpackers, so you will meet tones of them.

Now, I want to go back to Europe and do the whole backpacking thing again!

1. In New Zealand, Woodlyn Park you can stay in a hotel and live like a hobbit for a night. The hotel is created from the side of a green hillside and featuring round doors and windows.

2. In Brazil, Manaus (Middle of the Amazon) a large treetop hotel exists. The hotel is built on stilts that are about 20 feet above the ground, and each suit is in a circular tower, but are all connected by 8km of wooden catwalks.

3. In Canada, Ottawa, backpackers can go to a hostel and experience a night in Jail. This jail was converted into the only Jail Hostel in North America and many of the guests say they have experienced seeing ghosts/hearing strange noises.

4. In Tokyo, Japan a hotel is created like a capsule. The capsule is about 2 meters wide and just enough space to get you feeling all cozy for a good night’s sleep. Although, there are places to put your belongings for the night.

5. In Sweden, Harads is a BIG play house for adults. Yes, you sleep in a tree house. The tree house suites only fits two people, but you can see a view of 360 degrees, so you can easily become one with nature. Plus this hotel is located just 60 km away from the Artic circle.

Now, these are a few pretty amazing places to have good night’s sleep in. So if you are in the area of these hostels/hotels I would definitely check it out or even spend a little cash to experience it all.

Credit info & Photos : http://travel.ca.msn.com/international/photogallery.aspx?cp-documentid=25410426&page=10

Hostels are dirty. Well that is un true. Almost every hostel I have came across has been clean and very tidy. Although I see your point in why you might think they are dirty, because the amount of people going in and out/ partying, they are fairly cheap, and they are usually made up of dormintories . With just bunk beds and backpacks laying around, yes you might think they are dirty. Yet, they aren’t only because every backpacker who travels is in the same vote as you. Trying to keep things together, clean and organized. Well for the most part. Yes, you can come across those few travelers who have their personal things everywhere, but at the same time hostels can be cleaner than a motel or hotel.

Hostels are dangerous. Well that is un true too. As a female, solo backpacker I found hostels to be the safest lodging for traveling. Reason for that is because you are surrounded by similar individuals. Everyone is always friendly and looking to chat/meet. Very rarely backpackers don’t chat within the hostel among fellow travelers. I believe it is the best way to meet people – in a hostel. As far as danger goes, well the hostels are usually very carefull in who they let in at late hours of the evening. Some hostels even have lock down during certain periods of the night. The individuals who work for these hostels are usually travelers, working aboard or who once was a backpacker. So they know how to keep the hostels danger free.

As far as Hostels being scary, well yes maybe at first they can be. If you have never experienced a hostel before you might be a little overwhelmed. There are always many people around, large rooms with bunk beds, people chatting everywhere, and tones of backpacks surrounding the floor, and sharing a bathroom. Yes you might be a little scared at first. But once you get in the groove of meeting people, knowing where your personal belongings are at all times/organized, and getting use to the dormintories, you will soon grow to love being in hostels. You will quickly feel welcomed in any hostel, since everyone surrounding you is in the same vote as you. They are traveling, wanting to meet people, and over all wanting to have a great time.

Backpackers International Rarotonga Hostel – Cook Islands

It’s a place were a white sandy beach and shining blue sea in just minutes away from your dorm. You can stroll along this paradise beach and wander around tropical green gardens to amazing waterfalls. Not only does this hostel offer beautiful scenery but also trekking, nightlife tours, snorkeling, beach volleyball, and BBQ’s. Not to mention that this hostel is cheap only seven pounds a night.

The Villa St Expurey-  Nice, France

This hostel is fancy, stylish with a cozy laidback lounge, bar, and a perfect way to socialize among other backpackers with a cheap drink.  Not only is this hostel fancy it is also classic with it’s architectural features such as stained-glass windows, balconies, and a terrace that over looks onto the Mediterranean Sea. Within this hostel there are 75 rooms ranging from private room to 14 beds dorm and also including a full cooked free breakfast.

Jumbo Hostel – Stockholm,Sweden

Ever imagine staying in a hostel that is a plane? Well this is just that. It’s a brillant idea for those travelers who want to experience something total different. This plane hostel was once a Boeing 747, but now it’s a hostel with 24 rooms, which can hold up to 84 guests. However the price is a little expensive for backpackers, but take a closer look at this plane hostel.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm0UnIQbnh4]

De Vrouwe van Stavoren Hostel- Netherlands

To all those wine lovers out there, this a must check out hostel. This hostel is created from wine casks and they were converted into rooms. These casks were once filled with many liters of  French wine, but now can hold two beds and standard amenities with an attached bathroom. Wouldn’t you say this a great way to recycle wine casks?!

The Gershwin Hostel - New York City

This 100 year old hostel is among the best NYC attractions with very a reasonable cheap stay, ranging from $50 a night. This hostel is made of high wood beams that are painted red with every floor created with unique, stunning artwork from a variety of different artists around the world.  So if you are in NYC this is the number one place to stay.

Now these are only a few of the top hostels in the world. There are a few that are amazing and don’t even feel like a hostel. But out of these top five hostels, what one would you choose to be the best?

Don’t annoy the people sleeping in your dorm

Sleeping in hostels means sharing your room with other backpackers. This can range anywhere between 4 to 12 people per room, on average. So if you want to go out partying late, that’s fine… but don’t puke, yell, fart, snore and bump into everything when entering the room if your fellow backpacker friends are already sound asleep! One really important rule, never turn a bright light on when it’s the middle of the night!! As a backpacker I would try hard to keep quite because when it comes to you sleeping and others making a rack it, its very annoying.

Don’t Use All the Space in the Hostel’s Kitchen

Most hostels allow backpackers to cook in a common kitchen. This being said, that means you’ll be sharing counter space as well as the stove and fridge with fellow backpackers so don’t use up all the space. DO share! Oh… and please don’t cook something that will smell up the entire room! Also when it comes to shopping and putting food in the fridge;don’t take  all the space. Oh and I almost forgot to mention, make sure you know how to cook and not burn!!! Trust me people don’t like the smelly burnt smoke air.

Don’t try to pick up a local if you haven’t showered

Showering is an option when you are a backpacker traveling in remote places. However, if you plan on picking up some good-looking local at a bar, do make sure shower. I’m sure no local will appreciate talking to a stinky backpacker.. you’ll miss out! Greasy hair and shoes with holes in them is not attractive, plus we all know this. Cause when it comes to reality no one picks up looking like a dirty rag.

Don’t Trust too Easily

Backpacking is synonymous to adventure, partying, chilling, exploring and fun! This being said, you’ll be meeting lots of people- either local or tourists. So be smart. Don’t disclose pesonal information to random people. Don’t trust people too easily. Do use your judgement! If you have a bad feeling about something or someone, go with your gut feeling because you are most probably right.

Don’t Overpack

Backpacking means traveling light. There is not need to have 10 tops, 10 bottoms, 5 pairs of shoes, enough toothpaste for 6 months, etc…. pack only a few items of each, wash your clothes and refill your products regularly. As you travel, you will most probably buy local items so you want to make sure to have some space in your backpack. You can find whatever you run out of when you get back to a city. You’ll have to carry all the weight, so why not spare the back aches?

So these are only a few important things you shouldn’t do as a backpacker, but trust me once you start getting the hang of things, there are much more RULES!! It’s all about experiences and dealing with them at the moment.

This is what I have in mind so far. What do you think? As for getting around to see each of these cities, I found out that busing it around is my best option. As for lodging, hostels are always my route to go. I searched already for some amazing hostels; found a few on the beach, one in the valley that includes some extreme sports to play and a few in small famous villages. There it is, my search is done, yet my decision now needs your help. Egypt, Croatia, or Turkey, what one should I check off my travel list first?